Blogger's Quilt Festival - Breaking Storm

I've been debating whether or not to enter the Fall 2014 Blogger's Quilt Festival, hosted by Amy of Amy's Creative Side. Most of what I've worked on in the last six months I can't share yet - but I decided I would enter a few of my recent finishes, since it is such a fun event to be part of, and I've entered every festival since starting my blog three years ago. 

My first entry is my Breaking Storm quilt, which I'm entering in the Large Quilts category. This quilt was recently published in Quilters Companion's Modern Quilts special issue, and it is still one of my favorite quilts I've made. 

This quilt was inspired by the way the sky looks at the end of a big storm, with swirling clouds and bits of sun and blue sky peeking through. It is entirely made using the traditional Snail Trail block.

This is a full twin sized quilt - it measures 72" x 96". The biggest quilt I've quilted on my domestic machine, and a brilliant learning experience. I chose to quilt the 'negative space' (the various shades of grey) with a variegated grey 40wt Aurifil thread, using a swirly/pebbly design to give it lots of texture, and then quilted the coloured areas with simple straight line FMQ.

Thanks for visiting my blog, I'm looking forward to checking out all the entries in the festival!

xx Jess

Breaking Storm (Finished and Featured)

A new issue of Quilters Companion magazine comes out on Thursday this week, the latest modern quilts special issue. My quilt, Breaking Storm, is one of six quilts in the magazine, along with designs from Faith Jones, Tracey Petersen, Liz Pinczewski, Michelle Marvig and Jane Davidson.

I am so excited to be able to finally show you this quilt - I finished it in June last year, so it has been a long year keeping it quiet. We went to a park a few weekends ago, and I took Breaking Storm for a wee photo shoot.

This quilt is made using the traditional Snail Trail block. As the name suggests, Breaking Storm is supposed to be reminiscent of a dark, stormy sky at the end of a storm, when the sun and blue sky is just peeking through the roiling clouds.

This is one of the biggest quilts I've made - it finishes at 72" x 96". It's quilted with a range of Aurifil threads - variegated grey Aurifil 40wt thread across the grey 'background', and blue and orange 50wt thread in the coloured sections. I'm really pleased with the texture I achieved on this quilt - I quilted air-currents and pebbles and square spirals in the grey areas, and straight lines in the coloured sections. I think the quilting complements the design quite well.

I haven't seen the magazine yet, but there is a profile on me in there (which I'm super excited about, but I'm also a bit nervous to see what they've written!) I will be stalking the newsagent on Thursday for sure!!

I'm off to have a coffee or seven - Quiltcon registration opened at 1am this morning here in Australia, so I'm trying to cope on about 4 hours sleep. It was totally worth waiting up though, I managed to get all the classes I wanted (and I'm thrilled that I'll get to meet all three of my biggest quilty inspirations - Angela Walters, Lisa Sipes and Krista Withers! Pinch me!) :o) I guess it's completely official that I'm going now (and I am ridiculously excited about it!! Will I get to meet you there?!?

xx Jess