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!