Just Plain Fun!

As a longarm quilter, tension issues can make or break your day, literally.  Do you agree?  I started this quilt with a ton of tension problems, but ended it successfully, thank goodness.

Since I had just finished the intense quilting on Marianne, I treated myself by dusting off one of my personal quilts and loading it.  This quilt was made for a challenge with my quilt group, Loose threads.  The challenge was to use two pieces of fabric, one dot, and one stripe that we had randomly chosen from a blind draw.  I pulled from my scraps and paired them with Kona gray. I did not plan this quilt, and I would like to make another and choose other colors/fabrics.  I didn't have a pattern, just made some elongated snowball patterns.

My quilting was influenced by a quilt that was done by Teresa Silva at www.quiltingismybliss@blogspot.com. I love freehand swirls and waves.  My straight lines were done without a ruler, it was so relaxing.

I finally got brave and tried out my HUGE cone of Superior's Monopoly.  I had been so afraid of trying it, but it quilted beautiful with absolutely no problems.  Honestly, I felt like I had just won a contest when I started quilting...I was giddy!

Marianne...An Opportunity

I met this pattern's, http://www.fabricconfetti.com/shop/HappNstance.htm, designer, Vanessa Fromm, in St. George when I attended new owner classes.  Honestly, I was exttremely honored when she asked me if I could help by quilting this sample.  Her 83 year 'young' uncle did the appliqué and piecing.  This bed runner will hang in her booth at the Houston Market in the fall.  

I was inspired by Bethanne Nemish, of Allentown, PA.  I studied her quilting creativity, and applied it with my own style.

I love, love, love feathering!

The pattern is so beautiful, and I love Vanessa's choice of fabric.  I know nothing about embroidery, but it's my understanding that she is digitizing the 1939 hand embroidery patterns for machine embroiderers, as well as making fusible appliqué patterns   Gosh, I hope I have used all the correct terminology.

PS, my second attempt at blogging from my iPad via the blogger app.  It's pretty easy once you have downloaded  and resized your photos.  

Family Heirlooms

I was honored by Dean's family when they gave me these family quilts.  Dean's mom was the only daughter in a large Mormon family in Idaho.  I don't know anything about these quilts since they don't have any labels on them.... dang.... I need to start labeling my quilts.....

I got them out of the closet to take pictures since I will be showing them at our quilt guild's show in the bed turning display.  

The log cabin is pieced by hand and I think it's uniquely done, however, I'd love to hear from anyone reading this if they know more about this technique.  Each strip, or log, is stitched on by hand, then the fabric is folded over the stitching so it's not visible.  It is made with old men's suiting fabric, velvet, satin, and it is really starting to show its age.  The back is made of a very rough fabric and it has quite a few holes in it.  I am not sure how, or if, I should try to restore it.  It is really, really heavy, too!

The wedding ring quilt is made from feed sacks, I believe, as you can see in the faded words on the back.  I have no idea its age, either.   It's hand quilted, and parts of it are hand pieced as well.  

Do you label your quilts?  I have done a few, only to find that the printing washed out after the recipient washed the quilt!  You know, the ones that you print in your ink jet printer?  I haven't had luck with those.  

I appreciate the simplicity of the quilts that are finished by hand.  Sometimes we way over do the machine quilting (guilty!), don't you think?  

 Here's that closeup of the print on the feed sacks.

Blogging from New App

I dislike not being able to sleep at night. After only 5 hours of sleep my mind woke me up this a.m. It also kept me up late last night....... 

In the wee hours of the night I've learned that I can blog from my phone---at least that's what the App Store says. 

Check out this incredible Ace Hardware shore in Colstrip MT, pop 2000. The fabric selection is great!!  

Colstrip has almost 30 parks and bicycle paths everywhere. 

I think this is the park with the zip line. That is really fun !

I haven't figured out how to delete a photo so next time i'll have to make sure I like them before I post them, huh?  

Robyn's Fall Quilt

I finished this cute little quilt a few weeks ago and it was a fun one to do.  Thanks for allowing me to quilt your top, Robyn!

I recently started a facebook page for my longarm quilting business. I am just learning how to do all the facebooky things.  I've tried to stay away, mostly because I do not need another online time sucker, but thought it might be a fun way to advertise my business.  

check it out here:   https://www.facebook.com/quiltingbymarylandon