Did You Hear I Have A Fabric Line?

I'm not sure how many of you follow me on social media, such as Facebook or Instagram.  It is very easy to post a snapshot in time on social media.  Blogging is better to tell a story.  Having said that, I do post a lot more on IG and FB.  It's quick and easy and the feedback from readers is immediate.

I recently shared that I am now a fabric designer with Hoffman International.  You won't be surprised to learn that it's a mosaic print based on batiks.  There are 16 SKUs or colorways.

The name of the collecction is Mosaic Masterpiece.  Here's an unboxing video:

I wasn't too excited, was I?

I am currently working on patterns to feature the fabric.   Pattern designers have different ways of working. I used my Queen Bee Mini Mosaic Quilt and turned it into an applique pattern, 

but BIGGER!   

The applique Queen Bee Mosaic Masterpiece pattern will feature 2 sizes. The small one is a wallhanging (about 20" x 24")

 and the large size will make a nice crib quilt, measuring about 36"x48".

The large one has a Curvalicious border.

Much easier when the fabric looks like tiny pieces of fabric mosaics.

Actually, both of those quilts are digital images. 

 Here are two of the small quilts that I made with the fabric, for sales rep samples.

The fabric will arrive in your local quilt shop in October. (But I may do a giveaway or 2 before then.)

I will keep working on the patterns (there will be 5) and they will be available in July.

One more thing.  I'm offering a  3 hour Mini Mosaic workshop on Zoom on Saturday, 5/9.  It's $25 and you will be working on your own project.  If you need one, order it soon and I will ship it out immediately and you will have it by Saturday.

Click HERE to find the class.

Click HERE to purchase a pattern or kit.

How To Create A Scalloped Border For Your Quilt

In my last blog post I shared my most recent mosaic quilt, "Whitney Lake".  If you missed it, you can find it HERE.

I like using a scalloped border, whether it is the inner, outer or edge.  

It really makes a plain border, very elegant and special.

I used it on my quilt, "South of France", as the inner border:

and on my first large mosaic quilt," Keyfetti Fish", created while wintering in Key West. This border is scalloped and a facing was used to finish the edge. (It was photographed on a black background.)

35" x 48"

I have used a few diffferent methods to create a scalloped border for a quilt.  The key to them all is, Curvalicious.It's a cutting guide I developed about 5 years ago.  I designed it to make curved looking quilts, but I found out that I could use it for amazing and complex looking borders.

It measures 24" long.  The Curvalicious website shares lots of ways to use it as well as a link to my YouTube video demoing it as a border tool.

When the quilt's dimensions are divisble by 6, a mitered border might be the best method to use.  Otherwise, the method I used for Whitney Lake works well and is pretty simple.

First, I added a 4" border all the way around the quilt.

 After quilting the border, scallop the border using Curvalicious and a 28mm rotary cutter.

 It is a bit of a challenge to cut through all the layers, but it's so worth it. Sometimes you need a little scissors help. To achieve balanced corners, make sure you stop about 6" from the edge.

Using tracing paper or parchment paper, or any paper  you can see  through, create a curved corner.  I fold  the paper in half to make sure it's symmetrical. I use that template to trim each corner.

Then I made a 2" strip of bias binding.  After stitching it to the front with 1/4" seam allowance, I turned it to the back and with the help of wonder clips, I handstitched it to the back.

And Voila!

A border that really frames a quilt.

Why I Love Mosaics

I am in love with making fabric mosaics.  As I was working on my newest project, I was thinking about why I like them so much. After 2 years of making mosaic after mosaic, why haven't  I gotten bored with them?
I find them calming and I find them forgiving.  If I miscut a piece, I set it aside and cut a new piece.  I get to use lots and lots of batik fabrics.  I have quite a collection! Sometimes I get overwhelmed with all the things that need to get done for my business.  In the midst of the stress, I may get an idea for a new Mini Mosaic pattern.  (Oh who am I kidding, I have a ton of ideas floating around in my head!)  I'll take a few days to design a new one and by focusing on that design, everything else in my brain disappears - work problems, family problems, world problems.

These are a few of my newest ones:

 "Key West Sunrise"

"Rooster"

"Tropical Hideaway"

Can you tell that these were inspired by my time in Key West? (Which I plan on returning to next Winter.)

