QOV #57

This was made by Carolyn in northern Idaho.

I love everything about this "Take 5 on Point" quilt.

Who knew the 4 little appliqued gold stars could be such fun focal points!

I quilted the 2 border stars with curved lines to give them motion. 

All freehand designs. 

The other 2 stars are quilted to match the other setting triangles.

Backing fabric with all 50 states named. 

Thanks Carolyn!

H2H Charity Challenge

This is the second year I have participated in the Hands 2 Help Charity Challenge.  This year, we had 2 different charities we could choose to support.  You can read about the challenge here: H2H 2012

I chose to make 2 quilts for the Happy Chemo project, an organization that provides quilts and comfort to chemo patients:.  They will be sent to Ems Scrapbag--she set a goal to collect 1,500 quilts for Chemotherapy units throughout Utah. You could make quits for men, women and kids: I made a girl quilt and a boy quilt:

Fun freehand flowers tumbling over this yummy fabric.

The back is the same fabric as the outer border.

Flannel top, bottom and binding.

~~~~

This quilt is flannel also.

I had exactly one yard of the blue race car fabric in my stash.  I shopped for a complimentary flannel and found this bright green dot and added a little strip of black from my stash!

Maroi Moko by Judy Lyon of MeadowLyon Designs.

Also, in my stash was just enough black and white checkered cotton to make a fun binding to match!

I am linking up with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict where everyone will show all the charity quilts that were made.  She will have the link open all week, so check back to see everyone's creations!

QOV #56

"Blue Crossings"
Another beautiful QOV made by Nancy in WA.

I put freehand swirls in the center . . .

. . . sprinkled with a few streaking stars 

Informal border treatment with curved lines in random groupings.

Red, White, Blue pieced backing.

It just occurred to me looking at this photo, that the quilted swirls are echoed on the backing!

Thanks Nancy!

Summer Color!

This yummy quilt was made from some of my client's left overs from her other projects--I can see a few fabrics here and there.  They are so soft and summery!

It is quilted with freehand flowers that are tumbling all across this top.

Cream Minky back. 

Love the combination! 

Around the World with Minky!

It's been a long time since I quilted a king sized quilt . . .

 . . . and the first time I backed such a large quilt with Minky!

My client made this "Trip Around the World" for a male and when I met with her I discussed quilting leaves.....  I don't know about you, but I find it harder to come up with ideas for masculine quilts!

With a thicker poly batting, it's really a comforter-like quilt so I didn't want the quilting to be very dense. 

I divided it up by quilting all four triangle corners with a Terry Twist all the way down to the rust colored blocks that reach out to all 4 centers. 

Then I quilted big fat freehand meandering leaves in the diamond center.

At 104 x 111, I really couldn't get a good photo showing the pattern on the back, but you can get a general idea here. 

This yummy combo is certainly going to keep someone warm this winter!

Bloggers' Quilt Festival Spring 2012

I am excited to join Amy's Creative Side at the

Spring 2012 Bloggers Quilt Festival

This is my entry:

Inspiration: Pinwheel Cove by Theresa Eisinger
Quiltmaker.com 

The fabrics are all prewashed batiks--it ended up so soft and supple.

As you can see, it has a tropical ocean theme. 

If you are arriving here from the festival, I am a professional longarm quilter.

I do not have a computerized system, so all my quilting is freehand.

Pattern inspiration came from a quilt by Theresa Elsinger in Quiltmaker magazine.

I pieced and quilted it for a wedding gift for a couple who were married on Catalina Island, CA USA

 As a remembrance, they wanted dolphins--there are 3 different dolphin motifs sprinkled around the quilt: 

On the ferry with heading over to the island, they said the dolphins were running right along side of the boat!

I also added sand dollars . . .

. . . shells . . . 

 . . starfish  . . .

. . . and my personal favorite a seahorse! 

The fabrics and the quilting are meant to convey the feel of swirling waves of water--yup, there's even just a touch of seaweed floating along! 

The backing is a tropical floral.

With every quilt I make, I try to stretch myself by learning something new.

I can't even recall all the hours I have spent practicing over the past year, learning to make these pebbles!

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you have seen me blog about this quilt, so grab a beverage and jump over to the Festival for a look at an amazing array of quilts from other bloggers.  

Tomorrow is the last day for entries and there are already 483 quilts entered!!