Waterlilies Block

Hello quilt lovers,

I wanted to share the latest Ocean Waves Opportunity Quilt block that was completed.  Waterlilies was stitched by me, Mercy Savage.

I also wanted to post a few photos from my 

class last November with Sharon Schamber.  She is an incredible teacher and I highly recommend you take a class with her if you ever have the opportunity.  Below is a picture of me with Sharon.  

Jim made the trip to Lakeland, FL with me and attended the trunk show.  Sharon asked him and another husband from the audience to help her by holding up the quilts while she spoke about each one.  Lucky thing both husbands were tall & strong because the quilts were a good size and weighed an average of 60-70 pounds.  Here Jim (the guy on the left in the green shirt) and the other husband are holding up Sharon's quilt that was awarded the $100,000 prize - The Spirit of Mother Earth.  You can go to her website to see closeups of the quilting - I believe she said she used over 70 different stipple designs in the background.

http://sharonschambernetwork.com/gallery/tSoME/index.html

It's unbelievable in the photo so you can imagine what it's like in person!  

One of the classes I took with Sharon taught us how to free motion quilt feathers with NO MARKING.  Not that I have anything against marking but if you don't mark then you don't have to REMOVE the markings!  That's a huge plus for me.   Iris is the first piece I quilted after I took this class.  The Iris flower is a commercial pattern - I can't remember the name of the designer and I have misplaced the pattern.  I was making the wall hanging for a Christmas exchange in my small applique group - I drew my friend LaVerne's name - but saved the quilting until after Sharon's class.  It's not professional but I had a great time quilting it and there was NO MARKING and NO MARKING REMOVAL!  

 I hope you like it.  The close up shows a dragonfly I quilting into the background.  It looks a little like a butterfly because the tail is a little lost.  The problem (and what I learned) was that the width of the tail is the same width as the surrounding outline stipple.  If I ever quilt this design again I would either make the tail wider or I would make the surrounding outline quilting closer together.  I hope you enjoy the photos.

Happy Stitching!

Mercy in Miami - AKA The Savage Quilter

Tropical Album Blocks

Hello blog readers!  

I hope everyone reading this is well and that you and everyone you love had a happy, healthy Christmas and New Year!

I apologize for not writing for a couple of months.  Somehow, life seems to get in the way of quilting!  Since we last caught up, I have changed jobs, moved homes, taken two separate week long business trips, taken one out of town quilting class, and one in town quilting class  - all between mid November and Christmas.  I'm tired but life if GRAND!

The awesome pics at the top of the blog are blocks stitched by Ocean Waves quilters for our 2010 Opportunity Quilt - Tropical Album.  Here are the list of talented Stitchers:

Angel's Trumpet: Kitty Gonzalez

Monstera: Joyce Cotner

Jacaranda: Janet Swan

Pineapple: Lois Erikson

Bougainvillea: Toni (Kelso) Mucci

Gardenia: Barbara McDowell

Hibiscus & Frangipani Border: Arlene Goldberg

Frangipani: Angie Malzman

Hibiscus with Blue Bow: Lee Costello

Tropical Bouquet in Vase: LaVerne Johnshon.

Single Hibiscus Cornerstone: Lee Costello

For the applique lovers our there that are following my Baltimore BOM experience, I wanted to share what have kept me in knots for the last few classes...my Thread Adventures...

As some of you may or may not know, besides The Savage Quilter, I am also known as The Thread Fluzzie.  Yes, I would do just about anything for the right spool of thread!  Anyway, for the last several months I have been giving my #100 YLI silk threads ONE MORE TRY for hand applique.  So many applique artist that I respect just swear by the stuff.  Plus it's really expensive so it must be good right???!!!!  My conclusion - for hand applique it sucks!  And in a really bad way too!  It's totally deceptive.  First the colors just lure you in....ahhhh....pretty....then when you try to use it, the thread is so thin you can actually thread it through the tiniest needle without wearing your granny glasses!  Now it appeals to your eyes and to your vanity....oohhhh.  Then you stitch with it...and tug...and feel the stretch.  Hmmmm, this can't be right.  Oh but it is.  The silk has a natural stretch that can go on forever.  After you have your fabric stitched down nice and tight with blue ribbon winning invisible stitches, the thread relaxes, and loosens up.  I have gone back to blocks I stitched last October and I can see the piece lifting, not a lot, but enough to aggravate someone that went to Catholic School for 16 years straight (yes I'm including college for those of you doing the math).  Arrgghhh!  Then the whining begins...it was soooooo  pretty....I could thread it......ohhhh.....

