Barbara's Quilt in Progress and Red/Tan Quilt Update

I got a little bit of a late start on Barbara's quilt last week but I wanted to share a few progress photos.  I absolutely adore the colors of this quilt! 

Barbara really wanted feathers so I tried to include them in her quilt.  She asked for double batting - so I am using two layers of Hobbs 80/20 with Glide thread on top in Sand and Bottom Line in the bobbin...I'm not sure the exact shade but a tan/kakhi color to blend with the backing.  I generally like to use the same thread in the top and bobbin, but this was an instance where two different threads really worked.

I had to watch the threadyness of the feathers below with the high contrast gold on purple...it doesn't sparkle here but in true light it is very elegant and shiny!  I really love how it is turning out.

 

I am hoping to finish it up over the weekend or early next week at the latest and as always I will show pictures.  Doreen asked me to share the sizes of quilts more and I will make an effort to do that!  I want to say most of the quilts I work on are Queen or King sized.  I do get some smaller quilts now and then, but I have a few good clients who really love to send me big quilts!  This one in particular is something like 86 x 96...I'm not sure the exact measurements but I have written them down somewhere.  I do know that the 96" wide batting I carry was just wide enough on the smallest side.  

Above is the progress on my red and tan quilt.  The block is called "Western Spy" in EQ6.  Yep, still using EQ6 over here!  It took me about six tries to get it right!  I had never heard of this block before or even seen it to my knowledge and now all of a sudden it seems to be popping up everywhere!  In particular there is a free pattern available for this block (and more) on Jinny Beyer's website.  In any case I love how it turned out!  Next week I'll be working on setting this on point and creating the stars that will frame this center block.

Jane's Border Creek Station Mystery Quilt

I finished Jane's Border Creek Station mystery quilt late last night and I'm so very pleased with the outcome!  I was a little nervous with the density of those pebbles but I think with the striped/piano key border quilting it turned out very even.  I love the texture this gives - Jane sent her own Tuscany Wool batting and it always quilts up beautifully.

The back is so pretty - almost a whole cloth in itself!  I really love neutral backings that show off the pretty quilting...they also show off the mistakes too...but let's just pretend I live in a world where I never ever EVER make those!  :)

Above is the full view photo that Jane sent me - along with a bare bones mock up I sent her.  I had an idea of what I wanted to do - and I wanted to get her opinion on pebbling before I went through and drew pebbles all over this quilt!  Luckily she is a gal who enjoys pretty pebbles just like me!

I did one border with this flourish so that it looks as if the quilting is traveling out and around and framing the quilt from this one point.  I really love it!

I used darn near a full 3,000 yard cone of Bottom Line thread on this quilt - fresh and new from the package!  There might be enough left on the cone now to fill two or three bobbins...those pebbles take up a lot of thread.  

I'm so happy with the way this one turned out.  I've got the feather itch now though - and good thing too as the next quilt is going to be full of them!

Cindy's Quilt Quilted with Deja Vu Pantograph

I think I missed sharing this one!  I quilted Cindy's beautiful Fat Quarter Shop sampler quilt with one of my all time favorite pantographs - Deja Vu by Patricia Ritter and I.  This awesome top has hints of Lori Holt's Farmgirl Vintage...which is on my Christmas list!

Below is a shot of the top pre-quilting.  I love the difference the texture of quilting makes.  I truly believe that old saying that "the quilting makes the quilt".  It really does bring a beautiful top to life.

 

 
Love this panto so much - it's a pretty easy one to follow and it just gives such great movement and is so classic and elegant on anything it goes onto.   I believe I used Glide thread by Fil-Tec in Wheat and Hobbs 80/20 batting -single layer.

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...and a view from the back below...doesn't my new stitch regulation make all the difference on the back?  Loving those tiny stitches!  :)

I'll leave you with a sneak at the quilt I currently have on the frame for my client Jane.  It's a Bordercreek mystery quilt from my understanding...and I adore everything about it.  I'm a bit behind where I wanted to be at this point with it but I still think I'll finish on schedule.  Football and cheer are over for the season so that frees up a significant amount of time three days out of the week!

A New Quilt - Reds and Neutrals

I currently have another of Jane's quilts loaded up and after a busy week of football, cheer, and now play rehearsals as one of my middle daughters has signed up to be a munchkin in the local high school production of "The Wiz" - I'm back to work.  I have made some small progress but will wait for this evening to share photographs when I'll have a much larger section to share.

Until then I'll show you my latest quilt.  Well - one of several.  I tend to work on multiple projects at once...at some point one grasps my attention long enough to finish, but often times it takes a couple of goes before I get to a point where I want to complete something!

This one has no name yet - and I'm simply calling it my "red and neutrals" quilt.  It was designed specifically for quilting since that is the part I'm truly passionate about.  I'm finding my own personal taste is for simple but pretty piecing that leaves a lot of creative room for decorative quilting.  I've been playing with a lot of non-traditional colorways as of late so with fall here and Christmas right around the corner, something red and warm really felt right.

I don't know if this will be the final color scheme but very close.  I'm leaning towards scalloped borders on the outer edge because I just love curves so much.

Because this quilt will be so much about the quilting I've already begun designing that aspect...here's a snippet:

I need to order thread but I have everything else on hand.  I think this one will be fun!  I'm planning for it to be just a wall hanging size as my dahlia was closer to a large wall hanging or even a baby/lap and I don't generally work very big.  I think the center portion will only be 25" or so?  I may make it a little larger to accommodate the quilting design but I just haven't gotten that far yet.

Well - the baby is a sleep - off to work!