Homework in Black and White

I have been quilting this week just haven't had much time to blog. Three quilts are waiting in the shack to be picked up but I don't want to post pictures until the owners have them in their hands.

It's been a busy few days with the guild retreat, sewing skirts with Lori for the school xmas concert, my son's birthday today and of coarse the online Quilt Whisperer class. Thought I would post some pics of my homework today. We have been learning to design quilt patterns as well as learn Carla's feathers. I am much better quilting these design than I am drawing so here is what I did tonight on black fabric. Just a note about quilting white thread on black fabric...it shows every little wibble and wobble. But surprisingly I like the high contrast and actually seeing the quilting on the fabric. I think I'm going to be bolder in my thread choices and patterns from now on. Let's see who's quilt is next...Eileen's. Hummm...which pattern should i pick for her???

Feathers and Roses

It is so nice to get back to the front of the machine. I still find custom quilting scary but once I get going that all disappears. So I quilted a bit of everything on my clients beautiful quilt. Cross hatching in the outer borders, feathers in the inner border, CC in the triangles and red squares and swirls in the sashing. The blocks have a free hand rose in the center and a flower with leaf/ribbon ( can't deside what it is but I like it) motif in the light fabric.

I thought I would also mention that I'm taking an online coarse called The Quilt Whisperer with teacher Carla Barrett. I have followed her blog for awhile and when Lori mentioned that Carla was offering an online class we both signed up. It's through the MQResourse site, I now have a link to it under my blogcounter.

Well I better go listen to my quilts now, they have been awfully quiet especially the guilds Birdhouse quilt, not even a peep out of that one yet.

Bush Berries

I still can't believe how different all the Mystery quilts are turning out. I think this the seventh one brought to me for quilting. My client chose the panto Bush Berries and it matches nicely with the fabric she used.

A good percentage of the quilt I have done in the last two months have been pantos and I am now feeling "Pantographed OUT!" Meaning time to get back to the front of the machine for some custom quilting. I just put a quilt on the frame that will get a good dose of cross hatching, feathers, and free hand work.

I was in a piecing mood this week and made 11 placemats and a table runner... just need to find time to quilt them now. Guess I better get my name on my list!

If You Bring A Quilt To Kathy...

She will probably give you a bag to take the quilt home in.
When you get home you will want to make another quilt.
So you'll search through your patterns
and find one you like.
When your done digging through your fabric stash you'll realize your one fabric short.
So you go online to your favorite fabric shop.
You'll find the right one and order it.
While waiting for the package to arrive you'll find a quilt top that you forgot all about.
You'll need it quilted.
And chances are if you bring a quilt to Kathy,
She will want to you bring it in the new bag she gave you.

First Quilt with New Batting

Here is the first quilt done with the Dream Cotton Batting I carry. What do you think? I am very happy with the results and it has a nice mid-loft look. This quilt belongs to a new client and this is only the third quilt she has made... all I have to say is WOW!! She did an amazing job for a beginner and she wanted an honest critique of her work. I didn't have a lot to say as her piecing was excellent, and it was press correctly but the only tip I had for her was how to piece her backing better and she appreciated that info.

I gave her one of my special gifts that I got in the mail that day and it even matched her quilt too! (There is one hint).

Bathing Beauties!

This quilt is made from a cute collection of fabric. These curvy gals look like there are having fun at the beach. My client said I could quilt anything on it so I did my free hand swirls ( waves) on the center of the quilt and free hand loops and flip flops in the pink border! My client thought the flip flops were tulips at first and if you look at them upside down the toe part does look like a tulip! Hey I designed a tulip pattern and didn't even know it!! Yay me.

My 'surprise' arrived in the mail today but maybe I'll wait until a few clients pick up their quilts with their surprise before I show it. After all it wouldn't be a surprise if I showed it to you here would it?

Snazzy Snowflake

Here is a clients snowman quilt and what snowman collector wouldn't want this to cuddle under. This is new panto called Snazzy Snowflake and i used an ecru thread.

When I quilt a panto I usually 'zone out' as I quilt and go to my 'happy quilty place'. Usually that is okay but with this panto, since you start the snowflake at the same place you stop, it can lead to quilting the snowflake twice! (Which I did twice.)

Hockey Quilt

A very lucky little boy, who loves to play hockey, will be receiving this quilt. My client saw this wonderful hockey fabric in a quilt store window but the store was closed. Upon returning to the store front with a camera to take pictures of the fabric the store owner opened the door to let her in to shop. Now that is great service and she was very lucky!

I used the Fasination panto and used medium grey thread.

THE BATTING IS HERE....

