2016, a review

I made more than I thought this year. I started more projects than I realized, but I finished them too. I finished some long standing works in progress. I did only half of the mighty lucky club (ML) challenges. I cut way, way back on my fabric spending. I did TWO charm swaps and cut/sent/received more than 2,200 2.5″ charm squares. I bought a long arm. After a decade of being at home with kids I started working 30 hours a week in a brand new field. I joined Instagram. I was part of the New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop. I said no to things. I said yes to others.

Here are my 2016 quilt finishes:

Left to right, top to bottom: ML bias tape, ML minimalist improv, hexi mini, gap improv, ML quilted writing, Crosscut quiltalong, gift for someone that STILL can’t be shown, mod circles rainbow, Too Good to Waste, Baby Birds, guild block lotto, Black Tea, Fancy Fox goes to the quilt show

and two other projects I want to include as well. I started these in 2016 and look forward to finishing them off:  polaroid quilt blocks and ML playing with stripes.

I like the quilts I made this year. Here’s to the year that was, happy new year!

 

Fancy Fox Leaves the Forest for the Quilt Show, a finished quilt

In summer 2016 the Vancouver MQG had a showcase of modern quilts. I was keen to go so I hopped on the ferry and went. I’ve been to a few of their meetings and the social media world is small so I kinda-sorta know some of their members.

While I was chatting with Janet (blog and IG) and Paula about the show I looked up and saw a fancy fox peeking out between the quilts. I snapped a pic and had an absolute blast recreating the picture as my own quilt.

I made up a little story about this handsome fox:

Fancy Fox adjusted his glasses again. He was nervous about leaving the forest for the quilt show but today, today he was hoping to meet a fancy lady fox.

Here is the picture I took.

Quilt from left to right:

back of Sink or Swim, Jade Prosser @stitchmischief

Harmony (top), Pinks (bottom), both Joan Elliot

Fancy Fox, Linda Morrison @lindyroselou

Aritzia, Arita Ray @arquilters

Modern Orange Improv, Dianne Semark @diannesmark

Conversation was with Paula B @trudysperson and Janet Archibald @whatnextjanet.

Fancy Fox pattern by Elizabeth Hartman

“Improv Under the Influence” technique by Krista Hennebury

Each of the little quilts had binding and was quilted like the original quilt; except for the aqua one on the left as I didn’t want to do such dense spirals so close to the edge. The entire quilt top was made from my scraps and the back came from stash.

 

Quilt Stats:

Title: Fancy Fox Leaves the Forest for the Quilt Show

Lifetime quilt no.61

Started: November 11, 2016

Finished: November 30, 2016

Size: 40″ x 33″

Number of pieces: lots and lots

Quilting: varied free motion designs

**This quilt is also a #quiltconreject but I love it and it makes me laugh. If you love it too and want to keep it, it is for sale.

Sharing the love for this far and wide with: Crazy Mom Quilts, Busy Hands Quilts, She Can Quilt and Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework.

Linking up too with the 2016 Q4 Finish Along! This quilt was on my proposed finishes list. 

Tea Leaves, a finished quilt

Needs a wash for extra crinkly goodness, and to get rid of all the markings (especially the pink ones).

Idea was January? February? 2014 I liked the “Chai Tea” quilt from the “Vintage Quilt Revival” book. But I wanted to make mine HUGE. Not sure why I wanted to make it all grey though. Because black tea is wonderful?

Fabric bought through that winter/spring. Each block took a .25m (not a FQ because I couldn’t actually cut the sizes I needed from a FQ.) Blocks made by April 24, 2014.

I didn’t have the skills to do what I wanted in the blocks so I did the background first. Background quilted between July 2014 and November 16, 2014.

Isn’t that texture awesome?

Quilt put away after the domestic amputation of my left thumb Nov 16 2014. Bought a long arm to get this quilted (ha!)  and quilted the blocks Sept 22 – Nov 22, 2016. Some of them are awesome, some I was just trying things out. Not much shows up because the colours are so dark but all in all, it was good practice.

Some of my more successful motifs. I also tried to match the quilting to the pattern on the fabric.

Previous posts about this quilt are here and here. Most of the quilt was done before blogging.

Quilt Stats:

Title: Black Tea

Lifetime quilt no.60!

Started: April 2014

Finished: November 24, 2016 (138 weeks)

Size: 90″x90″ (unquilted top), 87.5″x88″ (quilted), still to be washed and measured

Number of pieces: 208

Quilting: dense custom quilting in each block and the background.

This is one of my thirteen projects on the Fourth Quarter of the 2016 Finish Along!

It’s a finish, so linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts and with Myra at Finished or Not Fridays!

Edited to add: quilt is for sale. Super reasonable. Email me for details.

“Too Good to Waste,” a finished quilt

“Too Good to Waste” 2016, 28″x28″

Boro cloth is traditional Japanese fabric, much mended, repaired, and reinforced to prolong its life through decades of use. Boro comes from the Japanese term boroboro meaning something tattered, but also means “too good.” Boro cloth is now very valuable and highly sought after as both antique textiles and collectible art.

I made this piece in response to reading the theme of the exhibit. The literal thin place in textiles, repaired with boro to make them whole again. And to use that to make a quilt…

As a quilter, my piece “Too Good to Waste” also reflects on the location and neighbourhood of St. James’. As an outsider looking in to the neighbourhood it is easy to be dismissive of the people and their myriad of problems; but every person is unique and worth the effort of aiding or comforting them. The people are worth the effort, they are too good to waste.

Materials used: denim, ubiquitous and long lasting. The colour is a nod to traditional indigo of Japan. Sashiko thread from Japan. Tartan backing is for Scottish (Anglo) settlers to the neighbourhood and reminiscent of sleeping bags used by homeless people.

For more info: Heart of the City Festival…St.James’ Anglican…Downtown Eastside

Sharing my quilt with other fabric artists here and here.