Ready for the Longarm

 
I've finished the top for the new grandbaby. 
It's much cuter now that the applique pieces are on it.
I should be able to get it finished in time for my daughter to open it on Christmas morning. Don't worry about me spoiling her surprise, it's not a surprise. She saw the kit when I bought it, and she knows I've been working on it.
I had to make sure that she liked it.

I made a decision on the string quilt, thanks to all the feedback from friends and readers. I've decided on the applique border, since the Overall category allows for one border to be quilted differently than the main body of the quilt.

I reduced the size to a square quilt. This will reduce the number of applique tulips, and still meet the size requirement. I've also decided that the tulips will be made from string pieced fabric.

I'm getting excited about it now. A little apprehensive as well. Applique is not my forte. After trying a few different techniques, I've pretty much settled on the freezer paper method.
I seem to do a better job when it's prepped ahead of the hand sewing.


Thank you for helping me make a decision. Pop on over to Patchwork Times to see other design walls.

Decisions, Decisions

I have decided to try to enter quilts into two categories at the Machine Quilter's Showcase. The first category is Overall Design. This category can be any quilt design. The second category is Bread and Butter. This category is restricted to two quilt blocks, Storm at Sea and Snail's Trail. Whew, no difficult decisions there. Storm at Sea is a design I've liked for years. Decision made.

It's the Overall Design category that has me stumped. I have been working on designs for the string quilt blocks that I've been making for a year, or two, or three. String blocks seem appropriate for an overall quilting design.

My friend, Kathleen, had this really great idea for a border for those string blocks. Now, I haven't done it justice in EQ7. Her flowers were much cuter. I just haven't figured out how to use the applique tracing feature of the program. It does sort of give you the idea of the border though.

This is design #2. I'm using the string blocks, but have white on half to create the zigzag and bring the white into the border. This plays on Kathleen's design with the stems creating a zigzag effect.

This is #3. The quilt would be trimmed at the red band to create a zigzag shape.















Which one is your favorite? I could use some help making a decision. Please leave a comment with your choice.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Whew! I have been working on some big quilts with some rather elaborate quilting.

This beauty is queen size. The block is called Snow Crystals. I posted a detail picture before. When I took these pictures I didn't have a quilt stand, so I used a closet pole and two ladders as my stand. I have a quilt stand now. Way easier to get pictures now.




I love the way it looks from the back.

     














I used part of a paisley design from a Dover Publications coloring book. The center of the large paisley was my inspiration for the background vine. There are so many great motifs that could be translated into quilting designs.  








This is the next quilt I worked on. It is the opportunity quilt for one of the local guilds. It measures 93"x93". I used a Barbara Chainey stencil for the first white border. I tried to find a source so that I could provide a link, but I wasn't able to find it. I had purchased it from StenSource, but they no longer sell retail.

The stencil only had the side motif. I had to create a corner motif.


























After those two I worked on an opportunity quilt for the Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue Society.




The quilting doesn't really show up on this one. Each block has a picture of a Rhodie at a world landmark. I used Superior's Mono-Poly to provide detail quilting in each block. This one is going to be making the rounds of dog shows on the East Coast.

I'm quilting like a crazy lady so that I can finish Twinkle Stars by May 1, and get it in the mail to MQS.



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