Ah but this thread tale has a happy ending...thread tale - get it!  There is still a wonderful application for the silk thread.   I have been experimenting more and more with machine quilting and silk is definitely the answer for machine quilting heirloom style quilting motifs!  The stretch works perfectly to lay down a gorgeous stitch.   And you don't get that "thready" look!  

I have gone back to my old standby, cotton. Yes, this blog becomes a Cotton Tale.  I have tried pretty much all the cotton out there...DMC, Mettler, Aurfil, Superior, etc.  Honestly, I can't tell much of a difference except that I have noticed DMC rots a little faster than the others and is a little fuzzier.  Maybe you always come back to what you know and that's why I probably like Mettler the best.  But it also has the best price and the best color selection.  Plus it's carried by our local shop and I personally feel it's important for us to support out local quilting community.  The Superior is also VERY nice and if they had more colors choice it would probably win over Mettler.  A huge plus is that Superior now sells their Masterpiece line (the one I like for applique) pre-wound on bobbins for about $1 each.  There is enough on each bobbin that you will need a lifetime of applique before you use it up.  I recommend it for your take along applique sewing kits.  A nod to Aurfil - it's wonderful, it's expensive, if you have access to it and can afford it, go ahead and treat yourself.  After all, deep down we are all thread fluzzies!

Until next time,  Happy Stitching!

Mercy in Miami, 

AKA The Savage Quilter

Graceful Over Under Applique

There are 4 blocks in the Ocean Waves Opportunity Quilt (I've started calling it Tropical Twist) that have at the top of the design a ribbon bow. This can all be stitched out of a single fabric (easiest method), or two fabrics - one for the top loops and the other for the legs & center knot (easy), or two fabrics "twisted" to depict the ribbon bending (not EASY but fun and very elegant). Many applique artists use this design element in their quilts to depict bending leaves or twisting ribbons. The results are beautiful. Visit Mary Sorensen's site http://www.maryappliques.com/ or Nancy Pearson's site http://www.televar.com/grshome/Rainyday.htm for lots of gorgeous examples of patterns and quilts that incorporate this technique.

For the adventurous followers of my blog that would like to try this Over Under technique, below are the step by step instructions for use with the Template Free applique method.

1. Stitch BOTH the Over and Under fabrics in place basting exactly on the stitch line.

2. From the back insert a pin across the marked line that indicates where the Over Under clip will occur. 3. Using the pin as a guide, mark on the front where to clip the top fabric.

4. Make the clip right to the stitching line.

5. Pull back the top fabric to expose the seam allowance of the fabric underneath.
6. Mark the Under fabric to indicate where the clip needs to occur and clip to the turn line.

7. Carefully remove the basting stitches surrounding the Over Under clipping so that the seam allowances can be positioned as needed.
8. The two seam allowances will interlock at the clip.
9. Here is an example of the technique on a ribbon bow applique shape. Note that after the two seam allowances were fit together the stitch line was re-basted. This is helpful or very small or intricate shapes or to avoid fraying if the entire piece will not be finished in a single sitting.

10. Here is the finished over under edge. Notice that the lighter blue fabric edge closest to the view is UNDER the darker blue fabric. But, the lighter blue fabric furthest away from the viewer is OVER the darker blue fabric. Here is another view of the same applique shape. From this angle notice that the lighter blue fabric edge to the left of the needle is UNDER the darker blue fabric and the lighter blue fabric to the right of the needle is OVER the darker blue fabric.

Happy Stitching!

Mercy in Ft. Lauderdale - AKA The Savage Quilter

Tips & Tricks

Hi fellow quilt lovers! Here's the latest on the Ocean Waves 2009/2010 Opportunity Quilt...

Except for the Bougainvillea block, all the piece and parts have been handed out to the team of volunteers. Yippee! I have received several emails regarding color choices so I wanted to write a few lines on that topic and hopefully put everyone at ease.
As you stitch on your block, the guiding principle is "Go with what you like and what is pleasing to you." Of course I think this is good advice no matter what you are stitching. Otherwise, the joy just seems to get sucked right out of a project. Now that I think about it, this probably translates to many aspects of our life. For example, I LIKE Dairy Queen Ice Cream Sundae’s (I’m lying I really LOVE them). They are definitely pleasing to me. AND, when I can’t have them it definitely sucks…you get the point.

Anyway, back to quilting. A few guidelines (the only hard rule is that there are no rules)

1. In general use “greyer” or “duller” versions of a color for shapes located furthest back from the viewer. For example, make the back petals of a flower from a duller pink fabric and make the front petals from a brighter pink fabric.

2. To add visual interest, change the value of the fabric color as you move around an element or a block. An example would be to make flowers or leaves in the center of a block darker (or lighter) in value and make the surrounding shapes lighter (or darker).

