Don't Miss Out: Upcoming Events

Hello Modern Irish Quilters! We've had suggestions and reminders of upcoming events in Ireland sent in that might be work a look.  Some of the things you might want to put in your diary are the following:

• The Limerick Quilt Centre are running their 9th Annual River of Dreams exhibition in the Franciscan Church, Henry St. Limerick from the 10-15th June. 

Image from Facebook

•  Irish Patchwork Society National Exhibition is the first three weeks in August with the theme "explorations". The closing date for submissions is 6 June. Venue will be in Cork County Library, Carrigrohane Road

• EQA Festival of Quilts has a closing date of 10th June with a size restriction of 30x30 cm without binding. The theme for Ireland is the Winter Garden.

• Piosala & Cuilteala Quilt exhibition on Inis Oirr from 29 June to 13 July at the Aras Eanna Arts Center.

•  Octagon Quilters exhibition in Westport Custom House Studios and Gallery from 31 July through 24 Aug.

• RDS National Crafts Competition: deadline for online applications is closed but the competition is open to the public, free admission on July 30th and 31st and on August 1st.  Work will still be on display during the Dublin Horse Show 6th to 10th August but an admission fee will apply.

• The Tinahely show has a Quilt Exhibit as part of the show on Monday August 4th. Typically over 100 quilt entries on display

 

• Sew North Quilters Gathering organised by The Fennel Shed is on from the 11th to the 21st September with lots of workshops from hand quilting to curved piecing and folded patchwork.  It's way up at the tip top of the country too so could be worth a trip in and of itself!

If there is anything we've missed out in your area please let us know.

-Ruth 

Modern Irish {Scrappy} Bee: June Block

And it's June already! If you knew how many times I've been changing my mind with my block design… But I must thank Cindy who gave me the little push I needed to stick to my original plan. This is how it happened: back in January I started to look around Google Images for inspiration on "modern quilts", I looked through all my quilting books and magazines, admired the most amazing scrappy blocks and quilts on other blogs… and then I saw one that caught my eye on Flickr, this "Confetti Quilt" had what I was aiming for. All those bits of scraps scattered randomly on a plain background.

"Confetti quilt" by Threekitchenfairies

The second round of inspiration came when I was flicking through a book about the Solar System and saw photos of Supernova Stars. Something more or less like this:

photo from wyalusing.org

So that's when I started to sketch some blocks on graph paper until I came up with a block that had random patches like the confetti quilt and a become a Supernova star cluster when pieced together with three more blocks. I imagine my quilt like this:

Please don't panic! (that's why I changed my mind so many times, I was afraid it would be too complicated!). But I've managed to simplify the pattern. If you look closely, the block is divided into four squares, and each square can be divided in 3 columns…

Here's the two blocks I've made, which would be half a star…:

It requires a bit of organisation when cutting, especially the white background, but once you have everything ready, the instructions are pretty straight forward. I'd say it takes about an hour to make one block, but I will ask you for 2 hours of your precious time to make two of them, please don't kill me…

I would like you to use Kona white for the background and a range of red scraps (light, medium, dark), you can include a bit of pink and burgundy, but the main colour is red. One or two dark squares placed at the corner, where the centre of the star would be and the rest can spread out between medium and light. I don't mind if they have a hint of white or any other colour as long as it doesn't take over, since the squares are only 1".

I have written the instructions in PDF format, there are 5 pages but that's because the diagrams (tables really) take up most of the space. I so wish I could use a proper software for writing quilt patterns! but I'm hopeless with computers…

I hope you like it. There is no rush at all and I'll be happy to help if you have any questions. Thank you!

-Irina

Bee Blessed: May Blocks

Don't forget your Bee Blessed blocks this month.  They're absolutely GORGEOUS!

Using this tute, Sarah and Judith are looking for two 12.5 inch (UF) blocks using bright solid fabric in the background.  I can't wait to give these a try!  I'm nervous once I start, I won't be able to stop :)

-Cindy

Medallion QAL Finished Tops? Or WIPS....