...well most of it. I did order a roll of Quilters Dream Blend Batting, it is a 70/30 blend on a 121" wide roll, but it is back ordered ( and it's the one I really need NOW). So what I do have is Quilters Dream 100% Cotton batting in Twin ( 92"x72"), Double ( 96"x 92") and Queen ( 108"x92"). I also have two Queen size Dream Wool batts. I"ll bring a price list to the next guild as I do not want to post prices on here. These batts are not just for my longarm customers but all the local quilters since we are without a fabric store. Call or email me if your interested in any batts and I'll put your name on it.

Here is where they are stored, in my hubby's train room, as my shack is too small. He was very kind to share some of his space with me under his train layout and as you can see there is a lot of room to stack a few more boxes and maybe a few more rolls...right honey!

Here is a close up of the label if you want to read all about it.
I have not used this batting yet and will let you know what i think once it has been on my frame. Quilters Dreams does have a thicker cotton batt called Deluxe so i'm hoping to order a roll of that in the future to try too.

Quilt of Valour

This quilt is the North Star Quilt Guilds next Quilt of Valour that will be given to a wounded Canadian soldier. I feel this project is a wonderful way to let our soldiers know that we appreciate all they do and that they are in our thoughts. I offered to quilt all the QofV quilts for our guild free of charge as it is a project I want to support. The guild members have been making the leaf blocks for a few months now and they are a great way to use up your scraps. I haven't even made a dent in my scrap bin but if I keep digging into it each month it might eventually.

The panto is called Maple Syrup, it has a very Canadian feel so very appropriate for this project.

Vintage Fabric Quilt

Have you ever been to a Quilt Show when you heard someone say " I just don't understand quilters. They take perfectly good fabric and cut it up into little pieces and sew it back together". Well here is a quilt for those people as every once in awhile a quilter will come across a wonderful piece of fabric that they don't want to cut up into little pieces. This is a really cute piece of fabric and I just have to point out one square, you can see it in the close up. It is of the two little girls throwing horseshoes (IN the house)and they are throwing them towards the peg where the little boy is sitting...humm I hope they have good aim!

This is Sandra's quilt, I used a panto called Happy Times and ecru cotton thread.

Poor Pumpkin

OH NO!!! I woke up this morning to find that my pumpkin over did it with the candy and pop last night. Poor pumpkin.

*giggles*

Black Stack and Whack

I apologise for the poor quality of these pictures (the color is not right) but the weather hasn't been cooperating. The best way to take a picture of a quilt is to turn off overhead lighting and not use a flash. For me the best time to take picture of quilts is late in the morning when the sun is not shining directly in though the window but is bright out. The sun has not been shining here lately.

This quilt belongs to a member of our local guilds and she is known as the 'Queen of Stack and Whacks". Can you guess who? She suggested to me to just put clients initials as she enjoys trying to figure out who's quilts I'm posting.

I'm getting much more comfortable with my new cross hatching rulers but they are time consuming. I did CC in the Irish chain and pinwheels and a ripply water effect in the black background.

Happy Halloween!

I love making Halloween costumes. My son was going wear his older brothers grim reaper costume ( you know the one all the grade 6 boys wear since all there friends are wearing them and they don't want to be different ). Anyway I was able to suggest something more original for Daniel as he hasn't quite hit that stage yet. First he wanted to be R2-D2....and when i showed him some pictures of what i could make he thought they were too babiesh. Okay, next....he wanted to be a Lego Minifigure ( the lego people) but specifically Boba Fett from his Star Wars lego sets!!! Okay....NO... so next i suggested a lego brick and he thought that was great and I thought that was a realistic costume to make. So seven coats of paint later...TA DA.....a red Lego brick!! I even painted the back to look like the bottom of the brick.
Can you believe this is my baby that I brought to the guild xmas party 10 years ago!!

Batting Available Soon!!

This is my friend Eileen's Mystery quilt and she used the same layout on hers as I did on mine.

I have been ordering new pantographs to keep up with all the Mystery quilts I have been getting as I want them all to be quilted differently. This panto is called Clematis and I used a blue varigated King Tut thread on the top and navy So Fine on the bottom.
If you look carefully on the backing picture you can see a lot of white batting fluff, I think the batting was Bamboo and I find it is very linty and beards through the backing. Not a fan of Bamboo eventhough it feels very nice to the touch.

And speaking of batting I just placed my first order for Quilters Dream Batting today and will let you know when it arrives. I should have a list made for my local guild members soon with the types and sizes of batting I can order and prices...I have to wait and see what the shipping cost is before I can say what the final price will be.
This isn't my surprise thought.....that is on backorder!! Have to wait a few more weeks for that.