FaveCrafts

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FaveCrafts News: New Best Blogger Craft 2016 free eBook

May 9, 2016 by FaveCrafts Leave a Comment

Best Blogger Crafts 2016 free eBook

Weeks ago we announced the winners to our Best Blogger Contest 2016! These fabulous projects not only won the honor of being the Best Craft of 2016, but cash prizes too! Those lucky and talented bloggers, however, are not the only ones to submit crafts to this thrilling contest. We received over 60 entries to this contest. Want to see them? Lucky for you, we have compiled them into one gorgeous, printable free eBook. With step-by-step instructions and vibrant photos for each project, these ideas will keep you crafting for months to come.

All of the bloggers featured in this eBook are expert crafters that you can trust to show you how to make professional-level crafts that will change the way you craft.

All of the crafts and tutorials featured in this eBook were made from materials from some of our favorite crafting companies. Check out projects that feature top of the line projects from Beadalon, Create and Craft, Design Master, Testors, Plaid Enterprises, Fairfield World, FloraCraft, Leisure Arts, Premier Yarns, Sakura, Simplicity Creative Group, Sizzix, and Therm O  Web.

Check out some of the gorgeous free craft projects featured in our brand new eBook:

Brilliant Nightstand Makeover  Decoupaged Flower Pot Crafts  Tinted Crochet Pillow
This free eBook includes:

  • Home Décor Crafts
  • Homemade Wall Art
  • Paper Crafting Ideas
  • Handmade Cards
  • Sewing Patterns and Ideas
  • Quilting Patterns
  • and plenty more craft project ideas!

Head on over to FaveCrafts to download this brand new eBook and get crafting!

Plus, check out our blog post over on CraftPaperScissors.com about 5 Things that Happened at the #BlogNetworkingEvent2016.

More free eBooks to love:

  • Best Blogger Craft Ideas 2014 free eBook
  • Best Blogger Craft Ideas 2015
  • 13 DIY Home Decor Ideas Paper Crafts and More 2016 CHA Sponsor free eBook

What is your favorite project you have made this year?

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Filed Under: Free eBooks Tagged With: Art Quilts, crafting news, downloadable, easy paper crafts, free eBook, free sewing patterns, handmade cards, industry news, paper craft ideas

FaveQuilts’ Top Five Quilt Films and Documentaries

June 6, 2014 by FaveQuilts 2 Comments

We’ve talked before about our favorite novels about quilting, and all the ways that quilting affects our lives, from charity quilting to quilt guilds. The best part of quilting is the community built into it; people who understand that “fat quarter” isn’t an insult and exactly how much work the gift of a quilt requires, especially if they’re hand-stitched! Quilting requires a lot of really difficult quilt math, creative energy, and boundless patience. These films and documentaries run the gamut from heartwarming movies to informative history lessons—just like the hobby of quilting itself. So settle in and enjoy! All of these films are available on Amazon.

 

 

Stitched the Film

 

1. Stitched, the Film From Amazon: “Stitched” is a fun-filled documentary following three quilters racing to complete their entries for the International Quilt Festival, the largest and most competitive quilt show in the nation. The compelling doc uncovers an overlooked medium that has progressed from traditional folk to modern art.

 

 

 

how-to-make-an-american-quilt

 

2.How to Make an American Quilt From Amazon: Berkeley graduate student Finn (Winona Ryder) is spending the summer at the home of her sparring grandmother and great aunt (Oscar winners Ellen Burstyn and Anne Bancroft), where she intends to finish her latest thesis and think over a marriage proposal. As she wrestles with her decision, the women in her grandmother’s quilting bee confide to her the stories of the loves that shaped their own lives. Also starring Maya Angelou, Kate Nelligan, Jean Simmons, Lois Smith and Alfre Woodard, How to Make an American Quilt is a deeply moving and funny film that celebrates following your heart.

