Monday, September 29, 2008

Lillian's Quilt Top Finished

I just finished piecing the top of Lillian's quilt - Lillian's Quilt Top Finished and am working on the back of it now. (Lillian is our new granddaughter who was born August 16.) I am planning to make the back one large 9-patch square like the ones on the front, using the purple/black/red fabric in the border and one of the lighter red prints, then make a wide border of the purple used in the narrow border on the front. I am also working on a plan for the hand-quilting designs using a few extra blocks that I had. I've used a couple of purple fabrics that I used in her sister Reba's quilt which I think is fun to do. The pattern is "Glory Days" from Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting magazine, July/August '08 issue - I've just made mine more scrappy than theirs. I'm hoping to get the back pieced today, then I'll be ready to sandwich it. I've used spray basting a lot recently so think that I will use that for this quilt, but want to try it on my little sample first since I'm not sure how it will work with handquilting. I'm planning to use a new kind of batting - Quilters Dream Green. It is 100% polyester and is made out of recycled plastic bottles. I'll post a photo of the back when I get it done.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Quick Zip System questions

A couple of days ago a quilting friend of mine let me come practice some on her Gammill. I used some of the pantographs she has and also did a little free-motion quilting. I have several quilts in progress that I would like to try quilting on her machine, but we are wondering how to best do that when she also has quilts to do for a few customers as well as for herself, and she has another friend who also uses her machine some. We are looking into the Quick Zip System as a way to easily change out quilts that we are working on since we don't think any of us would necessarily be able to finish one in a single segment of time. Does anyone out there have experience, good or bad, with this system? Here are 2 links to a description of the system - KM Quilting Supply and Quilting Connection. Sounds like she would need to have a machine set and then each of the users would need a quilting set.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Fallen Leaves, Turning Twenty and GFG Progress

Last week I finally finished my Fallen Leaves wallhanging. Fallen Leaves wallhanging completed It is a tissue foundation pattern from Cindi Edgerton that was fun to do. I bought mine as a kit at Cottonwood in Charlottesville, VA - primarily because I couldn't resist the fabric that was in the kit for the border and backing. I searched online until I found more of it to save for another project. This is a project that I started last September when I bought the kit, then it languished while I worked on and completed other more pressing projects, mostlly for other people. I had even finished most of the quilting on it - just had to finish up some of the borders and bind it. Now I am looking for a special spot in our house for it to hang. I am pleased with the way the quilting turned out. I just used a regular foot and left the feed dogs up - I'm not ready to cut loose with free motion yet - and found that I was able to move the quilt around enough to to make the wavy lines thru the leaves. There was a lot of starting, stopping, and turning in the border but it is a good example of where I am now in my quilting odyssey.

The Senior Center group that I quilt with has finished the top of the Turning Twenty quilt Senior Center's Turning Twenty Quilt that we have been working on. We are planning to make the backing by using a lighthouse fabric in the center and a light taupe fabric surrounding it, since the recipient really likes lighthouses. I should have that pieced by our meeting next Wednesday, then we can begin sewing together the blocks we have for a 2nd one. These will be gifts for the director and assistant director at the Center - one of them knows who this one is for, but neither of them yet know about the other one, which is a pretty neat trick when both of them are usually there when we are meeting and working on them. Both of them are being made from fabric donated to the Senior Center, either by us or by other quilters in our area.

I am also continuing to work on my Grandmother's Flower Garden. This picture shows the progress to date - 4 rows of the 9 I expect to do will be done when I finish attaching the last flower on the left in the bottom row. grandmothers flower garden 34 plus I have laid out some of the fabrics I think I will use for the next row - the pink and green one is finished and the pink and blue one is partially finished.

We went to the Atlanta area again last weekend for a family wedding, a Braves game and to check in on some of the grandkids. I had time to make a quick stop at Tiny Stitches in Marietta where I met Melinda in person. I will definitely go back to that shop!