Fresh off the Frame

Yep that's right, Old Friends is off the frame, I couldn't be more excited!  I haven't trimmed it yet.  I'm still trying to decide if I can live with the invisible thread in the colored borders of the blocks or if I'll rip them out. I did use some of that delicious 60 wt Glide thread in the nine patches and the border squares.  I used a medium grey which blends in wonderfully in the medium colored squares, looks a bit dark in the light squares and a bit light in the darker squares, but I definitely like it better than the invisible thread in the border blocks.  I'm checking the back to see if any stitches need to be redone, you know the usual thing.  When ever I do a custom quilt I ALWAYS forget to quilt one area. I go over the quilt many time before it comes off the frame and just don't see it until I lay the whole thing out.   Still trying to find that spot as well, I know it's there!  I did try to take some pictures in the snow.  How do you take good pics in the snow?  I love them so much, but I always destroy that flawless blanket of white on my lawn with my big booted feet.  This was no exception.  It was a bit windy, sorry about the snow on the quilt, but there was no spot on in the house with an empty space big enough for this beauty.  Maybe I'll try again when there's less wind.

How do people take those wonderful pictures in the snow??? It was a bit windy and challenging to keep this on the ground

sigh, trampled snow

One big quilt

Just love a fresh off the frame quilt

Even harder getting the back outside - this almost ended up in the neighbors yard right after this shot. Big gust of wind go right under this big quilt and I was running after it!  What a sight

Yummy! that Cotton Sateen has a little bit of sheen and is just so soft

Specifics on this quilt -

• Size - 108x108
• Pattern Old Friends BOM - this was a free BOM from Calico Girls that started in Nov 2014, yep, that long ago.  But hey almost there now, trim binding, done. Ok I may get stuck on the binding for some time.....
• Batting - 2 layers, Hobbs 80/20 on bottom (I wish I would have used a black batting, but I used what I had since this was mine) Hobbs Wool on top
• Thread - In the grey back ground top and bottom - Dark Grey Bottom Line (there may be a shortage of this thread now :) - over 9000 yds of the stuff on this baby.  I used monoply invisible thread in the blocks.  I'm happy with it in the continuous curve of the sample blocks, undecided with the feathers in the borders of the sample blocks.  I also used the Glide 60 wt medium grey on the nine patches and the border colored squares - love that thread so far, can't wait to give it a spin in the bobbin
• Fabric - Backing is a dark grey cotton sateen, just love it.  The back ground is charcoal grey Kona solid. The colors were from a box of solids and some scraps, robert hoffman maybe, I had a box of 100 fat quarters, oh what fun that was!
• Lessons learned - when you haven't quilted for over a year and have the itch to quilt something crazy, try a smaller quilt :)

But wait.....that wasn't all, there's another finish, whaaaaat?  Yep two.  As I was trying to take pictures and checking the stitching on the Old Friends quilt, I put my lap size On Ringo Lake on the frame. This one, done in 5 hours! No custom quilting, no running out of thread, smooth sailing and done in a day. 

See how nice it fits with my green and blue living room

extra blocks on the back

Here fishy fishy, aren't these fun?

ahhhh, that's what I wanted

Old favorite couch quilt

New favorite couch quilt, just needs binding and to be broken in

Specifics for On Ringo Lake

• Size - 60 x 72  - pond size, gold fish pond size.
• Pattern - Bonnie Hunter On Ringo Lake
• Batting - Hobbs wool, had just enough left on the roll so I used it up, I feel special!
• Thread - Glide 40 Wt on top - marigold and Glide 60 wt in the bobble, I believe the name may have been gold fish, or maybe that's just want I wanted it be cuz it would have been perfect for the panto I choose
• Pantograph - Denise Schillinger - Gold Fish - this quilt is so busy that you'll never see the quilting pattern unless you use some crazy thread, which isn't my style.  So I decide to have a little fun and quilt some fish, seemed appropriate for On Ringo Lake!
• Backing - extra blocks and fabric and grey minky that was laying around.

Now, here's dear sweet April taking a nice little break that she so well deserves.  < big sigh>, with those two things out of the way, what will I do now? Well I'll get ready to return to work on Monday.  Went to the Dr yesterday and cleared to go back.  Old Friends will always be thought of as my recovery quilt.   Of course there are linky parties to fill that time and inspire us all, check out the side bar and have a great weekend!