 

 

Why Quilts Matter: History, Art and Politics

 

3. Why Quilts Matter: History, Art & Politics From Amazon: The nine-part documentary series will change the way you think about quilts. It’s an exploration of quilts with capital Q that takes you on an amazing journey. Episode by episode, this series introduces new ideas and uncovers the unsuspected size and depth of quilt culture. Delve into the inner workings of the art world, explore behind the scenes in the marketplace, and journey into the complicated, kaleidoscopic world of quilts: explore two centuries of history; watch as women gain power from their handiwork; consider the nature of art itself; and more.

 

 

Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt

 

 

 

4. Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt From Amazon: Stories From The QuiltAs of 2004, a variety of drugs have been developed to resist, if not cure, AIDS–yet Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt remains as emotionally powerful as it was during the height of the crisis, when people were dying by the thousands every year. With a combination of photo-montages, interviews with friends and family members, home movies, and news footage, this 1989 documentary captures the grief of those who have survived victims of AIDS. A moving combination of art and politics.

 

 

The Quilts of Gee's Bend5. Quilts of Gee’s Bend

From Vimeo: The Quilts of Gee’s Bend documentary accompanies the major exhibitions of Gee’s Bend quilts. Set in the quiltmaker’s homes and yard, and told through the women’s voices, this music-filled, 28-minute documentary takes viewers inside the art and fascinating living history of a uniquely American community and art form. Available to watch free online here.

 

 

 

 

 

Sizzix Fabi Starter Kit

Don’t miss out! We’re giving away a Sizzix Fabi Starter Kit, absolutely free. 

Cut modern and traditional shapes in a hurry with the new Sizzix Fabi Starter Kit. If you’ve never used a die cutter before, then this is the machine for you! Simply attach the handle and you are ready to cut. The cutting machine is very intuitive to use, and can easily cut through multiple layers of fabric.

Enter to win today!

Do you have a favorite film about quilts?

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Filed Under: Quilting Tagged With: Art Quilts, cultural crafts, FaveQuilts, movies, Pop Culture, Quilting, quilting fabric

Classic vs. Contemporary: Which Style of Art Quilt Reigns Supreme?

October 3, 2013 by FaveQuilts Leave a Comment

This past weekend, my boyfriend and I finally found time to visit the Art Institute of Chicago. After wandering through a few hallways occupied by contemplating Roman gods made of cool marble and archaic jade figurines from China, we found ourselves at a dead end between two exhibits. To the left of us was a collection of portraits from the impressionism period, to the right was the modern art exhibit featuring local artists’ newest work.

As I started to turn towards the renowned works of Monet and Degas, I realized my boyfriend was already staring at what looked like a line of broken Christmas lights in the modern art wing.

We ended up humoring each other and visited both exhibits, but our difference in preference made me wonder — could classic and modern artistic styles be applied to art quilts as well?

Luckily, FaveQuilts has a wide collection of diverse art quilts to choose from; many of which combine different fiber art techniques, including piecework, fabric painting, applique, and embroidery. Whichever your preferred style of art, you’re sure to enjoy these surprisingly easy tutorials for intriguing mixed media art quilt designs.

 

Natural Bird Design

A quilt intended to be viewed as art. Art quilts may combine many different fiber art techniques, including piecework, applique, fabric painting, and embroidery.
Read more at http://www.favequilts.com/Techniques-and-Videos/Glossary-of-Quilting-Words-and-Terms/ct/1#BkExTS7YVi1aiVGd.99
A quilt intended to be viewed as art. Art quilts may combine many different fiber art techniques, including piecework, applique, fabric painting, and embroidery.
Read more at http://www.favequilts.com/Techniques-and-Videos/Glossary-of-Quilting-Words-and-Terms/ct/1#BkExTS7YVi1aiVGd.99
A quilt intended to be viewed as art. Art quilts may combine many different fiber art techniques, including piecework, applique, fabric painting, and embroidery.
Read more at http://www.favequilts.com/Techniques-and-Videos/Glossary-of-Quilting-Words-and-Terms/ct/1#BkExTS7YVi1aiVGd.99
A quilt intended to be viewed as art. Art quilts may combine many different fiber art techniques, including piecework, applique, fabric painting, and embroidery.
Read more at http://www.favequilts.com/Techniques-and-Videos/Glossary-of-Quilting-Words-and-Terms/ct/1#BkExTS7YVi1aiVGd.99

