Final Finish of 2018 - 3 vintage beauties

What a perfect end to the year.  When I was quilting these, I looked at the fabrics and would love to know their story.  Did she have a stash of fabrics waiting to be cut up.  Did she have a scrap plan and storage?  What tricks did she have for cutting all those pieces with scissors.  What we should think about the stashes that people have these days and the quilt stores with all the different fabric lines.  What would she think about a rotary cutter?  And then as I was quilting, more the endless chain quilt, I wondered what she would think about the machine quilting, the longarm quilting that is done these days.  These quilts transported me to a different time where quilting was done in a much different way.  I bet they never even thought about completing a quilt in a day! These are Mary Ann's quilts, I" was so honored to be able to quilt them.  Her grandmother left these in her hope chest.  Mary Ann remembers sitting by her grandmother while she was cutting all the pieces and asked her what she was making.  Her grand mother responded with "oh something special".  Well these are special indeed!!  She had these three finished for her children, each gets one.   She has two more tops that we are hoping at least a part of them can be salvaged.  She donated a few tops to the Palmer House here in Crystal Lake as she didn't know what to do with the tops.  I will definitely stop by to take a look  at those beauties.  I think now she wishes should would have saved them.  They are all treasures and she was very generous to donate them.  At one time she said she tried to sell them at a garage sale.  I told her she needs to call me first before she does that again!! She said she definitely would.  Now she knows what to with them,  and they hold a special place in her heart.  I'm certain they will hold a special place in the hearts of her children as well.

Now what do we know about these quilts...The first one is an endless chain, just gorgeous with the yellow centers and the red fabrics just pop right off the quilt.  There are a couple of fabrics that are the same but different colors and it did made me wonder what the fabric lines were like back then and  how quilters stored the extra scraps.   I didn't do any marking on this, I just didn't even want to take a chance on the marker not coming out.  I used one ruler, Linda Hrcka's #15 curve.  Just did point to point no marking, free motion fills in the triangle.  It looks like big flowers after quilting.  I was hoping there would be more of a circular secondary pattern, but I'm pleased with how it turned out.  Batting is Hobbs 80/20.  Thread was king tut on top, bottom line in the bobbin

hobbs 80/20 batting

Linda Hrcka's #15 curve for everything, just point to point didn't want to take a chance on marking

King Tut ivory on top

The pink and blue postage stamps quilts are wonderful. That pink has just a tiny hint of purple to it, I am quite smitten with that sweet little thing. On this I used a digital edge to edge.  Baptist Fan from Three Sisters Quilting.  I love a baptist fan on a vintage quilt.  I have got to make my own quilt (or find one of those great deals at second hand/antique shop) and quilt a baptist fan on it.  Batting is hobbs 80/20 thread is permacore quilters on top, bottom line in the bobbin.  Cotton sateen on the back is so soft!

Hobbs 80/20 batting on all three

Permacore med grey thread on top

oh the different fabrics!!

All of these are hand pieced.  In a previous post I gave the link for a video by Jamie Wallen on machine quilting hand pieced tops.  Definitely worth a watch.  After laying down the batting, place a layer of muslin on the batting, baste it down, then place your top on the muslin and quilt as normal.  This not only gives the quilt a bit of sturdiness, but if anything happens with the seams, the batting is in tact and you can simply hand sew any areas of concern.  It made a world of difference doing this.

all three have a layer of muslin between the top and the batting

Donna Tyra on the Quilting Facebook group posted these picks, she let me repost them here as well.   She found hers at an Antique Fair.  Oh how I wish I could find one of these!!

Well as you can tell I thoroughly enjoyed these sweet little quilts and haven't made much progress on Good Fortune quilt, but I may be able to get some time in tomorrow, strings will go fast and I'll catch up before you know it.

good fotune moving slowly

I wish everyone a very Happy New Year and all the quilty goodness your heart can hold in 2019!  Don't for get to check out the linky parties on the side bar.  See you in 2019!

Dennielle's Yankee Diary - fresh off the frame

Sigh.....big Sigh Christmas shenanigans are done!!  Loved every minute with my crazy family.  Individually they a bundle of energy each, get them in one room and it all grows exponentially!  It was a wonderful day.  I was able to sneak down to the long arm and get a few stitches in before everyone got here.  Pulled off this beauty from the frame.

