Michele Bilyeu Creates With Heart and Hands: A Quilting Journey: wonky cross block

Showing posts with label wonky cross block. Show all posts

May 13, 2015

Wonky Cross Quilt

Mary Lou has received my quilt with all of our cross blocks!
The Healing Power of Love by Michele Savikko Bilyeu

"The Healing Power of Love Cross Quilt" Project is finished!!!!

Pieced and Quilted by Michele Savikko Bilyeu
April 2015

The project involved:

122 Cross Blocks
Created out of friendship for Mary Lou Weidman's healing journey with stage 2 breast cancer

From 32 quilters across the USA and Canada who just plain love her!

Healing Comfort Quilt: 75 blocks

Pillowcase Styled Quit Case: 32 blocks, 16 per side

Pieced and quilted by Michele Savikko Bilyeu

Salem, Oregon

April 2015

Front:

70 Pieced Cross Blocks

Back:

Timeless Treasures: "Quest for a Cure" and "Faith" fabrics
+
5 Additional and very dear Cross Blocks to match!

Any and all small remaining blocks will be made into a Prayer Flag for the People of Nepal,
With our thoughts for our mutual friend Andrea Balosky (Nyima Lhamo of Nepal) and all of her friends, family, and country people of Nepal and its surrounding areas.

And if you can't see your block, trust me some of yours is in there somewhere. I couldn't quite get 122 into the quilt but I did my best doing what I did and no block goes unloved and used for this cause!!Many are in the pillowcase sham..two sides, and others are going into the prayer flag garland!!!

My thanks to the wonderful and loving quilters across the USA and Canada, who donated their beautiful cross blocks and made this quilt possible. Thank you to those who donated fabric, scraps, and money for batting and thread. And many thanks to Yvonne Porcella, who told me to cut the blocks and the quilt size down or it would be too heavy! And to Mary Lou, herself, for all of her support, her advice and her help..and yes!..Mary Lou made some of the blocks, herself! She knew fun when she saw it! And she shared the process with her quilting groups as she worked her way through California on the way back home to Spokane and her earthly treatments. Bless you, Mary Lou!

I dearly loved making this quilt and am grateful to have been able to do so. I managed to listen to everyone's advice and kept it to the 'throw' or 'comfort quilt' size of 4' x 6'. It feels just right in all ways!

It is being mailed today to Mary Lou who is undergoing treatment for Breast Cancer, knowing that the healing power of love from the Divine through our hearts and our hands, will fill her to the brim and carry her through all that she needs to do to be healed in mind, body, and spirit, from the challenges of this disease.

We love you, Mary Lou!!!

The Mary Lou Weidman Healing Power of Love Cross Q...

May 9, 2015, 10 comments

363 views as of 5/9/15

My Links for the making of my cross quilt:

Basics for Making a Cross, Plus, or "Arithmetic" Quilt

Cross or Plus Quilts: Free Patterns

Designing a Liberated Cross Block and Quilt

Making Mary Lou Weidman's Cross Quilt

The Mary Lou Weidman Healing Power of Love Cross Quilt

completed, photographed and mailed to Mary Lou
5-7-2015

The Mary Lou Weidman Healing Power of Love Cross Quilt

Postnote:

For some reason, blogger occasionally double posts my blog entries. One of the many interesting things that happens in my world. I always see it as an opportunity to choose to redo my blog looking for duplicates, or just leaving it in and seeing if it goes away on its own ;-) So, the next post is the original one, this was the update after I made a correction...it went into a whole 'nother edit box. I changed the wording slightly so I could tell them apart. I once deleted a duplicate post..only it was the original one. Boy, was that fun! You can't put back what you've already deleted! I'll leave them both for right now!

Michele Bilyeu blogs With Heart and Hands as she shares a quilting journey from Alaska to Oregon with thousands of free Quilting, Sewing, and Crafting Patterns and Tutorials. Help change the world, one little quilt, art quilt, and prayer flag at a time!

May 12, 2015

The Healing Power of Love Cross Quilt

"The Healing Power of Love Cross Quilt" Project is finished!!!!

Pieced and Quilted by Michele Savikko Bilyeu
April 2015

The project involved:

122 Cross Blocks
Created out of friendship, love, and gratitude for Mary Lou Weidman

From 32 quilters across the USA and Canada


Mary Lou Weidman at home after receiving the quilt in the mail.