3. You do not need to use 8 completely different fabrics for a flower with 8 petals. You can use a single mottled fabric and fussy cut lighter & darker areas from it. Or, you can repeat 2 or 3 fabrics.

4. The key to a realistic flower or leaf is to stay in the same color family when selecting fabrics for each shape, i.e. either cool or warm tones. In a single flower I would not mix a blue pink with a peach pink unless that is how it occurs in nature. Even in something like a pansy which can have deep purple petals and yellow petals I would try to select a purple and a yellow that shares similar characteristics – i.e. bright & clear, OR soft & muted, OR pastel. I would NOT choose a bright & clear yellow and then a muted pastel purple.

I hope these tips help and everyone is having fun stitching!

Here are some photos my husband took of me while I was drafting the final versions of the patterns.

As you can imagine, I went through quite a few erasers! Before I knew it I had quite a pile of eraser crumbs beneath my feet. But when I quit drawing for the evening I decided I was too tired and would not sweep them up until the next day. Well, the next day I decided to iron some fabric before I sat down to draw. Do you see this coming??? Of course I knocked the hot iron on the floor, face down on the eraser crumbs. They melted instantly and stuck to the iron. Good news - I didn't have to sweep. And, viola! When the iron cooled down I just peeled melted eraser off the sole plate of the iron. If it hadn't stunk up the whole first floor of the house I would consider sending it in as a tip to Fons & Porter under the heading "how to avoid sweeping".

Until next time, happy stitching!

Mercy in Ft. Lauderdale

Aka The Savage Quilter
Join the applique journey http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TropicalApplique/

Baltimore Album Quilt with a Tropical Twist

I finally finished drafting the patterns for the Opportunity Quilt! Woohoo! In the final draft a I did make a few minor modifications. For example, when I drew out the Hibiscus Border I liked it so much I eliminated the Pineapple Border. So now all four borders are the same pattern. I also simplified the Fancy Vase in the center medallion to balance the composition. All in all I think the group will like it and the volunteers will enjoy stitching on their blocks/borders.



I stopped at Kinko's yesterday and made the copies. The background fabric has been washed, cut, and serged (to prevent raveling). I prepared small packets of "Bow" fabric for the 4 blocks that have a bow in the design. And, I already gave LaVerne the Vase fabric that coordinates with the Bow fabric. SOOOO, I think we are all set to begin. For those of you that cannot wait until OW meeting to begin stitching, I will be at Quilt Scene on Saturday morning for a class. If you let me know you are coming to pick up your pattern and background fabric I will bring it along and meet you after class (12:30 PM). Otherwise I will see you at Ocean Waves on 9/13/2008.

Until next time – happy stitching!

Mercy in Ft. Lauderdale Aka The Savage Quilter

Join the applique journey http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TropicalApplique/

Baltimore Album Quilt with a Tropical Twist

The Beginning...It was dark and stormy the night my Dad met my Mom ...NO, not THAT beginning...The beginning of how a Baltimore Album Quilt with a Tropical Twist came to be.

It all started when I raised my hand at our local quilt guild meeting and asked the question "Who is doing next year's Opportunity Quilt?" Next thing I knew I was in charge and had a group of 15 volunteers. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Especially since I am an official card-carrying member of Quilt Fanatics (not really true) and addicted to all things applique (very true). This all happened about three weeks ago.

Since then we have already had our official kickoff meeting, and except for being 10 minutes late to my own meeting, it went extremely well! At the meeting I shared sketches of patterns I drafted (applique of course) in the style of a Baltimore Album Quilt. The theme I chose was Tropical Flowers. No one barfed so I guess they will do.


I then showed everyone the background fabric that a small group of us had chosen. This small group is also in a Baltimore Album Class at our local quilt shop, Quilt Scene in South Miami. While there we spotted the PERFECT background fabric. A light green on green cotton print. The pattern (vines, leaves, flowers) is even perfect to follow for free hand quilting if we choose to not mark the background - not too dense and not too sparse. The green is perfect too - one of those colors that any other color would look great on.


We decided that instead of making up kits, that we would let each volunteer (one to a block/border/etc.) select their own fabrics from their own stash. The only guideline is that they must use a batik or hand-dyed fabric that is pre-washed. A call has gone out to all guild members that we are looking for batiks for this project so I don't anticipate a shortage of batiks or making too much of a dent in any single person's stash. The only tough one will be "whites" for the Gardenia Wreath with Bow block. But we will be fine.

Currently, I am busy trying to finish inking, numbering, and notating the patterns so that they can be handed out to the volunteer stitchers at our next guild meeting.



I will post photos of the patterns and fabrics shortly, and as the weeks progress, post the finished blocks themselves.

Happy stitching,
Mercy
aka The Savage Quilter!
Join the applique journey http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TropicalApplique/