This is Dennielle's Yankee Diary, you can find her on Facebook at Louanna Mary Quilt Design and on Instagram Denniele Bohannon.  The pattern is Barbara Brackman Yankee Liberty - it was a block of the month in 2017 you can find it here.  I love what Dennielle did with the border, that ribbon of stars, pushes that quilt way over the top

Now take a good look at this quilt, what do you see?????  Ha,  I did NOT quilt it to death!!  Nope I didn't Dennielle wanted the grid in the background and I added the bead board to complement the grid, then very very simple quilting in the blocks.  I love the dark blue background with the red, white and light blue piecing - a joy to be able to quilt this.  But for some reason when I quilt a bit less densely, the machine moves so slow. I don't know why, but I do so unbelievably slowly when quilting less.   It's like I have to stare and consciously tell myself, "no thread in that spot, no thread there, nope thread doesn't go there...." and until I mentally go through all this, I can sew more than a stitch or too.  I caught myself doing this at least 10 times.  I'll just need to practice a bit.  I have 2 quilts in queue that need a bit less  quilting.  Practice, practice, practice!

Details and tools of the trade used on this quilt 

• Batting - two layers, hobbs 80/20 and hobbs wool
• Thread - Bottom line in the bobbin, Glide navy and king tut in the bloccks (40wt)
• Rulers - for the cross hatch in the center I used all Linda Hrcka Rulers - 15 x 2 inch, the smaller 2 x 5 for the bead board, and the #8 and BFF for the curves in the piecing.  I only used a fine white chalk pencil.  I didn't want to use anything else, I was really afraid of the dark blue! I didn't want a drop of water getting close to that one!  But the chalk pencil is just fine.  I have an air compressor in my  studio that I use to blow off the chalk.  Not the canned air, that at times can have some condensation which I just didn't want anywhere near this quilt

I did finish one other small quilt, but it's a secret project, now pictures quite yet!!!  Next up I've got a couple of edge to edge quilts - look at this vintage beauties - I'm going to place a piece of muslin under the top (Jamie Wallen has a video this How to quilt a hand pieced quilt) and I'll be giving this a try.

I hope to have a couple more steps of Good Fortune completed by Monday's link up.....still only three clues done and clue 4 cut.  Oh and wouldn't it be nice if I finished these beauties????  The fabrics on them are really something and there's a great story to go with these too!

I hope everyone has  a very safe and happy New Year - may it be filled with all the quilty goodness you desire!

Adelina's emotionally charged quilt - Hope

I finished Adelina's quilt this week.  It's everything a quilt should be, beautiful colors, wonderful pattern and filled with so much loved.  I just want to take a couple of minutes to tell the story of the quilt and I hope you will be as moved by me. This quilt was made by Adelina for a young woman named Abby.   Adelina's known Abby for a very long time, her son went to grade school with Abby's brother and the two of them are still friends.  Abby's a senior in high school, she's active in school, runs cross country plays on the volleyball team.  A young woman ready to plunge into adulthood.  Do you remember being a Sr in High School? You knew your life was going to change, you may have been so excited or a little afraid to go to school, start a job, but life as you knew it was full of possibilities and all you had to do was choose and go after it.  It 's a great time of life.

Abby however received some news that put a little bump in that road.  She has leukemia.  She is strong, she has a wonderful support system with her family and friends.  The young woman will go to Chicago for Chemo treatments then stop back at school for volleyball practice or what ever is going on and be with them.  Even if she can only practice for a few minutes being with her friends and team members gives her strength,  I've never met Abby, but I can tell you while I quilted this quilt, I cried, I prayed, I respected her and I hope that God will watch over her, protect her and heal her. Hope is what I felt for this young woman.

Adelina wanted her to know the love of her friends and made this very unique signature quilt.  It's a brilliant idea!  She took it to school and some friends and team mates signed it.  The love  that was written truly touched my heart.  Tissues' were always close by when I quilted this one!!  She knew there were still more to sign so we decided to place a ribbon in the blocks that had no signatures at this time, When the quilt was completed, that would give a great place for friends and family to sign.  One person drew a heat in a corner. As soon as I saw that I knew which ribbon to use, this ribbon is from Sweet Dreams Quilt Studio, Amber.  That was the inspiration for how the rest of the quilt would be quilted.

Details on the quilt - Bottom line in bobbin, in white and black areas.  Glide 60wt a medium grey in the color blocks. I knew there was going to be a lot of quilting so I wanted a thinner ,softer thread.   Quilters Dream Wool batting - oh my, there is no batting as soft as quilters dream.  This is why the puff is so yummy on this quilt.  I purposely didn't quilt a  lot where there were signatures.  You can feel the quilting and you can feel when there isn't quilting and I wanted he to be able to feel where people signed, like little hugs from those that love her and care for her.  This quilt is a big one, it took about 20 hrs to complete the quilting just meandering feathers, leaves, hearts.  The backing is super soft sateen, I think that is my very favorite backing, just love it!!