Healing Comfort Quilt: 75 blocks

Pillowcase Styled Quit Case: 32 blocks, 16 per side

Pieced and quilted by Michele Savikko Bilyeu

Salem, Oregon

April 2015

Front:

70 Pieced Cross Blocks

Back:

Timeless Treasures: "Quest for a Cure" and "Faith" fabrics
+
5 Additional and very dear Cross Blocks to match!

My thanks to the wonderful and loving quilters across the USA and Canada, who donated their beautiful cross blocks and made this quilt possible. Thank you to those who donated fabric, scraps, and money for batting and thread.

And many thanks to Yvonne Porcella, who told me to cut the blocks and the quilt size down or it would be too heavy! And to Mary Lou, herself, for all of her support, her advice and her help

..and yes!..Mary Lou made some of the blocks, herself! She knew fun when she saw it! And she shared the process with her quilting groups as she worked her way through California on the way back home to Spokane and her earthly treatments.

Bless you, Mary Lou!


The Healing Power of Love Cross Quilt

We love you, Mary Lou!!!

The Mary Lou Weidman Healing Power of Love Cross Q...

May 9, 2015, 10 comments

363 views as of 5/9/15

My Links for the making of my cross quilt:

Basics for Making a Cross, Plus, or "Arithmetic" Quilt

Cross or Plus Quilts: Free Patterns

Designing a Liberated Cross Block and Quilt

"The Healing Power of Love Cross Quilt"


Mary Lou Weidman at home after receiving the quilt in the mail.

The Healing Power of Love Cross Quilt

122 Cross Blocks
Created out of friendship, love, and gratitude for Mary Lou Weidman

From 32 quilters across the USA and Canada

The Mary Lou Weidman Healing Power of Love Cross Quilt

Free Patterns for Cancer Awareness: Quilts, Ribbons, Quilts, Caps, Pillows, Pouches, and other Projects

The Healing Power of Love Cross Quilt

"The Healing Power of Love Cross Quilt" Project is finished!!!!

Pieced and Quilted by Michele Savikko Bilyeu
April 2015

The project involved:

122 Cross Blocks
Created out of friendship, love, and gratitude for Mary Lou Weidman

From 32 quilters across the USA and Canada


Mary Lou Weidman at home after receiving the quilt in the mail.

Healing Comfort Quilt: 75 blocks

Pillowcase Styled Quit Case: 32 blocks, 16 per side

Pieced and quilted by Michele Savikko Bilyeu

Salem, Oregon

April 2015

Front:

70 Pieced Cross Blocks

Back:

Timeless Treasures: "Quest for a Cure" and "Faith" fabrics
+
5 Additional and very dear Cross Blocks to match!

My thanks to the wonderful and loving quilters across the USA and Canada, who donated their beautiful cross blocks and made this quilt possible. Thank you to those who donated fabric, scraps, and money for batting and thread.

And many thanks to Yvonne Porcella, who told me to cut the blocks and the quilt size down or it would be too heavy! And to Mary Lou, herself, for all of her support, her advice and her help

..and yes!..Mary Lou made some of the blocks, herself! She knew fun when she saw it! And she shared the process with her quilting groups as she worked her way through California on the way back home to Spokane and her earthly treatments.

Bless you, Mary Lou!


The Healing Power of Love Cross Quilt

We love you, Mary Lou!!!

The Mary Lou Weidman Healing Power of Love Cross Q...

May 9, 2015, 10 comments

363 views as of 5/9/15

My Links for the making of my cross quilt:

Basics for Making a Cross, Plus, or "Arithmetic" Quilt

Cross or Plus Quilts: Free Patterns

Designing a Liberated Cross Block and Quilt

"The Healing Power of Love Cross Quilt"


Mary Lou Weidman at home after receiving the quilt in the mail.

The Healing Power of Love Cross Quilt

122 Cross Blocks
Created out of friendship, love, and gratitude for Mary Lou Weidman

From 32 quilters across the USA and Canada

The Mary Lou Weidman Healing Power of Love Cross Quilt

Free Patterns for Cancer Awareness: Quilts, Ribbons, Quilts, Caps, Pillows, Pouches, and other Projects

Apr 22, 2015

Making Mary Lou's Wonky Cross Quilt

All week, I've been sharing ideas for creating a "cross quilt". A cross quilt can be as simple as making traditional nine patch blogs, to as modern as graphic interlocking crosses, to as fun as liberated and wonky "slash and sew" cross quilts.

The first day: I received packages, I received these combined blocks.

