When I make a quilt, it takes me awhile to decide how to quilt it.  For this beauty, I hung the quilt on my design wall for a few days so that every time I walked by it, I could take a look and think about it. I recently ordered a DVD explaining how one quilter makes those quilting decisions - basically divide and conquer.  One piece of advice which I thought was particularly interesting was to take a pic of the quilt, then print it out in black and white - keeps the colors of the quilt from being a distraction and you see the quilt from a little different perspective.

Anyway, I came up with this design and I really love it.  There are a few different variations I have in mind as well, which keeps it interesting, but they all include the basic curved petal shape with free motion feathers inside.


  Woot, Woot - I do love to do those!  On a sample, I echoed the outside of the petal and loved the look, but for this quilt, I used the seams of the fabric and marked lines between the sets of petals... LOVE!



Hope you enjoy it as well!

Just thought I'd share a few of my unfinished projects.  Sorry for those of you who MUST finish one thing before starting on another.  I start one thing while beginning, while in process or while finishing another!  Makes life interesting!!

 This is a baby sized quilt that I put together last week, no pattern from Joe the quilter (craftsy class). I still need to put a border on it.  this one will be for sale in my etsy shop.

 The pic to the left and the one below are the center portion of a "block of the month" quilt that I purchased from the Aurora quilt shop a couple years ago.  I still have about 4 blocks to finish, then can put the whole top together.  Love this one and will keep it.

The colors are just so beautiful!!  

 This is the front (left) and the back (right) of a baby quilt that I am gifting to someone - I better hurry up cuz the baby has already arrived!

This is a "fruit of the Spirit" wall hanging that my quilting group chose to do.  I still need to stitch down some of the lettering and flowers along the border, then I can sandwich and quilt it.  Everyone who made a quilt from this pattern chose such different color schemes that it's hard to believe they are all from the same pattern.  You may have spied one of these at the quilt show here in GI during the state fair!

This is a very bight little quilt that I put together on a whim - I'll finish it someday, but it's not high on the list at the moment.

Got the pattern for this one off the internet.  Originally it was made from a vintage tablecloth and has rick rack stitched into the blocks - I need to add a white border all around, then it will be ready to quilt - will post closeups then.

I went to a quilt guild last April or May (?) and purchased a pattern book by the guest speaker, went home, pulled out some fabric and this is what happened!  My idea was to add a few little blocks along the border.  I will quilt it soon and it will probably be for sale in my etsy shop.

 A table topper that we put together at my quilting club um....a couple of years ago.  I have it sandwiched, just need to quilt it.

This is a really pretty brown and mauve zig zag quilt that I really love and am going to keep ... for me!  I am putting some machine embroidery in the borders between all the zig zag rows.  I still need to finish the embroidery on two rows.  Maybe I'll get it done this year.  :)


I hope you enjoy seeing all my unfinished projects... now you may be wondering if these are truly ALL the ufp's in my sewing room.  Of course not!!!  Enjoy!

Mom's Christmas quilt

So, my Mom has tons of fabric. It only makes sense since she has been quilting for most of her life.  I returned this quilt to her this weekend, all quilted and bound. (see pics below)...then she informs me that she has Oh, say FIFTEEN quilt tops that need quilting.  Yes, you guessed it - she is trying to use up ALL her fabric while she can still sew.  Okay, well, I know that won't happen, but, really - fifteen quilts???

AND YES, I'm going to quilt them - probably ALL of them.  And while I'm quilting, she will be sewing....Hmmmm.  I think someone will be quite busy for awhile - especially since said someone likes to sew and quilt a few of her own quilts!!!

Mom's Christmas quilt is filled with feathered quilting, some I marked a spine or a circle to quilt feathers around, others were totally free motion with no marking at all.  Isn't it beautiful? (note, beautiful, not perfect).

 This is a pattern Mom got from Missouri Star Quilt Company's website.  They have tons of really good tutorials.  Then she added a few pieced blocks that she came up with I think?

 I love this little block in the corner.  I thought about it quite awhile before I came up with this one by combining two patterns - this was totally free motion, no marking. >>>>>>

 Do you like the quilting on the poinsettia?
<<<<<<<

This pattern was out of a book that has 1000 quilting ideas.  Um, I looked at most of them trying to find something feathery, yet different to put in this space.
>>>>>>>>>




And below, I decided to use the 2 borders as one and quilted feathers all around.  :)  Enjoy!

Hey all, someday I'll post a little more often!  Here's what I've been up to over the Thanksgiving holiday - besides school work!!!

 

I'm trying my hand at a modern quilt with lots of quilting on it - love this part the best.  I have a second one that I will post probably over Christmas break, so check back soon!

I took an online "Craftsy" class for this one.  I have been free motion quilting for about 3 years now and I am amazed at how far I've come with it.  You should have seen my first few attempts (hee, hee, hee!).

Here are a couple more closeups, then the whole quilt.  Till next time.....

quilting in the "negative" space

Love the feather towards the bottom

Don't look too close, some of my lines are not as straight as I'd like them, I'll mark them next time

I just love this quilt.  This is going to a friend of mine...shhh...don't tell!!

 Well... this blog has been silent for way too long.  Lest you think I've been doing nothing quilt-wise, here's a little ditty I finished recently.  Was going to enter it in the State Fair, but I procrastinated one day too long and missed it - next year will come soon enough.

outside edge quilted with straight lines

more free motion quilting 

rainbow design quilted across the center blocks

 The quilting took a looong time!

flowers and vines

free motion quilting around the flowers and on green border

The back is cute too!

The finished product - the pics just don't do it justice!

I'll add more pics soon of some projects that I'm working on....until then - enjoy!

I'm finished!!

Hallelujah!  I finished my project of making all the kids and grandkids a quilt!!  It took 2 years instead of one, but I had a lot of fun and made a few other things along the way.  I believe I'm a bona fide quilter now!!

Here is the next-to-the-last quilt that I finished in November.  It belongs to my daughter, Amy.  I started this one at a quilt weekend in Curtis, Ne in May of 2009. I free motion quilted it  - something I am learning - practice makes perfect (I need a few more quilts to practice on before I get into perfection mode!)

 And now for the grand finale!! I finished this one yesterday and I think this one is the most beautiful of all (no offense to any of the other gorgeous quilts I made the last 2 years!).  It's just that when I put this one together, I was surprised as how nice it all worked together - maybe that's because I just wasn't sure how it would look - I was afraid it might be too busy. As it turns out, it's perfect!  See  for yourself (wish you could see it in person!).

If you haven't already, check out the slide show to see the other quilts that I've made and have a Merry Christmas and a very blessed New Year!

Oh My Goodness!! How long has it been???

I must tell you that just because I haven't blogged in awhile doesn't mean I haven't been sewing! Oh no! School has slowed me down and bit, but I'm back in the swing of things for the holidays (at least).

So, here is are a few pics of the latest makings at my house. Not included (only because I haven't taken a picture of it yet) is the very latest quilt - will update later on that one!

I was browsing online and ran across a pattern for these darling little napkins. They are quick, easy and reversible.

Then I remembered I had a very simple table runner pattern that I had picked up at the quilt shop recently, so had to try that as well.



Then I dug around and found a few more coordinating prints to stitch into a few more table runners.

Then I realized that I could make both a table runner and the napkins - like matching (hello?), so of course that set me in search of more fabric and caused more stitching, so by the time I was done... well, you have to check them out on my etsy website cause there are just too many to include here.

Here is just a teaser for you.

Click on the etsy link (I think it's at the top of the page).

Blessings,
Shirley