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Yum, yum yum. All the holiday fun and no calories! Sale ends Sunday night.
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I'm Just Sayin
HRC Quilt Block
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History was made in 2016 when Hilary Rodham Clinton became the first woman nominated by a major party for U.S president. Historically, quilters have often incorporated political themes into their quilts. Additionally, quilts with political symbols or design elements are sought after by collectors because they are documents the times. For those would would like to commemorate this historic achievement, I have create a FREE, easy-to-make quilt block based on the HRC campaign logo. Scroll down to download the FREE pattern. |
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U.S. Patriot Fabric Bundle NEW! Get a three-fabric, fat-quarter bundle to add to your Red, White, and Blue collection! It's only $15.99! Featuring:
Download for FREE!
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MysteryConvergence Challenge Results
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MYSTERY CONVERGENCE CHALLENGE 2016 RESULTS Click on quilts for larger view. |
Click on quilts for larger view.
Prize-Winners |
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Grand Prize Winner
$250 cash, plus entire RT hand-dyed collection, over $1400 value total prize package.
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Harmony and Balance
Carol Moellers
Greene, Iowa - 54 x 53
"My Harmonic Convergence is made using the Fire Dragon Challenge fabric. I added 2 other Ricky Tims hand dyed fabrics which complement the Tree of Life batik panel I purchased from Shalawalla Gallery & Gift Shop in La Veta. I fussy cut out the appliques for my Harmonic Convergence from the panel. Four Harmonic Convergence sections were made and joined together. The special message this quilt conveys is all about the cycle of life and the harmony and balance that must be presence in order to have a happy and healthy life. It is quilted with Superior King Tut variegated thread."
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Best Harmonic Convergence
$50 cash, plus 10 yards hand-dyed fabric, $300 value prize package.
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Watching Butterflies through Double Convergence
Daniela Martisovitsova
Pella, Iowa - 52 x 53
"My mystery fabric was red, which is my favorite color. I combined it with Stephanie Brandenburg 'sketch flower fabricated fabric that looked like colors on a palette. These created magical convergence that flowed from the artists palette to a garden of flowers. Magical fairies at the lower outside convergence are letting in the black (color void) butterflies to fly in the inside convergence where they acquire proper coloration. These black colored butterflies are created with a stencil and inked in. Colourful butterflies are appliqués and seem nicely puffed up because of the wool batting."
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Best Grand Convergence
$50 cash, plus 10 yards hand-dyed fabric, $300 value prize package.
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First Class Convergence
Cindy Bell Neville
St. Louis, Missouri - 40x 34
"This is a mind picture I saved from a flight home from Fairbanks more than 10 years ago. I looked out the window and saw the moon, glaciers and aurora and now it is a quilt! RIcky TIms hand-dyed fabric, handmade Silk Fusion, Shiva painted moon, hand embroidered glaciers."
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Ten Finalists |
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View from the Couch "I combined 3 parts of Ricky's Caveman fabric with one part of a formal print with metallic gold accents. Took forever to decide how to quilt it, but I finally decided to try couching some gold-flecked yarn onto the grid to make it look like a woven window grill. The border is quilted in an amish feather pattern. Both the feathers and the couching were "firsts" for me."
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Quadratic Convergence
Dana Mason
Frankford, DE - 56" x 46 1/4"
"Quilt is based on the Fire Dragon mystery fabric I received and uses a batik, a print and another of Ricky's hand dyed fabrics. I pieced 4 identical curved sections and joined them as the basis of the center convergence. The corner border treatment is machine appliqued bias strips. Superior Thread's Rainbow was used for all quilting except stitching in the ditch."
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Twisting and Turning
Susan Chandler
Valley Center, KS - 31.5" x 32.5"
"I love the blue/purple/green of the challenge fabric mixed with a print I couldn't walk away from one day of shopping. The print circles escape into borders and across stripes intertwined with black and white ribbon tails."
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A Feathered Convergence
Karen Oliver
Westmont, IL - 32" x 33"
"Harmonic convergence with set-in corners, heavily quilted with free motion feathers. All fabric is Ricky Tims hand-dyed, except black inner border."
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Eye of the Storm
Edna Johnson
Pambrun, SK, Canada - 26.5" x 26.5"
"Converged Tumbling Block surrounded by 120 degree Snail Trail to edge of quilt to put a new spin on Convergence Quilting. This art quilt was a mystery from start to finish. Thanks Ricky!!!"
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Under the SEA-horse
Lisa Encabo
Sublimity, OR - 23 x 43
"I am a novice SCUBA diver and one of my favorite fish are the seahorses – although I’ve yet to see one in the wild. Machine pieced background, seahorse fusible appliqué collage, machine quilted."
