almost over

Do you reflect back on the past year?

Do you like to look forward to the new year with hopefulness?

 I do.

I did not make as many quilts this year

but

I think my longarm quilting has improved greatly.

Still learning a few tricks of the trade but happy and pleased at where I am right now.

 

There was a lot of sickness and death in

my life this past year and hopefully everyone will

be better this coming year.

 

This will be my first project for the new year

 

This top is huge 85X103.

This was made by a friend of mine.

She needle turned the applique.

I think the pattern is Mexican Rose or Mexican Flower, something like that.

Does anyone know?

She does wonderful work and she ask me to quilt it for her.

I have made some drawings and marked a few spots and now I am waiting for backing.

She had backing, but I don't know if this has ever happened to you, she prewashes all of her fabric (not me) when she washed and dried her backing it shrunk 5 inches!!!

5 inches!

I've never seen that before.  This was not big box store fabric,

this was name brand quilt shop fabric.

5 inches.....so it was too short for the quilt. 

 Had to order more, waiting for the UPS man.

Can hardly wait to get started.

 

 

 

Jimmy's Memory quilt

Jimmy's Christmas quilt has been delivered,

I was a couple of days late.

 I tried with everything I had in me to finish on time,

just didn't happen this time.

 

 

A lot of quilting.

As I was working on it, I kept wondering why it was taking me so much longer than Virginia's, but then I noticed

how much more detail this one had.

I was running behind and trying to finish for Christmas Eve,

being in a hurry I didn't get to quilt everything like I had intended.  When I had the quilt laying on my bed (found this is the best place in my house to take pictures, especially in the morning) I noticed I had failed to quilt a section, you might see it in the upper left corner by the pinwheel.

 

 

Since by that time I knew I was not going to have it finished by Christmas Eve I put it back on the frame and quilted  more. Wouldn't you know I didn't take a picture when I finished.  I was sewing the label on yesterday morning before I went to work.  I did quilt more on the middle star and the pinwheels, you will have to use your imagination or take a look at Virginia's (last post) I quilted them almost the same.

 

 

This might help with size. 

 

Some of the quilting is quite small.  Took a long time.

 

 

 

 

A closer look at the borders.  I did quilt some detail in the pinwheels and they looked a lot better.

Each border motif is quilted a little different, that way if I forgot what I did on the top border it wouldn't matter, plus I think it gives it a little motion.

 

 

 

 You can click on any picture to view full screen.

I used Glide thread, color Linen.  Not a true white but showed up nicely on the white background.  On the middle star and pinwheels I used So Fine navy, I didn't have time to change color for each pinwheel but the navy actually looked good on all of them.

 Look how the quilting shows on the back.  Just love it.

The quilt is 66X66.

 

Love how this one turned out.

Can't wait to hear about their reaction.

 

Almost forgot, I used two layers of batting W&N cotton on the bottom and a poly on the top.  If you followed on Virginia's quilt, I was trying to keep the cost down and that's why we decided to use a poly.  It quilted nicely, had no problems.

 

 The binding was a small stripe from the same fabric line.

 

I did deliver the Pinball quilts to their new owner but I did not take a picture (can't believe I did that)  She had me make four of them for her and her siblings out of their father's shirts.  She called me while I was driving back home to ask if I had enough shirts left to make 3 more for her aunt, uncle and niece.  So I guess she like them.

 

Probably too late to link up with everyone, maybe next week.

Sarah let me know that it was not too late to link up with
Whoop Whoop Friday. (thanks Sarah)
 

http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/

 

 

Details, details

I don't have anything new to show.

I have been working on Virginia's brother, Jimmy's

 quilt, similar to hers but

not quite.

Talking about Virginia's quilt,

 I have had quite a few questions about

her quilt.

 

Okay what's a post without pictures, right?

 

I was so excited to share pictures last week I forgot

to share the quilt details.

 

The quilt is 67X67.

I used 2 layers of batting, bottom layer is W&N 100 cotton,

top layer is a thin poly batting (don't remember the brand).

I usually use an 80/20 or wool (my favorite) on top.

I was trying to watch the cost, so I used the poly. 

 

 

Used Glide thread, I believe the color was linen.

Even thought the background was white I wanted to use an

off white thread.  Whenever I can I use pre-wound Glide bobbins.

 

 

 

The quilting shows nicely on the back also.

 

 

I was asked how the story or the meaning of the quilt

would be shared with Virginia and Jimmy.

This is the label that will be attached to the quilt back

 

 

 

Hopefully, I will be able to show Jimmy's quilt very soon.

 

 

Thank you for stopping by.

 

One more thing,

please say a little prayer for a friend

whose 4 day old son, didn't come home,

 but went to heaven instead. 

We never understand why, but

pray that they will find peace.