WIP

Work in progress update--

Churning out a few more blocks for the Crown Royal quilt. I am able to use a rotary cutter to cut out the bags, but it's slow and tedious and I need every mm of fabric to make these blocks.

I spent about 4 house marking this top for a client in MN. Can't wait to get it on the frame!

I always take a few photos of the quilt and then print them out in B&W so I can doodle on the to come up with a design.

Then, I translate it to the quilt top.

Graduation Quilt

Just finished this graduation quilt for my sister-in-law.  She made it for her grandson.

I used black thread to do all the ditching, but am not a fan of dark thread on lighter colors.  However, the ditching went pretty well, so I decided to just use black on the whole quilt.  Most of the quilting is in the darker fabrics, and I tried to limit it in the yellow and light grey fabrics.

Since this is for a male, I am decided I liked the crisp look of the crosshatching for all the sashing and it will link up vertically and horizontally.

Ocean City

My sister and I went on a road trip down to Ocean City, Maryland over the weekend.

We took bicycles and biked 5 miles along the board walk.

We drove down to Chincoteague Island, VA. 

We were looking for a place to have brunch before another afternoon of biking, look what we just happened to drive by!

It was a cute little mid century house.  They had a very interesting item...

Yup, they had a whole hide here for sale. 

We spent the afternoon on bike trails.  We took our backpacks, some water and snacks (not nearly enough), biked another 3 miles and then hiked 2 miles out to the ocean and back. 

Back in our room in Ocean City, MD we crashed early.

 We got up early Easter morning and walked out to the beach to see the sunrise.

We found the Easter Bunny!

It was too cloudy to see the sun, but beautiful none the less. 

Atlantic Ocean, Ocean City, MD

Vacation from Quilting

So, I have concluded that these 6 quilts were cut, ironed, pieced, ironed, quilted, bound and photographed over the last 36 days.  that's one finished quilt every 6 days.

  

I am going on vacation.

When I return to the studio, this purple Crown Royal quilt is my next project.

I have been working on this for almost 2 years in and around other projects.  I have set a goal to get it finished in May.  Here is a link to a post how I made the block way back in 2012 when I started this quilt.

Crown Royal

See you in May!

More Vintage Blocks Finished!

Well, it's a quilt now and I am excited to see how it worked out.

I had several goals with this quilt:

1) To preserve this lady's 6 surviving blocks from vintage fabrics and make sure the blocks themselves were not altered from her original work.  

2) Somehow use up her collection of 4 patch blocks (that didn't match anything) in the same quilt.

3) To make this really simple quilt rock with some interesting quilting...nothing traditional.

4) This is for her grandson for his wedding...he and his fiance are ranch kids.

4) To only use what was in my stash.

Goal #1

Goal #2 The back

Goal #3 & 4

Goal #5  Everything but her blocks were from my stash of fabric and thread.

Would I have ever picked out all this for a quilt?  Not in a million years.

But...I think it's a great save for this lady's blocks to be passed on to her grandson.

More Vintage Blocks #4

The Back....

I just have another hour or so to finish up.

Unrolled it for a little peek at the back.

More Vintage Blocks #3

I went back up and finished the top. 

Simple lines and only an outline on the appliqued blocks.

I didn't want to take away or add to the original work this lady did.

I finished the center panel. 

I like how this is turning out. 

I stabilized the quilt all the way to the bottom and will start marking the reverse design (the diamonds and sun) for the bottom of the quilt.

More Vintage Blocks #2

Ok here is where this quilt is going...

I have stabilized the applique blocks, but will do them last after I change to white thread.

This is a case of cutting the fabric and stitching it to fit the quilting design I wanted to do. ..it came out pretty dang good!

More Vintage Blocks

I started this project way back in March....Here

Remember these?

...and these? 

Well, I just finished piecing the back for this quilt.  It's going to be interesting...

I am going to take this...

...put this on the back...

...quilt it using these tools...

....and it's going to rock!

....I hope.

Vintage Blocks Have a Home!

Whoot!  It's quilted and I am thrilled with the back....the front's not bad either.

I started to quilt a separate design in the borders but after looking on the back, I decided it detracted from the back....I love the back.

So, I did a freehand overall. 

You will find it interesting that I used "Grizzly Bear" So Fine thread by Superior.

Look how it magically blends with different colors.  Here is looks rose colored:

Here is looks blue 

It blends nicely with the yellow. 

It actually takes on a bluish/green tone in the yellow. 

I will bind it in the morning.  I need to decide what color I will use.

I think I will sleep on it....