Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Stack 'n Whack Fans


I have been quiet on the blog for a couple of weeks, but I get to make it up to you by sharing this stunning quilt made by Dorothy.  I had little bit of trouble getting a good picture of the whole thing as it is a biggie - it came in at 94" x 113"!  It is a generous size but should really fit nicely on a bed with the shaped corners.

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I really enjoyed the mix of freehand and ruler work that went into quilting this quilt. 


These blocks are 14" set on point.  My 20" QP Curve Template by Linda over at the Quilted Pineapple is what I used in both these squares and the setting triangles.  The markings on the templates made echoing the line a breeze.




Dorothy really likes a leafy feather so I used those and a swirl in a variety of ways throughout the quilt to tie it all together.  (The taupe leaf print does a good job of hiding the quilting!) Here is a close up of the center of the quilt.  The quilting shows up really well on the back!





Wednesday, February 11, 2015

A Quilt for Dennis


This cheerful quilt was made by Patrice as a surprise gift for her husband's upcoming birthday.  She said it was a bit of a challenge to work on without him being aware of it - until he broke his foot and could no longer make his way downstairs to her sewing area!


Patrice chose the "Quirky" panto, Quilter's Dream Puff batting and a bright turquoise So Fine! thread.



When this quilt arrived in the mail, I only knew that it was a 1600 quilt that Patrice had made from her scraps.  The bright colors surprised me a little as it isn't what you typically imagine when you know the quilt is a gift for a man.  Through my emails with Patrice I learned the entire story behind this quilt and she was happy to share Dennis' story here:

"This quilt has a happy/sad story to it for my husband.  Seven years ago he had leukemia and was really quite sick.  Ten months later he had a stem cell transplant that was successful in that he remains cancer free.  He was told a few times that every stem cell recipient gets a quilt made and donated by volunteers.  His month in the hospital came and went - and no quilt. We didn't ask about it.  Several times since over the years he has mentioned the quilt that he didn't get. This quilt is going to be that stem cell quilt.  I made this quilt in all these bright colours and patterns because I just want him to be happy every time he looks at it."


The perfect gift that is sure to be treasured for a very long time.  Job well done Patrice!





Thursday, February 5, 2015

Sherry's Quarter Sections

 

This is Sherry's version of Quarter Sections.  It is always a thrill for me to see someone making one of our Highway 10 Designs patterns, and Sherry's color palette really gives the pattern an elegant look.


Sherry chose the "Allium" pantograph, Quilter's Dream blend batting and my favorite beige Stonehenge backing.  A few more pictures because I can't get enough!









Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Quilts Don't Need to be Complicated


This is another one of Ina's lovely quilts that she is donating to her local care home.  This autumn color palette is different from the other six I have quilted for her.


This is the first time I used the "Falling Leaves" panto.  It is not very dense and really seemed to suit her fabric choices.



This lovely lap quilt belongs to Vanda.  It is a gift for a young lady, and I think she will be thrilled with this funky quilt.  The pattern is "Just Can't Cut It" by All Washed up Designs.



Vanda chose the "Fluffy Clouds" panto and the grey Stonehenge backing I have on hand and we used a dark grey Magnifico thread.


And I did start another project of my own.  I am participating in a Row quilt along being instructed by two lovely ladies in the Nimble Thimbles Quilt group that I attend twice a month.  It is a mystery in that we don't know what the end result will be.  We do know that each row will contain some kind of leaf block.  This is row 1.  The instructors do amazing hand applique and had there leaves done that way.  I am still allergic to applique and zig-zagged mine down with invisible thread.  I did turn the edges under using the non-fusible interfacing method.  I am excited to see what the next row will look like, and excited that I have kept up  - so far!



Sunday, February 1, 2015

Italian Tiles

 

This wonderful quilt belongs to Dorothy.  The pattern is called Italian Tiles from the book Strip Therapy 8 by Brenda Henning.


 Dorothy chose the "Yo-Yo" panto and I used a variagated Lava thread.  As the top and the back were both very dark we decided that Quilter's Dream Midnight poly batting would be a good choice.


I think the thin black accent in this pattern really makes it.  I did ask Dorothy if it was hard to work with, and she said it went together very nicely.



And once again, things made with a Cappuccino Bali Pop, just look great in my living room ;)!