Hello friends. I'm happy to say I'm feeling more and more like my 'old' self and today I have all things quilt related to share with you.
Last month my friend Jackie and I met down at my mom's house for a little quilt retreat of our own. Even tho Jackie has sewn clothes since Jr High just like me she had never made a quilt before. My mom shared some of her batiks and Jackie made this lovely rendition of a five and dime lap quilt.
That's about the nicest 'first quilt' I've seen! Liz from Scottie Dog Quilts did a great job machine quilting it for us. Now I just need to get it in the mail to her so she can proudly drape it over the back of her own couch :-)
While there we got to attend to 2012 Best of the Valley Quilt Show. I was really 'wowed' by so many of the quilts. I didn't take a camera but snapped a few to share with Jackie's phone.
This one was overall fabulous but the quilting was incredible which is why I took it up close and didn't get a shot of the entire thing. Do enlarge the pic and see what I mean!
At a glance, without enlarging this one, one thinks, "Wow! Good job on the stained glass effect!" But when you enlarge it, and look at the back of it in the next photo, it's the machine quilting that makes it an absolute OMG!
Here's another one, that I completely forgot to even shoot the front because I was so mesmerized by the quilting which you can see better from the back.
And one more, that really boggles my mind in it's perfection. Apparently the maker took a class on how to put this together.
We all had a great 3 day weekend together and I think we should make it an annual event!
Speaking of being able to really appreciate the machine quilting from the back--Last month I decided to start working through my drawers full of unfinished quilt projects. I pulled out this pretty quilt that I'd started 3+ years ago. I believe it was a Lakehouse fabric line (hard to remember when you cut the selvages off everything!).
Come to find out, the entire top was done, just waiting for me to put a backing together and get it quilted. I took it to Angie, who does really amazing work, but I think I 'wasted' her talents on this particular top because it's just so busy and you can hardly see her work.
Well, at least you can see it on the back!
As I was sifting through those drawers yesterday I came across a sketch for 'triple irish chain' that I believe I used to make this, but again--the fabrics together are just so busy (didn't use enough contrast I suppose) that who can tell?
I have to say I was pretty proud of how I mitred those scalloped corners just right. I believe I started this top when I first came up with the idea to raw edge finish a scalloped edge.
I thought the technique would be perfect for it, but now that it's all said and done I think a red gingham bias tape finish would be better. I don't have it in me tho. I honestly don't even know what to do with it now...wait til someday I or someone I love (a lot)can use it in a guest room I guess.
Oh, here's a funny. Scroll back up to the outdoor full on shot of this quilt....and then look at this
Was John's idea to snap the 'before and after'. Silly man. ;-)
So now I'm working on this--
As you can see I have a whole 'nother TUB of fabrics to sift through for it now, compared to the little box of scraps I started it with 4+ years ago. I still love paper piecing and i'm REALLY happy that I'm back into the sewing swing of things.
Okay, if you're still with me I appreciate the attention! I'll close with a funny grandchild story. 4.5yo Madison comes over and spends Mondays with me. This week she tapped on the bathroom door as I was getting out of the shower and she said, "Can I come in Grandma? I promise I won't laugh at you." :-O Jaw dropped at her maturity and still dripping wet I tiptoed into the dining room to grab my camera and snapped this pic of her getting ready for the day.
How utterly colorless our lives would be without these little people in them!
