Crazy Quilt Class Lesson 9

Jason has released Lesson 9 of my Crazy Quilt Color and Composition Class.  The Great Pumpkin is now available:

Lesson 9 - The Great Pumpkin

In Lesson 9, our focus is on Creating An Illusion.  This publication is available at Magcloud.

And here is the pattern for the pumpkin:

I also thought that today's post would be a good time to share Maria's Lesson 8 block:

Maria did an excellent with her Stumpwork grapes and grape leaf.  The colors are beautiful in this block and I love the touch of pink on the left.  The grape theme is beautifully balanced throughout the block and all the required elements are here.  Thank you Maria!

Ladies, we're going to have a beautiful sampler of crazy quilt blocks in our finished quilt!  You'll be able to refer back to your quilt for future projects.  It will give you ideas for themes, technique's, stitches and color combinations.  If you missed my post yesterday, here are the first 9 of our 25 block crazy quilt sampler:

Lesson 8 Is Now Available

Lesson 8 of my Online Crazy Quilt Class is now available! 

Lesson 8 Through The Grapevine available at Magcloud

In this lesson we'll be focusing on French Knots and Stumpwork techniques.

If you're participating in this class, you can easily download and print this leaf pattern for the Lesson 8.

The leaf when printed should measure approx. 2 inches high.

If you're new to my blog, you can find more information on my Crazy Quilt Color and Composition Course here.

This class basically covers how to compose a block using color.  It's runs like a stitch along.  There will be 25 lessons all together and in the end, we will have a beautiful 25 block sampler quilt which can be referred to for ideas to use on future crazy quilt projects.  Each lesson has a theme and specifics that have to be used.

Fall is coming so Lesson 9 will be titled, The Great Pumpkin! 

Don't forget to email me photos of your blocks.  I'll post them here on my blog so everyone can enjoy seeing them!

Student Crazy Quilt Blocks

I have some pretty completed blocks to share today.  The first is Kathy's completed Lesson 4 - Flight Of The Bumblebee:

Kathy did a wonderful job with Lesson 4.  A nice variety of stitches, I see some pretty floral vines, a few extra bumblebees - Kathy are those little ones embroidered?  Kathy did a wonderful job filling the negative space without covering up the entire block.  Notice how your eye moves around the block.  There's a nice flow to this block.  And a lovely combination of colors.

Next, I have Maria's block from Lesson 7 - Proud As A Peacock:

Maria's peacock is gorgeous!  This lesson required that all seams be stitched with the Feather stitch.  Maria has several variations of it on her block.  Notice the cast-on stitch to the left.  Lovely!!!!  I also see the buttonhole stitch used on the leaves of the branch and some pretty yo-yo flowers at the top.  Again, Maria did a wonderful job creating movement.  All the required elements are here and the colors in this block are just beautiful!

Finally, I have Karin's Lesson 7 block:

All I can say is, beautiful!  That peacock is just stunning!  Karin outdid herself on this block.  The feather stitch is used on several seams, the long and short stitch on the peacock's upper body is perfect and the white flowers create a wonderful balance with the white peacock.  I see the ribbon and yarn vines at the top some pretty satin stitched leaves on the branch.  Karin, is that a vintage brooch on the peacock tail?

I have to say, I'm blown away by the beautiful work that is coming from my students.   I'm seeing an awesome amount of creativity added to the requirements for each block.  Excellent execution of the requirements, and very good balance.

Thank you Ladies!  Ya'll did a wonderful job on these blocks!

Lesson 8 will be available soon.  If anyone is interested in taking my Crazy Quilt Color & Composition Classes, you can start anytime.  Feel free to join in the fun!  And be sure to email photos to me of your finished blocks!

Crazy Quilt Class Maria's Lesson 6

I have another beautiful block to share with you today.  This block is by Maria and it's Lesson 6 of my Crazy Quilt Class:

Maria did a beautiful job!  Her strawberry is worked with French knots & beads and the top of the strawberry is worked in stumpwork!  Gorgeous!  Maria crocheted her strawberry flowers and check out those gorgeous buttons in the bottom left-hand corner!  A lovely addition!  All of the elements are here including a beautiful spider web and spider.  This block is stunning Maria!  Thank you for sharing with my readers!

