vine quilt

Here are my first few leaves sewn on my version of the Susan McCord vine quilt. This quilt is going to take a very looooong time to make. Thirteen panels, 89 inches long, filled with tiny leaves. It's lots of fun though and so very colorful.

I took the first few stitches in the airport waiting for my flight to Kelowna. My wonderful husband gave me the weekend "off" and I went for a visit to my parents. My brother was visiting from Toronto - it was a great weekend.
Once I started stitching on my first pieced leaf I realized I was going to have to do something different for thread. I couldn't find a thread color in my bag that would work for yellow and dark stripes in the same leaf. I talked my brother into going to the quilting store in Kelowna to pick up some silk thread. I had never used silk thread before and I am happy with how it is working. I know some people don't like using silk thread. I'm curious to know what you fellow quilters think about it.
Janet at Quiltsalott has done an amazing job of the pattern. Thanks Janet!!

Happy quilting!!

red and white project

This is one of my other new projects. Inspired by the fabulous show in New York - this one is for a red and white challenge I am doing with my guild. I wasn't going to post about it - I thought it was supposed to be a surprise when it was finished. But there are no such restrictions on this challenge. Happily, now I can ask for advice! This is the center setting square. I had so much fun looking through books of antique quilts getting inspiration for drawing this quilting design. I had even more fun drawing it. After much erasing I was ready to transfer it. Now I am stalled - in indecision about what to quilt in the space around the feathered design and the pieced blocks. Any ideas?? At least I have a plan for the border :0)

Here is the whole quilt. I was trying to keep it fairly small - I need to be finished at the end of May. I found the block on Barbara Brackman's blog a few months ago - she did a whole post about this block with lovely antique examples of it. I don't remember what it is called. They were very fun blocks to piece with all my scrappy reds.

I am trying out wool batting for this project. As I spread out the batt so the wrinkles could relax my eyes were burning and I was sneezing but now that it is sandwiched it's not bothering me at all. It is Hobbs wool. I certainly notice it is very puffy, I'm curious to see what it will be like when it is all quilted. It is a dream to needle and I will enjoy the handquilting on this project very much.

I am also trying out solid Kona fabric - this one is Kona snow. I really like it. I never sew with solids, my whole stash is prints. I am trying out Moda Bella solid for my trailing vines quilt. I have a few leaves prepped and hope to have some progress to share next week. Do you have a favorite solid fabric?

Happy Quilting!!

a new project

I have started a few new projects lately - yikes! Here is one of them. DD#1 knows that DD#2 getting a new quilt before she does is incorrect in the order of fairness. Not that I've finished the courthouse steps quilt yet :0) Anyway to keep everyone happy I have started a new quilt for DD#1.
She has chosen the color scheme and the pattern is from the May/June Quiltmaker magazine. So far it is all from my stash. I see that I might want to work in a little more variety of cheddar/golds and maybe some brighter yellows. I calculate that I will need 46 blocks so I'll be at this one for awhile! It's not my usual type of block. I don't like stitch and flip because of the waste. In this case I am stitching the cut off part into hst's and stuffing them in a ziplock bag. A blue and gold quilt with lots of tiny hst's is likely in my future :0)

Happy Quilting!!

back to Bird of Paradise

I am back to working on my Bird of Paradise quilt. I'll call this block done although all the cherries still need their stems embroidered.
The pink tablecloth is perhaps not dark enough but when laid out with the other blocks I like it ok. (the tablecloth couldn't be red because I had to have red apples :0) This is the last block I plan to make from the pattern. Now I need to get out my paper, pencil and several erasers to get drawing!