a new obsession?

Yesterday I stumbled upon envelope art which led me to calligraphy and letter arts.  I can't let it go. I find myself perusing Instagram and Pinterest looking for envelope art. Then youtube. Ugh!

I couldn't sleep this morning so I learned how to do this from watching a YouTube video. This was done using a pencil. Now I want to go get some calligraphy pens!  

Great Paper Piecing Tip

I learned this tip from my friend, Angi, and thought I'd share with you. 

f you fiold the paper on the line and trim before you stitch, it makes it so much easier to line up the next fabric piece. 

Fold paper on line between 1 and 2. 

Place fabric on back of paper. 

Fold paper back and trim 1/4' away. 

Place fabric 2 right sides together with 1. 

Turn paper to front and stitch. 

Continue on.

 I hope this makes sense. 

Life Without My Longarm

Right abut the time I decided I needed to take some time off to strengthen my back, we accepted an offer on our home.  I spent several weeks packing and then we stored most of our belongings and moved just the bare necessities to a rental home.  Since I don't have access to my longarm yet, I've been filling my days with other activities.  I have really felt a huge hole in my days without my Innova and had to readjust my life.  

I have lived here in this community for 30 years, and never taken the time to hike to the peak.  This was the view I enjoyed yesterday,

It was such a gorgeous day, the high was 75 degrees.

  It is only 2.5 miles, but it is very steep, and I believe the elevation change is 4500 to 8000. I didn't quite make it, but I am motivated to continue hiking here until I am strong enough to do it.  I think I came within .33 of a mile, so I'm sure I can do it within a couple months, if the weather stays dry.  

Modern Quilt LOVE!!

My daughter, Christina, made this awesome quilt over two years ago and I just made time to quilt it.  This will be the last quilt for awhile.  

Just about the time I decided that I needed to take a break from customer quilting...to strengthen my back, to stop and smell the roses, we got an offer on our home. Funny how things happen in life?  I will be storing my machine until I find a permanent home in Montana near our daughters.  I will be traveling between Montana and California for a couple years since my husband is still working, and still really enjoying his job.  In the meantime, our grands are just getting older and I want to be near them ASAP.  

Okay, so on with the quilt!  I decided to make this a free motion quilt sampler, doing a different design in each row.  Since it's my daughter's and it won't be shown ( mostly because I rushed through it and it's not show worthy) I really played around with it.  Thanks for stopping by!!

A Lone Star

YAmazingly this was my first time quilting one of these beauties.

This is Peggy's quilt, and it is all batiks.  Amazing the variation in hue when pictures are shot outdoors versus indoors, isn't it?  

I used Hobbs 80/20 and Glide thread. I am really enjoying the challenge of doing continuous curves with one stop/start.

Thanks for looking. 

A Christmas Wreath

I had fun doing cc's on this tiny quilt. It was a great challenge seeing how far I could get without stopping. This is Teri's quilt that she was gifted. I think little quilts are always big fun. 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Cathy's Appliqued Lamps

I just love a blue quilt, don't you?  Cathy made this cute one. 

 I've gotten to the end of my customer quilts, I just need to finish posting about them. I'm taking a much needed break for a few weeks. 

I'm so thankful for customers like Cathy. I hope she will wait for me. :) 

Finishing a Handquilted Vintage Top

My friend asked me to finish this quilt.  It was made 25+ years ago by her stepmother for her daughter.  Her stepmother couldn't finish it, and felt really bad, and asked my friend if she could find someone to hand quilt it.  No luck there, but I was able to finish it for her.  It was a fun challenge.  I wanted it to look very similar to her hand quilting, and it needed to copy her motifs exactly.  

I think this is the tiniest set of feathers I have ever done.  The quilt was about 70% done! I just needed to do three of the blocks! sashing around them! and the feathers around the outside.  

The original quilters work was excellent, and her needle turn Dresden plates are fabulous.

Skateboards - too cute!

This is Gerri's quilt she made for her 12 year old grandson.  Isn't it cute?  I love it! I can see Devin or Landon asking for one of these in a a few years. 

A Vintage Rescue

Joanie picked up this grandmothers flower garden, GFG, top at a thrift store so she could rescue it.  I gave it a sweet panto, Daisy Delight, by Hermione Agee.  I think it finished up beautifully.  

This top is 100% hand pieced.  The backing looks like a vintage sheet, but it's new fabric.  Perfect!

Thanks for stopping by.

Fantasia

This is Nancy's quilt. She has fabulous taste. I used Lorien Quilting's panto, Fantasia. 

I'm starting to see the end of my stack of customer quilts. I'm going to begin a two month break soon. I have a lot of changes in my life. 

A Home of the Brave Quilt

It is always an honor to quilt one of these quilts. 

 I've written many times here on my blog about how I think of the recipient of the quilt that I am quilting, no matter what type of quilt.  I always wonder about them and how they will use the quilt.  In the case of these quilts, I truly focus on the families of the soldiers for whom I have previously given quilts.  I am presented with information sheets from our coordinator and it, unfortunately, makes it that much more real.  For those of you who may be unfamiliar, these quilts are presented to the families of soldiers who have died while serving our country.  I cannot imagine their grief.

 I think this is a great cause, and I sometimes feel a bit guilty about the satisfaction I receive for working on one of these.  Isn't that the way giving a gift goes?  Oftentimes we get more from giving than receiving.

Home of the Brave quilts are replicas of Civil War blankets, and they must be this pattern, and this size, but with varying fabrics.  The coordinator of the Kern, Orange, and San Diego counties lives right here in my town, so I am privileged to do a couple of these quilts each year.  I hope to do more in the future.  

If you are reading this and you are current or former military, I want to sincerely thank you for your service to our country.

Classic Weave - Perfect for a Masculine Quilt

Joanie made this Hugs and Kisses or Xs and Os quilt at our mystery quilt night.  She doesn't like it, but I think it came out really neat,  

I used Kathie James' panto, Classic Weave, on it. 

 Thanks for stopping by my blog.

 I've been so busy I haven't been able to spend much time posting pictures of what I've been doing, let alone perusing everyone else's work.  I hope you have a productive week!

Freehand Hearts and Loops

This is Cathy's rawedge little quilt. Isn't it sweet?  I used Hobbs 80/20, and Omni thread on this one.  

Busy Busy

This little gem belongs to Donna, for her newest grandbaby.  I believe she said these were Moda fabrics.  Really cute!  This was a new panto for me, Flora by Lorien Quilting.  I've purchased so many new pantos lately that I cannot remember their names!  

This pretty quilt will be raffled off by the Catholic Daughters in my little town, and I used one of my old favorites, Splat.  I love it.  

Thanks for checking out my work, and what I have been up to.  I have been busy.  Quilted these before I went to Wisconsin.