Again, with the Catch-Up ...

Again, with the catching-up.  Time just gets away from me.  I'm getting ready for a trip North and decided to take Max in for his "Spa" treatment at the factory.  Good timing since we're going up that way anyway.  I figure after 3 years he probably needs to be tuned up a bit.  We have been able to recalibrate the stitches as needed but a good tune-up can only be a good thing.  

So in preparation for that I've been working like mad, getting quilts done.  Some I don't have pictures for ... sigh ...

So here goes ...

First up is Janis and her Lonestar.  Our small church quilting group took on this project individually and we have about 7 of these Lonestars out there ... Janis actually got hers done!  Woo Woo!  Mine, of course, is "almost" finished ... hey, the cobbler's children had no shoes!  (The quilter has no quilted quilts ...)

Her Lonestar turned out beautiful.  I used a circle with star template on the quilting with a soft blue/grey Magna-Glide thread.

Next up is Barbara's Yellow Brick Road.  Barbara took a Beginning Piecing class that I taught at Cottontail Quilts and she finished up her YBR.    Barbara chose only a few different fabrics for her YBR and it turned out great!   The quilting is a feather meander and again, the thread is the Magna-Glide in a soft gold.  

 REMEMBER TO CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO GET A CLOSER LOOK!

Next is Carrie's HUGE pink and green floral quilt.  I say HUGE because getting a full picture of this quilt is almost impossible.  But here are some pics.

This is one of the matching pillow shams.  On both I used Feather Meander and of course, Magna-Glide thread.  HOWEVER, I played with the thread on this one and ran two threads through the needle ... a pink and a green.  It gives a different feel to the stitching, not quite a variagated feel but a soft pink/green.  I have done this on one of my own quilts (that big bad Kaffe Fassett quilt I did last year) and I just love the texture look of the stitching.  It's fun to play!

Did you think I'd fallen off the ends of the earth?

It's been a while, but I'm here.  It's been a busy time around here.  I had my Spanish daughter here visiting for about a week and a half and when she makes it home once a year, I'm all hers!  We didn't plan any big outings ... she mainly just wanted to be at home, chilling out ... but we managed a few shopping sprees ... wheee!!!  She caught the shoe-bug from me ... we both LOVE shoes!   And off point here, but we both believe that the shoe makers have changed their shoe sizes.  Both of us had to go up 1/2 size in ALL shoes that we purchased.  And I purchased the same brand that I've got in my closet and still had to go up that 1/2 size.  What is this all about?!!  And of course the cutest shoes we bought were ... do you remember the late 80's ... JELLIES!  Yes, I'm telling you!  JELLIES!  Cutest little shoe in America!  Maybe I'll get a picture of them and post here soon ... believe me, cute cute cute cute cute!  

I did manage to get a couple of quilts done while she was here, and here's the pictures of Elisa's Memory Wall-Hanging that she made to celebrate a friends 80th birthday.  The woman is gorgeous and the pictures are absolutely charming.  

She wanted feathers incorporated in the wall-hanging and then I added some hearts to carry out the Heart theme she had going on.  

Because this is a wall-hanging I used two layers of batting ... QD 70/30 blend on the bottom and QD Wool on the top.  It really makes those pictures pop and the quilting is accentuated.  I used cream Magna-Glide thread on the light portion and changed to red Magna-Glide on the red squares ... cream in the bobbin on both.  

Happy 80th birthday!

Hand me a fan ... it's done!

Whew ... it's hotter than fried pies down here and I've been feeling the heat ... but I got lucky because I had me a studio full of "fans" ... with a peacock or two thrown in!


It's done it's done it's done!  I'm posting pictures but you need to know that this quilt is 96" x 96" and there is no way I can get a good picture of this big ol' bad boy ... so I'm just posting some shots of the different aspects of this quilt.    This is Robbie's quilt and she told me it's going on her bed.  It's going to be beautiful draped across her bed....

If you click on the peacock picture you might be able to see where I used the light gold thread and outlined or enhanced the flowers, peacock feathers, etc.


The light blue 'sky' area has a floral motif, while the fans with the gold centers has a modified feather in each fan segment.  The smaller peacock squares has a feathered wreath in them.  

Coming attractions! (Sneak peek ...)

It's been a while, but this is why ... 


Here's a sneak peek at a coming attraction ...


Oooohhhhh   ....


Remember you can click on the picture to get an up-close look ...

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!!

Oh, Happy Dance!  I just got word that Bernina University has announced its new 7-series line!  I have sooooooo been waiting for this word!  

I am an old-time Bernina fanatic.  I have the original 830 - totally mechanical - machine and I love it.  I will never trade this one in.  Several years ago I was ready to buy a Bernina that had embroidery functionality, and for reasons I won't go into, I bought the Babylock Ellegante2 which I also love.  I am not heavy into embroidery but I want that capability when I decide I want to embroider.  


So fast forward 2 years, and I realized that I'm still obsessing over a new Bernina.  I really want a SEWING machine without the embroidery stuff, but I want some new technology, like a touch screen.  And guess what!  (Hands to face!!)  The new 710 appears to be my next machine.  Ok Ok ... I'll calm down.  These new machines are expected in the stores in September so I'll actually wait until then and go drive one and see how we mesh.  


