Thread Tales From A Scrappy Quilter

What a stunning quilt!   The red and black is so striking and then there is that backing fabric.  Wow. I think it looks fantastic.  Computer guided quilting with Auto Pilot using Bethanne Namesh's Feather Grande.

This is a wonderful assortment of 5" blocks made in reproduction fabrics.   The pattern is Centennial Sampler  by Judie Rothermel.    Some of the prints were sooo  cute! Simflex expanding tool used for marking equal spaces in a shape.   Picture overload, they all sort of look the same as a thumbnail so I just went ahead a put them all in here.  I was trying to get a photo of all the blocks.  Double sashings, a fantastic swag applique border.   But a daunting task to quilt!   I have a hard time minimizing quilting plans, my style leans toward filling up the space!   This was my attempt at lighter custom (ie less hours invested in the quilting).  I chose to frame each piece with a quick crosshatch  that would also showcase the cornerstone "star" at each intersection and could be quilted continuously across the frame.  Next I would surround each block in the narrow border with a little feathe

This year's challenge seemed like a really fun idea!  Everyone that participates will create a block, finished at 18.5" bound that would become a block in a "sampler" quilt with all our blocks pinned up on the design wall.  For unity, this used one focus fabric that Debbie supplied (Quilting Quarters in Conroe where we meet each month) and we were to use a white background. Notice I say.... seemed like a fun idea LOL!  My first idea was to make a Compass /NY beauty block of some sort and have part of it missing  and finish off the design with quilting.   Well I was hitting the wall with the actual design and the 18.5" block....   Then I thought I would do a simple HST type block and just quilt a beautiful feather design like I did on my Amish With a Twist 3.   Perfect.   Then I really looked at the focus fabric.   Oh my word this really was a longarm challenge!   No way in the world to EVER get any quilting to show on that fabric.  So then I started lookin