Welcome

   Welcome to the Queen of Remnants blog.  This is a spot for me, BJ Chadwick, to discuss quilting, crafting and life.   So, let me introduce myself.
       I’m a retired math and computer teacher and have been doing crafts since my mother started me embroidering at age 5. I can knit and crochet, do many types of embroidery, and many types of beading.  I have been quilting for about 8 years and enjoy piecing, free motion quilting, and binding my quilts.  I find hand sewing and turned edge appliqué relaxing. I enjoy hand quilting  but have only done small pieces, so far.  I also enjoy garden photography and combine this with my quilting, printing photos on fabric and quilting the result.  Here is one of my photos of cone flowers  (Echinacea)  and liatris.
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      I call myself the Queen of Remnants because I love scrappy quilts and often buy and use remnants for my quilting.  I like figuring out how to fit fabrics together to make a pleasing whole from colors, patterns, and prints that were not originally designed to go together.  I’m a big Bonnie Hunter fan.  This quilt uses one of my favorite blocks, the disappearing four patch, in a super scrappy version.



      I started free motion quilting on my domestic  sewing machine but bought a HandiQuilter Sweet Sixteen sit down mid arm machine about a year ago and really love working on it.   Mixing ruler work and free motion quilting makes for great results. Mandalas are always fun!


     I recently started uploading FMQ videos on YouTube.  My channel is called (surprise, surprise) Queen of Remnants.  I plan to add videos on quilting mandalas even more involved and pretty than this one as well as other quilting related topics.  Go take a look.
     I volunteer once a week at a local food pantry and have found that very rewarding.  This is my sweet cat, Dory Mama.  She likes to “help” and also likes to eat French fries, preferably ones she steals from me.

And I think that is enough about me for now.  


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Disappearing Four Patch Tutorial

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