Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Retreat Projects


I received my Easy Bias-Covered Curves book and was immediately intrigued. All those fun curvy designs. Could they really be that easy?

Those of you who have been to past retreats sponsored by Quilts By Barb know that I usually make a nice BIG quilt. After reading through the book, I decided to make a series of small quilts so I could try lots of different designs and learn more about the techniques in the book.

So I opened the book to the first block pattern and came up with this design. It looks alot like the get started project using this block, but I made it lots bigger with less curves. It went together REALLY fast and I quilted it on my home machine, making simple curves with my walking foot. I haven't put a binding on it yet, and I'm still thinking about embellishing it. Maybe some fabric circles or some fibers.....So it's hanging on my design wall while I wait for it to tell me what's next.

And what I've learned already is that this technique is FUN!!! Making bias tape is quick and easy with the bias makers, and adds an extra design element to the curves. Even a beginner can easily succeed and your project will look much more difficult than it really is.
Now, on to the next project.....
Diane

2 comments:

PersimonDreams said...

WOW! That looks amazing! Did you show that one to me already?

Tisha said...

Love your small quilts Diane. They remind me of the rolling farm fields in spring.

Speaking of retreat books...I worked on the Stone Cottage pattern from Judy Martin's book at the retreat last November. I was hoping to get a queen-size quilt done by Christmas, which would be quite an achievement for me, but after 138 blocks I totally felt like giving up. Barb urged me along and even went ahead and put me on her pre-Christmas quilting schedule...thanks Barb!

Well, the quilt is now resting happily on my 83 year-old father-in-law's bed. He grew up on a tiny farm WAY out in the country in the rural south, and quilts were strictly a utility item that everyone in the large family shared. Needless to say, he was thrilled to have a quilt to call his very own, and I love thinking of it keeping him cozy and warm every night.

I'll post photos soon!