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.

Wanda's Lone Star Wall Hanging

A little late to sharing this one as I've been so crazy busy here.  (I always say that - I'm sure it's annoying by now!)  The Husband surprised our little family with a trip to Niagara Falls over the weekend...just a quickie over night stay on the New York side.  We have gone several times to the Canadian side before they required a passport to visit...but now it would cost a small fortune for our entire family to go so - New York it is!  It was actually really fun to see the American side of the falls and there was no shortage of things to do.  This week football has started for my 9 year old and the 4 year old will be a little cheer leader.  School starts next week and tomorrow is the Husband's birthday...and of course I have to do school shopping yet and a full schedule of quilts...so as I said...BUSY!  LOL!  :)

Here is the quilt I finished up right before our mini-vacation...this belongs to my quilting friend Wanda who I met through Connecting Threadz...she is a wonderful lady and her quilting is just beautiful!  You'll have to take a peek at her quilts in her albums when you find the time...

I free handed the little swirls with disappearing ink in each of the corner blocks - then stitched over them and pebbled around them to give a trapunto look.

As with most of my custom quilting I used Bottom Line thread by Superior Threads...it is my absolute favorite thread for quilting.

Wanda provided me with Warm and Natural cotton batting...I was actually really  happy with the texture we achieved!

A little sneak at the back because I rarely show it.  I try to keep things neat as possible - but I'm human and hiccups happen.  My backs are much cleaner and neater than they were in the beginning...I make every effort to keep them as clean as the front!  This is a bit like showing my underwear in public...  :)

I really had fun with this one.  I am kind of obsessed with modern quilts at the moment but I won't deny that I adore traditional quilting.  These sort of really traditional patterns are my absolute favorite to quilt.  :)

...and I'll leave you with a photo from our trip!  If you haven't noticed...I've lost quite a bit of weight!  I'll do an update on that when I have a moment.  For now, I'm working on two quilts for my client Darlene that I know you'll love to see!

Cindy's Quilt in Progress and Lara's Quilt

Happy day after Easter!  I hope everyone had a wonderful day yesterday and were able to spend some time with family.  :)  We had a fantastic day - the girls were up at dawn ready and excited for their Easter baskets...then an early dinner with the In Laws followed by dessert, coffee, and cards with my parents.  I have to say it was just a perfect day.

I have a stack of quilts and projects to work on - the one on the frame right now is my quilting friend Cindy's gorgeous quilt she made for her daughter.  I can't get enough of the quilting on this one!  I used my new Renae Haddadin 12/13" arc ruler to mark and stitch the curves...it is a long ruler so it took some fiddling and planning to get things to come out nicely...but I think we're doing alright!  :)  I'm really in love with how it is coming along...

I also wanted to share a photo of Lara's quilt that I finished up last week!  I have been so busy this is the first chance I've had to share her gorgeous twister...many compliments were paid to this Lara while it was on the frame!!  :)

I wanted to get a head start on work this evening but tomorrow I'll be getting down to business and back to work!  :)

**I will announce a winner to the give away next post!!  There were more responses than I am able to respond to - but I hope you all know it meant so much to me that so many of you went out of your way to participate!!!  Thank you for all of the kind kind words and I am excited to see who will win!!!!  :)

Linking Up with Connie!  :)

Free Motion Play on My New Juki!

Happy day after Christmas!!!  I hope everyone had a wonderful day yesterday, even if you don't celebrate.  It was so great here, family - food - and goodies!!!  I was FINALLY able to open my Juki...I gotta say that was a TOUGH wait!

I needed to make up a sample to paint before I attempt painting on my "vintage charm slash wedding quilt" and well, what better time to play with my new toy!  I'm using Robinson Anton thread that came with the machine, two layers of low loft Quilters Dream poly batt, and muslin.  Just scraps from the stockings pretty much.

I want to say the Robison Anton seems to sew up a lot like Glide...but this is the only experience I've had with it yet so I can't really say  much more.  I like it a lot though, and being a huge Glide fan (still haven't tried magna bobbins though) I think I'm going to like this thread.  

The coins turned out really cool and are WAY easier when I can slow down with the Juki versus on the long arm!  LOL

Below is some of the thread I got with the machine...plus one more that is on the spool pin.

Ooooh and there she is!  My Juki!  She needs a name I think ... she's a lot younger than Eunice so I think she needs a younger name...I'll have to think on it!  LOL

OH!  One more goody the Husband bought me...I have been wanting this book forever!!!  It is out of print and kind of difficult to get your hands on because quilters tend to hang on to it.  I have never spent so much on a book and outside of Cindy Needhams Linen Quilt book I don't think I will again...but I had to have this for my collection and I love it.  My Husband even got ahold of Karen and asked her to send me a Christmas card!  LOL!  She is so super sweet, she obliged him and it was kind of exciting to get a card from one of my quilting super heroes!  :)  LOL  I will save it forever with the books for my children.

Alright I'm off - just had to share.  I have a TON of work to makeup after being off for so long and goofing around the last few days!!  :)  Hope you all are getting some sewing done out there!!

Stockings Finished!!!

I hope all of you in the States had a wonderful Thanksgiving Thursday!  I know I certainly did!  Thanksgiving day we usually spend with my Husbands family and then we get together usually the following Sunday with mine.  While waiting for the family to get ready for dinner I was able to get the last of the stockings finished, and I have to say, I'm thrilled with how they turned out!!

Now, are you ready for lots and lots of photos???  LOL

Here is a shot of the backs - remember how I chose to go with an all over feather on the back?  The only thing I might do differently if I did this again would be to choose a similar pattern for all of the feathers rather than just randomly stitching them.  I like order!!!

To finish the edge of the stocking I used vintage lace for a binding.  It is a wide lace that I think may have originally be intended for lingerie...but we won't tell!!!  I hand stitched it to the front first, then fold it over and under to the reverse side.

The ruffles were made from some leftover French General jellyroll strips I had laying around.  I wanted something that added a little interest but didn't take away from the quilting...because the star is definitely the quilting!  I stitched it down on the inside, then flipped it up so that the seam would be enclosed and the ruffle would be peaking out of the stocking.  Now just imagine some pretty sparkly wrapped presents peaking out of there too!  I can't wait!

An up close shot of the back...I decided to bead only the pumpkin seed quilting.  I contemplated crystals...I love the look of crystals on all those fancy show quilts you see, and these will never be washed...but there is just something to be said about simple beading.  I love the very Victorian flavor of these stockings.

My dahlia quilt is at a standstill...mainly because I've become sick of looking at blue and black!!  All the quilting on muslin has put me back in the mood to work on this quilt...yesterday I made another twenty or so feet of bias tape to add some more fun details to this.

I ended up not using the vintage crochet'ed bits on the stockings but found a PERFECT place to incorporate them into this quilt!!!  I appliqued all the birds on last night and started adding flowers.  After that I'm going to put the crocheted lace on and I'll share with you all...I REALLY can't wait to start quilting this!!!  :)