Christmas Tree--Happy Advent

Since yesterday was the start of Advent, I thought this was a good time to share this wallhanging that Chris brought me. It's a really cute panel, that got a little bit of custom quilting--all freehand except for the star, which got a teeny bit of ruler guidance.

I used a shiny magnifico gold colored thread on the tree and it's curliques, but then switched to a matte green for the background and surrounding fabrics, so I'd only add texture there and not compete with the fabrics.

Summer Sampler 2020 easy-piecing Summer

This is my quilt. In May of 2020, my friend suggested ths block of the week quilt--and it was just what was needed in those months. An easy, fully accomplshed task each week. Summer Sampler 2020 was hosted by Lee Henrich, Katie Blakesley and Faith Jones. I looked forward to Mondays. I pulled my fabrics, a slightly different palette than the suggsted one. And by pulled I mean, I WENT INTO A STORE (first time going into a quilting store was allowed since early March). And I gotta say, internet and window-front shopping is OK when necessary but nothing beats pulling the bolts and choosing the fabrics yourself.

And then the weekly emails started, and the easy-piecing Summer began. But it wasn't simple--paper piecing, precision piecing, curves...but the patterns are all well written, and it's only ONE block at a time.

And slowly, week by week, the "family" of blocks grew. I really enjoyed the facebook group--supportive and fun, and people would post their weekly block and then the "family photo" of all the blcoks together.

When it was time to quilt this one, I had already quilted Vicki's Summer Sampler 2020 (which is in the recommended fabrics, as that was a very easy way to online shop for fabrics), and I had really liked how the quilting looked on hers, so I just did the same on mine.

When I was done piecing my SS 2020, way back in early fall of 2020, I decided the patterns were well written and I loved the circle layout of the 2019 Summer Sampler Boot Camp, so I bought that pattern and made that quilt too--and quickly saw why 2020 was called easy-pieicng, becaue in comparison it was. But, really, the blocks were all manageable, and the facebook group wss still active and supportive. More photos can be seen here, but here's one to illustrate the difference between book camp and easy piecing. This one I finished custom quilting in early January 2021.

And, of course, I participated in Summer Sampler 2021 Vintage Restyle as well....it's a completed top, but still in the TBQ (to be quilted) pile. Hopefully it won't have to wait a year, as the SS2020 did.

My Grassy Creek

This is my version of Bonnie Hunter's 2020 Mystery quilt, Grassy Creek. It's large, I think about 96" square. The suggested colors were

but my fabric shop looked like this

My grey is a handdyed linen, that I already had, everything else was purchased at Along Came Quilting. It wasn't an easy fabric pull, as I didn't have a clear vision when I started, so I left piles of bolts in my wake.

I slowly got it put together over the first part of 2021, and then it had to wait its turn for quilting.

I have been using freehand clamshells, with different 'fills' in the shells for Bonnie Hunter quilts recently--the piecing makes it a no-mark design. I am very pleased with how this one turned out.

Step 1 of the 2021 Quiltville Mystery quilt just released today---so far I am strong, and haven't started it. I'd like to get a few of my other tops quilted first, before committing to something new. We shall see.

Colorful Stars

Katherine made this scrappy quilt a while ago, and recently brought it for quiltng. She had seen how I'd quilted my Grassy Creek (which I realize now I haven't shared) and so wanted the same sort of freehand clamshell quilting. And we picked a fun color thread to go with it. A morning "on the frame" shot as I was getting started. It's been so grey in the mornings lately, I haven't had this kind of light in quite a while. I miss it.

I really enjoyed all the fabrics in this quilt, and how colorful it is. The bright and cheery colors made me think of Hot Air Balloons as I was quilting. A fun cityscape backing on this one.

Baby Quilts

Heather had brought me more baby quilts. She really likes this pattern for babies, as the prairie points give them something to tug at. And, as before, Heather had double batting for these. She's convinced me--double batting for a baby quilt (especially when they are so often used as play mats rather than as bed coverings because parents use sleep sacs now. This one had a viney-leafy freehand in the center and a modern u-turn design in the border.

This houses quilt is just so cute

I quilted this with a ribbon candy in the 'sidewalks' and a ribbon meander with a few butterflies in the blocks of houses. I thought the ribbon meander could be the butterflies flight path (I guess I was having a whimsical day when I quilted this one). The quilting shows so nicely with the double batting.

And this third quilt Heather had done the hand quilting on the interior, and asked me to do the borders

The fabrics were nautical themed, so I added a water-y type freehand.

Hyde Park 2

This Hyde Park was made for a minister who has left our church congregation for a different job, and we wanted to express appreciation and best wishes. The back is covered in signatures and wishes.

I'm sure I mentioned this before, when I posted the first Hyde Park quilt I got to quilt, but I love how the crosses appear in the secondary design, which makes it a particularly appropriate pattern for this recipient. Also, I hadn't realized until we were presenting it that the colors in this quilt really reflect the colors in the wall banners in our sanctuary. Colleen (who selected and pieced the quilt) probably knew all along. She's clever like that.

The quilting on this is spirals, as spirals have some meaning to the recipipent and his colleagues. I won't explain it well here, but spiraling is a thought and understanding process, as well as a template, if you will, of structuring sermons. Plus, it adds fantastic texture to a quilt! (which was a key factor in my decision making)

Migration

Noreen also made this quilt called Migration. Probably the name put this in my mind, but there are many flying geese units, and so I think it's meant to play with that concept, the migration of the geese...and in the Prairies where Noreen and I both live, we certainly see many geese flying overhead both spring and fall.

These fabrics are a lovely fall color palette. Migration got this elegant (in my opinion) filigree design.

Entwined

Noreen made this Entwined quilt, and I took inspiration from the fabrics and quilted freehand leaves.

Sharons Ocean One Block Wonder

Sharon brought me this One Block Wonder to quillt--she wanted a meander, and I made it fairly flat and swirly to make it look more like water. What's great is she left whole panels in the quilt, so you can see where the fussy cut blocks came from. That made it really fun to quilt

She found a great backing too

Three Sisters

< Vicki made this Three Sisters quilt by Violet Craft. I had fun quilting it.

It was a windy day in the mountains, the wind blowing along the slopes and twisting about on itself.