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

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

     Sorry this post took so long to get on here.  But better late than never, right???

     Ok, so I know it’s not a quilt and it’s not quilting but I made a bag for my sister, Hollie,  as a Christmas gift.  I don’t like using patterns – at least other peoople’s patterns but I really liked the shape of this Amy Butler bag called “Birdie Sling” so I decided to give it a go.

     A month or so before Christmas I called up my sister who lives in Indiana.  I didn’t tell her at this point that it was a bag, but just asked her to name some colors she would enjoy for me to make her something with.  She chose purple.  I then went on the hunt for fabric.  The pattern requires two fabrics for the outside and one for the lining.   I must say that I am a bit addicted to ebay.  Sad but true.  I know I should be supporting local quilt shops – which I do!  But I found some gorgeous fabric  that I thought my sister would really enjoy.  I chose a beautiful Kona Bay leaf pattern for the base, a Kona Bay geometric for the handle and band and a funny cat fabric for the lining.  The lining fabric has cats in meditative poses wearing sunglasses.  She enjoys meditation and loves her cats so I thought she’d really enjoy this lining as a secret surprise for only her to see each time she opens the bag.

  I have never taken a formal class on patterns, clothing or accessories so I trusted following the instructions and my common sense to get me through this project.  (I also knew I could call my mother as a life-line if needed).

    First,  I can’t believe how much cutting is necessary!!  First you have to cut the pattern out of the paper.  Why don’t companies send it to you pre-cut??  If I’m paying for a pattern, why do I need to also do the labor of cutting it out!  I just don’t get it.  Then I had to cut the fabric.  then I had to cut the iron-0n fusing!  Three steps of cutting in order to finally begin sewing the darn thing.  Maybe this is why I am a quilter and not a tailor.  I’d much rather be free-motion quilting than spending time with a pair of scissors in my hand cutting a paper pattern out!  If I wanted to be a scrap booker (is that a real title?) then I would be scrap booking! (no offense to you scrap bookers out there!)

   To be continued…

     In November, 2006 I designed a quilt for my mother.  I call it “The Stingray Quilt”.  She went on a tropical cruise years ago and had a photo taken while she was petting a stingray.  She lives in Florida and has always loved the ocean and the color turquoise so I decided I needed to design a quilt with these elements in mind. 

Here is a photo of my Sting Ray Quilt design I created on EQ5 (quilt design software). 

Please take a moment to view  to see some of my Photo Gallery of the Sting Ray quilt as it progresses and other project that I am working on.

Stingray Quilt design by Audra Kearney November 2006