Sensu

Sensu is the name of this pantograph that I purchased a year ago.  I thought it was beautiful and would look fantastic quilted.  But once I got it and really looked at it I realized it had backtracks and lines 1/4" apart!! Not a beginner panto for sure!  So I tucked it away and forgot about it... until yesterday.   I was feeling confident and thought I would attempt it on a small baby quilt I'm donating to Project Linus. 

I"ll even be brave and post a close up so you can see my wibbles and wobbles!  Actually I think I did pretty good for my first try at this one.  Wouldn't this be pretty on a quilt with Asian fabrics?

Wildlife Quilt

My client pieced this quilt using Pine Needle patterns from different collections, it is a gift for her son.  I quilted a wood grain design in the 8" outer border and swirls in the light colored sashing.  I stitched around all the applique pieces and filled in the sky and water with swirls, clouds and ripples.

It is raining today so I couldn't take pictures on my neighbours clothes line :(

More Progress

I completed all 120 blocks and most of them were close to 8 1/2" square so now they are all 8 1/4" square.   I think trying to stretch some block to make them fit will cause more problems when it comes time to quilt so I gave them all just a trim.  On this pattern it doesn't matter if they are a bit smaller, I'm not chopping off any points.

So the only trouble I encountered so far was yesterday I realized I was missing 24 beige corner pieces...I know I cut them since i had the right amount of center melon shaped pieces and they are cut from the same square of fabric???   Searched with no luck so I start digging though my batik stash and found a small piece.  WHEW... now is it enough.    When I cut the last piece I needed I had an 1/8" extra , talk about close!

I was surprised at how motivated I became on this project again once I posted it on the blog...I wonder what other projects I have that need to be exposed?

I was asked what pattern this was so here is a picture. It is called Winners Bouquet but Atkinson Designs and it comes the the acrylic templates for cutting the pieces. They were so easy to use.

Batik Quilt in Progress

I started this batik Winner's Bouquet quilt back in the fall at the guilds quilt retreat.  I had precut all the pieces with the acrylic templates that came with the pattern ( love acrylic templates!!) so it was a great retreat project, just sit and sew.  This is the first project that I didn't finish before starting another one...I use to be so good at focusing on one project and getting it done before starting the next but not anymore.  So I got it out again this weekend and put a good dent into the pile of cut pieces.  I'm make a queen size quilt with 120 blocks so I'm hoping to have all the block made this week. I think that is a reasonable goal.  I just love the colors of these batiks...I can't believe I cut into my precious batik stash!  But it had to happen one day and this quilt pattern is definately batik worthy.

I do not take in any customer quilts over the summer, that is my time on the machine and this will be my first project to quilt.

Signature Quilt #2

Not only was I lucky enough to quilt one signature quilt but my client brought me two!   Her aunt made one for her family and one for her husbands family.

I did a similar quilting pattern, leaves in the outer border, loops in the sashing and a ribbon meander in the background of the blocks.  That was the first time I tried the ribbon meander and it is basically a meander that you go over twice (but cross the first meander at a particular point each time).

Embroidered Signature Quilt

I was very touched when my client trusted me to quilt this Signature Quilt that her 87 year old aunt had embroidered by hand.  She had family members sign the blocks and she embroidered over the signatures so each persons unique hand writing style would be remembered.  Then she added the oak leave and acorn motif to each block and I have to say my clients aunt is a very skillful embroider.  With this being a family heirloom I knew the quilting should not be the focus and I did my best to highlight her work by not over quilting it. I quilted free hand oak leaves in the outer border and then a swirl and leave in the sashing in an orange thread.  The background fill is a 3's and E's pattern that looks like clouds or wind around the embroidery making it the embroidery stand out.

I have a new spot for taking pictures...my neighbours clothes line!  Nothing beats natural light.

Floral Four Patch

Our guild meeting as last night so I was able to deliver a few of the quilts I have been working on this week.  This quilt was made with blocks that my client won in a draw at one of our guild meeting. We ask our members to make a specific block each month with a particular theme of fabric and bring two...one for the guild and one for a draw. It is quite a popular activity in our guild and it is nice to see the finished quilts from the draw winners. I have never won one of these draws but at least I get to quilt a few!

