Jo's Adventures in Quilting

Conquer a Fear - Project Quilting challenge 14.6

2023-03-19T09:21:00.001-07:00

It’s the last challenge for season 14 of Project Quilting. Our prompt is Conquer a Fear.

My step daughter is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer. I tell everyone I refuse to consider anything other than a successful outcome where Shannon will be able to resume her healthy life once all the treatment is complete. And for the vast majority of the time, this is true. But there are those little moments when the fear is real. I get through those moments by looking ahead to the happy future I want for her.

We are planning a trip to Disneyland with Shannon this summer to celebrate the end of her radiation therapy. So I made this little makeup bag for her.

Size: approximately 6”x8”

I create in Casa Grande, Arizona

Check out all the entries for this challenge at

Project Quilting - Conquer a Fear

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Sew Not a Square - Project Quilting challenge 14.5

2023-02-28T08:18:00.001-08:00

For this week, we were challenged to sew something that did not include any squares.

A member of my quilt guild had recently done me a favor and I wanted to give her a little gift of appreciation. When this challenge was posted, I immediately thought of a fun little circle zip pouch.

Size: approximately 4" diameter

I create in Casa Grande, Arizona

Check out all the entries for this challenge at

Project Quilting - Sew Not a Square

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A Novel Project - Project Quilting Challenge 14.4

2023-02-16T21:33:00.000-08:00

Our inspiration this week is books. My favorite book is usually whatever one I‘m currently reading. 😄. I read a lot on my iPad when I’m away from home, so I made a travel case for it. Just in time to take it with me to QuiltCon next week!

Pink Tint - Project Quilting challenge 14.2

2023-01-18T15:36:00.003-08:00

My step-daughter is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer so this week's Project Quilting challenge theme of "Pink Tint" was quite timely. Pink for breast cancer awareness is very much at the front of my mind. I recently made a quilt and tote bag for Shannon to take to her chemo appointments.

I used some of my leftovers from those for my challenge project.

While looking through YouTube for a different tutorial entirely, I came across this one by Minki Kim and Misty Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Company for a simple and cute two tone zipper pouch and decided that would be my project for this challenge.

Think Pink Pouch

Size: approximately 8" x 11"

I create in Casa Grande, Arizona

Check out all the entries for this challenge at

Project Quilting Pink Tint-

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The First One - Project Quilting challenge 14.1

2023-01-04T17:02:00.002-08:00

For the first challenge of season 14 of Project Quilting, we were asked to be inspired by the number one. What came to my mind is how I’ve been counting down to the start of this new year. 2022 was a difficult year for my husband and I while we coped with the loss of both our mothers. But through our grief we also recognized this end to our journeys as caregivers would bring new opportunities into our lives. And so I’ve been anticipating this new year ready to embrace our new freedom. I want to “hit the ground running.”

3 - 2 - 1 … GO!

Size: approximately 6” x 9”

I create in Casa Grande, Arizona

Check out all the entries for this challenge at

Project Quilting - The First One

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Annual Project Quilting Mystery Quilt Along

2021-12-30T16:39:00.004-08:00

For the last four years, Kim Lapacek, the mastermind behind Project Quilting, has given us the opportunity to jump start the newest season of Project Quilting with a Mystery Quilt Along. All of the clues have now been provided and I've got all my blocks made. Kim is now asking us to submit our best guess of what the final layout is going to be. After rearranging the blocks a countless number of times, I am admitting defeat. I'm stumped.

The mystery has been revealed. The individual blocks are letters in Braille! When arranged as below, they spell Project Quilting! Fun! Thanks Kim

Ab Intra - Project Quilting challenge 12.6

2021-03-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

Our final inspiration for season 12 of Project Quilting was Ab Intra, which means from within.

I try to listen to and be guided by the Holy Spirit within me. So for this week’s challenge I chose the image of a dove which is frequently used to symbolize the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit Within

Size: approximately 6” x 9”

I create in Casa Grande, Arizona

Check out all the entries for this challenge at

Project Quilting - Ab Intra

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You’re Crazy - Project Quilting challenge 12.5

2021-03-05T21:35:00.003-08:00

Our inspiration this week for Project Quilting was crazy quilts.

We recently purchased a beautiful set of handcrafted Pegs and Jokers boards. For those who don’t know, it’s a game along the lines of Parcheesi but with playing cards instead of dice. Anyway, I’ve been searching for the right container to store the boards but haven’t been able to find anything I liked. So I decided to make my own!

P & J Pouch

Size: 14” x 6” x 4"

I create in Casa Grande, Arizona

Check out all the entries for this challenge at

Project Quilting - You're Crazy

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Snail’s Trail - Project Quilting challenge 12.4

2021-02-20T19:04:00.001-08:00

This week for project quilting our challenge was to be inspired by the traditional Snail’s Trail quilt block.

Using the Sea Swept variation of the more traditional Storm at Sea pattern, I made this pillow featuring my first ever invisible zipper!

Size: 16” x 16”

I create in Casa Grande, Arizona

Check out all the entries for this challenge at

Project Quilting - Snail’s Trail

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Virtual Vacation - Project Quilting challenge 12.3

2021-02-05T15:45:00.004-08:00

This week's Project Quilting challenge was Virtual Vacation.

I made a water bottle sling years ago and it has gone with me on many travel adventures. It’s definitely starting to show its age, so it was time to make a new and improved version.

The original was made from this pattern: Walker's Water Bottle Sling by Whistlepig Creek Productions

The new one follows the pattern pretty closely, but is significantly larger. I now have plenty of room for my one quart water bottle and with the two outer pockets, I can carry my phone, ID, keys, money etc.

Water Bottle Sling

Project size: approximately 9" tall with a 14" diameter
I create in Casa Grande, Arizona

Check out all the challenge entries at

Project Quilting - Virtual Vacation

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Fussy Cut - Project Quilting challenge 12.2

2021-01-21T17:24:00.003-08:00

This week’s Project Quilting theme was Fussy Cut, which means to cut your fabric in a way that features a particular motif or design of that fabric.

I did a lot of baking this past holiday season and each time I’d emerge from the kitchen coated in flour, I’d tell myself I really need an apron. So when I came across this fabric while searching through my stash looking for something that lends itself to fussy cutting, I knew what had to be done.

The waistband was made by fussy cutting each square of the various veggies and sewing them into an appropriately sized strip. Then the remaining veggies were ultra fussy cut to create the appliqué along the hem.

My sis-in-law unknowingly helped me name this when she made the comment:

Everything's Better with Garlic

I create in Casa Grande,

Arizona

Check out all of the entries for this challenge at
Project Quilting - Fussy Cut
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Illuminating + Ultimate Gray - Project Quilting challenge 12.1

2021-01-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking about calling myself the Maven of Mug Rugs when it comes to Project Quilting challenges. That seems to be my go-to item for the last couple of seasons. And this week, the first in Season 12 of Project Quilting, is no different.

Our challenge was to be inspired by Pantone's Colors of the Year 2021, Illuminating and Ultimate Gray. The only rule is the quilt must be predominantly yellow and gray.

While searching my stash of fabrics for yellows and grays, I came across some squares left over from a charm pack of Malka Dubrawsky fabrics for Moda. Many of which were gray and yellow with a bit of white thrown in. Perfect!

My time, and my supply of charm squares was limited so I knew I'd be making yet another mug rug. But other than that, I didn't have a plan. I just started sewing the squares together to make half square triangles. I laid those out into a diamond setting and mug rug number one came together quickly. I liked it, but didn't love it.

I still had half square triangle blocks left. So I put those together to create quarter square (hourglass) blocks. Trying to lay those out into some sort of pattern proved to be much more difficult than I anticipated. So for the first time in my quilting life, I actually allowed myself to sew the blocks together completely at random! And turns out I love it!

Malka Mug Rugs

Size: approximately 5.5" x 8" and 6" x 9"

I create in Casa Grande,

Arizona

Check out all of the entries for this challenge at
Project Quilting - Illuminating + Ultimate Gray
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Vibrant and Vivacious - Project Quilting challenge 11.6

2020-03-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

For the final challenge of this season of Project Quilting, Trish gave us the theme of Vibrant and Vivacious.

Since we are trying to stay home as much as possible, doing our part to reduce the spread of the Covid 19 virus, I had all sorts of ambitious ideas.

But as so often happens, life had other plans and I wasn't able to start my project until Saturday, giving me just one day to complete the whole thing.

I recently purchased the pattern "A Gathering" by Barbara Persing and I thought one of her quails might make a good choice for something vibrant. I changed my quail up a little bit, but it is based on a block from this pattern.

Nightenquail

Size: approximately 9" x 10"
I create in Casa Grande,
Arizona

Check out all of the entries for this challenge at
Project Quilting - Vibrant and Vivacious
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Give it Away - Project Quilting challenge 11.5

2020-03-05T18:13:00.002-08:00

The latest challenge for Project Quilting is "Give it Away". We can make anything we want, but the finished item has to be given away. I loved this idea and immediately thought about making gifts for the wonderful women who work at the Senior Day Club where my mother goes once a week. They take such great care of her, and all the other and I'm excited to give them something tangible to show my appreciation.

Ultimately I will make a total of three of these, but here is the first one, and my entry for the current challenge.

Thank you to Maria, Vanessa and Alice for all you do!!!

Thank You Tote Bag

Size: approximately 14" x 16" x 4"
I create in Casa Grande,
Arizona

Check out all of the entries for this challenge at
Project Quilting - Give it Away
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Birds in the Air - Project Quilting challenge 11.4

2020-02-22T18:29:00.000-08:00

Project Quilting announced the fourth challenge of the season as “Birds in the Air”, which is the name of a traditional quilt block that uses two sizes of triangles combined to make a square block. We were directed to either use or reinterpret this traditional block in our project.

I have had the pattern, “Harrison’s Daybreak” on my to do list for a few years now. It is the 2015 Row by Row pattern from Beginnings Quilt Shop in Hendersonville, North Carolina which I picked up during a visit to my sister-in-law that year. This was the perfect time to finally make it.

I modified the pattern a bit to change the size (and number) of background squares so I could incorporate the Birds in the Air blocks. But even then, the background squares were only 3”, so I decided to draft a foundation piecing pattern to make the Birds in the Air blocks.

I am calling this

Sunrise Sentinel

Size: approximately 15" x 39"
I create in Casa Grande,
Arizona

Check out all of the entries for this challenge at
Project Quilting - Birds in the Air
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Put a Heart On It - Project Quilting challenge 11.3

2020-02-07T18:06:00.003-08:00

For this third challenge of Project Quilting season 11, our theme is "Put a Heart On It".

I knew going in that time would not be on my side this week. I had already decided whatever the theme, I'd make another mug rug. So that is what I did, but it’s also so much more than that to me.

Reading the stories associated with the projects from our last challenge "Team Colors", I was inspired to continue in that vein for this challenge and create a piece that related to something close to my heart.

A heart for my mother, who I love. Purple for Alzheimer's, and coincidentally my mother's favorite color. And fragmented, just like my mom's memories.

Feeling Purple

Size: approximately 9" x 7"

I create in Casa Grande,
Arizona

Check out all of the entries for this challenge at

Project Quilting - Put a Heart On It

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Team Colors - Project Quilting challenge 11.2

2020-01-24T15:04:00.001-08:00

The newest PQ challenge theme - Team Colors - was announced this past Sunday, the very same day the San Francisco 49ers became the 2020 NFC champions and earned their place at this year's Super Bowl. Pretty much anyone who knows me is aware I’m a lifelong 49ers fan. So of course my team colors challenge project had to feature red and gold.

We will be hosting a small gathering at our house on Super Bowl Sunday so I decided I’d make a table runner for the occasion. And since I’ve always wanted to try a bargello quilt, I thought this would be a good time to attempt it.

I used Angela Walters’ Modern Bargello pattern as my jumping off point and modified it a bit to fit my vision.

After the top was pieced, I struggled a bit trying to find a quilting thread that worked with all of the high contrast colors in my quilt. I got some good suggestions from the brilliant and creative quilters in the Facebook Challenge Quilt group but soon realized I wouldn’t have time for any ambitious quilting on this project. So I ultimately decided to go with matching thread on each of the fabrics and used a simple continuous curve pattern. It’s a quick and easy quilting motif with the added bonus of creating some football(ish) shapes within the design.

I’m calling this piece

Super Bowl Bound

Size: approximately 20" x 47"

I create in Casa Grande,
Arizona

Check out all of the entries for this challenge at

Project Quilting - Team Colors

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Notably Numeric - Project Quilting challenge 11.1

2020-01-10T15:23:00.001-08:00

A new year and a new season for Project Quilting. The first challenge theme is Notably Numeric. Our project must feature numbers, counting, or mathematics in its theme or implementation.

I chose to make a visual representation of the "Rule of Three" along with the "Rule of Thirds".

These are both design concepts common in many/most artistic genres.

Simply stated, the Rule of Three is based on the idea that three objects are more pleasing to the eye than one, two or four.

The Rule of Thirds is a composition technique where a design is divided into thirds either vertically, horizontally or both. The focal points of the design are then placed along one of those lines or at any of the intersections.

In this image, the sky and ground are split 2/3 to 1/3. The main focal point (the saguaro cactus) is placed approximately at the 1/3 line vertically. Three cacti are featured and each cactus has three branches/arms.

So I'm calling this

3 1/3

(or Three and a Third)

Size: approximately 9" x 6"

I create in Casa Grande,
Arizona

Check out all of the entries for this challenge at

Project Quilting - Notably Numeric

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Show Me Something Purple

2020-01-02T16:02:00.001-08:00

Sarah Goer of Sarah Goer Quilts has introduced a new challenge of sorts on her blog. She will be introducing a new theme each month and we can link up photos of projects we make specifically for the challenge, or work we completed in the past that fits the theme.

For this first month she asks us to "Show Me Something Purple". I may yet create something just for this challenge, but since I already had something that fit, I thought I'd lead with that.

This is my "Fairy Quilt Godmother" Ribbonluria. She is paper pieced from a pattern I found on the Paper Panache website. There are endless variations of the Fairy Quilt Godmother pattern, all of which are fun and fabulous. I encourage you to create your own. You can find the pattern here

Craving Chocolate - Project Quilting challenge 10.6

2019-03-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

Another season of Project Quilting is about to come to an end. Our final challenge was to make something with "Craving Chocolate" as our inspiration.

While working through some ideas in my head, I remembered a trip Tom and I took about ten years ago to Hershey, Pennsylvania. As you may imagine the highlight of that trip was a visit to the Hershey Chocolate Factory! Sadly they no longer offer tours through the actual factory, but we enjoyed exploring their "Chocolate World".

This is a photo I took during that visit. I printed it on fabric and turned it into a mug rug. Working on this little quilt really did fit the theme since by the time I was done, I did crave chocolate and had to break into my emergency supply. :-)

Chocolate World

Size: approximately 9" x 7"

I create in Casa Grande

Check out all of the entries for this challenge at

Project Quilting - Craving Chocolate

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Abecedarius - Project Quilting challenge 10.5

2019-03-10T09:48:00.004-07:00

For our latest project quilting challenge, we were asked to be inspired by the word "Abecedarius" which mean alphabet primer. Since I have a new great nephew, Liam, that I've been wanting to make something for, this was the perfect opportunity.

Liam is only 3 months old now, but I wanted something he could continue to use and hopefully love into toddlerhood and beyond so I made this a bit larger than a typical baby blanket. It is about 48" square.

Here are a few close up pictures of some of the individual blocks, after fusing them to the background but before stitching them down.

L is for Liam

Size: approximately 48" x 48"

I create in Casa Grande

Check out all of the entries for this challenge at

Project Quilting - Abecedarius

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Pixel Play - Project Quilting challenge 10.4

2019-02-23T23:36:00.000-08:00

Our challenge this week was "Pixel Play". At first I was not excited by the idea of coming up with a pixelated design. But then I remembered we only need to be inspired by the theme. We do not necessarily need to create a literal interpretation.

I recently attended a workshop with my local sewing group on Gloria Loughman's technique for making tiled backgrounds. I had been thinking about how I could adapt this method to create a mosaic quilt design.

Mosaics are similar to pixelated images since both are made of tiny little pieces to create a picture or design. And with that, an idea came into my head and I was ready to go.

I made a sketch of my idea, then my sister-in-law, Lise Hoffman - a true artist in so many mediums - cleaned up my sketch and gave it more style and finesse. Thank you Lise! Perfect!

Using my light box, I traced the drawing onto the paper side of a sheet of Steam a Seam fusible webbing.

I rummaged through my scrap waste basket - those "too small to save" pieces that were destined to be filling for a dog bed - looking for pieces that might still have some life left in them and sorted those by color.

A selection of those were cut into even smaller confetti sized pieces. Using tweezers and a straight pin, I placed the pieces inside the shapes of the drawing to create the flowers and stems. For the leaves, I chose one larger scrap and cut the leaf shapes from that. Periodically, I used my Clover mini iron to fuse the pieces (covered by a Teflon applique sheet) into place.