I am in the process of collecting liberated cross quilt blocks from online facebook and blogging friends, and real life quilting friends to create a group cross quilt for Mary Lou Weidman.

The second day: I received packages with these combined blocks.

It has been great fun finding ideas, tossing them around the groups and getting feedback from Mary Lou, herself, who we really could not keep it a secret from! Not only, because her interest in them, starting me thinking about making blocks, to collecting blocks, to arranging blocks...where I am right now..to eventually make her one of my own "healing" quilts where the positive thoughts and prayers of many as well as my own healing energies become part of the journey, itself, of creating the quilt.

The third day: I received packages with these combined blocks.

A quilt that can be part of Mary Lou's own healing journey with a diagnosis of breast cancer. It is hard enough to get such a diagnosis, but to be brave enough to share it with her larger friendship and quilting community only showcases Mary Lou's own inner strength and deep personal faith that no matter what happens, she will be all right. And she will.

The fourth day: I received packages with these combined blocks.

I started this process with an overview of Cross Quilts and this blog post that tells all about them, their styles and offered my readers access to a number of free patterns and lots of ideas.

Access my ideas and tutorials post here: Cross or Plus Quilts: Free Patterns

The fifth day: I received packages with these combined blocks.

And then more and more, and more! In the end, I received over 100 blocks, some were very tiny and will be turned into other things for this projects. But every single block will be used for Mary Lou and/or this project going to Mary Lou..and that is the best feeling in the world! So, thanks to everyone!

Post Note on May 1, 2015:
**But yes, as of May 2015, this project is being completed and I am not soliciting any more blocks for it.

The next step, since we had decided on a the liberated or improvisational style of a wonky cross quilt, was to show a number of ways a block could be design and simply cut out and sewn

Access creating a cross block post here: Designing a Liberated Cross Block and Quilt

Quilters began to share information and ideas back and forth through facebook, pinterest, and emails with me. And one by one they began to make blocks. And day by day, packages of blocks began to arrive.

Each day, I wait for my husband to arrive home from work. He checks the mail enroute and each day he comes in holding out my packages with a big smile on his face, knowing how happy they make me. And they make me so truly happy because they show the caring, the hopes, and the positive thoughts and prayers for Mary Lou as she begins this healing journey from breast cancer, day by day, step by step. Just as the making of the blocks are done in stages, the receiving of the blocks by me, day by day and in stages.

And just like taking each day, each step at a time, she will begin her process, and I will begin mine. And my heart is so full, knowing full well that there are not only miles between us but miles between the depth of the journey each person takes, each quilter makes. All we can do is support the process in the ways that we know how, showing love in the ways that we know how. And hoping that the sharing and the caring will create beautiful healing energies to ease the journey along the way.

Basics for Making a Cross, Plus, or "Arithmetic" Quilt

Cross or Plus Quilts: Free Patterns

Designing a Liberated Cross Block and Quilt

Making Mary Lou Weidman's Cross Quilt

The Mary Lou Weidman Healing Power of Love Cross Quilt

Apr 13, 2015

Designing a Liberated or Wonky Cross Block

As part of a online quilters' challenge (inspired by our mutual admiration society for Mary Lou Weidman) I have created a simple tutorial on designing your own liberated, wonky, modern...or for Mary Lou Weidman.

I was honored when she asked me to review her "Out of the Box" book as part of a giveaway. It was a lot of fun to review and even more fun to own the book, myself, and give one away.

I had several of her previous books (which I loved) but never met her in person. Then shortly after my review and a wonderfully fun drawing for a copy of it for my readers, I had the opportunity to meet her at the last 2014 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.

Mary Lou has been having a terrific response to her book and especially to her and her fans 'cows'. As part of the 2014 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, she was showing her famous "Cow Quilts" along with her col-writer Mel (Melanie Bautista McFarland)

And now, we all have been supporting Mary in online quilting groups after her very recent diagnosis of breast cancer. She expressed interest in 'Cross Quilts' especially the artsy, wonky ones and asked if any of us knew how they were made as she could see it involved simple slashing here and there.

I quickly drew her a super simple basic block pattern and it has led to my offering to post the rest of that process here. And you'll notice my dyslexia showing in the drawing above. That solid cross bar is supposed to be horizontal! Make you wonder how in the world I do all of the things that I do, doesn't it? Yep. Me too.

Now, being an artist, Mary Lou loves the look of the super artsy, out of the box, and over the top art quilts she found online.

