Introducing the Newest Quilter in the Family

My daughter Christina just started quilting and this is the first quilt she made.  She wanted to do it from start to finish, so I let her use my longarm to quilt it herself.  Here she is with my newest grandchild, Landon Thomas.  He loves to 'hang out' with mom while she is longarming! 

And here is two-month old Landon kicking up his heels and enjoying his new quilt

made entirely by his mom! 

PS - Don't you love the name Landon?  We do!  Our last name is Landon so it has special significance. 

Triptych...Diptych...

I have finished on two parts of the triptych, so I guess right now it's a diptych!  I'm thinking that I want the sky to have a "windy" feel to it, any ideas on how I can achieve that?  I think I want to add some texture to the orange poppy area...

Dye Candy: Dye Candy Fabric Giveaway & Fresh Fabrics

Dye Candy: Dye Candy Fabric Giveaway & Fresh Fabrics

Hey, check out Chris' blog, Dye Candy, for a chance to win some hand dyes!

I'm Making a Landscape Quilt Triptych

I have never taken a class or studied books about landscape quilts.  This may be a BIG waste of time and money, but I am determined to create this tryptich for my husband's new office.  He is a windfarmer, and has lots of blank walls which probably need some sound reduction. 

I made a rough drawing, and from this, I've got this very rough base of a landscape. I have basted the blue batik until I get the rest of the fabric I need.  I will be doing lots of embellishing, and obviously will be placing wind turbines on it!  Can you believe I purchased this beautiful batik fabric, but forgot to get some gray for the turbines.  I plan to paint the side of the turbines to replicate shading. 

 Here are a few pictures that I am using as a reference.  I just received the picture with the poppies from my friend Carolyn, so I quickly changed my plan to add poppies.  Note the wild horses in the second photo on the right -- I hope to include a couple horses in one of the quilts, too.

 Here is a closeup photo.  Any suggestions of how I should quilt this?  I plan on purchasing some neat embellishments tomorrow.



Naomi's Carpenter Star

Angi made this for her daughter, Naomi.  I love the fabrics and colors she chose.  I wonder if Naomi's home is done in greens and browns... When I am quilting, I often think of the piecer and/or recipient.  Think, in terms of their lives, their interests, their futures, their jobs, etc.  Sometimes I turn off all sound when I am longarming.  This quilt reminds me of a grassy meadow and pine trees...  soothing.    I know Naomi lives in a huge city, quite far from a mountain meadow, but maybe she really loves pine trees and meadows?  

Longarmers, do you ever think about who will receive the quilt that you are quilting? 

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. 

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.  

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.

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.  

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.