How are you getting along with your medallion quilt top?  I think some of you have finished already (quilting, binding and all!), some of you have finished tops to show off and some (like me!) are still adding on layer after layer.

No matter where you are, show us your progress!  Several of us are thriving on what the group creates for continued inspiration, so don't be shy.  Pop up a link to your latest photo.

A peek of where mine is heading.  Slowly, but surely.

This linky is open from today through to the end of Dec 2014, so if your medallion top is a WIP today be sure you pop back when you have a finished top (or a finished quilt!) and add your link.  I will keep checking back and will create mosaics as our group finishes off these pretties.

Thanks so much for piecing along with me.  Even though I have officially fallen behind (and am WAY late in releasing this post), this has been one great adventure.

-Cindy

An InLinkz Link-up

Join In Our Community

Hello Modern Irish Quilters!  Want to share?

Disclaimer:  Some Rolo's were consumed in the writing of this blog post!

I know it's meant to be your last Rolo but I needed the wrapping intact for the photo, but you get the idea!   Some of the goals of the MQG are Community, Connection, Friendships and we have lots of online forums for sharing.  There's our Facebook page, Flickr group, some of us are addicted to Instagram, while others prefer to Tweet!  Thinking about how we could increase our opportunities to connect with each other how about doing some of these?

• Interested in a Monthly Show and Tell?  Wouldn't it be a great way to share what we are all working on?  We could add photos of Works In Progress, Blocks, Finished items, Fabric pulls etc to our Flickr group. 

1. medallion square, 2. pinwheel-quilt, 3. Birthday present, 4. triple zipper pouch swap, 5. Enchant by Riley Blake, 6. block 4, 7. spider-web-02, 8. Rainbow Wonky Squares Quilt, 9. Scrappy Ironing board cover 1, 10. Scrappy Ironing Board cover 3, 11. Bunny Pouch Tutorial, 12. bee blocks for Anna, 13. for-Anna-April, 14. listentothebirdssing cloud tablemat back, 15. listentothebirdssing cloud tablemat detail, 16. Schooldays Notebook Tote Bag

Join our group here and when uploading a photo click to add to group. Our Flickr group photos and blog posts go to Facebook automatically!  If you prefer to use Instagram, upload and add the hashtag #modernirishquilters.  I'd love to do a monthly Show & Tell Mosaic on the blog!  The above are some of the lovely projects on our group page from the last few months. You do need to have a Yahoo account now to log into Flickr.  It only takes a few minutes to set one up but if you prefer Facebook that would work too!

• Anyone find a great bargain or make a really cool fabric purchase? Spread the joy! We'd love to hear about it.  Find a great tutorial for something we could all benefit from?  Again Instagram or Facebook would be perfect for this! Tag with #modernirishquilters or post to the Facebook page.

• Wouldn't it be great if we could create a directory and promote our talents?  Cindy has offered to create a resources page for the blog.  Any members who run a shop, teach quilting classes or even take commissions for made items please get in touch.  Give us a link to your shop, Facebook page, blog or space on Etsy.  We'd all love to spread the word and maybe do a bit of shopping ourselves!  We'd love to do a blog post and feature a member if anyone is interested in shoing us their shop or sewing space.

• Those of us who blog for no other reason than to blog don't feel left out.  Leave a comment or send an email and we'll update the members blogs info so we can all have a blog hop and see what's happening in our community.

• Now I know it would be impractical to swap books but if you guys are anything like me you probably have a bulging bookshelf with books and magazines spilling off the coffee table, well thumbed through and lovingly kept for just in case!  We'd love a book review, even if it is only a few sentences.   Tell us what book we should buy next!  It could be as simple as a Facebook update, take a photo of the book or item made or inspired from the book and upload to Flickr and we could feature it for a blog post!

• Finally if there are any upcoming exhibitions in your area that you think would be worth a visit please let us know.   There are some national exhibitions coming up in July and August that we will post a reminder for but for this moment keep an eye out on Sew Mama Sew on the 12th May for her big giveaway day.  Lots of blogs will be offering freebies that you may be in for a chance of winning, usually by leaving a comment.  Blogger's Quilt Festival at Amy's Creative Side starts on the 16th with lots of categories of quilts to browse and voting opens on the 23rd for your favourites.

