A Modern Mini Swap Between the Omaha and Lincoln Modern Quilt Guilds

I am a member of two modern quilt guilds - one in Omaha and one in Lincoln. Having access to two (actually four, two of which are modern guilds) groups' activities makes it more likely I'll get to some of them each month with family and work commitments. Each guild has meetings most months with educational programs, show and tell, and connecting with other local quilters plus an assortment of classes, workshops, outreach events, and sew-days.

A few of us are in both the Lincoln and Omaha Modern Quilt Guilds. The leadership of the two guilds decided this year to host an activity to bring the guilds together. That sew day included a mini swap to help members from one guild get to know members of the other guild on a more individual basis. I was fortunate to be paired with someone that I recognize but don't really know.

My swap partner is a great quilter who is inspired by zentangles. She lives in a mid-1900's house and loves all things Mid-Century Modern. This quilt was adapted from a photo I had found on Pinterest (unfortunately without attribution). I paper pieced it using Kona Solids from a paper template I drafted in Adobe Illustrator. Few colors seem more mid-century to me than aqua and orange.

I was not planning to be at the swap day but I was able to show up for an hour or so. Nancy loved her quilt, and I'm pretty excited about the mini she made me - it was actually similar to one on my short list to make for her!

Under the Needle - Quilt Goals for Q1 2016

Last year the Omaha Modern Quilt Guild and the store at which we meet both had PHD challenges ... Projects Half Done. I did quite well at working through my list last year and have compiled a list for 2016. Right now, the list has twenty-eight items. Twenty-eight! Many of these are swaps I am already committed to, and I left four slots for swaps later in the year. There are also at least four big quilts. I've never made four big quilts in one year. We shall see how this goes. I've thought for a long time however, that setting high expectations are the best way to accomplish things.

As I've become a bit addicted to the quilt community on Instagram, I found @quiltalong's quarterly finish challenges for 2016. This post shares a few projects I have started and hope to finish by March 31, 2016.

1. January's 2016 Birthday Fun Swap
   My hive mate with a January birthday loves gemstones. After all, diamonds are a girl's best friend. She also loves the palette of April Rhodes ... neutrals, coral and aqua. I was inspired to paper piece an aqua diamond on a linen background. It is pieced, sandwiched and edged but needs quilted and either bound or faced.
   
   
2. Zipper Pouch Swap
   I have identified a pattern and pulled fabric, but we shall see how it evolves.
   
   
3. Tula Jaybird Mini Swap
   Again, I've pulled fabric and selected a pattern, but have not started cutting or constructing. The fabric pull did garner positive support from other swappers in the FB group so I am optimistic.
   
   

There are a few more projects on the spreadsheet that need to be finished by the end of March, but they don't meet the Quilt-A-Long's definition of "started", yet. :)

I am linking this post to SLO Studio's Quilt-A-Long's Quarter 1 Call for Projects.

Omaha Modern Quilt Guild Challenge: Shades of Gray: Because I Had To

This year the Omaha Modern Quilt Guild issued a challenge ... in honor of the bad books and worse movie, a shades of gray challenge. :) The rules were simple, quilters could use any of the shades of grays from whitest white to blackest black and the tonal shades of one accent color.

I had purchased two charm packs from IKEA for this challenge. It was a mix of black, white, a multi-gray on white print and some bright, bright green. Some of the print pieces had spots of orange.

In brainstorming this project, I set a few goals for myself:

• Improv Piecing ... no sketches, patterns or mock-ups
• Curves
• Some type of quilting that was not straight edge-to-edge straight lines

I began by piecing strips. The fabric became a bit unwieldy at about 36 inches so each strip was about three feet long. Once I had three strips, I was nearing the challenge deadline. :) To add variety, I cut two of the strips lengthwise. Then I smashed with a coordinating gray solid. One of the challenges this project had was that all of the fabric was home dec weight or a medium canvas.

Throughout the process, the orange kept speaking to me. Near the end of the last strip, I added one orange accent. I think it makes the quilt. This led to the name of the quilt, "Because I Had to." It was breaking the rule to include the orange, but the other guild members agreed that it had to be there.

For my quilting pattern, I used my regular domestic machine with a new walking foot. I wasn't so impressed with the walking foot during this project. It kept falling apart. (I've since fixed it.) In the gray sashing, I made an improv connected square and rectangle pattern. In the pieced strips, I outlined the seams to not detract from the piecing. Both styles met my goal of not being straight edge-to-edge lines.

In the end it all worked. I am pleased with the end result. Pleased enough that I entered it in to QuiltCon16. It might not make it, odds are only a little over 16% based on previous shows, but I am proud to enter it into the conversation.

Detail Shots