It sure has been a fast moving year, so far anyways. A lot has happened in the last year, but life keeps going. I haven’t done a whole lot of quilting these last 18 months or so but, what I have done feeds my passion for the art. Even when I’m not quilting, I am somehow involved in it on a daily basis. Whether it be through my Facebook groups or just surfing Pinterest (for hours I admit 😉 ), I am still in it. So, let’s catch up on what I have managed.., shall we then?
This little lap quilt was a Memory Quilt, made for a family member. It is made entirely from clothing/bed linens. I quilted it using a large meander on just the colored parts, leaving the background (beige/tan) to pop up a bit. It was a nice project to do but did have several, “What AM I doing this for again?” moments. Jersey knits just do not play nice with bias edges. All in all, not a bad turnout. I absolutely loved the backing, it was an oh-so-very soft bed sheet that just feels fabulous.
Now this one… *smh. This one is a project I started, oh I don’t remember when, a year or 2 ago maybe..? It is based off an old tattered store bought quilt my mother-in-law got my hubby, like 15-20 years ago. It was a favorite of his, even when the batting was falling out and the patches were hanging off! So, I sat down and drafted a pattern to “remake” it. Several days and loads of trial and error later, I was ready to stash shop for matching fabrics. I’m rather grateful for a large stash as the fabrics actually match the original ones rather well. It’s laid out on a king-size bed here and now is being hand quilted here and there. I figure, the way I’m going with it, it will be another year before it’s finished. But, it will be worth it. My fingers sure hope so 😉 (Not a thimble user)
Next up is this oldie. I finally finished it up the week of Christmas and it’s being sent to my mom. It has flannel backing and has this great lodge-y/down-home comfort feel to it. I will hate to part with it for sure.
Now I know this one is not quilting related but shows another hobby of mine. This is heading to my dad and was a blast to make! It’s Entrelac Crochet and quite easy to do. It also works up quick. Once ya get the hang of the first few squares, it becomes one of those mindless tasks to do while watching tv or just sitting on the porch. I used RedHeart With Love yarn so it is very soft and cuddly. Last up is a big finish, meaning I finally got it finished after a few years of working on it. Yay, me!
That’s right, in my last post I said I only had a bit left to go. Well this thing was such a challenge to quilt it took 9 more months! To say it was a real test to my skills is an understatement. I had never done such an intense quilting scheme up to this one. It is all FMQ, on a domestic machine. I couldn’t begin to calculate how many hours it took. Am I pleased with the outcome? Mmm, yes and no. Yes, simply because I had a vision and I made it come to life. No, because I was in way over my head, lol. A true Taurus, through and through, head first into everything. I am glad I stuck it out though and now that it’s done, it still screams “Oklahoma”. Where the sun is always shining, the wind never stops, and dirt covers everything! Maybe I will make that last sentence there the label, as it still doesn’t have one.
Now, I am caught up on what I’ve been doing the last year or so. So what’s next, right? I got a new Singer Futura XL-420 for an early Christmas present back in November. Oh my, I love this new toy!! I have a few projects I have been working on that utilize the embroidery part of this fabulous machine. One is for my daughter, a growing-up/memory quilt and the other is a wedding quilt. Loads of fun and it’s definitely getting me back in the game. I do have one sneak-peek pic I downloaded earlier I can lure ya in with though….
Those are the squares I did just yesterday. I have 53 total embroidery squares to do with a 9-patch in between them. Wedding colors are pink and blue, so those will be the piecing colors, I am gonna turn the embroidery squares into snowball blocks with green and purple corners. Those are their individual colors. I have it drafted and sure hope it turns out close to the draft. If so, I should be ok. Now, mind ya, I have been toying with hand piecing here and there as well. Traditional and English Paper Piecing. I’m finding I enjoy the EPP the most. Do y’all remember the Lone Star I showed ages ago? Well, there has been slow and steady progress on it over the years and it’s still a current work-in-progress. Most likely it will always be that, an everlasting WiP. LoL
So, I reckon that’s the end for today. I best let all y’all get to it. Thanks for swinging through and see ya next time. Happy quilting!
~theHippieQuilter
thequiltingshack 