The section of the applique border on the Pastor's Attic quilt is quilted!
Now I've rolled and the finishing quilting has started. As I quilt, I baste the top edge and remove the pins. I'm sure you've noticed over the months of quilting, that I have left the selvage on the quilt edges. It's so nice to quilt and not have ravelry edges. I know I could zigzag them but leaving the selvages is easier for me. Don't worry. Once the quilting is finished, I will machine stitch, with very tiny stitches, where the edge is supposed to be and then trim off the selvage. Then the binding will happen.
This is how far I've gotten with the finishing quilting. From the right side.
Working toward the center. Quilting has come to a screeching halt at the moment. I've developed a very sore crack in the back of my right thumb. Since I'm right handed I used my right thumb for quilting. So, no quilting until the crack is healed. I know, I need to get some super glue in the crack. That will patch it up good. There won't be a post next Sunday, April 28th. I have a lot going on the first of the week and then leave for the Jane Stickle retreat in Shipshewana Wednesday afternoon. There just isn't going to be much time for hand quilting this week. Good news is my thumb should definitely be healed after a week of rest. See you in May! Linking to Peacock Party,Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching,Oh Scrap, Bambi's Show & Tell Monday, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, Moving It Forward, BOM's Away!
I participate in the MCC Comforter Bash and make comforter tops for them anyway. Two very simple 60" by 80" comforter tops have been completed for this challenge. I don't need to quilt these tops, they'll be knotted.
For my pattern, I cut fabrics left from other projects into 5" blocks which I used in the center of each block. The sashing on the sides are cut at 2-1/2". The block finished at 8 1/2". Yes, some of those squares are string blocks, anything goes for the centers. Crumb blocks would be wonderful too. Feel free to use this easy pattern and feel free to modify it for your own use. Linking to Oh Scrap, Hands 2 Help 2019, Let's Bee Social, Needle & Thread Thursday
I'm still hand quilting on my Pastor's Attic Quilt. The diamonds between the quilt center and the border applique are quilted. I've rolled and now working on the applique part.
I can literally see the the end in sight! The top of the quilt has been unpinned from the header and pinned to the batting and backing fabric.
This corner applique is not original to this quilt pattern, the pattern for this applique comes from the 1857 Album Quilt. I downloaded the free patterns from Sentimental Stitches but the pattern is no longer free. The pattern for the whole quilt is available for purchase if you're interested. I did reduce the size of the pattern to fit the corners.
The left flower is the center of the border. There are still several weeks of quilting before she's finished.
At the guild retreat in February, I pieced a crib quilt flimsy called Wiggly Whimsy. This is a free pattern (recipe) from the Moda Bake Shop which utilizes a charm pack but you can cut your own squares. I've quilted the flimsy with my Elna 720. I altered the pattern by not adding one of the pieced rows. I wanted my quilt to be rectangular, not square. The white in the center of the quilt looks whiter than the sides of the quilt. That's because the backing was pieced. All the white fabric came from the same bolt of Bella Solids.
My backing fabric needed to be wider so I added the extra row to the center. Now I won't have the stress of trying to figure out what to do with an unused row. The back is cute in it's own way, it's a reversible quilt!
The yellow fabric was left from my Nearly Insane quilt. The batting was Quilters Dream Poly, mid loft which worked perfect. I like to use poly batting in crib/baby quilts, poly dries faster than cotton. I didn't mark the quilting lines on this quilt, just eyed my line. I guess you would call the quilting 'organic wavy line' quilting.
This is the glamour shot. We've been having drizzle so the ground was too damp for the tree stump photo. I used a blue and yellow stripe from my stash for binding. The finished size is 48" x 57". I like crib quilts large enough so when you're up with the baby at night, there is plenty of quilt for the baby and the parent.
I know you've all been wondering how my Saturday trip to Chicago was. Here is my report. The show we were attending was an IQS show, the Chicago Quilt Festival, which is different than the AQS. You can look up AQS yourself. First of all, I didn't take any pictures of the quilts in the show. I didn't take any pictures there at all of anything. There are just too many quilts and wall hangings. There are so many different types of quilts, so many different techniques, it's rather overwhelming. But I did enjoy my day viewing all of the quilts. While I was viewing the quilts, I realized I've reached a new level in my quilting life. I no longer want to try to make every quilt I liked. I was content to peruse the quilts, smile with joy at the quilts I loved. I was impressed with the tenacity of sewest. Some of the quilts I wondered how they did what they did? I made some purchases at the vendors and here is the picture to prove it.
At the Private Source Quilting booth, I purchased a 12" wool pressing mat. Of course they had a special show price. At the Primitive Gatherings booth I purchased Red & White Quilts published by Martingale. Of course, in my mind, I envision all of those quilts in blue and white. From the same booth I also picked up the Antique Little Lady of the Lake pattern. They had the antique quilt on view in the booth. Wouldn't she look lovely in blue and white also? From Super Threads, I picked up a package of Titanium Coated #80/12 needles. I thought I'd give them a try and see how long they last before they get dull. See the flower on the pressing mat? Clover had an area where they gave you the opportunity to try a different craft each hour. I was very tired all of walking so I decided to rest by trying a new craft. It was the hour for felt matting. I've never done this before and it was interesting. I doubt I'll get into this craft but it was an enjoyable experience.
