Abstraction

This is a block-of-the-month project.  I presented the block to our guild.  My friend Pat won 12 blocks, and promptly gifted them right back to me.  I made 13 more at our retreat last fall, and finally got it all put together.  The pieced border is made from bonus triangles created by double-sewing the flying geese blocks.  The skinny red border and corners adds a little pop.  I only had to make 16 more half-square triangles to have enough to fit around the quilt.  The backing is black and white squiggly lines, and that same fabric turned out perfect as the binding also.  I did a cable in the large border, half circles in the red border, and line dancing in the pieced border.  I quilted a free-motion mock Baptist Fan pattern in the body.  I used a white/grey/black variegated thread that really adds to the "abstraction" of the quilt.  Sometimes you see it, sometimes you don't - depending on what thread color shows up on which fabric.  The completed quilt is 72" square.

 

 

 

mock Baptist Fan quilting

 

 

borders and binding

 

 

backing

 

 



Flower Patch

This was a quilt-along with Judi Madsen from Green Fairy Quilts.  The quilt uses a jelly roll and a layer cake from the same line, so all of the fabrics coordinate.  I chose Simple Marks, by Malka Dubrawsky, for Moda Fabrics.  I quilted the background pretty tight, so the flowers would pop.  I quilted a big loop and 2 hooks in the 4 petals of each flower, and a swirl in the middle.  The two focus flowers have leaves and daisy's in their frames.  The back is from the same line, and has a little bit of all of the other fabrics.  It's 60 x 77.   This was 1 of 3 quilts sold to a friend.  Her husband bought them for her 70th birthday.

 

 

focus flower

 

focus flower

 

 

 

quilting pattern the same on all flowers

 

 

daisy and leaves on focus flower border

 

 

leaves on focus flower border

 

 

backing

 

 

close up of backing

 

Surprise!

This was a ROW challenge in my guild last summer.  I made the top row, then 5 other members added rows.  It was all kept a surprise - you didn't know who was working on your quilt or what they were doing.  I provided the fabric and pre-cut sashings, then passed it along for others to work on.  So it was a complete surprise when it was returned to me.  I quilted line dancing and squiggly lines since each row was different.  The back is almost as much fun as the front as it's made from leftovers.  This quilt was made almost entirely from stash - the only fabric I bought was the cheddar.  Its 55 x 83.

 

 

line dancing

 

squiggle lines

 

 

 backing

 

 

 

quilting on back

 

 

                                                                   green area of backing

 

Dorothy's ROW Challenge

This is Dorothy's "Robin on a Wire" or ROW guild challenge from last summer.  She made one row, then 5 others added a row.  Dorothy added the applique's at the end.  Sunbonnet Sue has daisies in her dress fabric, and is holding a daisy, so I quilted daisies and some leaves all over the quilt, and outlined the three appliques.  I used a light green thread that blended well everywhere.  The backing is the same as the blue border fabric, with strips of leftovers from the front making a strip down the middle of the back.  The quilt is 50 x 64.

 

                                                                       Daisies and leaves

                                                                Sunbonnet  Sue applique

Pat's X's and O's Quilt

My friend Pat pieced this from all different fabrics.  No two of the coffins are the same.  The pattern is repeated sometimes, but always in a different color.   I quilted some connected hooks in the dark green border, and did the math to make them meet in the center.  In the body of the quilt I did line dancing, with a hook coming out from the corner of each coffin.  There is also line dancing in the setting squares, but it doesn't show well as the thread is an exact match.  It creates a great secondary pattern, and looks awesome on the back.  The back is two different fabrics.  The quilt is 67 x 82.

 

Close up of quilting

 

 

Hooks in borders

 

corner quilting pattern

 

 

quilting pattern show on blue backing

 

tan backing

Margaret's Flying Geese

Margaret bought this top and had me quilt it so she can enter it in our show in March.  I used a maroon thread in the borders and sashing, putting a paisley design in the borders to go along with the fabric, and diagonal loops in the sashings.  I used a grey thread in the geese doing loops with line dancing.  The backing is a batik that has most of the same colors in it.  The blue color is really a dark maroon that matches the front.  It's 56 x 72.

 

 

                                                            close up of quilting

 

 

 

paisley design in border

 

                                                                           backing

 

Fit to be a Hero

I did this as a quilt-a-long with Judy Laquidara at Patchwork Times.  It will find a home through the Quilt of Valor program after it hangs in our quilt show in March.  The entire top was made from stash - I only had to buy fabric for the backing - a light blue with navy, white, and red stars.  I quilted a medium meander in the dark outside border, feathers in the red and blue borders, and a squiggly line around the 1" squares in the middle border.  I spent a long time doing Baptist Fans in the body of the quilt.  A first time for me - I love the way they look, but boy do they take a long time!   I also made a matching presentation case.   This quilt finished at 66 x 82. 

 

 

borders
 

 

close up showing Baptist Fans



pillowcase

Backing - light blue with navy and red stars

 

 



Jelly Bargelly

Thanks to Deb Moffit at Sew Fun Fabrics in Chesterton for graciously teaching this class to just two of us.  Thanks also for the great lesson on mitered corners.  She helped me to cross two things off my quilting bucket list - a Bargello quilt, and learning how to miter borders.  I quilted diagonal lines in each little square which enhanced the curved effect of the piecing.  The border quilting was simply lines straight out from the piecing seams.  This is 55 x 82,  This quilt was awarded first place in our 2014 quilt show.

Mitered corner

 

quilting lines look curved

 

 

Quilt of Valor

Becky pieced this for me to quilt.  It's 60 x 70.  There are stars in the larger pieces, and straight lines in the spinning triangles.  The star border has feathers, the red border has wiggly zig zag lines, and the outer blue border has a meander.

 

two outer borders

red inner sashing

Stars

 



Charity Rag Quilt

This is another 36 x 48 rag quilt for the Comfort Quilts charity that my guild supports. 
The goal for this one was to use up the orange fabric! 

Wonky Wishes

This is a table runner and wall-hanging/table center piece made from Bonnie Hunter's pattern "Wonky Wishes".  These will be in the silent auction for my guild's show in March.  I did a simple meander in the colored sections using a variegated thread, and an 8-pointed star in the white sections.  The table runner is 12 x 24, and the other piece is 24 x 24.  There is a striped floral fabric on the back.

 

 

 

Quilt of Valor

This was pieced by Ann M. in Michigan.  We were paired as a team through the Quilt of Valor Organization.  It is a very simple pattern, but all of the fabrics come together to create a vibrant quilt.  The navy border pulls it all together.  I used a dark tan thread which blends with most of the fabrics, and put a star in each brick, with a squiggly line to connect them.  I added a small meander in the navy border.  It's 60 x 66

Random Bricks



Stars in each brick

Navy border - color didn't come out well in photo