Zen Chic Inspired – a design challenge and a giveaway

As you might have seen, Brigitte Heitland, the person behind “Zen Chic”, published her first book with Martingale.

the book
In “Zen Chic Inspired” she describes her approach to designing quilts that really match one’s peronal style. She begins by questioning if you ever bought fabric that you loved when it was on display at your LQS but at home you realise that it looks less appealing and strangely out of place?! Yes. Me. Guilty.

She then shows how to design quilts that match your living space: your flat, your house, your mobile home. She starts from a photograph of a room and deducts shapes and colours from it.

the challenge
When she wrote the book, several members of our Modern Quilt Guild Bielefeld, helped her sewing the quilt tops (yes, me too). Brigitte threw a party when she received the first copies of the book and we had a blast sketching quilt designs based on random photographs that evening. We decided to carry it a bit further and to make a little MQGB challenge – just for fun. Brigitte chose a picture and we were to make a matching quilt, mini quilt, table runner, wall hanging, etc. based on it.

photo by Houseology Interiors, flickr

fabrics and colours
In her book Brigitte shows different ways to deduct colours from a photo. I tried Moda’s Palette Builder: but seeing that I was on a short timeline (no time for ordering and waiting for shipping of chosen fabrics) I pulled solid fabrics from my stash instead:

design
Next up was shapes and design. I liked the shapes of the lampshades but as there is similar quilt in Brigitte’s book I thought it might be too simple to just copy her quilt. I still wonder how it happend that I chose the wall clock instead.

Here’s a close up of the clock:

And these were my first thougts for a possible design:

I never made a dresden plate before so this was entirely new to me. I thought of differnt sizes for the wedges and of using negative space between them.

work in progress
I found a tutorial “how to make your own dresden plate template” here and just followed the instructions. Easy peasy. I can recommend this tutorial, if you ever want to make dresden plate templates in your exact size.

Once done with sewing the wedges together (I skipped the wonky idea and made a “traditional” dresden plate), I wondered how to achieve that translucent look of the wall clock. I opted for a second layer, more fragile and quite thin. I made another template and drew the design directy onto the paper side of a fusible web.

The next step was tedious. I ironed the fusible web onto a light grey fabric and had to cut out all the shapes with an exacto-knife.

The dresden plate was ironed onto the background fabric and the second layer was ironed onto the dresden plate:

I appliquéd the second layer with my sewing machine, using a wide and dense zig zag stitch in a similar light grey aurifil thread. Thereby I attached two layers in one step. Here is close up shot:

I kept the quilting fairly simple and just stitched some straigt lines “radiating” from the tips of the wedges, using a white aurifil thread.

the result

The binding is made of the same newspaper print (from Brigitte’s Modern Background fabric line) that I used to break up the solids-only-look of the dresden plate.

I added a zipper and an extra backing at the back so this mini quilt can double up as a pillow cover.

Here’s a photoshop image, showing how the mini quilt might look as a wall hanging in the original room:

summary
This challenge was a greate experience for me. If you look at the quilts I made during the last years you will discover that I rarely follow quilt patterns. I love to make up my own designs. This book helps me to get better at choosing fabrics and designs matching the surroundings/ person the quilt is intended for. When I plan to sew a quilt for my sister next, I’ll snap a photo of her home first. Of course I know her living room, but do I really remember the hues of green she used for decorations? No. And I might not have noticed the unique shape of that armchair leg that I could use as a shape in my quilt design.

So if YOU like to design your own quilts, this book is for you. And if YOU have always be terrified by the thought of designing your own quilt, this book is for you, too! I takes you step by step through the design process and includes 12 patterns, deducted from 12 different photos of 12 living spaces.

If you’d like your own book, Brigitte offers signed copies here.

giveaway
As a bonus for those who read through this lengthy post, I will give away one copy of “Zen Chic Inspired” AND the mini quilt I made. Just leave me a comment below, telling me if you prefer to design your own quilts or if you rather follow quilt patterns (there are so many lovely ones out there!).