Classic Nature-Inspired Art Quilts

Call me old fashioned, but I am a huge fan of art quilts that feature animals, landscapes, and other beautiful scenes from nature. For example, the tutorial on how to Paint a Fall Scene on a Quilted Tote features a lovely autumn foliage design that is perfect for a DIY Halloween candy bag. For a springtime art quilt, the Painted Pansy Quilt incorporates flower quilt patterns and gorgeous purple paint. My favorite kind of art quilt is one that showcases cute little creatures, like this Natural Bird Design (shown), which adds just the perfect amount of dainty detail for a larger quilt pattern.

 

 

Contemporary Art QuiltsEye Candy Quilt Art Tutorial

For those of you that love making artistic creations that have a contemporary vibe, you’ll love art quilt patterns such as the retro-looking Eye Candy Quilt Art Tutorial (show). In addition, the vivid tree appliques, and bright watercolor background of the Aprons on Clothesline Wall Hanging art quilt truly look like a painting. If you are a beginner quilter, than you can easily learn how to make a quick and easy art quilt design with this tutorial for the funky Free-Form Patchwork Mini Art Quilt.

 

 

 

Studio E Fabric Bundle and Ocean View Pattern
Develop a real sense of artistry in your next quilt pattern with the intricate beauty of the Just Color! fabric collection and the accompanying Ocean View quilt pattern. Enter for your chance to win by October 8th.

 

 

 

Do you prefer classic-looking art quilts or modern art quilts?

 

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Filed Under: Quilting Tagged With: Art Quilts, Claire Hawkes, FaveQuilts, mixed media, paint, Quilt Patterns, Quilting, wall art

FaveQuilts Giveaway: Cutting Edge Art Quilts

June 29, 2013 by FaveQuilts 3 Comments

Every quilting style is unique, and with the industry expanding more and more every day, new ways of quilting are making themselves known. One of these genres, art quilting, has been around for decades, but is not as common when it comes to tutorials. The editors at FaveQuilts were lucky to get their hands on a copy of Cutting Edge Art Quilts by Mary W. Kerr, which exposes quilters to the ever-expanding and truly fascinating world of art quilting. Readers will be given the opportunity to learn more about the inspiration quilters use in their designs, as well as how they use some familiar techniques in totally different ways.

Cutting Edge Art Quilts

The first three sections of the book focus on how these artistic quilters use color schemes and fabrics to portray a spectrum of emotions and settings. You’ll find these artists to display many similarities to those in other styles of art, such as painting, and you’ll be fascinated to see how each designer tells their stories through their works. Though the book does not contain any quilt patterns for readers, the examples provided throughout the book are invaluable to quilters looking to learn how to take their quilting to the next level. Even if you aren’t making a portrait or an abstract design within your quilt, you can see how you can mix and match colors together to portray something deeper in your work. With such a range of patterns from landscapes, to pictures, to still life patterns, there’s no doubt you’ll find something that speaks to you.

The second series of three sections focuses on the ways in which art quilters interpret real-life imagery into their quilting. Using photographs in quilting, for example, is something that isn’t new, but when it comes to art quilting, it’s utilized in a totally different manner. You’ll find throughout the book that the “Designer Tips” and “Artist Statements” included are particularly interesting here, and readers are lucky to be given some mini tutorials within the book that give art quilters the chance to share some of their processes with other quilters.