Springtime Project

The snow if finally gone and around our place that only means one thing...time to start our spring projects. This year that was to rip out the old dock and build a new one.  So while the ice was still on the lake this week we ( ...okay Tim) took apart the old dock and today we took out the rest of the deck on the shore that it was attached to.  As we stood and admired our hard work and planned the new design for the dock I noticed a small rock (that has been driving me crazy for the last 13 years) sticking out of the sand.  "Dear, if we move that rock out of there we will have room for our deck box".   Now around here "Dear, move that rock" is a very common phase as our yard seemed to be dumping ground for those ancient glaciers.  So we started digging and digging and as suspected we need to get out the 'special' rock moving tools.  If you ever need to move a large rock ( and do not own a backhoe) a set of tire chains and a come-a-long works wonders!  We have moved many a rocks this way.

So while this was going on the boys thought they would tempt fate and play on the ice!  I was positive one of them was going to be joining the Polar Bear club when they where sinking large chunks of ice by standing on them but no such luck...I mean that's good  ;)

Daniel ended up changing his boots a few time from water going over the tops and ended up with a pair of Tim's in the end.  

Aren't they cute!!

I have been quilting since the show and just need to take the quilts to the clients before I post any pictures.   Today was 19'C so how could I quilt on the first warm day of the year.

Quilt Show 2010

WHOOSH!  That was the sound of another successful quilt show zooming by.  Months of preparation and it is over in a blink of an eye.  Our guild held our 7th biennual quilt show this weekend and I have to say it was full of laugher and friends sharing in the excitement of each others accomplishments.  So often I read about guilds being described in a negative way and I think the owner of the quilting store that came to our show for the first time to be our Merchant Mall described us best.  She said that we were an odd or different guild in that we all really get along well together and have fun with each other!!!  I'm glad she saw that, we are definately a big family that loves to have a good time together ( even when I am being the 'pesky' little sister... right E).
I was totally exhaused by Saturday evening and since I had not seem much of my family in the last 4 days we just rented a movie, snuggled under a few quilts on the couch and relaxed all evening. 
So tomorrow I plan to get back to my longarm...it has been 3 weeks since I have touched it.  I have 8 quilts lined up to work in on this month and maybe one for myself.

Here are some pictures of our show that was held in our local community hall. The first two are the view from the stage.

Here is a shot of the new quilt frames that Lori's husband made for our show to hold baby and lap sized quilts.  The 12 black panels that I was frantically sewing days before the show turned out well.  I just followed Lori's instructions....1 1/2" seam on the sides, press and lots of pins...good advice!

Here is the view from behind our Merchant Mall looking towards the stage.  I have to give a big Thank You to Prairie Chicks Quilting for packing their mini van full of fabric goodies and traveling 6 hours to come to our show.  We do not have a fabric shop in our town anymore so we were seriously suffering from fabric shopping withdrawal.  They completed our show and I hope they will be able to join us again for our next show in two years.

I'm Back!

Spring break always means a trip back to my hometown of Winnipeg to visit family and friends.  It usually involves a lot of shopping trips aswell as the kids definately don't fit the clothes they wore last spring.  This time the shopping was a bit different as we have a family wedding this summer, my husbands brother is getting married in July so we had to find the boys suits.  Found a nice black suit in both their sizes and they were on sale!  I decided dress shoes for them would be a total waste of money and found some really nice black runners, I don't think anyone will notice or care. The boys are ushers and hubby is a groomsman so I am very excited to see my guys all dressed up.  I haven't seen Tim in a tux since our wedding!  And yes i did find a dress too. 
So no quilt pictures is posting, my machine is covered with the Baby Challenge quilts I judged before we left for holidays.  I didn't want to fold them up as the Quilt Show is this Friday and Saturday and I didn't want to fold creases into them.
This week is always a crazy week with preparations for the show.  I am sitting here with 26 m of black lining fabric to make 'sails' for our new quilt frames to display baby to lap size quilts.  Yes wish me luck on this project!