Design Wall Monday March 13

Happy Monday!!  Just when I thought my design wall couldn't get any more colorful, well I just added another layer!!  The Queen of the Nile from Pride and Joy Quilting is a new guest on the design wall as we gets started, just completely smitten with her!

I think I need a bigger design wall!!

But alas there is some custom quilting that must be done and it's a great wintery day to get that started.   But I will have the queen of the Nile peeking over my should as I quilt.

Did I tell you about my wonderful time in FL?  I spent two full weeks at Santa Rosa Beach with a friend who graciously and generously hosted.  We did watercolor (I painted people who actually look like people!!!), we made a small collage project, made some hearts for IFAQH foundation, some slow stitching on a project that I can't share or they will boot me right of the group and not look back, there was mediation at the ocean front almost every morning, some really good seafood, a quilt show, some thrifting, some shelling and the BIGGEST and BEST  fish sandwich I've had in life (and that's quite a few years....)  I now understand why people snow bird.  I just can't tell you the impact to my psyche with the sun shining, the greenery and the sound of the gulf coast, did my soul good!  I am definitely a midwestern girl, there's no doubt about that.  But finding a place to go that is sunny and warm for a month in the winter, is now on my todo list. Phew, time for vacation right?

this is what daily morning beach walk and meditation were like

Sunsets all different, all beautiful

Spreading some quilty love

I hope someone found and felt the good vibes coming their way

Cooper loved a morning walk and mediation too!!

Some slow stitching by the sea, this is a sharable project!

there were a few little sand creations found along the way

Shells, shells and more shells!!! what fun we went home with so many!

Peg Leg Pete's in Pensacola area  - hands down the best fish sandwich I have had in over 60 years!!  The grouper was amazing!

And there we are seeing Forest Williams at a local bar, the ladies were with were hot and everyone wanted to dance with them.  What a great time, thanks Kim!!

I did actually finish a couple things of my own.

My Squash squad is now complete!!  Yeah, she will be entered into the NSQG show in May.  She has a double bat, 80/20 with wool on top.  FMQ with 60 wt thread.

My first real collage (not counting the peacock).  I added a little yarn couching to this guy.  I started with some thread painting and that was taking way too long, so I stepped up my game and add some yarn.  Less than 2 hours to finish this little guy.  This will be my mini donation for the sale at NSQG show in May.  I hope he's not the last one there!!

Judy has a blog post on her Birds of Feather Quilt here. This quilt, I'll never make one but if someone wants to make one like this for me, we can trade quilt top for custom quilting.  I just absolutely adored this quilt and I hope she'll enter in a show.  Judy has more pics on her blog, check hers out too! She's got the story about the pattern and how this came about. It's a good one!

Don't forget to check out all the linky parties on the side bar. So much to be inspired by! Have a great quilty week!

A feather for you and a feather for you and a few other things.

 Oh 2023 has gotten off to a great start!  3 quilts on and off the frame.  I am in such a quilting groove right now.  And I have two more to finish by the middle of Feb so, I do hope the quilting Gods stay with me just a wee bit longer.  Want to see what I've been working on?   So many beautiful and different things.  This is the part where I feel very lucky to be a longarm quilter. I love the quilting part, the final icing on the cake.  I get to work on so many beautiful and creative pieces that I never in my wildest dreams would ever make.  But yet with the grace of the Quilting Gods above they cross my longarm and I feel ever so grateful to be a small part of these beauties....Ok so are you ready to see????

First up is Kim's New York Beauties, The stars are silk and the background is aboriginal fabrics.  I did a simple design in the middle of the stars, I wanted the silk to just shine through.  On the background I literally used the prints for the dense background quilting, quilting on the lines and then added the border.  I tried to pull some elements from the fabrics for the last border, but I think that silk, anything quilted on that would look amazing.

Next up was the first art quilt that I've quilted.  Kathleen's water lily pattern by Sandra Mollen.  I am so in love with this, I really need my own!!  Isn't that the hardest  part about being a longarm quilter? You want one of everything that goes on the frame! Hmmmm can't remember the last time I quilted on of my own....oh wait it was an edge to edge :)  Yes I digress here.  One day I will have my own quilt with some fancy stitching but in the mean Kathleen gets hers.  I have to admit I was a bit nervous, I have never quilted an art quilt before and I did love how Sandra Mollen quilted hers so I took that as inspiration.  This is all free motion, two layers of batting, quilters dream wool over dream orient. The fabrics everything, just in love with this

And finally a sampler quilt for Annemarie. The pattern is Portage Lake.  Is there such thing as too many feathers?  Oh I think not!  She likes feathers, I like feathers, there are lots of feathers.  One person commented there are feathers everywhere except on the Bird, lol!!  Samplers are fun and it's like a new quilt with every turn of the frame and this was no exception. This has two layers of batting as well, background quilting with 60 wt glide thread, the rest with 40 wt glide thread and too many rulers to mention!  Lot of free motion, lots of rulers, lots of fun.

Check out the linky parts on the side bar for inspiration!  So much out there.

Variegated Spools

 Jeanne does such wonderful applique.  I've tried a few different ways, and ugh mine looks like well maybe I should just say it doesn't look very good. So when I get a change to quilt with  exquisite applique, I enjoy every single minute of it and this was no exception.  The spools have so many different fabrics, it was fun to look at them all. But this baby is done!!

Variegated Spools - Laundry Basket Quilts - Pieced by Jeanne McGill

Some details on the quilt 

Pattern - a modified Variegated Spools from Laundry Basket Quilts (I love the two birds)

Batting - 1 layers of Quilters Dream 70/30 on the bottom, Quilters Dream Wool on top

Thread - Glide 60 wt top and bottom

Rulers - Quilted Pineapple 12 in straight, Julia Quiltoff small straight ruler, Quilters rule (no idea what the name of the ruler is but I use it ALL the time and Scully for the applique.  I start using Scully for applique at the beginning, then just use my hand on the quilt and my non dominant had to guide the machine (I can't explain it but it works!).  I the mornings I will start with Scully then switch.  He's great for going around irregular shapes but ya gotta go slow no matter what!!

Other - a fine line air erasable pen and  a sew line water pen to erase.   I marked the centers of the blocks between the spools for the feathers.  I mark a block, quilt, erase, move to the next one.   I do NOT mark for the straight lines , only for the center of the feathers.

Time - this one took between 18 - 20 hours and I believe I quilted everything before it came off the frame, hallelujah the quilting Gods were on my side this time!

Other findings.  I'm embarrassed to admit that I have over 700 hours of stitch time clocked on this machine and I have never changed the check spring.   I've been able to quilt but lately have been struggling with tension with threads that normally work just fine.  So I did it, I changed the check spring and everything about quilting changed! Wow, tension fixed right away and stay fixed.  Why did I wait so long and how is that you are suppose to be able to tell with your spring has sprung?   I mean hey if ain't broke don't fix it! How often do you change your check spring???

I've got some sweet little teacups up next.  It's a  little one, can I get it done in a day?  Shoot I don't feel like I can get anything done in a day!!

I may have an opening in Oct / Nov if you would like custom quilting.  I can always fit an edge to edge in between the custom quilts.  I'd love to quilt for you.  Just hope over to https://suedaurioquilting.com/ there's a form at the bottom to contact us, I'd love to quilt for you.

Lots of link up parties see the buttons on the side bar, so much creative goodness out there waiting to be shared.