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Bubbles
Bobbie Deans
Bridgetown, WA, Australia
38" x 36"
"Grand Convergence"
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Flying High
Lynn Meador
Dallas, TX - 33 x 34
"Harmonic Convergence made with gradation and hand dyed fabrics and a fabric panel, applique birds and trees, thread painted trees and other thread enhancements, densely quilted"
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Dragon Breath "Grand Convergence with free motion embroidery, fm quilting and bobbin work using Caveman Bright with inserts before cutting strips. Flame quilting echos swirl of inserts. Dragon is original drawing. Would love to be fly on wall when you see photo."
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Pathway to Thankfulness
Dana Lynch
Olive Branch, MS - 32 x 39
"The story of this piece starts in the bottom right corner with the broken pieces that represent me, and the devastation I felt when given a diagnosis of uncurable cancer in May of 2016. My face emerges from the broken pieces and begins the journey on the pathway of circles. Each circle has a word embroidered on it starting with fear, and then darkness, broken, pain, Believe, treasures, peace, joy, hope, and thankful. The silhouette represents me being thankful with open arms to receive the love surrounding me represented by the three curling pieces from the edges."
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The Love is Love Quilt
The June 12, 2016 tragedy in Orlando, Florida inspired me to create a print-on-demand fabric at www.spoonflower.com called Love is Love. Once I received my fabric, this Love is Love quilt unexpectedly emerged. I posted images on Facebook and received many requests for a pattern. I've created the patten in lightning speed and it's available now. All proceeds from the Love is Love fabric will go to human rights charities.
It Started With Fabric
It was Lin-Manuel Miranda (creator of the musical, Hamilton, and my newest idol) who, during his acceptance speech at the 2016 Tony Awards (the night of the Orlando tragedy) said, "Love is love is love is love is love..." It was a phrase that stuck with me. I had the idea to create a Love is Love fabric using the pride colors and Lin-Manuel's phrase. Spoonflower.com allows anyone to create a design and have it printed-on-demand. Spoonflower.com shares profits from fabric with the designer so I decided that ALL proceeds I get from the fabric will go to human rights charities. Here's what the fabric looks like.
Here's a swatch showing just one band of all colors.
Here is what the fabric looks like across the goods. Each stripe is just a bit wider than 1".
The Unexpected Quilt
Once I had my Love is Love fabric and was in the studio, I decided to make a small quilt that would allow me to personally remember those who perished in the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. I thought something modest and simple would do. I imagined how the stripes would look as blades in a lone star quilt - so that was the direction I took. Here is what the quilt looked like initially.
This option was going to turn out small - and I had more fabric - so I decided to go bigger and make a Broken Star version.
I began to explore options for filling in the gaps. I had the idea to write the words "Love is Love" in appliqué" and mirror it where it turned the corners. This softened the edges of the piecing and gave a new look to the quilt which I liked very much.
Here is a detail of the "Love Is" appliqué. The hearts were added after the words, but I liked the effect.
I then decided to treat the outer border blocks the same way. I think anyone wanting to make the quilt can add as little or as much appliqué as they wish. Here is how the design ended up and the quilt measures 81" x 81".
GET THE PATTERN HERE
If you wish to make the quilt, you can order the pattern only. It is full-size and available for $19.98.
GET LOVE IS LOVE FABRIC HERE
If you wish to use Love is Love fabric in the quilt, you will need 5 yards for this quilt. You must get the LOVE IS LOVE fabric from Spoonflower.com. Be sure to order 5 yards and not 5 fat quarters. Because it is print-on-demand I cannot stock it or provide it. Remember ALL proceeds that I receive from the Love is Love fabric will go to charity.
GET THE KIT HERE
If you wish to get the kit using my hand-dyed fabric, the kit contains the pattern plus 7 yards of hand-dyed fabric for $139.95. The kits are also 'made-on-demand' so please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery. You still must order the Love is Love fabric separately.
You may also make this quilt using a different fabric other than the Love is Love fabric for the blades of the broken star.
May God bless the families of those who were so closely and tragically effected by the senseless tragedy in Orlando. As with so many similar tragedies, may we not forget the innocent ones. Let us remember them and do our part to make change in our world so that they will not have died in vain. As of this writing, my own Love is Love quilt is still in progress. I have chosen to finish it and show it as a reminder that Love always triumphs over hate.
Here is Lin-Manuel Miranda's acceptance speech in full:
My wife’s the reason anything gets done
She nudges me towards promise by degrees
She is a perfect symphony of one
Our son is her most beautiful reprise.
We chase the melodies that seem to find us
Until they’re finished songs and start to play
When senseless acts of tragedy remind us
That nothing here is promised, not one day.
This show is proof that history remembers
We lived through times when hate and fear seemed stronger;
We rise and fall and light from dying embers, remembrances that hope and love last longer
And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love cannot be killed or swept aside.
I sing Vanessa’s symphony, Eliza tells her story
Now fill the world with music, love and pride.
