Donation Quilt

At our most recent All Day Sew, we had agreed to make donation quilts for local purposes.  These blocks are so easy - 2 1/2 in strips of lights and dark kid-themed fabrics.  Being enthusiastic, I made many more blocks than necessary.  At first I set them all jumbled up -- not good! -- neat rows are better this time.  This is an "Hourglass" block.   

Here is the back, with 5 extra blocks.  I used what I had for the crosswise strips, cutting them in equal size strips for some visual continuity.  Don't you just LOVE the surprise when you a quilt over to find something unexpected?

Recent days have been very warm - our snow is melting, but this pile is still huge.  As I leaned over to straighten the quilt - kersplat - I hadn't noticed the ice at snow edge.  No damage, I just felt silly and lucky. 

I machine quilt my own projects on a 10 year old Janome MC 6500. 

She basted ... She quilted!

This is MY basting tool, not quite like Quilt in a Day, but I want tools that do double duty, in order save space. This is a plain Phillips screwdriver, and the rubber band keeps the pin tip from sliding when closing the safety pins. Without the tool, closing those pins is hard on nails!

While basting, I had the advantage of the Animal Planet TV teaching me how NOT to get eaten by lions! Whew - glad I learned that! LOL

It's cold and blustery today - I'm indoors. Today, the entire basting job, from setting tables up to putting it all away took about 1 hour. I used spray and pins - not sure why I doubled the effort - but there's nothing worse than finding a wrinkle on the backing when you're all finished basting!

Half an hour at the machine and one long side has been quilted. It's a simple teardrop, echoed 2-5 times. My quilting thread is a medium blue - gosh what else could possibly work with all those light and dark values!


It's good to be back 'home' at the machine.

Catching up on pleasure

See? a person should always save their thread! What a perfect match for my little QuiltForKids project.

My crooked neck, sore shoulder didn't get any worse after making and quilting and finishing the little QuiltForKids project so I dragged out this QOV, that has been lanquishing in a pile with other unquilted tops. What is there about threads sewn along a curved line that is so appealing? You see, I'm just starting - this particular pattern is one I do well, but gets lost on a busy top. In some areas it's almost invisible, and then it is ME who gets lost. Still, I feel so much happier now that I can sew again.

Variety in feathermaking

This is another method for making feathers - by Sally Terry. She makes her feathers with a "hook". I tried it - this is my first try and it works just fine. I think you can see it well on this practice sample.
My quilting thread is a limey, lustrous green and it shows really well on this dark fabric.

Many of you know I do my quilting on a DSM. And some of you may also be noticing but politely not mentioning that I'm doing a lot more practing than actually DOING! ARgghhhh - I KNOW it! 8-( The thing that holds me up more than anything is that danged sandwiching!

On a roll, at least for today

Thanks so very much for all the comments about that wheelchair icon next to Word Verification when writing a comment. Each morning, I love to return to my computer to see what new information I've learned from all of you. The icon-clicking-action produces a weird recording that sounds like something played backward. A gal in German responded that hers repeats the letters shown, in German. It may be support for visual handicaps, as Bonnie suggested.

This "Star in the Forest" quilt has been basted and sandwiched for weeks, while I gathered up courage, incentive, creativity as to how to quilt it. Our quilt show theme in mid-July is "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" and I want it done by then. The quilt show winners are Viewer's Choice -- Viewers can be fickle so every year, there are surprises when winners are determined!

This is an example of my possible quilting designs. Between my quilt books, the dictionary, my yard, and my imagination, these are several designs I'm shooting for. I ALWAYS use curved lines, if possible. It helps me to practice the design on paper, or a Magna Doodle (kids toy) until I get the pattern in my head. Even after starting, the final quilting is much better and more controlled then the first. I am a firm believer in "DON'T FOLLOW THE LINES", but rather, get into the flow of things and loosen up. I hear from so many gals who claim they are afraid of this - my word, don't be afraid -- it's so simple, but keeping your hands steady and loose and flowing is NOT so easy. Like playing the piano, skill comes with practice. (I say that today, because my efforts are going well - but maybe not the next time for me!) The thread is a poly, variegated, which seemed to blend the best. I'm using it in the bobbin also.

I've decided to quilt each of the 8 segments in a different pattern. I sew on a domestic machine, Janome 6500, Memory Craft, and have had it for 18 months, with excellent results. Like any machine it has it's quirks, but nothing of great concern. It's a heavy machine, not for classes, and I think that helps it's stability.

I'm completed one segment of 8. Whew!

A little closer ... lots of unexpected turns, a few peculiar stitches, but hey, it's OK!