Anything else you guys would like to see?  Please let us know and we'll do our best to include in upcoming posts.  Liz and Fiona have already given us a wonderful post each and we look forward to sharing more  in the coming months in addition to our regular posts from Cindy on Bee Blessed and Modern Irish Bee!

- Ruth

Modern Irish {Scrappy} Bee: May

May already.....did I really put my name down to be Queen Bee for May thinking that I would be organised enough to be ready at the start of the month?

Last year I made some  Road to Tennessee blocks for Jan at Isisjem for the Bee a Brit Stingy group.

I fell in love with Jan's quilt and told myself that I need to put this down as a great quilt that would use up all my scraps, (or everyone elses).

So this is it.  I want a quilt just like that.  Jan used a Tutorial that Sarah @ Sew Me.  has written.  I found it easy to follow then and want to return to it again for my quilt.

For each 12 1/2 " finished block you will need......

 32  x  2" squared blocks of Kona White I have also put in a few Kona Ash to replace some of the white blocks.  If you want to do this you are more than welcome, but I would only like a splash of the ash.  I am not bothered where the ash is when you sew your little blocks up. 16 x 3 1/2"  of lovely bright colours using modern fabric. As Jan said to us, think of summer,  Aqua, yellows, oranges, reds, pinks. You can put in dark purple, navy blue but not too much please.  I am not keen on fabrics for this quilt that have lots of black and brown or dark green.  Batiks are not a favourite of mine, and I don't want obvious children's prints in it either.  (sorry for being so fussy) I am looking for two 12 1/2 " blocks please.

Like Sarah has mentioned in her tutorial you will need to draw a line down the 2" blocks, it makes life a lot easier and the blocks will come together better.

What is great about this block is the chain sewing.  It really does come together really quickly once you have dome all the cutting.

You can find the thread that I use at a great price at Threads and sew more (did you like that Fiona?)

Once you have made your little blocks it is time to put them together. 

Follow Sarah's tutorial and please, please, please use a SCANT seam.

My blocks came out just over 12 1/2" 

Don't worry if yours do too.

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with and getting all these little parcels in the mail.

Happy Sewing

Erin

Relationship Between a Modern Quilter and their Longarm Quilter

Have you ever noticed how the quilting compliments the modern quilt? I have noticed this more in modern quilts than in traditional quilts.

In traditional quilts the 'piecer' puts the top together and the quilter has to find a way of complimenting the piecing 

but in modern quilts the 'piecer' puts the top together firstly considering the impact of the quilting on the top.

Please don't disagree straight away without hearing me out.

A lot of experienced longarm quilters are aware of the impact their quilting can have on a very simple quilt top design, so sometimes they will put together a top that may come across simple to the eye, but really it is put together in this way because they have an idea that will showcase their longarm quilting delightfully 

I'm not saying one is more difficult than the other....eg. A.  The 'piecer' has a harder job because they have to consider what decisions their longarmer has to take to really make their top 'pop' or B. The longarmer has a harder job because they have to consider what decisions their 'piecer' has to take to really make the longarmer able to accentuate their piece or to blow their piece out of the water so to speak. Some 'piecers' put quilt tops together so simply in order for their longarmer to take full advantage of the negative space and transform their top to higher levels than anyone could have imagined! 

Either way the relationship between the quilt top maker or 'piecer' or 'designer' and their longarmer or midarmer or domestic sewing machinist needs to be communicative at the very least. I would almost advise going for a dinner or a drink with each other to go over design ideas before going ahead with decisions and if there is no time for that at least a cup of tea or coffee at meeting. The consultation between both should never be rushed and I would not advise the 'piecer' to say to their machinist 'oh just do whatever you like because the design decisions on the quilt need to be outlined by both parties.  

- Liz Dunne

Blog: http://lizdunne79.wordpress.com/
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