Kim Hanson

Writing & Quilting

Taking Stock and Getting Ready for 2017. Do you practice the Five Good Pillars of Health?

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Happy New Year everyone.  I’m so grateful that you have stopped by.

I’m doing my usual year end review – more a mental review than anything else….pondering what worked for me this past year, insofar as quilting and writing are concerned, and what did not work. What parts of quilting and writing were particularly enjoyable?  What was not so much fun? Can I find some time to learn more about photography? Taking better photos is a goal.

In addition to the mental part of this equation, I really like to do a reorganization of my sewing space, sort of getting things ready for the dawn of a new year. Checking out fabric (do I have enough? yes!), checking out what quilt patterns are have in the works and what stories there are to tell. Physically going through all my folders and papers and business cards and recycling and updating. It’s so much fun and a way to renew.

Besides the usual sewing and quilting and writing, I’m checking in to see what I can do to maintain good health.  Without good health, really, what is there?

There are five widely accepted “Good Pillars of Health”.

1. Eating foods that are generally good for your body. (Everyone slips up once in a while, but it’s important to get back on track and eat for the overall health of your body).

2. Maintaining some type of regular, physical activity. (Yoga and walking are it for me – they both help me to get up from my desk and my sewing machine and my couch and move. This one seems to be the hardest one for people to sustain; why is that do you suppose?)

3. Reduce your stress. (So vague, right? How do you reduce your stress?)

4. Maintaining social connectivity.  (To family, friends – especially women friends for women)

5. Spirituality.

What steps do you take to maintain good health…stay connected to both your family and your friends? How do you practice spirituality? I’d love to hear from you. You can leave me a comment on my blog – above the post, right under the title.

So hug your kids and grandkids. Let’s plan on making them some great quilted projects next year.

Thanks so much for being here in 2016. All the best to you and to your family in 2017.

Kim

 

Wednesday’s Blog – Decorating with Quilts

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I love making quilts that are not always bed-sized, but are more unusual sizes and shapes. Bed runners, smaller children’s quilts and wall hangings are quick and easy projects for all of us. But, how to best showcase those smaller quilts is always an issue; if they don’t fit on a bed per se, how best to surround yourself with them in everyday life?

I made this quilt a long time ago – it was featured in Quilter’s Connection magazine; I called it Savasana…after the final resting pose in yoga. Photo1

Savasana2

I particularly love the teals and purples of the batiks in this little quilt and thought, perhaps I could use this quilt in our family room. I think it works pretty well on top of our blanket box folded. The wooden crate on top holds magazines for easy reading.

Trunk1

Another way the quilt can work is unfolded.

Trunk2

Trunk5

The embroidered images are surrounded by Brother teal metallic embroidery thread; the perfect complement to the small area rug in our family room.

Photo3

How can you best utilize your quilts in your home decor?

Till later…..Kim

Batiks..and plenty more

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Good day everyone! I want to share with you a free, pattern download that I have added to my website. It’s an easy-to-create, batik, savasana quilt with embroidery embellishment. I also offer the embroidery design free, as a download. (The embroidery design is in the .pes format).

I was so thrilled to have this quilt featured in the Canadian magazine, Quilter’s Connection – Winter 2011 edition.

You can choose to make the quilt with a featured batik fabric and surround it with complementary batik fabrics, or you can use batik scraps to make an entirely unique project.

Access the pattern at www.KimHansonQuilts.com/shop and scroll to the bottom of the page to download. Happy quilting!

Kim

Passionate for Yoga!

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Like many of you, I have a few passions; one of them is my yoga practise. I have met so many great people in my yoga classes – some of them instructors some of them students. Yoga has become an almost daily occupation for me – I don’t practise every day, but several days per week for sure. Practising yoga has basically changed my life – for the better in every way. My anxiety level has dropped significantly, my body is in better shape than probably at any other time in my life and I now seek quiet where before it was chaos that I sought to find.

Another long standing passion I have is quilting. One day when I put the two of them together, I came up with, what I like to call – the Patchwork Yoga Mat Bag. Embroidered yoga symbols on the bag work to embellish it and make it special. I adore symbols that depict AUM – there are so many, but I have a special few that I really like to use. Also, the lotus can be digitized in spectacular fashion and embroidered in as many colors as you can imagine. Each bag that I make is different from the last. The Patchwork Yoga Mat Bag is indeed made in a patchwork style, holds your small or large yoga mat, your keys/water bottle and a towel or change of clothes.

