Doug’s Quilt

I am busy working on a quilt for a guy quilting friend named Doug.  Doug owns a local quilt store and he is funny to boot!  He will call me posing as Bill Clinton, and ask me whether the Presidential library should have a condom dispenser in the bathroom or other product?  It helps that his Bill Clinton imitation is spot on.

Doug’s quilt has an overall duck hunting theme.  It also has some lovely applique cattails on the quilt for further visual interest, too.  (I promise to show pictures when finished).  I knew I needed a border design with ducks on it, so I turned to Digitech Patterns to find one.  I eventually found this loon pattern by Denise Schillinger, which fit the bill:

This pattern looks more duck-like than loon-like to me.  Loons swim very low in the water is why I say this.  Anyway, I digress….. here is the finished border design using this design.  Note that I took this picture from the back side of the quilt:

border design

Doug’s quilt has light cornerstones in all four corners, so I wanted to place a related design that would go with the border.  Unfortunately, I could not find one, so it was time to create one using bits and pieces of Denise’s Digitech Pattern design:

Obviously, I still have to add the tight piano keys to the un-quilted side of the block, but I ended up really liking this design and how it looks on Doug’s quilt.  I shared it with him on Facebook, and he was very happy.

Carla Tip: This is my quilting tip of the day- when attempting to locate a complementary design for a quilt, use bits and pieces of an existing design used elsewhere in the quilt- whether it is a stencil design or digitized design.

I am adding some other duck and duck hunter motifs within the body of the quilt, but you will have to wait to see it.  Stay posted!  Hugs, Carla

Molly’s Quilt

I finished Molly’s quilt for her awhile back, but thought I would share the photos here, too.

This was a sweet garden theme quilt, perfect quilt for the start of spring!  I knew that Molly wanted to enter this quilt in her guild show, so I did some nice quilting for her.  First, an overall view of the quilt on my table:

quilt pieced by Molly Evangelisti and quilted by Carla Barrett

Another view:

quilting by Carla Barrett

quilting by Carla Barrett

Last photo, a close up of my block design you can purchase HERE:

Block design by Carla Barrett and available at http://www.digitechpatterns.com

Now, your turn!  What have you been up to?  Happy Friday, Carla

Info About Next Session of eClasses

Just a quick message to let everyone know about upcoming eClasses I have scheduled for early 2013.

The following 3 class dates will be announced soon:

Quilt Whisperer eClass by Carla Barrett-  This class is all about learning Carla’s unique approach to how to design quilt tops for machine quilting.  Also learn some of Carla’s favorite quilting designs and how to find your own inspiration!

Fabric Design with Photoshop Elements* by The Pixeladies- The Pixeladies teach you how to design fabric for use in your art, art quilts and pieced quilts.

Tablet Design Class* by Carla Barrett- This eClass is jammed pack with methods for how to effectively use your tablet and PSE to design quilts, quilting, quilting motifs, zen doodle and more!

*this eClass has a prerequisite of Beginning Photoshop Elements eClass OR basic knowledge of Photoshop Elements or PS CS.

Side note- I decided to take a class break for this holiday season 2012 so teachers and students may enjoy their holiday season!  Keep watching for when I finish scheduling the 2013 eClass dates!

Thanks, Carla

More Feather Star Quilting

Here are the updated images for the green feathered star quilt:

I am now working on the center quilting design, and plan to finish quilt on Monday.   Here is the center section, with a pin in the picture to show you scale.  I added some SID to the center star area, too:

I will update this post later to provide what designs are quilted freehand and which ones are digitized.  You all know I love to give credit to designers if I use a stencil or digitized design on a quilt.

Enjoy your weekend!   Carla

Feathered Star Quilt

I am working on a small quilt project- a feathered star quilt.  Here is a picture taken during the quilting, since I am mid-way through the quilting.  I plan to finish this quilt tomorrow.

If you look closely, I am adding some linear texture in the negative space between the motifs in the green area.

The quilt top was pieced by a friend and given to me as a gift years ago.  I decided it would be a fun quilt to turn into a wallhanging.

Other news:  Been drawing away on some new quilting designs to be turned into digitized designs for computer quilters and embroiderers.  I have to wait to show you the designs, until they are released for sell at Digitech Patterns.  I promise to share more designs when they become available.

Recent Pixeladies Class- We have had another successful class and have enjoyed the students!  We are trying something different- adding an extra week to allow extra time for students to turn in homework.  This was based on student feedback, so we decided to give it a try.

Your turn- what are YOU working on?

Finished Quilt

I finally finished this wholecloth quilt that I showed earlier on the blog.   It needs to be trimmed, which I will do tomorrow.  I like to visit my local quilt store and cut it on their large cutting table.   I am thinking it needs just a bit more fill in the center section, but I will know for sure once it is blocked and then bound (binded?).

In the spirit of giving credit where due, I do want to mention that I used the following designs and products in this quilt:  Digital designs by Lisa Calle, Kim Brunner, Donna Kleinke, and R. Beyer.  Rulers used are Carol Olson’s Fine Line ruler (for the gothic curved cross-hatching) and Lisa Calle’s Quilter’s Groove ruler.