Lesson 5 Karin's Block

Just received this beautiful photo from Karin.  Her Lesson 5 block is complete and she did a wonderful job with it!

Karin did an awesome job with Lesson 5!  Notice her button spray to the right.  So much movement!  Every element is here with much creativity on Karin's part.

I am so impressed with how much improvement I'm seeing in only 5 lessons!  Imagine what everyone will be doing by the end of this class!

Student Blocks - Lesson 5

I have a couple of completed student blocks to share with you today.  These are from Lesson 5.  First is Maria's block:

This block is titled "The Bluebird Of Happiness".  I included a charted bluebird with this lesson.  Maria didn't have any waste canvas so she improvised and did her own beautiful bluebird!  Gorgeous!  All the elements are here including lovely mother of pearl buttons.  And look closely at Maria's lady bug!  From an issue of Pat Winter's Gathering magazine.

Next is the block that Cris did:

Absolutely stunning work!  You can see the charted bluebird that Cris used in the white patch.  Also, I see mother of pearl buttons and the beaded leaves as well as the detached chain flower.  All necessary elements are beautifully included in this beautiful block!

I'll post more photos as they come in.  In the meantime, I've started on Lesson 6 and expect to have everything ready to send to Jason by the end of the weekend.  As soon as it's ready, we'll get it uploaded.  I apologize for the delay but I'm still a bit out of sorts due to losing my Nightmare 2 weeks ago.  Has it been that long already?

I ran to Petsmart this morning to get Wrigley a little kitten collar.  I was so afraid of stepping on him since he's so little and usually under my feet.  Anyway, they had 3 black cats there up for adoption.  I told myself I wasn't going to look.  I was only going in for a collar.  But, the collar where by the kitty's.  One of those beauty's looked very much like Nightmare and I couldn't help myself.  I started crying.  Then I couldn't stop crying.  I gained enough composure to pay for my little collar and then sat in my car and cried for 10 minutes.

Anyway, Wrigley has a pretty little yellow collar now.  He hates it!  And the breakaway part works just fine.  He's pulled it off about 20 times now.

I took this photo of him the other day:

He blends right in with the Beanies, doesn't he?

PS - If you've never had a cat, we use Break away collars on them.  Since cats can jump and get into everything, if the collar gets caught on something, it pulls apart so they don't get hurt.

Crazy Quilt Online Course

I finished up my crazy quilt block with the yellow rose which came from a vintage hankie.  As I mentioned the other day, I couldn't help myself, I had to add some pink!

This will be a pillow.  A gift for a friend.  I'll get it sewn up in a few days and post another photo of the finished piece.

In the meantime, for those of you who are taking my Online Crazy Quilt Course, I thought I'd show you how I make the eye move around my blocks using color.  Look closely at the pinks on the block.  Notice how the pinks flow.  Start near the bunny at the bottom and follow the pink buttons up to the large butterfly and Silk Ribbon roses at the top.  Coming down from the roses are 3 light pink butterflies.  Where does you eye end up?  At the pink flowers in the center under the yellow rose in the hankie.

That's how I use color to create my compositions.

And speaking of my Crazy Quilt Color and Composition Classes, this is Maria's block from Lesson 3:

Again, notice how Maria balanced her block with the hot pink flowers in the center.  This block is very well balanced, interesting with lots of pretty embellishments and pretty stitching.  Well done Maria!

Crazy Quilt Classes Lesson 4

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!  Lesson 4 of my Crazy Quilt Color and Composition Class is now available:

The theme is Flight Of The Bumblebee.  The colors are yellow, white and green.  The only specialty items needed is a small black button and a piece of lace with a defined pattern.

Tutorial for the Japanese Ribbon Stitch can be found here.

Lesson 5 will be released on April 30, 2013.