Nov 08 19
No post in a LOOONNNGGG Time!
It’s been a really long time since my last blog post and there really is no one reason for it. Life got very busy and our new dog took up much more time than I thought she would (but we are still overjoyed to have her in the family!), and the hours of the day just got away from me. We also did some major renovations on our home and we’ve never done renovations before, and we learned just how much upheaval they can bring with them! We are about 99% done with renovations that took over almost the entire main floor and we have just started on some major outdoor renovations that will also last for months. So far, we are very, very happy with the changes in our home and for two people who were already homebodies, we now feel like we never want to leave home. We are now officially “nesters.”
In spite of this, I have been sewing up a storm, mainly charity sewing. If you haven’t tried it, give it a shot as it is quite gratifying. I pieced, quilted, and bound 14 quilts over the past 12 months and several hundred butterfly pillows, ear/heel pillows, and other assorted comfort items for 2 different hospices. It is really satisfying to be able to complete projects quickly, and this has kind of been lost on me for the past few decades as I’ve worked on quilts that take several months to years to finish. It’s also a nice feeling to know that my sewing skills help other people.
Here are some shots of one of the quilts I made for hospice earlier this year. It is a very basic quilt that began with a center feathered wreath block that was an old leftover and I added borders to it in a classic Amish style:
This was totally fun to quilt. Here is a close up of the center portion:
And here is a shot that kind of focuses on the widest blue/purple border area:
That section was quilted using the bump-back feather method, and the spine curves were made by tracing around acrylic circles that are used for ruler work quilting. The narrow side borders are also quilted using the bump-back feather method, but the spines are straight, so the feathers have a very different look.
This next shot is a tangential shot that gives a good sense of the texture created by the quilting:
Ooooh, la-la!! just love the warm colors and all that feathery goodness! I sure hope the person who received it loves it as well!
I will try to post more often and I definitely will be posting next week as I have some exciting news to share…
I’m so glad you’re back! I’m a big fan and have missed your posts.
So great to see you again! I think of you every time I set up my clamps for free motion quilting. Love your gadgets and your aesthetic. Hope to see you frequently–you have been missed!
So glad to see a new blog post! I love reading your blog and have learned SO much from you! I am getting ready to plan out a border quilting design for a table runner and you were my first thought when I decided to look for inspiration and instruction.
June
Welcome back. So pleased that everything is working out well for you. I have really missed your posts and the knowledge and inspiration which you so generously share. Reading this post has really made my day! Thank you.
So relieved to see you are doing well! Was concerned when did not see you posting for so long.
You are a very talented teacher. So glad you have a new class with Missouri Star.
So glad you’re back blogging! I kept checking and was concerned about your not posting. But I can relate to renovations! Always take longer and are more complicated than we think they’ll be. Beautiful quilt – great way to put a leftover/design trial to a wonderful use.