But I know, when we're dealing with a variety of styles and abilities of quilters who may not be into wonky, much less super duper artsy, we are more likely to achieve a great effect with one more like this one.

Because our blocks will be individualized and wonky, with varying sized crosses, no sizing can work for all. So, about the size of a piece of paper to start your block or a 12" block and turn it into a rectangle after the fact. Seriously.

Our hope is that quilters may volunteer to make Mary Lou a Liberated Cross Block or two in her favorite bright colors of red (shades of red to create the background), cheddar, lime green and purple. And then throw in some pinks, and lavenders,and some pale and gentling neutrals so we can get variety and value and all the rest of that good stuff.

So, I am providing the start over impetus, here! Let's see if we can do this!! I have some quilters who are raring to go, but we need a lot more. Do we want a little lap quilt to just cover her up enough to read a magazine on top of, or do we want a nice big quilt hug that covers her up with love? Either way, we'll all fill it with our very best and most positive thoughts, well wishes, and lots and lots of healing energies and prayers galore!

And just so you other quilters, know. I have the tiniest little stash compared to most of you and I only found a very few pieces that would work, so my beginner's quilt is paper ;-) And best of all, if I made a mistake, I could easily start over....let's see..which way is up????

Designing a Liberated Cross Block

First, I determined the logical progression for (1) drawing or using a pattern, (2) cutting those 'pattern' pieces out, and then, (3) sewing them back together again! These are the very basics of creating a quilt block....no matter what style of quilting you do, or type of quilter you are!

But wonky quilters don't think like other quilters might. So, the progression is different, too. Basically, it is slash and sew as you go.

Cut and Sew in Quick Steps:

The Easy, Liberated Cut and Sew as You Go Method

Here's the progression for you and for others to try..it's the easy way, actually.

Slash your background ) block vertically.

Insert your coordinating fabric and sewn it in on both sides.

Slash this unit, horizontally.

Insert your coordinating fabric and sew in horizontally.

Now, our already liberated and wonky quilters, don't think about it, they just do it. And trying to figure out what I think as I do has been a circuitous process. I only got 1 hour and 45 minutes the night before and had no brain much less logic. No sleep and no naps makes for one wonky life!

But having a lot of traditional quilter friends who need specific and logically progressing patterns. I'm trying to supply that for all of you! So, if you are rational and logical..yes, I mean you and you know who you are...

The progression is Draw, Cut, and Sew!

1. Draw a cross bar..in any horizontally slanted direction or position of your choice.

2. Draw a connecting, but not crossing over, vertical bar to intersect it on both side of its middle.

Cut and Sew in More Traditional Steps!

Version 2.To cut out your "pattern"(if you need one) in more the traditional way to create your block:

1.Cut out the sections, one by one. I have numbered mine in order to create a patterning style as this is how I work with my own spatial and dyslexic brain in order to process anything involving 'math' or 'directions' of any kind.

To sew your 'pattern' pieces together:

1. Sew your pieces together, one piece to another, I used the same clockwise progression, and then added in the horizontal cross bar last...which then anchors the middle and completes the block.

And there you go, you now have a Liberated Cross Block!

And just for fun, I then created a variety of other variations of the liberated cross block idea..to show how it might all play out! Just for seeing the flow!

Quilt has been finished: Block Donation Info below, no longer applicable!

To create and donate a block or two:

Design your own version, using basic directions or winging it your way. Starting with a 12" block or something around the size of a piece of paper. Yes, seriously.

Block backgrounds should be any color of red, subdued patterning or solids, with cross in colors in cheddar, lime, purple, lavender, pinks, shades of blue, neutrals for variety as shown in the example I found that Mary also loves, below.

Mail Blocks
Michele Bilyeu
removed (no longer applicable!)

All blocks will be fit in and used somehow!

Do not sign your block.
This is for comfort and love not as a signature quilt of who had time and those who didn't.
We all send love and prayers and caring in so many ways.

Yes, I absolutely appreciate donations of additional fabrics for finishing up the top and making our motley crew of hodge podge happy friends. The blocks will come in as every size one can think of, anyway ;-)

Ask me how I know.

Yes, do send extra fabric to add in to the sides etc of your blocks or just to send to help out.
I have a very limited stash and appreciate donations of any kind.

Thank you all so much for you interest and support! It means a lot!!!

Need a wonky and liberated Cross Quilt Pattern?

Kona Crossing

Here's a few more ideas to get your creative mojo flowing: