Local quilt show!

 Finally getting around to sharing the quilts I entered in my local guilds quilt show. 

It was such joy to see my lovely quilts hanging. I wish I could enjoy them hanging more often. 

I won two ribbons this year. And I was quite surprised. I love quilting and most of the time I just enjoy the process with no particular ambition to win a ribbon. I guess that might be the best way to do this lovely hobby. I hope you enjoy looking but mostly I hope you are inspired to go have fun!

Happy quilting!

January Finish

 I’m on a roll! Since discovering that it is now easy to post a blog post from my iPad I thought I’d show a quilt I finished this month. 

This is “First Flake” a pattern from Janae Shearer of QuiltsWhats Hot on Etsy. 

I had a lot of fun making this quilt. 

The original pattern called for 2 1/2” squares but the place where I wanted to hang it wasn’t big enough for the finished quilt. So I reduced the size of the pieces to 2” and it fits perfectly. 

It’s a great skill to have to be able to work with a quilt pattern and make it work where you need it to fit. It takes lots of trial and error and practice but it’s worth the journey. But I’d like to say even though you think you could do something without a pattern if you are going to make a quilt that is based on someone else’s quilt please buy their pattern and give them credit. 

The quilt I made last year that was commissioned by my exterminator, shown in my last post,  has a tree in the center. I bought a pattern for that tree and you can see that up close and see where I gave credit to the pattern maker on my Instagram page @marie_atkinson. She liked my finished product. 

I love my quilting journey. 

I say all of this to say if you are not a quilter there is much more involved in making a quilt than just sewing some squares together, so if you are ever gifted a quilt know that you are receiving a special gift. 

And if you are a new budding quilter take time to enjoy the process. 

HAPPY QUILTING,

It’s 2021! Where did 2020 go?

 Hello! Welcome to 2021

Let’s see if we can catch up a little. Last year posting to this blog from my iPad was challenging at best. Let’s see if it’s easier now. 

In 2020 I finished a few of my own quilts, and I also quilted 75 quilts for other people. I put bindings on quilts for people.  I spent lots of time with my precious granddaughter. My daughter found the love of her life and we’ve been getting to know him. So while 2020 surely had its bad times, for our family it wasn’t the worst year. A few of us got the virus but praise God our symptoms were not life threatening.

So since I created this blog to focus on my quilting let me recap for you the quilts I finished. Some were in the post from last year.

I just uploaded the quilts from my album so the pictures are not in order.

First up is a cute little lap quilt I started at Hilton Head in 2019.  I bought the panels at Island Quilters shop on Hilton Head. For a little shop I always find so much fabric that just has to come live with me. The first picture is technically the “back” of the quilt, although you could just consider this a 2 sided quilt, or a reversible quilt. I think both sides are awesome. And of course the second picture is what could be considered the “front”. I started with that panel and found the other one and could not make up my mind which one I liked the best so I used both of them.

The next quilt is a free pattern by Riley Blake called Pixelated Rose. I believe I started this quilt in 2018. I cut each 2 1/2” square and each seam is pressed open. Then I saw on Pinterest where someone had finished theirs with a scalloped edge and thought it was so fitting that I researched how to do it and found a tool by Eleanor Burns that made it a piece of cake to do. I am so pleased with the finished product.

Next up is Scrappy Sunflowers. The pattern is by Lella Boutique. Fun quilt to make, and I stretched myself by quilting straight lines on my Longarm. 

The next quilt is called Butter Churn by Shannon Gillian Orr of Eva Blake’s Makery.  The cover pattern was done in yellow and white and and pink and I really liked it. I used a collection of novelty sewing fabric I had purchased in an Atlanta quilt shop that perfectly fit the bill.  I added the cutoff triangles from the churn dash blocks into the border and used the primary focus fabric in the line on the back. Fun quilt. 

I don’t usually buy kits, primarily because of sticker shock but I really loved the next quilt so much that I had to buy the kit. The pattern is Home Again by Lella Boutique, and the fabric line is Farmers Daughter also by Lella Boutique. I made the quilt top at a Hilton Head retreat and quilted and bound it in 2020. I quilted it with freehand clam shells.

Here is the back of Butter Churn. My goal has been to use fabric from my stash as much as possible and not buy more. The yellow solid was a piece of fabric I got from a family member. Since there wasn’t enough I added white from the front. 

The back fabric on Home Again was from the same fabric line as the front. 

This is a quilt that my daughter designed and asked me to make for a friend and mentor of hers. It has photo transfers in the four corner blocks. 

During 2020 I was commissioned to make this “family” quilt by the man that does our home exterminating. I wrote the names of each of his children and grandchildren on the quilt. It was a gift to his wife. 

Butter Churn up close 

Possibly the finish I am most proud of is this grandmothers flower garden quilt.

 This quilt has a very long story. Look back at the last post if you want to read all about it. 

That wraps up my quilting for 2020. Of course a lot more quilts were started and other ufos are being worked on. I have already completed one quilt and 2 quilt tops so far this year. It looks as if posting from my iPad is easier now so maybe I’ll post more often now.

One can hope anyway. As always Happy Quilting!

Catching Up

March 16, 2020  The world is in a pandemic situation with a coronavirus outbreak. So today I am home with time to catch up on what has been going on in my quilting world since my last blog post. I apologize in advance for its length but hey it will give you something to do, and there are lots of pictures for you to enjoy.

Update on MOJO-of course it did return, as I expected it would. And in full force! Meanwhile I got to enjoy some reading and other activities, while letting my arm heal. It still gives me trouble but I'm learning to listen to it when its had enough.

I made a quilt for a friend to give a new nephew.

The quilt front

Jungle Safari was the requested theme

The quilt back

I fell in love with these animals, especially that giraffe!

Our family went on an day trip to a zoo to celebrate our granddaughters birthday.  

We took our daughter to Nashville, TN

  My husband and I went to Gatlinburg, TN. and I got to visit some quilt stores along the way.

Time well spent, precious memories made. 

In October of last year I upgraded my long arm. I was interested in trying some ruler quilting but the one I had was not stitch regulated, and the frame I had was not user friendly for quilting lots of quilts. For the occasional home quilter it was fine. But I do some quilting for friends, etc and I needed one that was easier to advance the quilts on, so I traded up. Good move.

I was busy all during fall with a couple of quilt retreats and getting my quilts ready for a guild quilt show.  I entered 12 items and I won ribbons on three of them! I have never won three ribbons in a single show before!!!! I've been a member of the guild since 1997 and I have entered a lot of shows. Some of the quilts I have blogged about in previous posts.

Pattern "Laundry Baskets" by Fig Tree Quilts made with fabrics out of my scrap basket.

Won honorable mention in its category.

Scrappy Baskets, fabrics made from my scrap basket.

"A Few of My Favorite Things" my own pattern, fabrics from my scrap basket.

Guild mystery quilt sew a long, fabrics are 30's reproductions from 1990's

The House That Kaffe Built, Pattern from McCalls Magazine, all Kaffe Facett fabrics

Pattern found in a book by Fig Tree Quilts, fabrics from my scrap basket

My sweet family came to support me at the show.

The quilt on the left is Indigo Church Dash, blocks were my moms, I finished the quilt.

Quilt on the right was made with blocks made by a relative of my moms, finished by another guild member friend.

Quilt Show Challenge Quilt - Named River Weave, found the idea on line, 

Quilt had to have the dark blue fabric in the quilt touching both sides of the quilt.

Challenge was called "A Quilt Runs Thru It"

I enjoy going "modern" once in awhile

Posey Patch, Pattern in American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine, fabrics from my scrap basket.

Weaver Fever, Mom made the top, I finished the quilt.

Round and Round, Pattern by Thimbleblossoms, Solid fabrics are American Made Fabrics

Won 3rd place in its category

The name inspired the quilting of a spiral coming out from the center.

My Secret Garden, Pattern in the book "Gathered From The Garden" by Cindy Lammon

 fabrics from my scrap basket

Won 2nd place in its category

I also shared in winning a second place ribbon for this quilt.

My friend Elaine Turcotte made this quilt and I did the blanket stitching on the dogs, and quilted the quilt.  She had never entered a show before.  Its a fun quilt that makes the viewer smile!

I also made a fun quilt for a friend to give her granddaughter.

The child's name is Gemma, so she wanted it to have gems. The back is a fabric that had lots of gems on it.

2020 has already been full of fun Quilty things!

For the last couple of years my local quilt guild has had a mystery quilt sew day in March, to celebrate National Quilting Month. In January I quilted last years mystery while I tried my hand a quilting with "rulers". This method gives the longarm quilter the ability to make quilting lines more stable without the use of a computer. But it is really time consuming. The quilt has to be stabilized with some in the ditch quilting before using the rulers. Then the ruler work itself comes with its own learning curve. Here is a look at the quilt on my dining room table with the light from the French doors shining across it so you can see the quilting lines.

Then at the end of January I quilted a quilt I made at Hilton Head, SC in October while spending a week quilting with friends.

This is the front. It is a screen printed panel. I love the beach.

This is the back.

In mid January I attended my guild's annual winter retreat, and in February I got to go on a unexpected retreat to Quiltville Inn! When Bonnie announced that she was opening up a lottery for quilt retreats a lady in my guild signed up for a group of 12 of us from the guild.  I truly thought it would be a long shot for us to get a chance. But a few days later we had a date! Wow! So on the weekend of Valentines Day we headed off to Virginia!!!! Can I just say that it was the retreat that all other retreats are going to try to live up to! Not just because we got to spend some time with Bonnie, of course that was great!, but staying in the house was such a treat and spending time in a homey atmosphere with 11 of your quilty friends is just the best! Having a place to get away from the machine was an added treat.  I like sewing but I have to admit that after a few hours I need to get up and stretch, but more importantly I need a place to unwind that isn't just getting in the bed.  So every evening found me relaxing in the "Hen Den" in a nice easy chair. How thoughtful of Bonnie to include that amenity.  The beds were so comfortable, all cozy with her wonderful quilts and a bonus vintage quilt to keep away the chill. It was an unforgettable experience. Here we are making a memory of our time....

The projects I worked on

last day of retreat, hand binding until time to go

The Hen Den

There is a full walk through video of the inn on Youtube

Quiltville Inn Wilson VA

Thanksgiving 2019 post

Since then I have been enjoying my wonderful hobby again in full force.  I have put the binding on 2 quilts that I had quilted in the fall before the quilt show but didn't get a chance to finish.

Kith and Kin

Pattern and Fabric by LellaBoutique

Fabric Line-Farmers Daughter

Kith means Friends - Kin means Family

So Friends and Family

I LOVE this fabric.

This was a kit-I never buy kits.

The one I was binding at Quiltville Inn

Home Again

Pattern and Fabric by LellaBoutique

Fabric Line-Farmers Daughter

Did I mention I LOVE this fabric?

I love house quilts.

This was a kit.

Did I mention I never buy kits?

Though I'd rather make quilts from my own choice of fabrics the fabric in these two quilts just really called my name and I like the patterns so I bought these two kits.

I have heard it said that every quilt has a story. Admittedly some of them as the two above are just basic information kind of "stories". 

My most recently quilted quilt has a story.....

The story of a quilt that took 18 years!!!!!

Now thats a story!

This story is not a political statement kind of story.

It's not a live changing "moral of the story" kind of story.

And when you look at it you wouldn't guess that there is a story.

As a matter of fact you may even get bored with the story.

You may even think when you look at it that it doesn't deserve a story.

Here is the quilt.....

A grandmothers flower garden, made with a floral fabric, a striped fabric and 2 solid color fabrics.

And here is the story......

As a young mom money was slim. I purchased an inexpensive floral comforter for the bed in our master bedroom.  I wanted pink and white stripe fabric for the curtains. I went to the store and they had exactly what I was looking for, so I purchased enough to make curtains for the room. The cost of the fabric was really more than I had ever spent on curtains for a room in our home before; but it was what I really wanted.  A couple years later we moved to another house, so I refashioned the curtains to fit the new windows. 

 A couple years later I got pregnant with our daughter.  I went to the store and found another floral fabric that I really liked for her nursery.  I went to two stores to get enough fabric-the room had 7 windows! The fabric at one store was drapery weight and at the other store was regular polished cotton, both in the same pattern.   I decided that I would take the stripe curtains from our room and use it as accents with the polished cotton and made the curtains, crib quilt, dust ruffle, etc for the nursery, and use the drapery weight as a shower curtain.  The room was delightful! Then she grew up and decided that pink floral was not for her when we moved her into a big girl bed, so everything got changed but I don't remember what we used next, haha. She is now 22 years old. I've slept a time or two since then. 

I joined a quilt guild the year she was born and was learning a lot. I came across a picture of a grandmothers flower garden hexagon quilt in a magazine that had striped fabric in one of the rings of the pattern.  I decided that I would use the fabrics from my daughters nursery as the fabric to recreate the quilt. So I began disassembling all the items I had made.  Repurpose-reuse-recycle.  I had seen English paper piecing demonstrated but didn't really like it, so I decided to traditionally piece the hexagons, tracing a sewing line on the back of the fabric after cutting the pieces out with a hexagon template and a rotary cutter. Without a pattern to go by I began to make flower units not knowing how many I would be able to make.

About that time I worked for a short time for Hancock Fabrics and came across a pink solid fabric that was the same hue as the pink in the striped fabric, so I bought some yardage of it to use as the connecting "path" for the floral and striped rings.  Not knowing how much to buy, I decided I would make the quilt as big as I could make it with what I had. Around the same time I found a white fabric with tiny pink flowers that I thought would be a perfect back so I bought some of it hoping it would be enough. Also there was a closeout sale on some premade quilt binding in the exact shade as the pink solid fabric so I bought the last four packs hoping it would be enough for the quilt. This was sometime around 2001-2002??

 I started taking my "little" hand sewing project to guild meetings, and visits with my friends, etc.  It soon outgrew a little zippered bag I carried it in, so I bought a cardboard "suitcase" that had a pink floral design on it to carry all the supplies I needed.  I would spend some time cutting pieces and marking the sewing lines at home and then I'd have them ready for sewing when I needed them. My best friend marveled that I would attempt such an undertaking, and said "you will never finish that thing".  I said that was ok I was enjoying the journey. And I did, for over 15 years!

 Finally I made it as big as I could as I ran out of the pink solid.  I decided that I would cut the sides straight so I could add a borders. I wanted to do a border of the stripe fabric, because I had a lot of it left! I really got our money's worth out of that striped fabric!  I needed something to stop the design of the hexagons before adding the striped border.  What to do? What color would be right? After some searching my daughter helped me decide on a green small inner border. She is a wonderful artist and is good with colors. Done. That was easy enough. Now time to put the stripes on. How to do the borders....Corner stones or mitered corners? I knew how to do mitered borders but could I make that stripe look right? Spent time at a retreat putting the borders on with mitered corners and they looked fabulous!!!! 

Now we are at around 17 years?  The finish line is in sight!!!!! I put it on the long arm in August of 2019. Sent my friend a picture...."You thought it would never get done!" (this would be where the background music lets you know to pay attention, LOL)

Half way through quilting, the borders started ruffling!!!!! HOW??WHY??  I have made and quilted hundreds of quilts by this time! How is this possible???? 

I don't have time for this!!!!!! The quilt show is in November, I have to turn in the submission form in September! No way I could do that until I was sure it was going to look good.

So I took it off the frame and began to unquilt the last row I quilted thinking I must have done something wrong while I was advancing the quilt or something.

Unquilted two passes just to be sure and put it back on the frame. NOPE! It is still not laying flat!

Take it back off the frame and fold it up deciding with great disappointment that this is not the year its going to get done. (sad face)

Spent several weeks taking the quilting out in my spare time.

Finally get the quilting all removed, folded it up and put it in time out. 

February 2020-OK lets get this thing done!

Take the borders off and reattach, yep they were too long.

Load on the long arm frame, thinking all is well, it should do ok.

18" from the bottom the border starts to ruffle again!!!!!! OH NO!!!!!!

I told my husband I was OVER this quilt!!!!! 

Of course he said, "you can't be, you've got 30 years invested"!

Take off the bottom border, quilt the rest of the middle of the quilt.

Take it off the frame reattach the border as best I can and fix the side borders so they lay flat.

Finished quilting it on my regular sewing machine.

FINALLY! Its done! February 21, 2020!

Trimmed the edges for binding. 

Better done than perfect is all I can say.

Got out the packaged binding that I had purchased so many years ago.

Opened and pressed the binding in half and attach it like regular binding is attached, and I had enough! whew!

Soon the binding will be finished and I will be able to call this quilt done.

How's that for a story?

So if you stayed with me until now, let me just say that I don't know why I had so much trouble with the borders of this quilt. As I said, I have made and quilted a lot of quilts with no such issues. Back when I started the piecing of this quilt I was a relatively new quilter and I didn't know not to use polyester/cotton fabric. Turns out the pink and white stripe fabric had polyester in it.  Polyester in a fabric behaves differently than cotton. So maybe that's what happened? Who knows. All I know is that at the end of the day, I did enjoy the journey of making this quilt, and I am happy enough with the finished project. 

As quilters our quilts aren't always "perfect", and some of them teach us valuable lessons. Is that story "exciting", no, but this quilt is a lifetime project and will always have a special place in my heart. When I took it to our monthly guild meeting this month many of my long time guild friends remembered me sewing on those hexagons all those years, and my little rose covered box. This quilt has seen a lot of good days and I hope that it sees a lot more in the days to come.

Bonus: Fun facts

1. The fabric peaking out at the bottom right corner of the picture of the quilt is the drapery weight version of the floral fabric that now covers my ironing board. 

 2. I cross stitched a pink and white striped bow that I hoped would one day hang in the room where the quilt would reside, it is currently hanging the in the master bedroom. 

So thats what has been happening to me since my last post.

I pray the pandemic will soon be over and all will return to "normal" soon.

I wonder if there will be quilts made that tell this story?

Until then, don't panic, sew something, spend time with your loved ones, read a book, clean a closet. And for goodness sake leave some toilet paper for other people when you shop!

Hopefully my next post won't be so long. Thanks for hanging in there if you made it this far.

HAPPY QUILTING!