I've been busy!

I've been busy, making potholders out of scrappy and/or orphan blocks.  I love using up scraps, although my scrap bag never seems to get smaller.  These eleven sets are the first installments of my 2014 Christmas Project.  Bob asked me how many I was going to make, and I told him that I honestly didn't know!

A couple more shots showing the variety of backing/binding fabrics I used.  Everything for these was from my scrap or stash piles.

May your bobbins always be full,

Christmas Project

Last year instead of Christmas cards, I mailed out hotpads and potholders that I'd made from scraps.  I really had fun making them and they were well received.  I thought I'd do a repeat, this year, and have been making and saving some blocks for this project.

This is the first batch I'll be working on.  More to come!

This past week I worked on a secret project.  I was contacted by a friend of one of my etsy purchasers, who also reads this blog and FB page; she asked me to make a "little something" to match what her friend has already purchased, and keep it a secret, so I did.  I hope to share it when the "cat is out of the bag", so to speak.

May your bobbins always be full,

Double Circle Quilts.

When I made these small baby quilts, I used a lot of Kona White for the background fabric.  You can read about making these quilts, here.

When it came time to add the binding I used Kona Pomegranate.  I decided "go bold, or go home", would be a good policy; and it jazzed up all the whiteness.  The quilts each measure 37.5" square.  These are finishes number 4 and 5.

My blog photos have been popping up on Pinterest, without acknowledgements.  I think the watermark might help, that is if I remember to add it!

May your bobbins always be full,

A Lighter Shade of Pale, Carrie's quilt is finished

This is from an email from my daughter, Carrie, who lives in North Carolina, that started this quilt:

"I've been thinking about a quilt and I think I want to go with non-colors. For example one dark charcoal gray fabric on the back; on the front have a quilted pattern of whites and off-whites, maybe pale, pale, pale pinks and yellows, too. Then have the stitching in a white thread so it would be subtle on the front, but dramatic on the back. Maybe in a floral pattern. What do you think?"

What I thought was, "This is do-able" and I set out to make Carrie her quilt of Non-Colors.  You can read about the process, here.

The quilt is very difficult to photograph, especially in sunshine.  I waited until our patio was shaded to get these photos.

This is the back of the quilt.  The quilt is twin size and measures 64.25" x 82".  We used Eggshell thread and the pantograph is called Star Flower Swirls.  My long arm quilter is Janiel Miller.  I'll get this shipped to Carrie, tomorrow.

May your bobbins always be full,

City View Quilt for Brian and Jennifer is finished!

I'm just in lo0ve with how great this quilt turned out.

I kept the quilt back very simple, with just a couple of zig zag rows.

The quilt size is 52" x 69".  Brian and Jennifer requested 48" x 60"; but this size worked best with the design.  I love the border and the binding fabrics that they chose.  The quilting pantograph is called "A Tisket A Tasket".

May your bobbins always be full,

Amy's Quilt

This is my first finish of 2014.  I received the commission to make this quilt last October.  I gave Amy plenty of warning that it wouldn't be ready anytime, soon, especially with the holiday quilting season coming up.  You can read about the process of making this quilt here.

I'm really in love with how this queen size Modern Positive Quilt turned out.  If you want to make one of your own, you can find my tutorial here.

And the quilt back:

I even named the quilt back!  Split Moons.

The quilt measures 86" x 94", the perfect queen size.  The quilting pantograph is called Simple Feathers.  My long arm quilter is Janiel Miller, right here in Murrieta.

Bob and I went down to our clubhouse and used the dance floor to take these photos.  We spread the quilt, then I went up on the stage and took the photos.

May your bobbins always be full,

A lovely stack of quilts, just waiting for bindings.

My long arm quilter has a couple of vacations planned.  Right now, she's in Connecticut, visiting her daughter, and in March she and her hubby are going on a cruise.  Before she left for CT, she concentrated on getting some of my quilts back to me.  She still has two!  She's a wonderful gal and I really like working with her.  Before I found her I tried four other long arm quilters.  Two weren't any good, and two quilted the wrong pattern on the quilts I'd entrusted to them.   

The top one and the bottom one are commissioned quilts, I'll get them done first, and get them in the mail, once payment is received.  The larger center quilt is for my daughter, Carrie, and the other two are just because I made them quilts.

May your bobbins always be full,