More completed projects!

Like most quilters, I have quite the stash of fabrics.  Most are fat quarters, some yardage that was purchased just because, lots of pieces that were leftovers from other projects.  Any time that I make a project using from my stash, I feel like it is a freebie, because I didn't spend any money specifically on that project!

"In the Meadow" table runner was one of those projects!  All the fabrics, batting, and threads were in my stash!  Jana Davidson of Turnberry Lane Patterns created this beauty!  I had the embroidery done on this one, I just needed to make the blocks, put it together, quilt, and bind.

This was a workshop project from a Laura Wasilowski workshop sponsored by Decatur Quilters Guild a few years ago. I had it all done, except for a bit of thread work, quilting, and binding.

I felt like it needed some detail between the center and border.  I had used a scalloped rotary cutter to create the edge of the border, but couldn't think of a hand embroidery stitch that I could accomplish that would adequately accent it.  Then it struck me that I could use a heavier thread and machine stitch an accent!

In my thread stash I had a spool of Wonderfil Spagetti thread (12 wt) that I had purchased when Susan Cleveland had taught at our guild several years ago.  It was the perfect color!  It is the turquoise thread on the left.  The middle thread is Superior Threads Magnifico (40 wt), which I used to quilt the border.  The right thread that is crossing over is Superior Threads Kimono Silk (100 wt), which I used to do the echo quilting in the body of the quilt

. Using the Spagetti thread and the double needle on the left, I created a double line of stitching around the scallops on the inner edge of the border.  I felt like it needed a bit more.  I experimented with some decorative stitches, but didn't like the look.  I decided on just doing a zigzag stich in the double line.  Sometimes simpler has a bigger impact.

I was experiencing major tension problems doing the zigzag.  I was using a #100 Topstitch needle.  Despite any tension changes made on the top, I was getting erratic skipped stitches.  Then I remembered that I could change the bobbin tension by threading the bobbin thread through the bobbin finger.  Voila!  That was the answer!

Recent projects

I am going to try to be more regular with my blogging.  I have worked on lots of different projects over the past few months, and I hope to share in the future the ones that haven't been given away.

Last week our local guild hosted Millie Sorrells.  Millie is an award winning quilter, with several quilts in the National Quilt Museum.  She is the sweetest person you could ever meet.  She reminds me of my Aunt Zola.  I got to be a quilt holder for her trunk show...I can't believe I didn't get drool over them!  The quilting on them is drop dead gorgeous! I didn't get any pictures from the trunk show, unfortunately, but check out her website to see her talent.
The next day she taught two half day classes.  The morning hand quilting class was full, and I didn't take it.  In the afternoon, she taught Machine Trapunto.  This I took, and thoroughly enjoyed the class.

Here is Millie and I with my class project.  I did get the center trapunto piece done in class.  Most of the class did.  For my family, you can see why she reminds of Aunt Zola (my Featherweight is named after her).

This is my completed project.  I used wool batting, so the hearts in the border almost have a trapunto look to them!  I used Superior Kimono 100wt silk thread in the borders, and used the BSR (Bernina Stitch Regulator) for the quilting.  I reduced my stitch length to 1.5 and it gave me a great result.

I also finished up this little gem yesterday.  I had pieced it at a recent Sewing Saturday with the Material Girls.  The pattern called for hand embroidery.  I chose to do machine embroidery instead. 

A quilting challenge!

The day started normal enough.  Drinking my coffee, and checking on my friends on Facebook.  One of my friends, Teri Lucas, said she was awaiting the mail for a special package.  Turns out she was waiting for a delivery of Robert Kaufman Radiance.  I mentioned that I had found some in my sewing room while doing a reorganization.  Teri challenged me to make something out of it.  I accepted the challenge!

I considered making some piecework, as I had just watched a Sally Collins' video yesterday on precision piecing.  Then I thought about doing a crazy patch.  But what I really think of when I see Radiance is how beautiful it looks quilted!

I could have done a simple feather wreath, but I wanted to do something different.  I mean, if it is a challenge, it should stretch your abilities.  So I searched my Quilting Designs and found this design!  Perfect!  So I did a practive piece on muslin, with turquoise Isacord thread.  Started to add some thread painting details.  Yeah!  That's a good touch

So I created this!  But this wasn't Radiance, it was a piece of cotton sateen.  Not the same.  And although you probably couldn't tell it over the net from the picture, I would know that it wasn't Radiance.  So although it was great practice, it was back to the drawing board.

Taking inspiration from my favorite coffee mug, I drew up this design.  I wanted to add the snail, because I know how to stitch 'em!

Sorry for the sideways picture...grrr!  So this is done on a light brown piece of Radiance.  Superior threads of King Tut, Kimono silk, Rainbow, and one YLI.  I think the drawing looks better than the actual execution.  But it was fun!  I used a wool batting, which gives it a bit of loft!

So, the moral of this story is, sometimes it pays to just keep your fingers off the keyboard rather than adding your two cents worth!  Have a quilty day!