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.

Let the Stash Building Begin

I can now offically say I love dyeing my own fabric. Why?  Maybe it is the science geek in me that enjoys the measuring, mixing, and stirring while wearing gloves and a mask.  Or the excitement of discovery when you pull the fabric out of the dryer and run to the ironing board to view the colors and textures at there best... when freshly ironed.  Or is it the ever growing rainbows of fabric filling up my fabric bins :)  I would say all the above.

So here is what my 20 metres of white fabric looks like now.  Lori and I have been working together, she finished the rest of our 5th Rainbow last night so I don't have those samples yet.  If your wondering were Rainbow #4 is, it is a combination of rainbow 5, 3 and 2.  We plan on making 12 rainbows with 12 fabric with 7 dyes.  Organization and charts are the key to the planning since we are at the stage were you only need to make 4, 6 or 7 new fabrics to create a new rainbow.  Are you confused yet??  Don't worry we know what we are doing...*pauses and thinks*...yes we definately know what we are doing!

Quilt of Valour Number Two

Here we go, the guilds second Quilt of Valour is finished so we are good for the show.  It just needs the binding and I have a guild member that has volunteered to do that.  She is busy putting the binding on the blue Quilt of Valour right now so thank you Lorna!   

On Saturday I started judging the Baby Challenges and WOW they are all so good!   Think it will be down to really minute details to separate first, second and third.  I have the last 4 to judge today.  I must admit I am really enjoying writing the critiques and I hope everyone who participated will find this to be a positive experience.   One thing I enjoy about quilting is that you are constantly learning something new and I hope that the participants will come away from this experience with that feeling.

Blue Quilt of Valour

My order from Fabric Depot with the backing fabrics for the guilds two Quilts of Valour arrived and I was finally able to start working on them.  My goal after the guild meeting this week was to finish these two quilts so they can be displayed at the quilt show at is only three weeks away.   I have the second one on the machine right now and should have it done this weekend.  That leaves me next week to start judging our Baby Challenge quilts. 

Yesterday we woke up to about 8" of snow on the ground....so much for our spring weather!

Sunshine and Melting snow....ahhhhhh!

Spring doesn't officially arrive until Saturday but I sure am enjoying this usually warm weather.  Still lots of snow on the ground here but it is melting fast and perfect snowman weather.  That inspired me to finish one of my own projects in time for our quilt show next month.

I quilted this one on my Janome and to my surprise...I thought I forgot how to quilt!   Quilting on my longarm is so different from my domestic machine so it took me a few minutes to 'warm up' again!  But it all came back and I had fun quilting the background on this one.  Last week the Pieceful Kwilter had posted a picture of 'topo' style quilting and I just loved how it looked.  So here is my first effort.

 

Pinwheel Quilt

My client brought me this traditional pinwheel quilt and I used my Belladonna panto with white thread.   If I had girls I probably would have made quilts like this for them... but I have boys and I don't think they would appreciate it!  Guess I just might have to make one for myself.

King Size Mystery Quilt

Here is another Mystery quilt from our guild that my client made in the King size version.  I can imagine all the guild members looking at this one wondering why it looks different.  This is again another example of just how different this Mystery quilt can be put together.   I won't tell you this was because of a piecing error during the constructions of the block because it wasn't an error... it was just creative piecing!!  Look how great it turned out.

I also trying something new this time and that is panto the center and quilt a separate border.  I really like how it worked out and will recommend this more often now that I have tried it.  Don't know why I haven't tried this sooner.

You have to show you the backing on this quilt too, it is gorgeous and shows off the quilting nicely too.