Designing art quilts can be a daunting task, but with a book like Cutting Edge Art Quilts to introduce you to the incredible world of art quilting, you can’t go wrong. Whether you’re a curious quilter or an artistic looking to try something new, you can’t miss out on this latest book! That’s why FaveQuilts is giving away one copy of Cutting Edge Art Quilts in our latest giveaway. Enter to win by July 2nd for your chance to see all of the amazing designs and expand your view on the art of quilting.

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Filed Under: Contests & Giveaways Tagged With: Art Quilts, book giveaway, FaveQuilts, giveaway, Kathryn Wright

Award-Winning Quilts at Quilt Market

November 11, 2011 by FaveQuilts 1 Comment

I know it has been almost two weeks since Quilt Market and I promised you all photos last week, but I have been so busy putting new projects on FaveQuilts.com that I’ve barely had time to blog! I’m finally getting a moment to sit down and organize more photos. This week, I want to show you photos from the galleries of award-winning quilts. Next to the hustle and bustle of the booths on the main floor, the galleries were quiet, peaceful, and breathtaking.

I’m one of those sentimental dorks who positively weeps at the least bit of emotion, so I wasn’t at all surprised to find my eyes glistening as I looked at many of these quilts. I’m awed not only by the vision and beauty in these quilts, but the time and devotion it takes to create one of these masterpieces. Quilters are a brand of crafter known for absurd dedication to their art, and it shows. I have passed by many highly regarded paintings and sculptures in my time, but a beautiful quilt is something that makes me stop and stare.

 

Aegean Memories by Karen Eckmeier

Aegean Memories by Karen Eckmeier

 

 

Black-Eyed Susans and Yellow Mexican Hats by Mary Ann Vaca-Lambert

Black-Eyed Susans and Yellow Mexican Hats by Mary Ann Vaca-Lambert

 

Twilight

Steampunk by Robbi Joy Eklow

Steampunk by Robbi Joy Eklow

 

Spring in the Heart of California by Barbara A. Daniel

Spring in the Heart of California by Barbara A. Daniel

 

 

Sentinels fo Fall by Peggy Spitzer and Lori Olek

Sentinels fo Fall by Peggy Spitzer and Lori Olek

 

 

Nine Vases by Karen Setla

Nine Vases by Karen Setla

 

Monet's Garden by Eun Sook An

Monet’s Garden by Eun Sook An

 

Mint Chocolate Chip

Mint Chocolate Chip

 

 

Just Because It's Pretty by Maureen O'Doogan

Just Because It’s Pretty by Maureen O’Doogan

 

Harmony in Nature by Harumi Asada

Harmony in Nature by Harumi Asada

 

 

Great Blue Herons Joann Baeth

Great Blue Herons Joann Baeth

 

Grand Canal by Nancy Sterett Martin

Grand Canal by Nancy Sterett Martin

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kindergarten by Tadako Nagasawa Showa-Ku Nagoya

Kindergarten by Tadako Nagasawa Showa-Ku Nagoya

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Quilting Tagged With: Art Quilts, Jessica Nichols, Quilt Show

Quilt Market in Photos

November 4, 2011 by FaveQuilts 5 Comments

So I came home from International Quilt Market four days ago already, and I still feel like I’ve barely had a chance to catch my breath! But I wanted to take the time to show all our FaveQuilts readers the wonderful things I saw there, (or at least the wonderful things I remembered to photograph). I’ll have a more detailed recap posted next week for your reading pleasure, but for now, let’s see the awesome quilts!

I have to make a confession though: I forgot to keep track of the booths where I saw most of the quilts. I remember some of them off the top of my head, but others are completely wiped from my memory. If you remember where you saw any of these gorgeous creations, feel free to comment and credit the designer!

I saw this quilt early Saturday morning in the Kaleidoscope Kreator Software booth. The quilt looks time-consuming and complex, but the blocks in the center were actually created with the Kaleidoscope Kreator and printed on fabric (although the quilt is still impressive regardless of the printed kaleidoscopes!).

From Kaleidoscope Kreator Software booth

 

This stunning peacock quilt was a staff favorite! Check out the thread detail up close to have your mind thoroughly boggled.

