Almost there!!!

The quilting is finished!!! Now for the embellishment and binding race!!! Must keep working--but the early 4:30 mornings of loading hogs this week is catching up with me--must keep working!!!

Almost there....until Sunday....keep working....

Final Design Star Challenge Teaser...

Oh man....one week left--and I am almost there--next week will be quilting and finishing touches!!!

Opposites attract.....until next week!!!!

What to do with leftover strip piecing units...

Since I decided to strip piece the Frame by Frame quilt for Quiltmaker, I had several leftover pieces of the strips left--and since I couldn't leave them go to waste and I was really wanting to try the new 15 degree ruler by Creative Grids anyway this seemed like the perfect place to do it!!I purchased my ruler here.

First cut the wedges--a little tricky using a 25" ruler on my 22" countertop--so I layed the ruler horizontal--it worked but made cutting with the rotary a bit tricky.

My first plan was going to be just sew them together in a totally scrappy plan--but decided with only 4 yellow wedges I better have a semi plan--so layed them out on the design wall first and then pieced together. I will have to say that eventually the tiny little bottom becomes a great big lump of fabric--but then again maybe I wasn't quite as careful with my seam allowance as I could have been--this was a practice one after all!!

Quilted and bound with bias binding--how funny that it just wants to stand up at attention.

I recently broke down and purchased these binding clips for another project--and wow do they work amazing!!!

Finished product on kitchen table--wouldn't a jar of sunflowers look pretty with it?!?! Might have to do that today!!
Overall I see many possibilities for the 15 degree ruler and will try it again.

Quiltmakers Schoolhouse pattern tester...

As if I didn't have enough going on in my life--I answered a facebook request that the magazine Quiltmaker needed pattern testers. I sent in my photos and was selected as one of the eight testers. Too cool!!! Everything was supplied--right down to thread and postage!! All we had to do is cut, piece, quilt and bind the quilt--and if desired take any photos of the process.
We were given a list of preferred fabric choices and then the wait for the package...

Mine came in these warm country colors from Red Rooster--A year to crow about...

We were given the pattern and told to piece it how it worked best for us--the color placement was picked by Quiltmaker. I decided to strip piece the filmstrip portion --now that it is finished I am not sure if that was a speedier way or not--but that was my desicion at the time. Hence why all the scribbles on the pattern sheet--was figuring out how many whole or part strip set needed for each colorway.

Curious minds want to know why this happens??? Same fabric company--same collection--and yet the strips aren't even close to the same length!!!! Just wondering....

Since I cut the blue spacer strip on the lengthwise grain of the fabric there is little to no give in it--so I sewed with the strip pieced section on the bottom of the two. That way if there was a little extra in the filmstrip frame it could be eased into the correct size of the spacer strip.  Remeber the saying--Baggy to the Bottom and it will always work for you.

We were given "quilter's choice" option for the quilting. I chose to do an alternating direction spineless freehand feather in each block--working my way left to right across the frame and then right to left on the next row of blocks. Gives great texture and very quick and easy to do with a great custom feel to the quilting.

Finished product!! Overall this was a really fun experience and I highly recomend anybody to try it for themselves. The actual blog party for the magazine started yesterday--check it out at
Quilty Pleasures Blog to get the pattern.

Opposites Attract!!

Wow what an amazing McCall's Quilt Design Star 2012 contest has been!! I have learned many new things and stretched my designing skills to the max!! Who knows what the Lord has planned next!!!

The concept for Opposites Attract came pretty quickly--go figure--you never know how a design will come together. This one could have went in a multitude of directions--but I have my plan and I am sticking to it:):):)

I have worked ahead on my customer quilts and have a big chunk of time set aside now to get busy and sew!!! There may even be some hand stitching required for this one--and that doesn't count the binding.
Watch for more inspirations.....

Dresses through the Generations...

Have I ever told anybody how much I love my job?!?! Being able to hear all the stories that go with all the quilts that my customers bring me is the best part of any day in the studio!
This quilt is a joint-effort between twin sisters as a gift for their mother's birthday. I had to keep it a secret--now that she has received the gift I couldn't wait to share it.

This heartfelt gift contains pieces of the mother's wedding dress, the twin's wedding dress--that they shared and also pieces of the first confirmation dresses from the twins and their daughters. Needless to say I was a bit hesitant to start--didn't want to make any mistakes that would have to be ripped out and then maybe leave needle holes in the satin type fabrics.
The only request was for crosses and "Just do your thing and make it pretty!!"
After doing some serious thinking and praying...the "Love" chapter of 1Corinthians 13 was put on my heart to be the perfect starting point for the quilting designs.

Parts of this verse are quilted in the 2 horizontal sashing strips and the other sashings are filled with an up/down continous heart. Love the shadows they give on that satin sashing fabrics.

Each unit in the 9patch was given a unique quilting treatment to try and highlight each particular dress. Some needed feathers, or ribbon meanders, or echoing, or straight lines...whatever seemed best at the moment...

At least 2 units in each 9patch received a special design--either a feathered heart or a circled cross.
The feather spine was stitched using the heart template with my Quiltazoid as was the circle around the cross. All the feathers were freehand--and loads of fun!!
A few more photos--because there can never be enough inspiration...

"True romantic love seems to open a lover's eyes to see the loved one the way God sees that person--as extraordinary, priceless, like no one else ever created, as unique with an eternal identity."
                                                                                                   ---Ed Wheat