This is my latest bag, sent to a sweet and lovely customer/friend in Vermont ….hope her daughter likes it!

My Favorite Mash-Up

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Great day to you! I’m Kim Hanson and I love quilting. The endless possibilities that fabric art offers is both seductive and addictive to me. I am grateful to be able to work daily in my home studio and run a website – www.KimHansonQuilts.com. Mash-ups are what I love the most – what is your favorite mash-up? Here are a few of mine:
Quilting & Embroidery

Baby Boy Bliss

Life’s a Picnic - Featured in Quilting & Embroidery magazine Spring 2011 issue

Harlow's Quilt

My Flower Garden

Jacob's Crazy Pillow

Delicious colors combinations, charming and whimsical embroidery designs and such fun and easy, breezy patterns bring the Quilt Creator (You!) so much personal satisfaction and the Q.R. (quilt recipient) so much delight. Any of my patterns can be customized by the Q.C. for the Q.R. with ease and a little pre-planning. Take My Flower Garden for example. Crazy quilting with an embroidered twist! Step #1: Decide who the Q.R. will be and what theme your quilt will portray. Step #2: (Fun part……) Sit down with your fabric stash and choose fabric colors that will suit your theme and your Q.R. Better yet, jump online or head to your favorite quilt shop and purchase some brand new fabrics. Step #3: Head on over to a great embroidery website that features downloadable designs and shop to your generous heart’s delight. (I totally love www.embroidables.com and have used many of their designs in my work.) Step #4: Begin your creative process and love, love, love what you do! It will show in every stitch that you make. Your embroidered quilt will shine and your Q.R. will love your work and cherish the project. So much fun!

Quilting & Yoga:

Patchwork Yoga Mat Bag

Colorful Orange and Purple

Combining two things that you love can lead to unexpected outcomes. The joy of creation is one of life’s greatest pleasures.

*I purchase the majority of my embroidery designs from www.embroidables.com. Here is their link if you would like to have a look around: http://www.embroidables.com/store.php?page=affiliateprogram&cid23443

Comments;
23 Responses to “Quilt Mash-Up by Kim Hanson”

1.
Alice McFarlane says:

March 27, 2011 at 8:42 pm

Loved the pics of all your quilts, pillow and yoga mat. Guess my project was the quilt I made for my husband. Hand embroidered bass fish blocks set together with fishing stuff material, then I freestanding embroidered fishing lures to add to the fishes mouth to make it look like he had caught the fish. Plus doing quilts for my 4 grandchildren is a favorite pass time.

2.
Nancy Boone says:

March 27, 2011 at 11:29 pm

Love all the quilts. I enjoy using my embroidery unit to do the actual quilting designs on quilts. I also like to use machine embroideries to do crazy quilts.

3.
gini howard says:

March 28, 2011 at 12:26 am

your quilts are wonderful. i might have to try making a yoga mat.

4.
Granny M says:

March 28, 2011 at 6:31 am

Love the quilts Kim. I do a lot of quilts with embroidery

5.
Pat M. says:

March 28, 2011 at 8:57 am

Love your “4 Steps”–very inspiring.

6.
Marge Greenberg (aka Dimples) says:

March 28, 2011 at 11:25 am

Kim – love all of your quilts. You are inspiring me to learn how to use that embroidery machine that I bought last summer and have only used 4 times :o{

7.
Ann Wintrode says:

March 28, 2011 at 11:34 am

Kim, Love all your quilts. I’m just learning to do Machine Embroidery and you have definitely encouraged me. Being a quilter I want to be able to combine both the embroidery and the quilting. Wish me luck.Thanks a bunch.

8.
Marilyn B. says:

March 28, 2011 at 11:44 am

Love the 3D effects and the great embroideries, Kim.

9.
Joan Lawrence says:

March 28, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Kim, Congrats on being picked as a guest blogger. I used my embroidery machine daily when I first purchased it but seems lately the new has worn off. Thanks for new inspiration.

10.
Shellie says:

March 28, 2011 at 12:58 pm

Love what you do with embroidery in your quit making, truly inspirational!