I am already at work on the next quilt, too.  Pictures to follow once I am done with the next quilt.

By the way, my next post will be about the Pixeladies next class.  Registration starts next Tuesday.  More info to follow…..

Take care!  Carla

Catch Up! And Other Things…

I am pleased to announce that the first online Tablet Design Class was a huge success!  Wait until you see the fantastic homework that was turned in by the students- Wow!!  But, that is a future  post, so I will make you wait.  Here are a  few Creative Exercise samples I drew for the class:

A colored wholecloth quilting design:

A quilting design repeat:

Using colored images to help choose quilt design colors:

Practicing quilting fills:

This is just a sneak peek of a few exercises in the class.  All-in-all, I think I shot and edited over 35 videos for this class!  By the way, the next time I teach it will be in the Fall, 2012.  Post a comment to get on my class interest list.

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Freeform Beaded Necklace-  The long awaited blog prize is almost ready to ship to the lucky recipient!!  This turned out very cool, I now need to make a second one for my own portfolio.

Want to see?

OK, here is the finished view of this freeform beaded necklace.  I named it, “Waves of Color:”

Any comments on this latest freeform beaded design?

More to come!  Now that class is over, my creative spirit is unleased!

Hugs, Carla

 

 

Tablet Design Class Starts Monday!!

Wondering why I have been so quiet lately?  I have been busy shooting and editing videos for the new Tablet Design for Quilters Class- which starts on Monday, April 16th, 2012!

This class is turning out to be very cool, if I do say so myself!  Lots of new material, photos, Creative Exercises, and Video Lessons, too!  Plus, each Creative Exercise has a “Fast Draw” video where you can watch me draw and design in Photoshop Elements 10 in fast time, meaning I have sped up the video.  These were fun to make, and I hope to insert an example video here on the blog just for fun.

What will students learn in this eClass?

How to use their tablet and PSE to create and design quilting motifs, pantographs, E2E designs, seamless repeats, plus how to design quilt tops (aka Quilt Whispering), zen doodle,  wholecloth quilts, pictorial quilts and quilts to piece or applique.  I love to jam pack information into my classes, no skimpy lessons here.

Former students will tell you that my classes provide a wonderful value for the price- and include Weekly Video Lessons, Creative Exercises, Interactive Forum, Live Webinar Meetings each week, plus my undivided attention for the 3 weeks that the class runs.  Students have access to the class and course material for an extra 6 months, too, after the 3 weeks are up.

Other News:  Joe, grandson Ethan, and I are leaving to attend Strictly Sail, a sailing convention in the San Francisco Bay area this weekend.  Ethan is almost 1 year old now, and he loves to travel and see new sites.  My favorite part about the trip is that we are staying in the same hotel we stayed in 30 years ago when we honeymooned in the area.  Of course, this time, we have a sweet little baby along.

Last night, my other grandchildren Jack and Kate came for a visit.  Jack is now 4 and Kate is 2.  Watching all 3 grandkids play together just melts my heart!  They are so dear!

 

Last Few Days for Registration

A quick post to remind everyone that the Pixeladies Intro to PSE Class is filling fast- and that class will start next Monday at StepOnPins.com.  We decided to offer this class once again, especially since this class fulfills the prerequisite for my April class on Tablet Design.

In preparation for the Tablet Design class, I am working hard on expanding my in-person Tablet Design class into a 3 week class with numerous video lessons with handouts, creative exercises, visuals, and lots of information about using your tablet, along with Photoshop Elements 10, to create quilting designs, draw and design quilt tops like I do, plus many other skills.  Here is a sample quilting design that I drew for Debbie Bainbridge’s quilt during a 2011 Quilt Whisperer class:

Mark your calendar- the registration for the Tablet Design Class will begin on March 15, 2012 at 9 am PST.

Last note:  Many of you blog subscribers may have noticed the 11 or so email notifications with the last post.  Apologies, however, this was a wordpress glitch.  I did notify wordpress about this and deleted all the extra posts.

 

Featured Quilter: Desley Maisano

I first met Desley Maisano when she took my online Quilt Whisper Class last year.  In this class, students send me quilt top photo to design- and I suggest one or more ways for how I might approach and design the quilt.

Desley, who is an amazing machine quilter from Australia, sent me a photo of this lovely quilt pieced and applique by Anthea Bradley, so I might suggest a quilting design for her.  Here is Anthea’s quilt:

I darkened the photo and then drew my suggested design for Desley, shown below:

Fast forward to last week.  Desley wrote me to share that she had quilted this quilt for Anthea and wanted to share how it turned out.  She also added her own design elements to this quilt, and the results are frankly, stunning!  Love the changes, Desley!  Here is a sneak peek photo, borrowed with permission from her blog, Addicted To Quilts.  To see more photos, please click here.

She did an excellent job on this quilting, don’t you think?  Excellent execution and I predict lots of ribbons for Anthea and Desley for their collaborative quilt.  I hope you will leave a comment for Anthea and Desley to read- or hop on over to Desley’s blog and leave her a comment there.