Zu Beginn dieses Jahres gibt es ein tolles Angebot: Gewinne jeden Monat eine Aurifil Fadenbox im Wert von $120.00! Nimm am Block des Monats teil, nähe einen Block, poste ihn auf Flickr in der Aurifil BOM Gruppe und du bist mit dabei. Aurifil wird jeden Monat einen neuen Block mit kostenloser Nähanleitung, Tipps fürs Nähen und Quilten vorstellen, alle Blöcke zusammen ergeben am Ende des Jahrs einen Sampler.
Jeder Block wird von einer bekannten Designerin/Designer vorgestellt, die über sich erzählen und viele Bilder über ihre Arbeit präsentieren.
Hey - ich durfte den Anfang machen, jipii! Schau gleich mal vorbei in den Aurifil News und lass dich inspirieren, vielleicht wird dies dein Monatsprojekt 2014!
We have here something super exciting for you! A MONTHLY Aurifil thread BOX giveaway, VALUE $120.00!!!!! Along with 12 free quilt block ideas and instructions from various talented designers (may I say so or is that self-congratulation since I am part of the group). You can sew along with Aurifil Quilt Patchwork and Embroidery Threads and set all the 12 blocks together at the end of the year to a beautiful sampler. Hop over to that blog post, make the block of the month, post it at the Aurifil flicker Group page here for your chance to win and get lot of tips from the popular Pat Sloan who curates this project over the year and the very talented long arm quilter Natalia Bonner from pieceNquilt.
Good luck, peeps!
EACH MONTH Aurifil will pick one random winner that has made a block from our 2014 designers and that random person receives a FULL BOX of Pat Sloans Aurifil thread box as the prize!
This is my interview I had with Pat:
When was your FIRST quilt sighting? Did it inspire you to start quilting?
It was when I accidentally stumbled upon a book of Kaffe Fassett in a store. At that point I was already an experienced seamstress, but I had never heard of quilts before. These pictures sparked a desire to be able to make those quilts on my own.
Do you still have your first project you ever made? What was it?
My first patchwork project was a simple windmill table runner with half square triangles. I didn’t even know about something like a rotary cutter and cut out all triangle pieces with a pair of scissors. And I tried to get the seam as accurate as possible by placing two triangles on top of each other and feeding them through my machine. I think my technique back then was more like that of the American Pioneers. I gave this project to my mother who still uses it in her home.
When you go to a quilt show, what types of quilts are you drawn to?
There are two things I find irresistible: The one is skill in craftsmanship – no matter which style or fabrics the quilt has, an intricate quilting, a perfect piecing, an accurate appliqué has me oohing and aahing each time. The other thing is, of course, impressive modern design. It might be minimalist, or perfect choices of colors in a contemporary quilt that I find amazing.
This example shows my puzzle box quilt. Find a free tutorial on my blog CLICK HERE
We all have parts of the process we ‘prefer’ more than others. What part of quilt making do you ‘Prefer’ most and why? And which the least and why?
The most exciting part of my quilt projects is the planning. I love to ponder ideas and enfold one of them, choose the perfect fabrics and measurements, design the top virtually on my computer screen, and I even love to do the math of planning this all. This is such an enjoyable part, since you can do a virtual quilt in a very short period of time, you can play with color variations, and if the result doesn’t please you, you can click onto DELETE and it won’t hurt as a failed sewn quilt would have done.
The part of the process I like least is the binding. I don’t mind hand stitching of the binding after it has been sewn onto the quilt edge and I can listen to an audiotape while I work; but I really don’t care for the sewing of the quilt edge itself. The thickness of all layers and the relatively tight seam allowance make me always a little bit grumpy.
Did you have a career prior to making art, and what was it? Do you still do that career while having your design business? If you’ve always done art, did you do another type before quilt making?
I’d say I had a career in-between making art. I was always committed to be creative and studied Interior and Textile Design as a young woman. But life happened and I had three children, stayed at home for a while and worked at an office as an accountant to support my family and my creativity faded into the background. At the age of 40 I felt a deep desire to get this creativity back into my life and this was the time when I found quilting and got passionate about it.
