Tile Quilt Class

On Saturday KK and I took a class at Emma's Quilt Cupboard in Franklin, MA to make a tile quilt using needle turn applique.  I've been learning more needle turn applique this year and I thought this would be a fun class to take. 

This is the class sample.  I thought the quilt was cute, although not quite my style.  After looking at it, I decided to make mine in Asian fabrics. 

Here is the beginning of my block, pre any applique.  It looks busy and not that wonderful, but once I started to needle turn, things really started to come to life and I really liked the block more and more.

Here's the block as of this morning, almost finished.  I just have to turn the three end pieces on the right and the one on the bottom left.  I really like it now that the grout has been formed. 

Here are blocks from other students.  (sorry for the blurryness, all of the photos were taken with my phone.)  I love the idea of using different background fabrics.  I think it would be cool to have multiple blocks with a rainbow of fabrics for the background, red for one, orange for another, etc. 

I might prep a few blocks to take with me on my upcoming trip to Paris.  I think this would make a good project to do on a plane. 

Fiesta! Class Part 2

A little over a week ago we had our second Fiesta! class.  We worked on another type of block.  First, here's a pic of 4 of my blocks from the first style of block we worked on.  I have another 4 of this kind of block left to make.

Here are Lynn's 8 blocks.  Awesome, aren't they?

KK wasn't able to join us this class as she was traveling for work.

And here's the new block that I worked on during our last class.  It still needs some trimming on the top and left, but you get the idea.  The top spikes also aren't attached to the rest of the block.  Once it is it will fit flush with the rest of the block.

Our final class is this Thursday!  

Fiesta! Quilt Class Part 1

Last Thursday (I know I'm late on this post) after work, KK, Lynn, and I got together at one of our LQS to take the Fiesta! class.  It meets every other Thursday night for 3 sessions.  In this class we made block 3 which combines paper piecing and curves, which I've done before. 

This was my first block.  If you remember my previous post where I showed the fabrics I'm using, I picked brown, teal, and rust batiks. 

This one is Lynn's block. 

And these are the pieces of KK's block.  She didn't have the chance to put it all together during the class, but you get the idea. 

I love that we're all using batiks.  I've been trying to use them more regularly in my quilting.  I've tended to stick to printed cottons, but I really want to branch out.  I love batiks and I don't know why I don't use them more. 

I hope to have all 8 blocks of this particular block done by our next class on the 18th.  My first priority is to get the binding attached to my cousin's quilt for their bridal shower on the 21st.  Must finish!!!!!

My favorite Local Quilt Stores

So we moved into our new home this weekend! Yay!!! Now for all of the unpacking. :-P My quilting room will hopefully be semi-unpacked by the end of the week. I CAN'T WAIT!!!

I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite quilt stores since I don't have any quilting progress to blog about because of the move...

Quilters Way - Concord, MA
This is probably my favorite local quilt shop. It holds a special spot in my quilting heart because it's where I really learned to quilt. I took my first quilting class here 6 or 7 years ago. Since then, I've taken probably another half dozen classes here. They always have a great selection of fabric, with much more of a contemporary feel and less of a traditional feel. That's totally me (if you haven't noticed). The people here are wonderful. I've always had a great experience here. I love their New Years sale and always stock up on some great goodies then. They make their own jelly rolls and jelly roll patterns here too. So much fun! I'd highly recommend a visit here if you're heading to MA.

Emma's Quilt Cupboard - Franklin, MA
I discovered this store about a year ago because it's close to my work. It's a pretty big store with lots of great fabrics. This is where I went for the Mark Lapinski visit that I blogged about a few months ago. They do a great job of displaying fabrics here. They also have a pretty big selection of batiks and novelty fabrics. They have lots of classes here, although I've never taken one. I've been so busy since I learned about this store between the wedding and our move that I haven't had the time. They have a passport program where you pay a flat fee and you can attend any participating class during that session period (3 months I think). It's a great deal if you attend more than one class. Another quilt store worth a visit when you come to MA.

Wayside Sewing - Marlborough, MA
This store opened about 3 miles from my old apartment. It was deadly to have a quilt store so close. At first, I found their fabrics to be too traditional, but lately I've found that they're breaking out into more modern fabrics. They also don't carry a lot of pre-cuts or fat quarters. The best thing about this store is the staff though. They do a great job of helping plan out a quilt top if you'd like. I was stumped on picking out some fabric for a blooming nine patch I'm going to make for my cousin's wedding next year, and a fresh set of eyes really helped. They're very knowledgeable and friendly. They have a lot of nice Asian fabrics and a TON of notions.

Bits 'n Pieces - Pelham, NH
I bring this quilt shop up because it's the first place where I used a long arm. The best thing about this store is that you can rent time on their HQ and quilt your own quilt yourself for a very reasonable price. I quilted a top that was probably a full size there, and for instructions on how to use the machine, thread, and usage of the machine, they charged me $40. I couldn't believe it only cost that much. They have a ton of fabrics and some great sales, but it's a fairly cluttered store. They just moved into a bigger location, and I haven't been to the new store yet, so I can't comment on if it's neater now. If you're ever in the area and want to try using a long arm to quilt one of your quilts, I'd definitely recommend heading here to give it a try.