This giveaway is open until midnight, May 29th, CEST. I will draw a random winner on May 30th.

Happy sewing everyone!
Christine

P.S. If you’d like to see who else participated in the challenge and what they designed for the same room, click here and here.

P.P.S. Yes, Brigitte is my friend but yes, these thoughts are my thoughts and I really like the book. And no, I don’t get paid for writing a review and yes, I really bought this book to give it away to you.

Another finish and an accident

Thank you very much for all your lovely comments on that quilt I made for my Dad. Unfortunately I haven’t had time to come back to every single one of you because an accident of my husband turned our every day life upside down (not a life-threatening accident, thank goodness!). I promise to get back to you once we get accustomed to a new routine.

Almost two weeks ago my husband slipped on black ice while he was running/jogging. He fell hard on his shoulder and head. He wasn’t too far from home and came back with a limp left arm. I couldn’t persuade him to visit a doctor immediately (it was around 8 p.m.) and he neither went the next day. 4 days later he gave in and it was ascertained that he had a comminuted fracture at his left shoulder. Last friday he had a large surgery, the fragments of the bones were screwed back in place and 4 torn tendons were re-attached with another big screw.

Yesterday he discharged himself from hospital and went straight back to work. For 6-8 weeks his left arm will be quite immobile and he’ll need much assistance. For dressing. For chopping his meals. And he isn’t allowed to drive. So that’s constant lifts to and from work, to and from doctor, to and from physical therapy, and so on. Add those household tasks HE usually does to MY usual tasks and MY own job and there is not much time for me to sew or for blogland adventures. Phew. I dread those next weeks.

But enought of that. I’m distracting myself with as much sewing as possible. I needed some quick finishes during the last days. Something I could do without much thinking. And while listening to an audiobook. What’s better than finishing some UFOs? Here’s one that just needed a backing and a binding.

Not much to think of one could say. But after attaching the binding to the front I discovered that I intended to attach it to the BACK in the first place. I had just decided to ignore that fact and to NOT rip it all out when I discovered that I had forgotten to fold that 2,25” strip in half.
Aaaah!!! Hello Mr. Seamripper )o:

Don’t you just love these butterflies?!

I found them in a scrap bag and combined them with some of my stash prints and low volume prints. None of the butterfly prints had a selvage so I have no clue who designed them. I YOU know, please leave me a comment, I would love to order more!

I fuzzy cut some of them and – using my favourite quilted panel technique – quilted them as I went. Then I didn’t have a zipper that was large enough and that unfinshed cussion sat in my UFO pile for some months.

Last weekend as I was in great need of instant satisfaction, I just whipped up a backing with a hidden zipper (that I had bought some weeks ago) and a binding.

 

Now I need a filling of the right size (o:

But I’m glad it’s finished and I love how it turned out. It will make a great gift for my MIL – if the colours match her couch’s. Will have to check that secretly one day soon.

Thanks for reading and always watch your step!
Christine

First Finishes 2013

Happy New Year and best wishes for a healthy and happy year 2013!

I didn’t get much me-time (aka sewing time) during the holidays (and to be honest neither during most of december) so I am keen to get to my machine more often. I made a good start on New Year’s Eve and finished an easy Pillowcover for my youngest son:

Dinosaurs are quite “en vogue” over here and my boys can’t get enought of them. They memorize names and facts – the bigger the Dino’s mouth the better (o:

Guess what happens when you sew a pillowcover for one of your kids?!
Yep. I made another one on New Year’s Day.

 

And then there was another first for me this year: I never played with Denyse Schmidt’s fabrics before. Linda sent us some beautiful DS fabrics for her Sew-Euro-bee-an month:

She asked for two 12,5” patchwork blocks with a special square – a pieced or appliqued part.

Here are the two specials I made for her: a pieced block that I made up (but I’m sure there is an official name to it) and a little appliqued fish.

 

Linda, I’m sure your quilt is going to be gorgeous! And thank you very much for your giant paper clip!

