Thread Tales From A Scrappy Quilter

This is a clients' cute panel quilt set with some pieced work.  I really like the colors.

As quilters, we have plans for new holiday wallhangings, table runners or bed quilts but frequently we find we did not allow enough time for the projects.  It's not too early to get started now! Look at this fun quilt a client brought in.   The trees all have the rolled edges that are top stitched down.  No curved piecing.   I thought you might find it interesting to see the difference between the clients' quilt top before and after quilting.  The top is really cute but so much more interesting after quilting.       The top is not crooked... I just did not take enough time to get it level on my design wall.  Somethings happening to my photos too.   They seem to be uploading with the resolution too low.             And the fun backing!    This one makes me want to get out a project that I had wanted to make for Christmas 2 years ago!   Maybe I need to get started on mine now.

I'm setting up my sewing room separately from my long arm studio.  Well I guess I should say I'm taking over another room!  I don't think I ever shared this piece circa early 1900's that I purchased at an auction. 

Margaret made this 2 for 1 quilt for her daughter.   She followed the online quilt-a-long "aiming for accuracy" working that up in a fun wildlife theme.  The back quilt is her A & M quilt and was pieced from several fabrics including a long panel that she had embroidered with a special sentiment for her daughter.  Both sides are gorgeous!  I quilted with an allover pantograph design called "Chinook".        

I quilted this for a client to donate to one of the auctions.  With MD Anderson hospital here, there are always fundraiser events going on, although I'm not sure where this one is going.  The fabrics are batiks and the set was very modern.   I would have loved to fill this with a modern dense custom detail...but I  thought it would be best to have a snuggly finished quilt.  I went with a medium scroll fill, a traditional curling feather on one border and some fun fills in the ribbons.   I was very tempted to stitch the feather in purple thread.... but went with a safe option.  No time in my schedule for ripping!    I found the ribbons hard to fill with geometric designs like I wanted to quilt due to the varying size of the ribbons.   I did not want to treat the sections as 2 different units.   The first ribbon I tried to incorporate several straight lines narrowing down to only one on the smaller section but I wasn't pleased with the results

Well the main part of the top anyway.  This is tossed on a full size bed.  I have the setting triangles in and the pattern now calls for a flying geese border that will take it out to about 106" square (only 80" square if you leave it with the oval edges).    Something fast sounds like a good plan to me!   Seeing it on the bed as opposed to a view like it would look hanging, I'm not even sure any border treatment will look right.   Seems like it needs to finish with the scallops.