Leaves and Friends

Our city's quilt guild has an outreach committee that makes charity quilts from donations. The chairperson gave me a few blocks, a few pieces of white fabric, a couple of copies of a pattern, and some backing with, "Here, fix this." I did not have fabric that would work with the colored parts of those blocks, but did have white that would help build them into something. After lots of trial and error, this is the result. It is about 58" square, a little less.

With several people making the blocks, they were not all the same size. A few were too small, or crooked, or sewn with dark thread, etc. so it was a challenge. I ignored the pattern and played with the pieces, adding bits here and there and taking apart parts of some blocks that were wonky. Lots of chopped off points, but it turned out better than expected. I need to put 2" borders on the sides, then quilt it... another challenge. Likely outline the birds and flowers, etc. and put leaves in the white spaces. I'm glad this one is nearly finished.

Emma's Jams

This quilt has a long story to go with it. I'll save that for the 'finished' photo. Right now, it is on my longarm. That was not the plan. The friend who made most of it ran out of time and asked me to quilt it. Good thing. Most who have a quilting business may have refused. It is thick, stretchy, and entirely cute. 

This shows the end I've left to finish. A real challenge? Yes, but totally delightful.

Slow progress

Yesterday I began quilting the sky in this quilt, a landscape with a lighthouse. It is sort of a scribble pattern. The example in my book is even and regular, but my mind can't seem to do repetition. I think more like jazz than chords or toe-tapping. Anyway, it is started.

It seems that my biggest procrastination is not so much picking a quilting motif as the fear that my lack of skill will mess it up. Translation: I need more practice. That seems to be impossible right now. I should have a practice sandwich on the long arm all the time. For this, I mounted the quilt a bit to the right and put a practice piece on the left to try my threads, etc. so maybe that will help.


Another project is on the wall. This one is for a competition, so I'm not going to reveal all of it, only enough to say that the photo on the right is one front leg of a horse. You can see the pattern for the other front leg to the left of it. I'm making it in a combination of foundation paper-piecing and applique. So far, this is lots of fun! The pattern is my own design, sort of. I have permission from a wonderful artist to use his paintings as design ideas for my quilts.

We had a month holiday in SC and that was a good rest. Now I'm back at full-time studies and trying to squeeze in time to quilt and other artistic endeavors. Actually, this changes concentration from one side of the brain to the other and works well as a break... beats cleaning and other housework. My reasoning? How can the house get dirty when I'm on the computer all day?!

Now I need some advice

My mother-in-law called yesterday. I thought it would be to wish me happy birthday, but she began the conversation with, "How much would you charge to make me a quilt?"

After some conversation and a little teasing from me, I told her, "Well, since you are my mother-in-law, and since I kind of like you, I'll just make you one."

She said, "Oh, I was hoping you would say that."

So now I'm side-tracked again. All those delicious projects that are underway or in my head are set aside and I'm trying to figure out what pattern to use. She likes florals, no applique (whew!), scrappy look is fine, wants a beige background, and wants pale green, green, and burgundy. She has a twin bed but no skirt so this one has to be bedspread size. I'm hoping to use a lot of my stash for it.

So, I'm open for suggestions! I even have a prize for the person who can offer me a simple pattern idea that will not take forever to make, and that will please a woman in her eighties who has enough pluck to call me on my birthday and ask for a gift!

ta!