The Minis measure 11"x14" finished.  The one on my worktable today will measure 28" square.  It's unusual to use a mini for inspiration for a larger piece, but I loved that Key West Sunrise so much, that I wanted a larger quilt.

I do know why I love making these fabric mosaic quilts. They are puzzles.  They are puzzles made up of 3/8" squares.  Squares that I cut and trim to fit my line drawing pattern.  Where do I start?  What direction do I follow? How do I cut the squares to fit? The challenge in making a Mini Mosaic quilt appeals to me.  It appeals to both the creative and logical side of my brain.

There is something about making quilts that appeals to all of us.  Whether it is logically oriented or a creative outlet, we make them because we love to and often we make them because we have to.  Sometimes the origin of a quilt comes from our heart.  Each stitch is made we love.  We think about who we are making them for.  Can they feel the love?  We hope so, don't we?

If you want to see more of my Mini Mosaic patterns/kits, visit my Etsy shop by clicking HERE

One more thing.  If you live in the Glen Mills, PA area and are free this Saturday (3/24), I am giving a second Mini Mosaic quilts wotkshop with The Brandywine Valley Quilt Guild.  I know there are some spaces left, so email me if you're interested. oyveyquilts@yahoo.com

My Hiatus is Coming to a Close

It's time to get into the swing of things.  The natural rhythm of my year leaves me with a 3 - 1/2 month hiatus from lecturing.  During December, most guilds have a holiday themed meeting.  January and February are my months to be in Key West and then the first half of March is for travelling home, unpacking and maybe a couple of  quilt shows.

I am now getting ready for my first lecture of this year at Helping Hands Quilt guild in Dover, DE.  "Turning Travel Into Treasure" is my newest lecture.  I share many fiber pieces that I have created based on my travels over the years.  As I prepare for the presentation, it's like a walk down memory lane, packing each quilt and reminiscing.  Sometimes the memories overcome me. 

In 2011, there was an outdoor art installation in Central Park, in NYC, called The Gates.  I was drooling over photos and wishing that I could walk under those tangerine flags. I grew up in a suburb of the city and have such fond memories of visits from my childhood. One day, my husband said, "let's go!".  Really??  He took a day off from work and we drove the 2 hours North.  It was a glorious, crisp, clear day and I walked and walked and walked under all those flowing pieces of fabric. Then  a volunteer handed me a small piece of the tangerine gate fabric.  I knew I had to use it. 

 I won't share all my stories now.   I could write forever, because many of my quilts are inspired by  my travels.  I'll just share a few photos.

"Filigree Fantasy"  inspired by all the wrought iron balconies and doors in Barcelona.

"Houses of Key West"

"Casa Talavera" inspired by tiles in Mexico

"Concentricity" inspired by sidewalk tiles in St Augustine

Are you inspired by your travels?

Come to one of my lectures if you want to see more eye candy  and hear more of my stories. 

 Click HERE for my schedule.

Red & White Inspiration

As a redhead I have had an aversion to red most of my life.  We were told not to wear  it because it clashed with our hair. I do remember as a young child, having a red room. The carpet was red and I also remember having a record player with a red cover that zipped to close.  My mother was not afraid of color.  But, I never wore red and I never used red in any of my quilts, unless it was a patriotic quilt.  I did admire others who wore red or made beautiful quilts using red fabric. 

In 2011, there was an amazing exhibit in NYC with 650 red and white quilts on display in a most unusual setting.  It was called "Infinite Variety: Three centuries of red and white quilts".  I took the bus up from Philadelphia to New York with a few friends. When I walked into the  Park Ave Armory, I was overcome with emotion.  The sheer vision of all of these two color quilts hanging from the ceiling spiraling down to the floor, was breathtaking and brought me to tears. 

That was more than 6 years ago.  It inspired me and from then on, a red & white quilt was on my bucket list.  Now I can finally check it off. Here's my original pattern, Funkytown 

and meet Funkytown Version 2.0

I love this quilt.  It is so dramatic in scrappy red and white fabrics.  Funkytown is one of my Curvalicious patterns, but instead of it having a vertical orientation, it is block based, 16 blocks.

Is a Red & White quilt on your bucket list?  Did you see the quilt exhibit in NYC?

If you want to read more about my visit to the exhibit and see more of the quilts, 

CLICK HERE.

