Chopsticks

This is my Chopsticks quilt.   

I wanted something new for my couch in the living room--the ones that were there were 1) from classes, and so not my best work, yet everyone sees them and 2) at 48" x 48" a little short for napping, either shoulders or feet were cold.

The fabric is ADORNit Capri, and the background is french general.  I got the fabrics at Chinook Fabrics in High River, on a shopping trip with my friends.  It was fun, and I wound up with a different fabric selection than I had first envisioned--I had gone in looking for a quilt with a black background, probably because I love this one that Colleen made so much. 

Here's the unquilted view for comparison

I had a lot of fun quilting this, using a variety of free motion designs, to keep things interesting, and I used a template for a few of them, some designs were inspired by the fabric.  I was able to keep the path continuous, with a few exceptions.

I think one of the reasons it has taken me so long to post this quilt is because I had so many photos and didn't want to have to choose which ones to show.  Ultimately, I weeded out a few, but this post is very photo heavy.  

 Doesn't it go nicely with my walls?  I'm so pleased. 

One of the effects of the quilting that I really liked, is that from the front I see triangles, and from the back I see hexagons on this luscious cuddle backing. 

Which is nice, since the 2nd couch quilt I pieced at retreat last fall was a hexagons quilt.  Hope to get that quilted in the next few months too. 

for those who like the details:  Approx 54x70, Hobbs 80/20, Glide Pearl thread.  Pattern by Jaybird Quilts.

Jelly Roll quilt

This quilt was made from a gifted Jelly Roll (thank you Karen), and is the same pattern as I used on my Indigo Sushi roll quilt, which you can see if you scroll down on the linked post.

I quilted this with a freehand dwirling/landscape pattern, and I love the texture that resulted. 

I really love the backing fabric, it was a cuddle minkee I got at Chinook Fabrics.

 I love the paisley, the green and brown, and the cuddle factor.  There's nothing about this backing that isn't great. 

Sashing in the Round--Sue Heinz

This is a sweet little table runner.  Patti made this, and asked me to quilt it, and she wanted something really special in the center.

 I was quite excited, because I knew that this would be a great place to use a Sashing in the Round Medallion from the class I took from Sue Heinz last summer. 

I started by stitching in the ditch the medallion square and the outer rows of quilting, then I marked a series of circles in the center.

 And here's the net result. 

I was thrilled with how this turned out.  The alternate 'rows' were stitched with u-turns to add texture, leaving the black rows to 'pop'. 

This is a technique I'll definitely use again. 

Tardis

I'm so busy reading all the other blogs that I follow, along with everything else life throws my way, that I've been neglecting my own posting... However, now that I've sat down to work on income tax returns, it seems like a blog post is a very good idea, LOL

This quilt was made by Heather, without a pattern.  She's amazingly talented, and usually works in the art medium of cake....for example and on the quilty topic

 details--right down to the model number of the cutting board

 Look at the fabrics she made with fondant, and the quilt is even 'quilted'.

so, if you're in the Calgary area and need an amazing (both in looks and in flavour) cake, let me know and I can connect you....

but I digress (all the better for income tax procrastination)...back to the (fabric) quilt.

So, no pattern, just a desire to make a Tardis quilt

 I decided that the Tardis should be in motion, and probably because of the colors it made me think of Van Gogh's Starry Night, which I was lucky enough to see on a recent trip to MoMA in NYC.

So, it got quilted with swirls, in a glide thread to add a little shine.

Heather loved this quilting design, said it was perfect because the recipient has a poster of The Starry Night in her room.

And my teenage daughter later told me that Van Gogh was featured in a very well known Dr Who episode, so that made it even more perfect.

The young lady's favorite sheet was 'borrowed' for the backing by her Mom, and given to Heather.  I've been told the sheet has been missed and is being searched for, so the binding was going on this quilt quickly.