Completed Projects

Although I haven't had my longarm machine turned on the past few weeks, I have a few that I didn't list on the blog.

This first quilt I organized through my Teaquilts Facebook group.  It's part of the Quilts for Pulse charity event.  I know I'm going to miss some names, but the following folks made the blocks:  Carol Peck, Sandy Panagos (x2), Connie Barnett (x2), Becky Galambos, Kathy Parks, Sandy Lopane, Namcy James, Susanne Randall, and Tea.  This quilt is finished even though you are seeing only a quilt top.  I seem to have a problem photographing completed charity projects.  I pieced the top together, quilted it with a feather panto, made and added binding, and made and added a label.  The quilt was mailed yesterday.

This quilt, I call Rainbow Double Wedding Ring, is actually a pattern by Judy Martin.  It's called Fabrics of My Life.  It's also remade by her from a quilt called Monet Wedding Ring in her Scraps book.  I could tell you more about my quilt, but I want you to go to Judy's site to learn more.  In addition, this is the Scrap Quilting Club's 2016 yearlong project.  Each member had to purchase the Scraps book, or be a member of AQS and download their own pattern.  Let's just say I love, love, love this quilt.

Up next is Scrappy 3-D stars.  This has been a work in progress for many year, only needing to be quilted.  I tried my hand at some free motion quilted feathers.  It's not perfect, but it's done!

This Blue Explosion is another WIP that only needed quilting.  I used an all over panto just to get it completed.

And my final quilt is another WIP that only needed quilting.  Star Explosion had an all over panto quilting design too.  I love the yellow and red contrast.

I'll see you in my  next post, hopefully showing some of my current works in progress.  Until next time, happy quilting!
-------------------------- Type-u-later, http://www.teaquilts.com

2016 Finishes - 8 of them - More to Come

Treasure Hunt was made for line dancing friends residing in Indianapolis for their wedding in May.  I made the center panel with some leftover flying geese from a previous quilt to make the stars.  Afterwards, I added a mix of borders to get the quilt to an appropriate size.  I had fun reminiscing over past projects as I used my scraps to make this quilt.

 BP Express:  Bowling Hall of Famer is a quilt I made for my husband who is listed in the national bowling hall of fame for his many accomplishments.  I quilted this quilt with a panto called Bowling Fun.  It was a challenge.  See the close up photo.  I also have a video review of this panto.

Gypsy Conversion (The Gypsy's Wife) is now completed!  I love the entire process and how colorful the quilt is.  Again, I adapted this quilt with my orphan blocks instead of piecing the blocks as indicated in the original pattern.  I have included some close up photos of  some of the quilting.

This Streak of Lightening quilt is a UFO top that I never got around to quilting.  Now that I have my own longarm quilting machine, I will be finishing a lot of the tops on my projects list.  This one was made the old fashion, time consuming way by adding HSTs to opposite sides of a square.

Asian influence was a great design to use some Asian charm packs in my collection.

Batiks Modified Bento Boxes used some of my scrappy batik fabrics.  I love the colors in this quilt.

One of the most underutilized quilting tools in the market is the X-Block Ruler.  This variation is Ribbon Star.  Instead of making 9-patches, I used 3 rectangles.

 Another X-Block quilt I call Animal Kingdom.  I love finding ways to use the pieces in the border that are trimmed when making the center blocks.

I have a few more finishes that need photos.  I fear I gave away some charity quilts that I forgot to photograph.  I'll have to look at all my media storage devices to be sure.

-------------------------- Type-u-later, http://www.teaquilts.com

2016 Finishes Challenge Quilts

I participated in two quilt challenges that I can now share the results.

The first was for my small guild of five members.  The challenge was to make a modern quilt with only two fabrics.  The fabrics could be multi-colored or solids.  Out of character, I chose to make a quilt with two solid fabrics.  I call this one Modern Hexies and I won 1st place in the challenge.  I also entered this quilt into my large quilting guild challenge which was to make a hexagon quilt.  It won first place in best longarm machine quilting category.

Honycomb Quads was my main entry into my large quilting guild challenge, make a quilt which feature the hexagon.  I made this quilt similar to the stack-n-whack setting but used strings instead of repeat fabric segments.  I also cut the hexagon into four rings and strip pieced my star points.  The quilt won two ribbons:  2nd place in bed-size category and 3rd place for best longarm machine quilting category.

-------------------------- Type-u-later, http://www.teaquilts.com

Memory Pillows, Pillowcases, and Headband

I have so many pots on the stove that I don't know which one to stir!  I've been super busy.  I did finish quilting  my blocks on my practice quilt that I plan to make a book with, however, I haven't uploaded those photos.  I have also been working on two challenge quilts that I can't share until May and June.  I also started working on a Mizzou tigers quilt and planning for retreat projects.  This in addition to teaching, lecturing, running the scrap quilting club (of which I need to upload March photos), being VP of the quilt guild, and  teaching urban line dancing classes!  I haven't mention meeting and classes that I attend or the slew of family events and cooking/cleaning around the home.  I thought retirement meant I had more time; now, I'm trying to figure out how I allocated 50 hours per week to work!

I stopped working on my major projects to make a few memory items.  I used t-shirts to make most of the items.

20" pillow

 Two-sided 20" pillow (side 1)

Two-sided 20" pillow (side 2)

14" pillow

The pillow cases were made for standard size pillows but I folded them to crop.  The other side is a continuation of the main fabrics on the back.  I used french seams so no raw edges on the main sewing lines.  However, using t-shirts in pillowcases caused for me to piece them into the panel as centered as possible.  These seams are raw edge as I didn't have enough fabric required to do french seaming.

Then, while I was making pillowcases, I decided to make four more representing our local baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals.  I know someone who is going to love getting a couple of these.

As I was working on the above projects, my YouTube subscription list showed video instructions on how to make a headband.  I just had to try it with the scraps.  Unfortunately, it's a child size so it can't go to whom I intended.  However, some lucky child will be sporting our team.  Click here to view the video.

-------------------------- Type-u-later, http://www.teaquilts.com

January and February Finishes

My goal is to get some UFOs that I need in lectures quilted.  Also, I want to give myself challenges of using different quilting designs and use different techniques to complete the quilts.  I'm using my quilts as a learning opportunity.  I figure by the time I complete the load of tops I have to quilt, I should have experience to quilt any style of quilt.  In the past, I've only used meandering, loops, and spirals.

Jelly Roll Jam II is the first quilt I quilted on my long arm quilting machine.  Although I'd use long arm machines in the past, I'd never sewn using pantos.  This is my first!  I feel it took way longer than if I'd done my traditional edge to edge designs I'm comfortable with.  However, this is the first technique I learned and I'm proud that I was successful. This quilt top was a made in January 2015.

Closeup quilting of Jelly Roll Jam II

 

I quilted a healing quilt for my sister that I forgot to take a picture.  I experimented with polyester batting, the thicker kind.  I can honestly say, "I don't like polyester thick batting."  So the third quilt I finished is Noodles.  I used a ruler and stitched in the ditch, my first custom quilt, and used a new to me spiral quilting design in the pink borders.  I matched the thread so well that you can't see it from the front.

Close up quilting of Noodles; I used meandering the the scrappy areas.

I practiced on the Noodles quilt so that I could use an adaptation of the spiral design in the rows on this Autumn Braid quilt.  I stitched in the ditch, diagonal loops, and spirals in the print rows. I had fun with this one.

 

I have four more tops quilted that I'm working to get binding completed.  Stay tuned for more fun!

 -------------------------- Type-u-later, http://www.teaquilts.com