Longarm Tuesday

My local quilt shop recently displayed some great turkey fabric:

One of my favorite designers works at the shop and put a great pattern together. I literally begged her to let me quilt this sweet little sample. It wasn't pretty, but a quilter's got to do what a quilter's got to do, right?

Sometimes the fabric gently suggests what the quilting should be, and other times it actually tells you. This time it shouted!

In the big square, it screamed "quilt a turkey on me":

In the strips, it hollered "quilt turkey tracks":

So I did.

If you want this fabric or the tablerunner kit, contact the Quilt Basket. They'll hook you up!

Design Wall Monday

This past weekend, I taught classes at a great shop in New Hamphire. I stayed at a surprisingly nice hotel and turned it into my personal sewing room. I didn't get much done, but this is the start of a non-traditional wedding quilt for a non-traditional couple.






Head on over to Judy's blog to see what everyone else is doing.

Friday finish -- Kevin and Gretchen

The cobbler's children finally have shoes!!! My son's wedding quilt, only thirteen months late, is finished!

I pieced all of the blocks and sashings right after the wedding and the quilt sat borderless for about a year. I finished the piecing in time for their first anniversary, but the quilting, binding, and pillowcases added another month to the project.

Besides, I lent a quilt to the happy couple "just until the wedding quilt is done" and they were getting far too attached to my quilt!

Check out some other great finishes at

(* edit: I forgot to add the pattern information. You can find it here.)

Friday finish -- Chloe's quilt

This week's finish is a little new for me. Or maybe old? I'm confused. You decide.

As a longarm quilter, I haven't basted a quilt in ten years or so but when I finished this little quilt top, I layered the backing, batting and top with spray basting:



Technically this is a longarm (16 inches), but it still involves moving the fabric rather than the machine:



Once I was done, there were no puckers, pleats, or anything awful like that. I was really happy with the results:



And doesn't a little Mary Engelbreit fabric (cherry fabric on the back) make everything better?:

Friday Finish -- Betty's quilt

A few years ago:

My local quilt shop demonstrated how to make a quilt with Moda Turnovers in Fig Tree fabrics. I fell. in. love! I bought everything to make myself a quilt and finished the top in a few days. I put the top aside to quilt when I found the time.

Last month:

I noticed on the calendar that my aunt was about to turn 90 and I wanted to make her a quilt. I looked through my studio and found that Fig Tree quilt still unquilted. Even though I made it for myself and loved it dearly, I reasoned that if I hadn't quilted it in more than two years maybe it wasn't meant for me.

I enjoyed every second I spent quilting that quilt. I even enjoyed every second I spent hand binding that quilt. I laid it over a chair in the living room. Even though thousands of quilts have come through this house without comment, each member of my family saw this quilt and came to me to tell me how lovely it is.

Aunt Betty's quilt:

Close up:

I hope she enjoys this quilt as much as I have enjoyed making it!

Making More Scraps

I just finished a little quilt that I can't show you yet (sorry!). What I can show is the what I did with the leftovers.

Since it was a little quilt, there were no large pieces left, but I was able to cut some:

5-inch squares
2 1/2-inch strips
1 1/2-inch strips
2-inch squares




These will get thrown in buckets with other fabrics of the same size. As each bucket gets full, I'll make a scrap quilt from it.

After I cut my leftovers into useable sizes, what did I do with the leftovers from the leftovers?

I threw them into my Kim basket:



She does the most darling things with my leftover leftovers. The book and envelope aren't left over; she wanted to borrow the book and I need her to help me with the project in the envelope. This will all go to her the next time I see her, hopefully before Christmas!

Longarm Tuesday

Since I had something new to post on Design Wall Monday, I moved the longarm photos to Tuesday this week.

For my daughter's friend's brother's baby. Got that?

Does that batting look green? It should... it's Quilter's Dream Green batting made from recycled soda bottles (or pop bottles, depending up on where you live).

Design Wall Monday

I actually have something new on my design wall this week:



The lime green and black pieces are for a bag that my daughter-in-love and I are making together. The pink half-square triangles are for a quilt I'm thinking about designing. The scrappy squares are from a pattern called Ruffles.

Head on over to Judy's blog to see what everyone else is doing.