What is your favorite place to visit in your hometown?
Actually I live in a very small town of Werther, Germany (20.000 pop) and there are not many spectacular things to visit. We have a little something and this is the famous flavor of the ice cream in our parlor here. People come from all over to get it and on hot summer days you will find a buzzing like in a beehive. That’s when I like to stroll to our market place and get myself a delicious scoop of ice cream.
Do you have a tip or trick to make your quilt making easier?
Today I sew my half square triangles much more efficiently and accurately, especially when I have to sew a whole bunch of them. I use the grid method. Now it’s just a piece of cake and I can do about 100 in just a bit more than one hour.
Zen Chic Aurifil thread
What are your 3 favorite colors of Aurifil thread?
That’s difficult to say. Of course, I could not manage without white, black, gray, or off-white. But that’s probably not what you wanted to know. My favorite colors? Actually I find the entire palette of intense hues very beautiful and well chosen; and whatever matches with my current collection soon becomes my favorite color. At the moment this means all the colors matching my new collection Sphere: blue, turquoise, and yellow.
I love also the new thread assortment especially created to accompany one of my newest patterns “Lemon Halftone”. Isn’t it just perfect, when you appliqué one project and you have all the colors in the perfect amount handy?
If you want the pattern also as quickly, you can get an instant download PDF here http://bheitland.wix.com/zenchic#!buy-your-pdf-pattern
What does your studio look like, and what would you change in it?
I am happy to say that there is not one thing in my studio I would change. I did a make-over last winter, and now everything is exactly how I have always wanted it to be: an inviting and inspiring space, well organized with a place for everything I need, a large cutting island, fresh colors – in other words, it’s my dream studio
If you could train with, or work with, or follow one person for a day… who would it be?
Naturally I have my idols among the Quilt-industy with whom I’d like to spend a day, because I would like to get to know their personality and their work methods. Denyse Schmidt has always been one of my idols and I would be really curious to spend a day with her.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Since we have mentioned quilt idols, I think it is natural to have more than one role model or idol who inspires us in our work. There are so many interesting people, all with their own distinct artistic approach to quilt making. Just this past fall a new book has arrived on the marking featuring twenty interesting artists along with their workspace and their work. I was pleased and honored to have been invited to be part of this book; It is called simply “Quilters”.
What woman inspired your Quilt Block?
My quilt block is the block “Spools”. First of all, because it is easy to sew, since it can be done with Precuts (which I find very appealing), and secondly because it can be sewn in a traditional style as well as in a fresh and modern style.
Beyond that, I picked this block because the old spools reminded me of the woman to whom I owe my passion for sewing, namely my grandmother. When I was just a little girl she patiently showed me how to sew. I think it would make her really happy if she could see today how the seed which she had planted all those years ago has blossomed in such wonderful ways (the picture below is a drawing my daughter made for me as a memory of how I started sewing).
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CLICK HERE to download the instructions for Chez Claire pattern
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Zen Chic version of the Block of the Month – a table runner featuring the newest line Sphere.
Find more at
https://www.facebook.com/zenchicquilts
http://www.pinterest.com/brigittezc/
The very talented Natalia Bonner has a Machine Quilting tip for you each month. Natalia will be quilting the final top for the Aurifil Gallery in Milan Italy!
Visit Natalia at http://www.pieceandquilt.com/
We have had a few questions on Supply list. Since the blocks are being made as a mystery we can’t figure out a supply list in advance. We suggest you
buy 1.5 yd of a basic (like the cream the designers have) or use scraps
1/2 to 1 yd of 4 main fabrics (this will be more than you need but it’s stash building.. wink!)
then add in a sprinkling of your scraps ***************************
JOIN our Aurifil Family
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Sign up for the Aurifil Newsletter…
Become a member of the AURlfil fan page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aurifil.quilt.thread
EACH MONTH we will pick one random winner that has made a block.. that person will receive a special Aurifil thread prize! Winners are all contacted via Flickr email and posted at our FLICKR PAGE CLICK HERE