Once all the flowers, stems and leaves were complete, it was time for the background. My initial plan was to create a tiled background, similar to what I had learned in the workshop. But as I started putting the "tiles" in place, I decided that was one element too many and I needed a simpler background.

I used scissors to cut around the drawn outline of the design, removed the paper backing and fused the entire thing to a piece of green fabric.

My next step was to put some batting behind the design and add some thread sketching to give some definition to the flowers and to hold everything in place. Then I cut away all the extra batting to help create a trapunto effect behind the flowers, stems and leaves.

Even though I was really happy with the way it was all turning out, I thought it could use just a little more pizzazz, so I added the curvy border with an ombre fabric.

Stitch some outline, echo and dense quilting around the main design and feathers in the border and ta-da, all done!

Confetti Cone Flowers

Size: approximately 11" x 15"

I create in Casa Grande, AZ

Check out all of the entries for this challenge at

Project Quilting - Pixel Play

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Bigger than a Bread Box - Project Quilting challenge 10.3

2019-02-09T22:38:00.000-08:00

For the latest project quilting challenge we were given the theme "Bigger than a Bread Box". Our creations could be anything, as along as they met the size requirement of one measurement larger than 16″, and another measurement larger than 9″.

I was inspired by the breadbox idea and decided to make a cover for my sewing machine.

Since I would be looking at this pretty much every day, of course I had to use my favorite fabric - Cherrywood hand dyed with a little bit of Ricky Tims hand dyed thrown in.

I started by making strip sets and somewhere along the line I thought it might be fun to add some decorative stitching. Which led to the idea of stitching out all of the decorative (leaving out the utility and various alphabet) stitches my machine has so I'd have a reference right there on my sewing machine cover.

Well I seriously under estimated just how many stitches that meant and just how much time it would take. I quickly realized I would need more strips so I cut the sets I already had in half. I filled each of those strips with a decorative stitch and I still had a LOT of stitches left. I added the grey stripe between strip sets and more decorative stitches, this time closer together so I could get them all on there. Once more I ran out of room and I still hadn't used all of the stitches. But now I was committed, so I included one more strip set and two more grey stripes for the top.

225 stitch outs and four days later, I was finally ready to put all the pieces together. Whew.

It was a lot of work, but in the end, completely worth it.

Stitch Library Sewing Machine Cover

Size: 23" x 11" x 10"

I create in Casa Grande, AZ

Check out all of the entries for this challenge at

Project Quilting - Bigger than a Breadbox challenge

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Red White and Blue - Project Quilting challenge 10.2

2019-01-23T14:54:00.002-08:00

Our second challenge for the 2019 season of Project Quilting was a color theme. Create something using the colors red, white and blue. Any tints or shades were allowed and we didn't have to use all three colors, but we could not add any additional colors.

There have been several reasons I haven't been able to do much sewing or quilting recently, and one of those reasons is I've been nursing a shoulder injury that is taking a long time to heal. I've been seeing a wonderful physical therapist who has been patiently guiding me though shoulder rehab and I had planned to make her a thank you gift once I was recovered enough to at least be able to do some simple sewing projects. So I took this challenge opportunity to follow through on that plan.

This cute little Ruffled Zip Pouch with a vinyl/fabric lining is the result.

Size: about 10" x 6" x 3"

I create in Casa Grande, AZ

Check out all of the entries for this challenge at

Project Quilting - Red, White and Blue challenge

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Hope Springs Eternal - Project Quilting challenge 10.1

2019-01-11T17:58:00.002-08:00

Season 10 of project quilting started this week with a first challenge theme of "Hope Springs Eternal". Which instantly brought this scene to mind.

My mom, who lives with us, will conveniently forget that we don't feed the dog "people food". So Gracie spends a lot of her time staring up at Mom in hopeful anticipation. Which frequently leads to me or my husband saying "Hope Springs Eternal."

Time constraints kept me from being able to get too ambitious with this challenge, but I did manage a cute little coaster. :-) I'm calling it

Please Oh Please Oh Please!

Size: about 5" x 5"

I create in Casa Grande, AZ

Check out all of the entries for this challenge at

Project Quilting - Hope Springs Eternal challenge

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