So that's the story of this quilt, of this amazing woman who pushes to beat this disease and return to the brilliant future ahead of her.  Abby I wish you all the best and in the inspirational words of Adelina "The best view is after the hardest climb" .  As so many have said, be strong, know you are loved, know you are protected and God is watching over you.  I pray this quilt wraps you in love and warmth and helps to ease the pain.  Your actions of strength left me with overwhelming Hope.  Thank you.

Please check out all the linky parties on the side bar, so much inspiration out there!

Well I'm getting caught up almost.....3 clues done, 4 should be done before Santa arrives!

Wishing every one a bright and Merry Christmas, however you celebrate!

Hexie Quilt done

Well Becky's big beautiful girl is done!  I love the back as much as I love the front.  So sad to see her go (lol, she's still sitting in the box in  my living room).  I went over that quilt three times, top and botton and thought I found all the items that I missed.  I *ALWAYS* always, find something I missed on custom quilting after I take it off the frame (this is why I don't put thread away first).  This is also a large part of the reason I do take a lot of pictures, it helps you find the small spots that you missed.  I have a quilt (my picnic quilt) that I found and entire half square triangle not quilted (it was a nine in block!). The fabric were so busy you couldn't tell.  I still haven't fixed that one.  But I did put Becky's quilt back on the frame to fix that one little spot.  I should have taken a picture of how I did it.  Lucky for me it was the corner.  The magnet that I have don't work all that well with double batting.  So I simply pinnd about 18 inches of the background to the top bar.  Bot the quilt tight enough over the lower bar and stitched the remaining area.  Worked like a charm and I didn't have to load that huge quilt again.  There would been a wee bit if swearing in the studio if that were involved. But we were able to keep it clean

See that little square that wsn't quilted?  Well it's quilted now!!

Here you go the last pictures of Becky's Baby, she really needs a name, I feel like I know this sweet thing so well!!  There is a little bit of sadness (not the right word but, the right word is escaping me currently) when you finish a project that is  so big and takes so long.   Yes you take it off the frame and do a happy dance because it's done and almost like the pictures in your heard.  After the rejoicing  you realize it's time to start a new one and that brief moment,like when you say good bye to a friend that you've enjoyed seeing sets in.  I hope Becky loves the texture of the new quilt and how the back looks like a flower garden.

love love love the texture

Here's some fun facts on this quilt

2 layers of batting - Hobbs wool and Hobbs cotton
7000+ yards of 3 different shades of blue - So Fine thread top and bottom
over half a billion hand guided stitches ( that's a lot of stitches)
size 105 x 120
In 8 hours I could complete 3 rows including staring, ripping stitches, marking, thread changes etc. and then another 8 hours at the end going over it from top to bottom to find those darn places where I missed

Total quilting time - there were 14 rows - I"m putting it at 50 hours.  it might be a little high, I was going pretty fast on the second half.  But it's a good learning opportunity in pricing.  Stitch in the ditch and pearls always bring things to a screeching halt.

I think I love the back as much as the front

This color palette is wonderful

Good bye Big Girl, I"ll miss you!  Thanks for letting me quilt for you Becky.

Next up is a signature quilt for Adelina.  This will be custom but no stitch in the ditch and mostly free motion.  I have a little computerized quilting that will go in this one.

There was one incredibly bright point in the week, remember those cute Ho Ho blocks that were the lottery blocks for the quilt guild?  I WON!!!!!  I was so excited.  14 of those of beauties.  I'm going to make 15 more.  And something even more exciting, Miles (6 year old grand son) wants to help make them!  What, are you kidding me?  No, no, this is not a joke, he really wants to help.  If he want's to help with just one or all 16 he can help.  I think he likes the black the 301, maybe the green 301.  But looks right past the feather weights.  Which ever machine he wants to you is what we will do. So excited about that!

I can't wait to have Miles help me with the remaining blocks.  I think he may have his eye on the long arm too!! Oh may would that be heaven or what?

Just to show that I don't have to quilt everything to death (Although I must say Beck was enabler with the last one) Here's a quick little thing that has an edge to edge.  The pattern came with the machine, now sure what the name its but really fits nicely with the geometric fabrics.  The quilt is called Vast and is 18 in HST.  I love quilts from big block!

Vast Quilt

Hobbs 80/20 batting, So Fine thread light grey

Take a look at the linky parties on the side bar, so much to be inspired by, go spread some linky love.  Have a great week!