Oh, my ... 


http://news.investors.com/newsfeed/article/141345038/201207090930/bernina-introduces-its-new-7-series-line-with-patent-pending-bernina-9-hook-technology.aspx

Click on the above link and you'll read all about the new line!

Happy Belated Birthday ... and Happy Independence Day!

Belated Happy Independence Day!  I barely noticed as it's so hot here (how hot is it?  Hotter than fried pies!)  that I really stayed underground doing what I love.  We heard lots of fireworks but with all the trees around us we couldn't see a one.  


My sweet MIL turned 91 on the 3rd of July.  Sometime ago I met a customer who does wool work and we struck a barter-bargain.  I asked for a red/white/blue wool braided bowl that I could give to MIL on her birthday.  The bowl came and I took it to our local home decor store and had them work up a floral arrangement to fit the bowl.  Here's the result:

Isn't it pretty?  Happy Birthday, Lois!!


So the quilting world continues on and here are a few of the quilts that I've been working on.


This first one is Pam's baby quilt Spot's Favorite Colors and it turned out so sweet.  I used the panto Water World on it.  

The next two quilts are LARGE quilts and because they are so so so big I was unable to get a good overall picture.


Carrie's Blue and Brown Boy's quilt is huge!  And this picture does not come close to doing it justice.  It is a beautiful batik quilt.  I used the pantograph Fossil on it with a Deep Mint Magna-Glide thread and it came out beautifully.  No feathers or florals for these boys, you know...
Remember to click on the picture for a closer view.

This gorgeous Yellow and Blue sampler quilt went home with Susan.  Again, this one is very large.  I used a Feather Meander on it with a yellow Magna-Glide thread.  I absolutely love this thread!  It doesn't go with every single quilt, but for those that call for it - wow!  

Stay cool out there!  We are experiencing near-100 deg weather.  I just feel blessed that I have air conditioning and work that I enjoy doing INSIDE!   I'm real tempted to try that "fry an egg on the sidewalk" thingie ... 


I've got several projects on my design schedule right now so I'm busy busy busy.   There's a One Block Wonder that needs to be finished, a Snail's Trail that's ALMOST done, and two Lone Star projects.  Plus I've done two of those cutie-patootie Iron Caddy bags.  Christmas is coming, you know!

Cutest Little Caddy in America!

Look what I did yesterday!  Isn't it the cutest little iron caddy in America?!


I had so much fun putting this together ... and like most worthwhile things, once you do one, you'll want to do another ... and the first one is always the hardest.  So now that I know what I'm doing ... oh my!  Christmas is coming!!  Will one of these be in YOUR Christmas stocking?  LOL! 


I'm just having way too much fun ...


While I was making this, I came to the part about "binding" ... and I'm thinking to myself, Crapola ... I don't want to cut and make binding for this itty-bitty thing ... wait!  I have a box of left over binding.  Maybe there's something in there I can use ... Well, you see that gorgeous pink with white dots binding and the straps?  That was in my left-over binding box!  My craziness for saving bits and pieces is beginning to pay off!  Woo Woo ... now get out there and start your own "Left-over binding" box!  


Oops ... forgot to say ... this pattern is Caddy Pad Jr., by Sisters' Common Thread.  There is a bigger one for regular sized irons.

Dancing with the Stars!

Do you see a theme here?  Dancing with the Stars ... Dancing Bear ... Come Dance with Me ... Let's Dance ... 


Seems we be dancing!


So this is Barb's Dancing with the Stars quilt.  I think it's going to be a shop sample for Tiny Stitches.  She wanted something free and easy on the quilting so I used a great pantograph from UrbanElementz called Fossil.  And in person and up close this panto is made for this quilt!  It gave it lots of movement and a fun and quirky look.


Remember, you can click on the pictures to get a better look.

  

Next is Kathy's baby quilt, Pink and Chocolate Dots.  Isn't it a cutie-patootie?  She used pink Minkee on the back.  I love Minkee and I don't have any problems quilting it. I used Ribbon Romance on this one.

My thread revisted ...

A gentle reader e-mailed me today and ask that I repost my thread picture ... and how timely because Mr. Dancing Bear is gonna build me another unit ... I'm expecting two shipments of thread this next week and I need the room.  Oh, don't ask ... I love thread and I want to try a thicker thread so my fingers went shopping at my two favorite thread vendors ... Superior Thread and Bobbin Central (Magna-Glide threads).  These pics are from late last year and right now they are chocked full of thread cones.  I do need to go straighten them up ...

So maybe in a week or so I'll have another unit installed and full of eye-candy!

A Tisket ... A Tisket ... a Green and Red and Beige Basket!

Ah ... it's done!  I've been up close and real personal with this quilt for a number of days. Once I got going it went pretty fast.  Knowing what to do where is the key to this art, y'know ... nothing more frustrating than standing in front of a quilt and thinking, "OK, what do I do now?"


But Joanne's Basket quilt was telling me what to do so I just paid attention and did what it said! 


Isn't it pretty?


Thanks Joanne!  I had a great time working on your beautiful quilt!