Monday, August 22, 2011

I lost a lot of sleep over this one








I finished this carpenter star just in the nick of time.  It was really easy and fun to piece - just half square triangles.  The quilting probably would have been enjoyable had I allowed more time to do it.  I hope I never do that to myself again...  creating ridiculous deadlines when I am most busy - the first week of school!  Anyway, I truly like this quilt, and I do like the way I quilted it, too.  I wish I could say it is all original, but I copied most of the quilting motifs (except for the swagged border) from my online forum friends at MQR. 

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Stress Free-motion Quilting

Finally, something really relaxing! Aren't these cute feathers?

I made my goal, but what a crazy way to get some UFOs off my to-do list!!!  I finished all three of the quilts that I intended to show at my local quilt guild's show this weekend - just in the nick of time.  Literally, I stayed up three nights in a row to almost midnight, then woke up at 5:00 a.m. to go to work (not to mention the first week of school at a new job/school -- yes, I am crazy).  Thursday night I fell asleep sitting upright with a needle in my hand stitching the binding on quilt number three.  I set the alarm for 4:00 a.m. and Friday morning I stitched like a madwoman until 5:45 and FINISHED it!!  We had to be out of the house by 6:15 a.m. for Dean's knee surgery. 

So, short story long, I loaded another carpenter star for a customer/friend and am having fun doing mindless whimsical feathers - no SID, no rulers (at least not so far), and very few thread burying episodes.

I'll have pictures of the third quilt posted soon.  

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Star Quilt Done... It doesn't look too bad either...

I have had this on the frame for a lonnnnnngggg time. 

 I attempted curved cross hatching for the very first time.
 It is very difficult to photograph black fabric. 


 I had lots of stand and stare moments, I asked my friends on MQR for their opinions, I even asked my husband his thoughts.  All in all, I think I like the way it looks - particulary the back.  Hey, my husband even gave one of his biggest compliments... "wow, that's cool."   I used at least five thread colors, and I believe that I can now consider myself experienced at burying threads! 

Now just some binding by hand and a sleeve for the local quilt show.  I may hang this quilt in our living room for awhile.  I have always loved black quilts.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

How to determine if your quilt is loaded squarely... the wrong way

This is what I have been working on for a very long time.  Four thread colors, lots of indecision, lots of learning (I have never done curved cross hatch), lots of ruler work, bright contrasting thread on black fabric.  So I get this crazy idea to attach the clamps (that I bought a year ago and have been too chicken to try) so that I can create some straight lines edge to edge in the outside sashing.  I was thrilled as I was going along until I got to the last third.  As you can see, I learned that my quilt was not square.  At least it was not loaded squarely.  Ugh!   More lessons learned.  

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Deadlines...16 days left

I submitted three entries to my local quilt guild's quilt show. There will be over 220 quilts entered. I have one 99 percent done, one 80 percent done, and the final one has been pieced. I do have a quilting plan for it as well.

I have just returned from a vacation in Wisconsin visiting family and friends, and am officially back at work after my seven week summer vacation. It went by so fast. I think I spent at least two of those weeks quilting my wholecloth!

Pictures coming soon.

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