Peacock Quilt

Peacock Quilt Close-Up

 

This gorgeous patchwork dress I saw in the Singer Viking Pfaff booth is so edgy and quilty at the same time. As soon as I saw it I wished I had been wearing it!

Teal and Black Patchwork Dress from Singer Viking Pfaff

 

This bright and beautiful quilt hanging in the Pellon booth was done by Robbi Joy Eklow. She created the whole quilt top with fusible applique!

 

I also saw this wonderfully textured quilted pillow in the Pellon booth. The designer created the three-dimensional quilting with Texture Magic from ByAnnie.com.

Sunflower Pillow in Pellon booth

 

I’m so drawn to this art quilt from Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. that depicts wild horses (or who knows — they could be tame horses, but wild horses sound more romantic).

Horse Quilt from Bigfork Bay Cotton Co.

 

This animal alphabet quilt was just the cutest thing for a kids’ room at the Don’t Look Now booth. Her swirly quilting style always looks perfect!

Animal Alphabet from Don't Look Now

 

As a native Chicagoan I just had to stop and take a picture of this Chicago postage stamp quilt from Zebra Patterns.

Chicago Postage Stamp Quilt from Zebra Patterns

 

I was stunned by the rich colors in this autumn rainbow quilt outside the Starr Design Fabrics booth.

Autumn Rainbow Bargello Quilt from Starr Design Fabrics

 

I could NOT get over the mosaic quilts at the B.J. Designs and Patterns booth. I took so many pictures I think they thought I was going to steal their designs!

Steer Mosaic Quilt from B.J. Designs and Patterns   Reindeer Mosaic Quilt from B.J. Designs and Patterns

 

This quilt by Patchwork with Busyfingers cracked me up. It was title “Patience” — oh so fitting when you realize how much work it took to piece thousands of tiny hexies.

Patience Quilt from Patchwork with Busyfingers

 

The last quilt I photographed was this beautiful three-dimensional fish quilt in the Clover booth. I photographed it before, the last time I visited the Clover booth at a trade show, but I couldn’t resist snapping a picture again. To be honest, it wasn’t just snapping a picture — it was more like standing and gazing at it for a full five minutes and then breaking down and pulling my camera out. One of the sales reps in the booth suggested that I make one if I liked it so much. I just chuckled and said I’d get right on it.

Fish Quilt from Clover

 

That’s all for now folks! Stay tuned for a photos of the award-winning quilts from the galleries next week.

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Filed Under: Quilting Tagged With: Art Quilts, Jessica Nichols, Quilt Show, Quilting

National Sewing Month: My Favorite Quilting Memories

September 20, 2011 by FaveQuilts 28 Comments

Dear Readers,

It’s National Sewing Month! To celebrate, AllFreeSewing.com is hosting a special blog series throughout the entire month. Check back daily for posts featuring our favorite projects, new sewing videos and tutorials, guest blogs from talented designers and more. We’re also giving away a HUGE sewing prize at the end of the month. You won’t believe how EASY it is to WIN!

Leave a comment on any of the blog posts with the headline “National Sewing Month”. Your comment will count as an entry into the giveaway. You are free to comment as often as once per blog post (for a total of 30 chances to win!). At the end of the month, we’ll pool all of the comments together and pick one lucky winner to win the mystery grand prize. And trust us; you want to win this one!

Whether you’re already a sewing enthusiast or new to the craft, our hope is that this September will encourage you to create wonderful sewn projects.

Happy National Sewing Month!

Here’s today’s post:

Although I am the editor of FaveQuilts.com, my quilting memories are few. I spend my days poring over pictures of quilts and I can tell you anything you want to know about any quilting technique, but I’ve actually made only a handful of quilts myself. I made my first quilt as a child when I was maybe nine or ten years old. At that time, my mom was sewing prolifically, and she had a huge bin of fabric scraps leftover from all of her projects. That bin of scraps was my introduction and inspiration in the world of sewing. With the unwanted fabric at my fingertips, I was free to experiment in whichever direction I chose. I made purses, shirts, pincushions, and, as my imagination outgrew Barbie’s fashionable store-bought accessories, caveman wraps and shag rugs for my dolls.