11.
Dawn says:

March 28, 2011 at 1:50 pm

Hi Kim… Just love your quilts I work in a Fabric Shop and we have quilters classes on Weds… would love to introduce Embroidery designs on their quilts and these are perfect examples to show for great inspiration!
I also love the embroidery designs… Wink wink!
Redoing my sewing room to make room for more quilting stuff… love your projects!
fun2sew

12.
Kat says:

March 28, 2011 at 2:06 pm

Hi there Kim,
Love your quilts, great colors to brighten up any room! Just started in quilting and have enjoyed making the 4 I have made and am always looking for more ideas to add to my list of quilts I want to make.
I have made 2 kids quilts for “Quilts 4 Kids” and your “Baby Boy Bliss” would be a good one to do for that group. Colorful and not too complicated for a beginner like me.
Thanks for sharing!
Kat

13.
VickiT says:

March 28, 2011 at 4:32 pm

Your quilts are just awesome Kim. When I saw this earlier today it didn’t click in my head until I remembered where I’d seen that quilt before. You and I both know how great Jami’s embroidery designs are and how mixing the machine embroidery designs with quilting works so well. Getting quality designs is the secret to making it so professional as well and the Embroidables designs are always just perfect.

I’m glad that I got to see even more of your quilts here. I know that very top one is one of may favorites because of the colors you used.

14.
Stephanie says:

March 28, 2011 at 5:12 pm

Top quilt is my fav. Great inspiration Kim. Thanks for sharing.

15.
Elaine Phillips says:

March 28, 2011 at 10:02 pm

I love Jacob’s Crazy Pillow. Thanks for sharing.

16.
Sherry Book says:

March 29, 2011 at 9:50 am

Oh I love your pillow with the crazy quilting and embroidered words/trucks! And kids would love the texture of your Baby Boy Bliss quilt. I’m wanting to try putting chenille shapes on a baby quilt as alternate blocks to a 4 or 9-patch block; just haven’t gotten around to it yet! You’ve given me inspiration.

17.
Lin Taylor says:

March 29, 2011 at 12:13 pm

Nice quilts Kim. Nice website, too.

linny t

18.
Sue Stroud says:

March 29, 2011 at 7:52 pm

I love all the Eyer Candy but especially the Jacob’s Crazy Pillow

19.
Ruth McCormick says:

March 30, 2011 at 12:56 pm

Just love the top quilt, I am new to this, have made or helped make several (too many to remember) rag quilts and just finished my first pieced quilt. I machine stitch my blocks and a very very talented and dear friend has a long-arm quilt machine and she custom quilted it for me. Absolutely beautiful. I am so blessed to have Christian friends whom love to share the love of our Saviour and quilting knowledge. We have so much fun getting together.

20.
Kathy says:

March 30, 2011 at 12:59 pm

Kim,

Your quilts are amazing! The colors that you select blend so well together and the embroidables designs accent your quilts beautifully! I especially love the crazy pillow that you made for Jacob! That is one quilt size that I can probably complete! You inspire so many people with every quilt you create! Thanks for the inspiration!

21.
Brenda Green says:

March 30, 2011 at 8:20 pm

I love these quilts! I hope to quilt when I retire. These beautiful quilts make you want to start sewing.

22.
Kim Hanson says:

March 31, 2011 at 9:03 pm

Thank you all so very much for taking the time to comment on this blog. Your words are so kind and very inspirational to me. Thanks so very much.

The winner of the 160+ Rotary Block Cutter quilt gadget is fun2sew….

23.
RITA DECOOK says:

April 2, 2011 at 7:40 am

I love this. I’ve made several embroidered wall hangings, as opposed to quilts, using my embroidery machine. I’ve made 12 Days of Christmas, a traditional Christmas theme, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Baby themed, I made a wedding pillow for the son of a friend of mine. I wish I could post pictures. But if you go to my website, they may be up. (My son-in-law and daughter have been working to get them up).

I love your “twist” on some of the ones you’ve done, especially the one with the “raw edges” showing. Never thought of doing one that way.

I’m retired and have more time to devote to sewing and embroidering …. two of the things I love do to more than any other crafting venue I do (I’ve sewn since I was 5 years old … by hand … and I’m almost 64, I learned on a Singer treadle and my Mom’s White sewing machine, both of which are older than me).

Keep up the good work. I’ll be checking back often to see what’s happening.