Labyrinth Quilt, Part Two

A selection of fabrics bought at Jeans' Material Things in Castlegar, BC, destined for the KAAP Labyrinth Fundraiser quilt.

The photo above, is a selection of colours for the queen sized version of the Labyrinth quilt.  This one is destined for KAAP, Kootenay Animal Assistance Program, to be raffled off next year as part of their ongoing fundraising efforts.  A group after my own heart.  I am putting my skills to use, to benefit those, that cannot speak for themselves.  We are unable to foster any displaced four footed, furred or feathered pals, so we have decided to support KAAP, financially.

Labyrinth Quilt

The Labyrinth quilt was an interesting one to cut and sew. I used the pattern called Labyrinth Quilt, designed by Debbie Maddy, from Calico Carriage Quilt Designs.  The quilt was cut using Debbie's instructions, but using the Accuquilt Studio to do the cutting.  The primary shapes are half square triangles and long rectangles.  My version is slightly larger than the cutting instructions.  I used stock dies. 

I did, however, follow her instructions regarding the placement of each unit, to the letter.  One would need to, as each size of quilt as an ever increasing number of frames within frames.  This mapping within the pattern is a sanity saver.  I quilted the quilt on my home embroidery machine, using the quilting in the hoop technique.  

One of the photos below shows the use of paper templates.  These templates were also sanity savers, as I was able to line the embroidery up, precisely where I wanted it, using chalk marks to align my hoops.  I would not attempt to do a quilt any larger than a single person quilt, using the quilt in the hoop techniques.

Quilting in the hoop using paper templates for setting of embroidery designs.

Preliminary layout of the internal part of the design.

I use a series of large bull dog clips to hang my quilt tops for photo shooting purposes.  Line the bull dogs with weather stripping, to grip the cotton fabrics of the quilt.

The clothesline is another handy tool in the yard, for displaying quilts.  I am eyeing, however, the door on the backside of the barn, as it is a lot taller than my clothesline.  The door was used  to create the space for stacking bales of hay, which we no longer do.

Closeup detail of the quilt in the hoop design, a series of leaves from Skeldale House.  I used tone on tone thread, as I did not want the quilting design to jump off of the base fabric.

This quilt in hoop design is from Embroidery Library, and is a pine cone and bough.  The sashing is black, and I used brown Aurilux thread to do the quilt in hoop design.  

The quilt gets to be difficult to handle when it increases in size.  Its then, that I contact one of the talented and local long arm quilters, to do their magic, on what I have stitched together.

Overall, I am pleased with the end result of the Labyrinth quilt.  The colours are unisex, and it can be given to either a gal or fellow.  Its home is undetermined as yet.

Winding Ways Block/Quilt Part Two

The photos below show the actual quilt constructed using the Winding Ways block, also known as Wheel of Mystery.  I used the Accuquilt Studio to cut the fabrics, as I can stack and cut up to ten layers at a time.  This quilt has exactly 120 blocks, and took me 35 hours to construct.  That is, 35 hours of cutting, stitching, and pressing.  Each block took about 12 minutes in total, to create.

When I first proposed to do the Winding Ways quilt, I created a colour map using EQ7.  However, I bought and cut the fabrics far ahead of getting the software.  Its akin to putting the cart before my horse.  The photos attached show what the quilt really looks like, and its destined for use in either our bedroom or on the guest bed.  Its a queen size plus, as its long enough to create the tuck under the pillows.

Completed queen size plus bed spread/quilt

A riot of warm colours with resting spots of blues and greens.

Border detail on Summers' Heat Winding Ways Quilt.  

Winding Ways quilt overlaid on one of our other quilts.  My long arm quilter did a wonderful job on the quilt and borders.

A closeup of the morphing circles.

Triangles in Squares, AKA Hello, Baby Quilt

This next quilt sample, also completed for the Grand Forks Guild Bi-Annual Quilt Show, held August 30, 31, and September 1 of 2013, features the triangle in square blocks, as well as borders cut with the strip cutters.  I had only one meter of fabric to use for the star units, in the circus themed polka dot print in primary colours.

This quilt was made especially for a baby, but its unisex theme will grow with the child.  One single meter of the circus theme print, was all that I had, to work with.....  When I did the layout using EQ7, the quilt had one look to it.  When I did the trial layout, I discovered that I was one long triangle short of completing the quilt.  My actual layout changed due to that shortage.  There was no way I could go back and find another length of that fabric.  When it was cut, it was done.  All cuts were made using the Accuquilt Die Cutter, Studio model.

Hello, Baby! Quilt Top on the Clothesline

Closeup of Triangles in Squares Baby Quilt

I will most likely quilt this quilt with quilting in the hoop.  Its a blend of quilting and embroidery done on an embroidery machine with multiple sized hoops.  I can foresee an embroidered frog right in the centre of this quilt.

Winding Ways Affairs-aka Wheel of Mystery

This is another quilt on the cutting board.  I used the Winding Ways block available through Accuquilt, for use in cutting on the Studio cutter.  I mapped the layout using EQ7.  However, I did the colour mapping after I had already cut the fabric on the die cutter.  Sort of putting the cart before the horse.  Oh, well.  If this does not look exactly as the photo below, I can live with that.  

I have had it cut since last summer and will hopefully have it finished for the end of August, to take with me to the Grand Forks Quilt Guild Show, held in Grand Forks, BC, Canada.

Winding Ways Colour Map using EQ7

Design Layout Copyrighted 2013

The trays of colours are stacked and ready to stitch.  I am again using the built in walking foot on my machine, the quarter inch foot with blade on the far left, and stitch length of 2.0.  I am pressing my seams toward the darker colours.  I will post photos of the blocks in progress.  Using EQ7 has saved me hours of hand colouring blocks.  If I don't like one layout, I can easily change colours to create another one.  Save it and print it out for reference.

Close to the Finish Line-HST Carpenters' Star Quilt

Carpenters' Star Quilt, mapped out using EQ7.

I am completing an applique for the back of the Carpenters' Star quilt, aka the HST quilt.  HST refers to Half Square Triangles, not the Harmonized Sales Tax as we have in Canada, although not in BC, anymore.

The actual quilt was completed using fat quarters.  Whatever was in the grouping, was what was used in the quilt.  There are only two places on the interior of the quilt that show the same patterned fabric. The borders do have fabric that is consistent.  The interior of the quilt was constructed using a fat quarter frenzy.

I used the quarter inch foot with the blade on the far left, a single hole needle plate, and 2.0mm stitch length.  Straight stitching only. The walking foot on my Pfaff sewing machine was always  on.