One day, purely on a whim, I decided to make a quilt. I collected an array of blue, pink, and silver fabrics left over from handmade Halloween costumes and dutifully cut out each 5″ x 5″ square with a cardboard template. The finished quilt ended up too small to serve as anything but a doll quilt, but it was my first experience of the warm, cozy satisfaction of making a quilt. I’ll never forget the sense of accomplishment in making something that could provide so much comfort.

    

Ever since that first quilting project, I have been enamored with the basic qualities of a quilt; the thick, slightly lumpy network of batting and fabric, softened in the laundry and ready to envelop you in its warmth, appeals to your sense of touch in a way that is both physically and psychologically satisfying. But you can easily achieve those characteristics in a quilt as simple as the checkerboard quilt I made as a girl. Fabric and quilting patterns can take you beyond that, from tactually pleasing to aesthetically endearing. The first quilt I fell in love with is the one that still sits on my bed, over ten years after I first bought it. Although I am tired of the furniture I have now and frequently fantasize about choosing new paint colors, I am so attached to the quilt that I refuse to redecorate. Even now, I sometimes sit on the bed and trace the quilting lines or marvel at the beauty of the simple patchwork.

“Wild Child” art quilt from fiber artist Barbara Olsen

When I became the editor of FaveQuilts.com, my appreciation of quilts exploded. I had been virtually ignorant of the possibilities in a simple sandwich of fabric and batting. Through the FaveQuilts Pinterest boards, I began to discover the creative, expressive, three-dimensional beauty of art quilts. But as much as I admired the fabric artists who had created them, the quilts and the art form itself seemed inaccessible to me. Although I am a lifelong crafter and I consider myself imaginitive, the sense of spatial aesthetics and color coordination that make art quilts beautiful does not come naturally to me. I searched in vain for art quilting tutorials, but they come far and few between, mostly focusing on specific techniques rather than finished products.

That’s why my pulse quickened when I saw the Road to Brownwood Quilt by Judy Laquidara from Patchwork Times. It’s a quilt built with traditional piecework patterns like Ohio stars and log cabin blocks, but the overall effect of the finished quilt reveals the designer’s astute feel for the way that pattern and color interact. The purple and gold patterns create a luminous quality that makes me think of a desert sunset. I fell in love with this quilt the moment I first saw it and comprehended the talent it took to design something so subtly beautiful: a traditional quilt that wowed me as much as any art quilt. The best moment was when I realized I could make that quilt. I could follow the directions, cut up the pieces, stitch them together and put it on my bed. I could look at that art every day and cuddle underneath it at night. That’s the moment I became a quilter.

When did you feel you had become a quilter? Tell us about it!

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Filed Under: National Sewing Month Tagged With: Art Quilts, Free Quilt Patterns, Jessica Nichols, National Sewing Month, Quilting, Simple Quilt Patterns

Inspiration for Quilters at CHA

July 22, 2011 by FaveQuilts Leave a Comment

Most of you probably don’t know that despite being the editor of FaveQuilts.com, I’m essentially a novice quilter. Before I took on the launch of this awesome new quilting website, I had made approximately two-and-a-half quilts and one quilted potholder.

