AuraQuilts.com

Here’s a terrific article that I thought all of you should read!

Click here for the article!

I love how these men have picked up quilting as a hobby!  Even I  get jokes and smart remarks when I tell people I am a quilter just because of my very young age (don’t even try to make a comment! haha!).  It’s about time that we all started redefining the image of a quilter from a quiet old lady with 10 cats!  (No offense at all to you silver haired quilting divas out there!!!)

Bravo truckers!  Bravo!

Audra at AuraQuilts.com

I’ve finally appliquéd  (by hand/needle turn technique) the ulu flower onto my background fabric.  It was my first completed applique project so don’t be too critical of the…umm… let’s say ORGANIC look of the petals and leaves.  haha   The lines aren’t perfectly straight, curved and pointed but a flower isn’t exactly perfect in nature anyway, right?!?

Here she is:

I’m pleased with the completed flower and am now working on adding a scalloped border which I made with the extra red fabric from cutting out the ulu flower pattern.  I’m working on basting it onto the background fabric and will be working on appliqué-ing it this week.  I’ll post photos soon!

Thanks for reading and Happy Sewing!

-Audra at AuraQuilts.com

One of the online courses (at QuiltUniversity.com -great place!) I am taking is Hawaiian quilting!  Here is the beginning of my Ulu flower quilt!

     The size is approximately 24″ x 24″.  This could be made into a pillow cover or combined with other blocks into a large quilt.  I plan on making this into a wall hanging.  I’m still debating if I want to use the scrap fabric from the cutout to make a designed border.  We shall see…

     The Hawaiian appliqué technique is done by folding the applique fabric (shown in red here) into fourths and then folding that fourth by 1/2 into a triangle.  The pattern in then placed, traced and cut out.  It is then carefully placed/centered onto the background fabric (shown blue here) and pinned.  The design is then basted onto the background fabric to secure the design while the appliqué process is completed. 

     Currently I am about halfway through completeing the appliqué of the design.  Once completed I will post more photos. 

     I intend to quilt this in red thread so that it blends with the red design but shows contrast on the blue background.  I will also be adding some beading to this wall hanging even though Hawaiian quilts don’t traditionally have beading on them.     I warned you that I was addicted!!

Tomorrow I’ll be posting photos of yet another new addiction…. fabric dying!!!!

Thanks for reading and Happy Sewing!

-Audra at AuraQuilts.com

This was the first quilt block that I hand pieced for my mother’s quilt.  I hated the fabrics combined so I set it aside for over three years thinking I would never use it, throw it out or use it as scraps at some point.  I’m glad I kept it.  One day I came across it and thought it would be a great scrap piece to practice free motion quilting!  I added a layer of batting and a bottom layer of white muslin, basted it with safety pins and started free motion quilting. 

I didn’t really have an intention of making anything of it but just to practice and have fun on the machine with free motion.  One section I stippled, two others I made long spiral loops and the fourth I made an ocean wave with loops. 

After binding the block I thought it looked very empty!  I had never done beading before in my life so I got out my very first beading video and beading book, studied them thoroughly and finally went to town on that baby!  

I discovered that I LOVE BEADING!!!!   WOW IS IT FUN!  It’s actually scary how much I like beading because now I am afraid that every single project I complete from this point forward will be encrusted with beads! haha!

Here’s some photos of the block.  It is 12″x12″.

I used two different types of beads - a small green glass bugle bead and a clear blue seed bead.  I have no idea how many I used but it was alot.  Maybe I should have a contest to guess how many beads there are on it!  Sadly, I’d have to have my mother count them and I wouldn’t torture her like that.  haha  But it’s certainly a good idea for my next project! 

I made two loops at each top corner so she can hang it on the wall easily.  I thought that I may have to re-enforce the backing due to the weight of the beads but it seems pretty stable with the batting.  If my mother calls to say that the beaded loops broke and it fell to the floor, then I will fix it but until then, I am not worried. 

If I had the patience I would encrust my mother’s entire Queen sized quilt like this but I think it would take me 20 years to complete it!!  I spent three weeks beading this baby after work and on weekends and it was non-stop work at that.  But to me, there is nothing better than putting on a good movie and beading away!

I could have put another backing on the block to hide all the bead stitches but I liked showing them off.  It may be “ugly” or “not neat” but I think it shows the hard work and true character of the piece!

I have it posted on QuiltingArts.com for voting:

http://www.quiltingarts.com/forums/p/3116/16541.aspx#16541

Thank you for reading and Happy Sewing!!

-Audra at AuraQuilts.com