Modern Batik Sampler Quilt and a Giveaway

As most of you know, I usually head to Key West for a couple of months during the Winter.  This year we are staying home in PA.  Of course, it has to be the coldest Winter ever, or so it seems to me.  When it is 3 degrees, I just don't want to go outside, but when you need groceries, there is no other choice.  It gives me a new appreciation for those of you that live in climates where the  temps hit -30 degrees.

I always look for the silver lining.  Staying home has given me lots of time for working on my last project as an Island Batik Ambassador.  I've been admiring Modern interpretations of traditional quilt blocks that I've seen on social media (Instagram) as well as improvisational blocks.  They really intrigue me.  For this final project, my fabric collection is called "Blue Moon".

It's quite a coincidence that the theme for this month's project is The Four Seasons and that I was given this icy blue palette of colors.
I love blue and I'm so happy to see this color return.  This collection plus white was my playground for these blocks. I started with this block:

Then:

Then:

And:

And a bunch more:

And a few more:

I really enjoyed making these blocks and searching for ideas.  But the most fun part for me was rearranging, adding and subtracting to create the final quilt.  It's this puzzle aspect of quilting that appeals to me the most. This is the next to last step in my process of putting all of these blocks together. You can see I had to add some fill ins.

I decided to spend a day conquering the tension issues I have had as a newbie with my longarm.  Oh boy, do  I love YouTube.  I watched many videos with instruction ranging from how to oil it, how to load the backing and the quilt, how to baste it and how to thread it.  I reached out to other IB Ambassadors asking them about quilting with IB batiks and I have to thank them.  Those with longarms encouraged me to do it.  And then voila! it worked.

All of the Island Batik Ambassadors are participating in a blog hop to celebrate the culmination of a year's worth of projects.  Today Jennifer at The Inquiring Quilter is also sharing her amazing quilt that she created from the Blue Moon collection.  It's so interesting to see what the two of us have created using the same fabrics.

To celebrate the blog hop there are 2 giveaways, one hosted by me  and one hosted by Island Batik.
I have been trying (key word trying) to do a bit of studio organizing and  came  across some of my swag from Quilt Market and other odds and ends.

My giveaway is limited to continental US addresses.  You can have several opportunities to enter:
1.  Leave a comment here with your email address
2.  Like me on Facebook or leave a comment if you already have.
3.  Follow me or leave a comment on Instagram and for every friend you tag, you'll get another chance
I'll pick a winner on Weds, Jan 17th by noon, EST.

Island Batik is also hosting a giveaway on Rafflecopter.  Here's the LINK.

Don't forget to check out the other blogs in the blog hop.  You'll have the opportunity to see all of the collections just arriving at your local quilt shops.
Tomorrow:
Carol Steely - Fun Threads
AlisonVermilya - Little Bunny Quilts   (Alison has shared the links for the entire blog hop!)
Tina Dillard - Quilt Affection
Jean-Sophie Wood -  Sophie Junction

And how did I spend last night's chilly temps while writing this post?

With my puppy on my lap and a warm fire.
Stay warm my friends, enjoy the hop and I hope you win some goodies.

4 Cakes Are Better Than 1

 This post will be short and sweet as I'm heading out to Quilt Market in Houston tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn.  It's the largest trade show for the  quilting industry.  I'm introducing my Mini Mosaic Quilts patterns and kits.  It's a big deal and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

In the meantime, the challenge for the Island Batik Ambassadors this month is creative borders and bindings.  

Of course I had to use my Curvalicious to create my border.  It is such a versatile template that makes the most intricate looking borders using fusible applique.

  It looks complicated, but it's very simple.  If you want to see how to create these borders, I made a video that you can find at www.Curvalicious.net.  You will also see many other ways to use Curvalicious.

I cut and stitched the border before attaching it to the quilt.  That made it less cumbersome to stitch.  Then I attach it to the body of the quilt.

This is the quilt before it is quilted- a beauty shot.

I chose to use my walking foot for quilting and I chose a curvy pattern - just like Curvalicious.  

I matched the  thread to the background so it only showed up on the cake and cake stand.

The final quilt is adorable and perfect as a celebration or birthday quilt.  I named it "If 1 cake is good, 4 cakes are better!"

Yum!

I am offering a free pattern for the cake block. I will share a link in my November newsletter.  

To get the free block pattern, sign up for the newsletter, by clicking  HERE.

and

Remember life is short, eat dessert first!