However, with the help of my wonderful editorial director and quilting guru, Linda, I have slowly built up FaveQuilts over the past few months, and I’ve changed. I didn’t realize it until I attended the Craft & Hobby Association’s Summer Conference and Trade Show this Wednesday, but I’ve developed a quilter’s mindset. I knew it the moment I looked across the floor at an art quilt hanging in the Clover booth and my heart stopped:

Clover Art Quilt
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a quilt so beautiful and so inventive. Unfortunately, this quilt, designed by Laure Munson Reinstatler, was one of only a few quilts at the conference. I’m told that the CHA summer show traditionally tends toward scrapbooking and papercrafts rather than fiber arts. However, as I browsed the displays of scrapbooking paper with Kari, the FaveCrafts editor, I couldn’t stop thinking about the connections between the scrapbooking paper I saw in the booths and the array of fabrics I see in the quilting blogosphere. Not fifteen minutes after I wondered aloud to Kari whether scrapbook businesses could double their market by printing the same designs on on both fabric and paper, I saw this quilt on display:

Scrapbook Quilt
As I approached the quilt and began chatting with a friendly woman manning the booth, I noticed that the rest of the booth was decided NOT quilty. I soon learned that the designer of the fabrics in the quilt had crossed over into papercrafts and was now designing scrapbook paper as well. It turns out scrapbooking and quilting do have something in common.

Building FaveQuilts over the last few months and visiting the CHA show this week, I’ve realized that design translates across art forms, refracting through each medium like light shining through a prism. Quilters are especially aware of the nature of design, and many quilt designers draw inspiration from the patterns and scenes they encounter in their daily lives. As I begin to see the world with this quilter’s lens, I’m amazed at what instantly turns into a quilt in my mind’s eye. Take this display of paper fans for instance:

Paper Fan Display
When we first passed this display, we discussed the trendiness of paper fans in the wedding industry, snapped a few pictures, and walked on to the next booth. But when we uploaded the photos from CHA, this one showed up in my folder as a thumbnail, flipped on its side. Instantly I saw an elaborate wall quilt, something I could never make, but something I would hang on my wall in heartbeat. I’m still trying to imagine how you would construct it: an overlapping collage of Dresden plates? or simpler stacked applique circles with quilting lines radiating from each center? Either way, I’m just going to put the word out there to all you quilters and sit tight ’til I see a quilted version materialize in the blogosphere.

Editing FaveQuilts has not only made me appreciate visual aesthetic, but texture as well. We visited the Flower Soft booth at CHA and watched a demonstration of their product. If you aren’t familiar with Flower Soft, it’s a funky, powdery mix between glitter and the stuff you find on pipe cleaners. When you sprinkle it on a card strategically slathered in glue, you get this:

Flower Soft Hedgehog Card

A Flower Soft card appeals to both sight and touch, just like a quilt. As I gazed at these adorable hedgehog/topiary cards and a sophisticated card featuring pyramids and a desert covered in faux sand, I couldn’t help but imagine how the same effect could be achieved in a quilt. Could you make a hedgehog applique in a nubby fabric or a sandy desert with burlap? Could I even use these handy pre-cut burlap shapes from Canvas Corp? And has anyone noticed that these burlap decorations would make an excellent quilt block pattern?

Burlap decorations
And that’s when I began to realize what it means to think like a quilter…

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Filed Under: Quilting Tagged With: Art Quilts, CHA show, Quilting, Scrapbooking

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Full Project Tutorials

Geek Crafts: Downton Abbey-Inspired “Team Dowager” Badge Tutorial

You’ve arrived the Geek Crafts column, your weekly dose of geeky goodness with Haley Pierson-Cox from The Zen of Making! Now that we’ve been talking nerdy for a few weeks, I’m sure it will come as no surprise to you that I’m completely obsessed with Downton Abbey. Not a day goes by that I don’t […]

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Free eBooks

17 Quilting Tutorials: Quilting for Beginners and Top Tips for How to Quilt eBook

In Case You Missed It: “17 Quilting Tutorials: Quilting for Beginners and Top Tips for How to Quilt” eBook

No quilter could have gotten to where they are now without starting with the basics. At FaveQuilts, we've been happy to frequently update our … [Read More...]

Seasonal Crafts

How to: Make Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Mother's day is May 9 which may seem a while away, but it will be here before you know it. This special holiday is the time to make your mother feel … [Read More...]

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