A.L.M.O.S.T. done.....

So I finished this one:

Opposites Attract - 31 inches square

It's my entry to QuiltCon 2016 for the Michael Miller Glitz Fabric Challenge.  I called it "Opposites Attract".  The Glitz fabric seemed formal and opulent so I countered it with saturated color and whimsy.  Even the back carried the opposites theme with the two kinds of fabric and a circular label.

My other entry to QuiltCon 2016 was "Have No Fear".  I originally made this piece for another contest...but I'd missed the deadline (very much out of character for me...).  I really loved the end result so I felt good about having another chance to enter it.  The premise for this one was ...have no fear.  Don't be afraid to make a mistake.  You'll learn so much more by doing and trying than you would laboring over strict perfection.  

When I first started quilting- I was only making intricate 12.5 inch blocks.   I was caught up over making sure every point matched and every quarter inch sew line was accurate.  A wise teacher, Charlotte Angotti, said to me once, "do you want to make one quilt a year....or 12 quilts a year?"  That was the light bulb moment for me.  I wanted to make as many as I could but at the rate I was going.... I'd be lucky to make one quilt a year.  Boom.  Off to the races I went and I've never regretted it.  So what if all my points don't match perfectly EVERY time.  I found the more I made - the better I got.  So when I designed this quilt, I found the quote by Salvador Dali.... "Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it"  was the perfect sentiment (and as a stater of the obvious....I made one of the blocks wrong on purpose).

Have No Fear - 57 inches square

I printed the quote out (from Word) on paper and used a light box to trace the letters on the fabric.  Then I free motion machined over the tracing to make the lettering on the quilt.  It was a good way to get accurate lettering.  I'll definitely use this technique again.

Down to my last quilt deadline for the year...  The Death Star is under the needle right now.  I took a break to relax my neck a bit.  I don't usually get tense while quilting but it's been a busy week with Thanksgiving, putting up Christmas decor, and having the family around.  Good hectic - but I'm a little tired.  So this quick break was good for my creativity.  I've got a LOT of quilting to go...

Have you tried any new quilting techniques lately?

I'm Linking up with CrazyMom Quilts  (oops - missed it this week) , Confessions of a Fabric Addict   , Creative Goodness Linkup, and A Quilted Passion Check out their great blogs - LOTS of great quilty things to look at....