Here's to 2014 - starting out pretty great!

2014 - wow - how did we get here?  It feels like we just turned the millennium just a couple of years ago . . . how time flies, eh?

I was so humbled when Betty asked me to quilt her applique quilt - Betty is an incredible quilter - and could have had this beauty done by any number of long armers . . . so, I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to quilt this one.  The only thing Betty knew she wanted was feathers in the sashings . . . so we built the design from there.  The sashing feathers add a whole new element to the quilt, don't they?  The rest was simple - swirl/feather/feather - in the blocks and the borders. 

I did quilt closely around each piece of applique - which makes the design stand out even more.

Thanks again, Betty for giving me this opportunity.  This quilt will be displayed at the shop as it is being offered as a Block-of-the-Month at Addies Creative Fabrics.



Hearts in Bloom - hangin' with Freeda

Hearts in Bloom - close up feathers in sashing

Hearts in Bloom - feathers in sashing close up

Hearts in Bloom - close up of swirl/feather/feather filler

Hearts in Bloom

Hearts in Bloom - close up

I also completed this beautiful batik quilt of Eleanor's this week - it was quite a process acutally.  I completed it (or so I thought) before Christmas, but when I took it off Freeda - I just wasn't happy with the quilting in the large circles.  I had tried to quilt a oriental type floral motif (actually Gingkos) in each of those circles - and it just didn't work. . . . . so . . . . I called Eleanor, and explained that I needed a bit more time - as I picked out every stitch in those circles and re-quilted it.  Yes, it was a lot of work, but so worth it!  Eleanor did such a great job piecing the quilt - I couldn't let my quilting take away from that.  The pattern is Afternoon Delight by Elisa Wilson made in a nice selection of black/grey/caramel batiks.
Glide Thread - medium brown; Hobbs 80/20 batting; Freehand design



Afternoon Delight - hangin' with Freeda

Afternoon Delight - close up

Afternoon Delight - close up of border

Afternoon Delight - close up

Afternoon Delight

 I searched out this pattern, and have already ordered it and the templates for making the circles - another quilt on my list!

It's a bit slow at the Little House - so I finally got my Prairie Star on Freeda and have begun quilting it over the past few days - so far, I'm about 12 hrs in - and figure I have another 6 - 8 hrs to go.  As this is the first Judy Niemeyer quilt that I have quilted, and the fact that it is my quilt - I'm doing a bit of trial and error.  Some of the quilting designs work - some not so much - so I'm changing as I go.  I can hear Claudia's voice - "Think before quilting - don't think while quilting" . . . but I'm afraid that's not exactly how it's happening with this one.  I have the basic design in my mind, but if it doesn't work in an area - it comes out before I move on.  I've done a lot of SID (stitch in the ditch) to stabilize the quilt - and it's surprisingly square - this is  great experience for me!

Prairie Star - on Freeda
 

I will be working away to get this one completed, and I have customer quilts to finish before I head to Mexico at the end of the month . . . cheers - from the Little House. 

PS:  I'm not even talking about the weather - we have it relatively easy compared to a lot of our neighbours to the east and the south . . . stay warm and safe everyone.