Thread Tales From A Scrappy Quilter

Each year our longarm group holds a challenge to create a piece based on a specific pattern each year.   You can modify the pattern, create any size, or even create a garment or bag.   Possibilities are wide open.   I did not find the time to participate last year and almost did not this year but finally decided I would take 3 days to cut, sew and quilt the top.   I opted to use just 3 blocks turned like a heart and created different fills on this.   I used part of one day just to mark some grids, then all one day to quilt.   It really saves time when grids are marked and you don't have to measure over with each row!   It is not a judged event, just a challenge to us personally.  I tried using fills with feathers flowing on top of the grids.   Also the checkerboard background I had never stitched out.   It came out rather cool! This is Lou Ann's quilt for her granddaughter.   ...

One of my longarm groups "Stand Up Divas" or SUDS for short,  hosted a challenge using a pattern called "Spa" by Debbie Taylor.  We could make it any size,  modify it,  use one row or 20, a whatever challenge with the emphasis on the quilting.  Today was our reveal day and we had so many different styles of piecing and quilting!   I wasn't thrilled with the design and have zero time to piece these days so I opted to create something I did like.   Even if this was so different I was  disqualified...I did not care.  I enjoyed the challenge of creating something interesting to me using the exact same components.   I reduced the finished block from 6" to 4", flipped some of the appliqué  pieces and tadah!  I liked it.  I used turned edge appliqué,  machine stitched down with matching top thread using invisible blind stitch.   Quilting.... Eh.  I ran out of time and it was more of a ...