Onto my resolutions for this year: More me-time. For sports, sewing and my newest discovery: audiobooks. Quite selfish, isn’t it?! Oh, and BTW I want to sew more for myself and my family. I saw someone call that selfish-sewing. I guess with those two pillows I made a good start (o: And then there is one other thing: I want to keep our house tidier. But that isn’t likely to happen as this resolution is contradictory to my first / selfish resolution… /o:

Wishing you all the best for 2013
Christine

Quilted Christmas Pillow Cover

I finished my Christmas Pillow Cover that I started during our last Modern Quilt Guild Bielefeld meeting. Every 4 or 5 weeks we meet for an entire day to sew together. Each time we have a different workshop for the first 2 or 3 hours and afterwards there’s free sewing and chatting time. Last meeting’s topic was christmas paper piecing.

Using this free tutorial each of us made a wonky star block. I turned mine into a pillow cover for christmas.

I used some off-white linnen as the background and a deep orange for the star.
I quilted around that star with matching orange thread using a triple straight stitch. Then I changed threads and quilted stars on the background with matching thread using my walking foot.

Those stars are connected at some edges so I didn’t have to break thread.

For the backing I used a matching cotton fabric as I didn’t have enough linnen left.

I added a covered zipper that turned out much better than I would have dreamed. Seeing that I kind of made it up myself. Trial and error. This time without the error part (o:

I really love that little cussion. It does not scream “CHRISTMAS” at me every time I look at it and it matches our sofa beautifully. First christmas object that matches that deep orange. I’d never buy that sofa again though. It is too hard to find matching decoration. Aaah! With my Kona Colour Card on hand I might now be able to sew up more matching decoration. If ever I find time enough to sew for myself.

I tend to sew for others rather than for myself. Do you, too?

I fully intend to change that. I made a start with this cussion and my lunch bag. Now I still need two or three throw quilts. But that may take some time… I think I’ll ask the Sew-Euro-Bee-an Ladies to help me with that.

Have a nice week!
Christine

Happy Sewing Day

Yesterday, Brigitte and I met for a Happy Sewing Day at her home. For almost 8 hours we were happily sewing away, chatting, eating icecream in the sun, enjoying a last minute BBQ and having sooooooooooooo much fun together. I explored her studio, her fabric stash, her enormous scrap collection, her longarm machine and thoroughly enjoyed a show and tell of very many finished quilts. One greater than the next.

I also met her partner in life which was quite an experience to remember: He didn’t only serve a super quick delicious meal, he made a set of acrylic templates for Brigitte (and an extra set for me!!!!!), he sharpened our rotary cutters, made delicious drinks, and… hold your breath… He even joined in in our quilt talk! He actually has a sewing machine, made several sewn gifts for his children in last couple of years, has sewn a quilt top for Brigitte that was published in a magazine!! He really supports her business wholeheartedly! How cool is that?! (I told her to keep him ;o))

Onto the sewing we managed to squeeze in:
1. I made two last-minute gifts that I’m going to show you next week.
2. I started my Summersville Quilt. More on that soon.
3. According to an urgent request, I whipped up a matching pillow for my eldest. He wanted a pillow to go with his Space Rocket Quilt.



I made a quick and simple envelope back.



Here is the Space Rocket set on his bed (I took down the framed pictures for less distraction, his bedroom walls are usually not that “naked”):



So, what about you? Does your partner shows any deeper interest in your hobby? Has he actually tried sewing? Or has he even been published in a Quilting Magazine?

Just for the record: my husband hasn’t.

Happy Sewing!
Christine

First Finish from FQSR London: Portholes Pillow

I finished one of the projects started on FQSR London Weekend! I made a sample block in Lucie Summers' class and turned it into a small pillow. It measures around 30 cm x 30 cm. In class I managed to sew on an envelope back and just had to make the binding at home. I used a 2,5'' solid strip and attached it to the top. I folded it over to the back and stitched in the ditch. I have to confess that I do love it very much and I'm sure I'll do more portholes in the near future. Thanks Lucie for the entertaining class :o)

Happy Sewing!

Christine