Quilts Around the Bay

In March Quilt Vine participated in the first annual Quilts Around the Bay Shop Hop. Nine shops from around the Chesapeake Bay participated in this event. Our theme this year was Bay Life. Each shop designed a block to fit in with this theme. Then each shop made a quilt using their own setting and choice of fabric. 

We have this quilt kitted and it is available for purchase through December 31, 2017.

This quilt kit is also available in our Etsy Shop.

Each shop got to choose which creature they would like to represent on the quilt. We were fortunate to get the Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab. We have done a lot with the crab. Last year we had a custom Accuquilt Die made, so the crabs in our kits are pre-cut and pre-fused.  

When I made the first sample block I used Robert Kaufman's Essex Metallic in Sand for the background and it was perfect. 

We then decided we had to use Robert Kaufman's metallic fabric in all of the blocks. 

The pictures don't do it any justice, but the metallic fabric is spectacular. 

You really do need to see this quilt in person to appreciate it. 

This is my first try on most of the blocks and 3 of them had to be reworked. First of all the Fish block was not working like this. We thought the metallic would be better for the fish than the background, but when we put it with the other blocks and their backgrounds were metallic it just  didn't look right. 

Then there was the terrapin block. At first we thought we needed the perfect shell fabric, but none of the fabrics we tried seemed to work. So we decided to go with a basic, like all of the other fabrics were, and do some detail stitching for the shell. 

When I thought I was ready to put the quilt together, none of us liked how the horseshoe crab block stood out. The black was much too dark and that had to be changed to a lighter fabric. 

While I was making the blocks I was also playing around with the setting on the computer. At first I really wanted to put a Jelly Fish in there somehow. In the Summer the Jelly Fish are everywhere and I felt like an injustice had been done that none of the other shops had chosen the Jelly Fish. But in the end I just didn't like any of the settings where I put in the Jelly Fish.

My next thought was that for Quilts Around the Bay I wanted to try to make the setting circular. Because I used several different backgrounds I really felt that the blocks needed to be framed. I liked them just framed but felt there would be more of a wow factor if they had a shadow. When I saw this layout on paper I knew what had to be done with the Geese Around Block. 

It just had to go in the center with no frame!

Thank goodness I had put off doing that block for last because I did not want to make that one more than once.

Next came time to audition fabric for the frame, shadow and background. Often when we audition fabric at the shop we will lay it on the cutting table and go up on the steps and look down. It is also very helpful to take a picture.  

I was floundering around with several fabrics for the background. I really liked this one but was not sure if it would be the perfect one for a bay quilt. It looked like it had some chemistry figures and maybe some trigonometry figures. Then I read some of the paragraph. It is difficult to read but it talks about an island and a  cove and water depth. When I read that there was no question that this was going to be the background! This fabric is by Moda.

Finally, when all of the other blocks were done and the background was chosen,  I conquered the geese around block. I don't do a lot of paper piecing, so it was sort of like relearning it.  Since the background is not metallic like the other blocks the goose and the flying geese are metallic.

I couldn't be happier with this quilt. 

I love the setting.

I love the fabric.

I even love the simple quilting.

I love everything about this quilt. 

If you love it too, the kit is available until December 31, 2017

The pattern for just the block and the block kit are available.

We also decided to take the same idea and make it as a runner or wall hanging. 

The runner pattern and kit are available.

Click here to learn more about the Quilts Around the Bay Shop Hop.

Next year's shop hop will be March 2-11, 2018.

Fearless Quilting in Wonderland

Katie Fowler came to Bayside Quilters on the Eastern Shore of Maryland from Denver Colorado. Laura, one of our members saw Katie on The Quilt Show in May of last year. Laura was very excited and the same day the show first aired she contacted me about getting Katie to Bayside.

Well, almost a year later Katie made it to Maryland, and it was worth the wait!

After Katie's lecture on Wednesday I could not tell you how many people came up to me and expressed how much they enjoyed it. Katie's lecture was funny, informative, and inspirational. Katie may be an art quilter but her lecture was appealing to everyone.  I was impressed by the number of traditional quilters that told me how much they liked it. 

Everyone that took her class received a copy of Katie's book, An Artist's Journey through Wonderland. Journey through Wonderland and discover how to overcome creativity crushers like procrastination, perfectionism and resistance. Learn about acceptance from the Caterpillar, creative chaos from the Mad Hatter and courage from Alice. In Wonderland find useful quotes to inspire and motivate you to be your most creative self. Grow and bloom with lighthearted lessons from Alice's adventures.

In the 1-1/2 day class Katie taught us many ways to mark and color on fabric. We used pencils, pens, markers and paints. Katie strived to get us out of our box and be creative. One of the most important things she tried to get across to us is that there are no rules and DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY!

We came away from this class so excited and inspired that we are planning on starting a bee so we can work together on this type of project on a monthly basis. 

After the class most of the ladies told me that THIS WAS THE BEST CLASS THEY HAVE EVER TAKEN! 

Once we were done painting Katie encouraged us to cut it up, mix it up, and put it back together to make a quilted wall hanging. 

This is my painting and then cut up. 

This is piece belongs to Alice.

 This belongs to Ann B. 

This belongs to Carol C.

This is Cindy's piece.

I am not sure but I think this one belongs to Sharon P.

This belongs to Judy.

Laura did not cut hers up. 

This belongs to Margaret R. 

This is Sandy's piece.

This is Sharon M's.

This is Suze's piece. 

This piece belongs to Sylvia.

 Barbara G. did not cut hers up.

I do not know who this one belongs to. A few of the students worked on a second piece and I think this was someone's second piece. 

I am not sure who this belongs to either. 

I think these two belongs to Victoria and she chose not to cut them up.

Anne J. did not cut hers up.

This one belongs to Jeanne.

 This one belongs to Ruth.

This is the piece that Katie demoed on for the class.

Katie also demoed her method of lettering. 

Did I mention that Katie is my new best friend!

Click HERE to learn more about Katie Fowler.