Custom designs - soooo much fun!

Custom quilting - what does that really mean anyway???  Well, to me, it means having permission to "play" with designs on a quilt top.  Actually, it really has more to do with customizing a design or design elements to fit with the elements in the pieced quilt top.  No matter . . . I had to opportunity to "customize" the two beautiful tops from Ruth.  What fun!

The first quilt was made from Ruth's stash - WOW!  It is a Dresden Plate design - made into sunflower blocks . . . Ruth had three extra sunflowers that she put in the border of the quilt.  The quilting consisted of Terry Twists in the pieced sashings, different fillers in each sunflower block and half sunflowers freehand quilted in the two outer borders.

Glide Thread; Hobbs Heirloom Wool batting

in progress . . .
 



Close up - Sunflower block
 

Sunflower Quilt hangin' out

Back of Sunflower Quilt - close up

Back of Sunflower Quilt - close up

Sunflower Quilt - backing
 

Don't you just love it!!!

Ruth's second quilt was just perfect for the lilac blooms! 

The fabric in this quit was actually pansies, not lilacs  .  .  . but the colors are the same, don't you think?

Glide thread; Hobbs Heirloom Wool batting

in progress



See those little red pins . . . . they remind me to pick out stitching that either I didn't like or isn't quite right . . . sometimes there are a lot of little red pins!!!  :)

 



Close up

Close up of quilting in border

done!

Hangin' out at the farm

Ruth's quilt - backing

What can I say . . . I've been busy since returning from my trip to Turkey . . . yes, I went to Turkey!  Fabulous . . . and I'll be returning! 


For now - I remain quilting at the Little House!

It's almost the end of June . . . where does the time go???

A few more quilts from the month of June . . . .

...... don't you just love the way the Karen's quilt and the sky seem to match!!!

Glide Thread - Graphite; Panto - Flirtatious; Hobbs 80/20 batting


Beautiful batiks from Karen . . .



I love hanging the quilts on the line for their photo op!


 

Marlene's quilts - #1 - Card Tricks; Glide Thread, Panto - Pansies; Hobbs 80/20 batting

Card Tricks - close up



Marlene's Card Tricks - backing

 





.... and one more from Marlene . . . Glide Thread; Panto - Come Dance With Me; Hobbs 80/20 batting

Beautiful Flannels!

Marlene's Flannels Quilt - backing

Hangin' with Freeda

.... June is not over yet . . . a few more posts coming up!

Stay tuned to the Little House!

Picnic Critters . . . and more!

The Calgary Longarm Quilters Group put a "group" entry into the Heritage Park Festival of Quilts.  Each entry was made using the same pattern - Avignon Picnic by Andrea Harris of UrbanQuiltworks - but, we each chose different fabrics and quilting designs.

I am proud to say, I made mine without purchasing ONE piece of fabric - not one thread - it all came from my stash.  I had a selection of bright prints - some with little critters on it, others with floral or other kinds of designs.  I called my quilt "Picnic Critters" -


If you look closely, you will see real "critters" on the quilt - the bugs like the quilts too!

A few weeks before I quilted my quilt, I was in Edmonton attending classes by Judi Madsen of Green Fairy Quilts - that was the inspiration for my quilting.  I admit, I took a lot of ideas from Judi's quilting, but added a few elements of my own - here it is still in progress.

Dragonflies, pebbles and border design

Flowers, leaves, swirls with border design



Flowers and swirl fill

Butterfly, swirls and leaves

Diagonal lines and "butterfly wings" filler

I learned something about marking quilts - and thank goodness this quilt is mine and I can work at removing the marks.  You can see the yellow lines - well that is a "half point" mark so my quilting would be uniform in the blocks.  I used quilting marking chalk - and was surprised when it didn't brush off easily - but as I was washing the finished quilt anyway, I wasn't too concerned.

All nice and clean and crinkled . . . . and still has yellow marks!  (gasp!)

Hmmmm  - after washing, the marks were STILL there! . . . and, because I did all this the night before I was to deliver the quilt for the show - I couldn't work at getting those marks out - my bad!  I hope it wasn't too distracting  :(   When I get my quilt back home, I'll be working hard to remove those pesky little yellow marks!

I wasn't able to attend the Festival of Quilts so I didn't see all the finished quilts - but if you click here , you will see a very nice display on Michelle's blog (mmm quilts) . . . . or click here to see Andrea's blog post about the group entry.


Here is a photo of Picnic Critters (Little House Creations); Picnic in the Rockies (mmm quilts) and Avignon Picnic (2) (Urban Quiltworks) hanging out at Michelle's home.  Thanks Michelle for picking the quilt up for me, and letting me post some of your great pictures on my blog.

One pattern - three very different quilts!
 

  Make sure you check out Michelle's blog (mmmquilts.blogspot.com) for more pictures of Heritage Park Festival of Quilts and get an up close and personal look at her Picnic in the Rockies - it's just stunning - Michelle's quilting is superb!

Picnic in the Rockies - Michelle Middleton

AND - big news is that Andrea is working on an article about the Heritage Park group entry for Quilter's Connection magazine - should be published in September - I'll keep you posted on that.

The Summer Solstice has come and gone . . . . Happy Summer from the Little House!

Quilts as gifts

Can you think of anything that says "congratulations", "way to go", "thinking of you" or "just because you are so special" better than a quilt?  Here are a few quilts that I have had the opportunity to quilt this past month that were made with that special someone in mind . . .

Lucy's daughter graduated from Nursing this spring - "Congratulations"!  Lucy's Crazy Quilt is made from a selection of fabrics with sentimental value - what a great gift for a graduate!

Glide Thread; Freehand Feather Swirls

Lucy's Crazy Quilt - hangin' with Freeda

Lucy's Crazy Quilt - Close up

Lucy's Crazy Quilt - Close up

Lucy's Crazy Quilt - backing
 

Gwen hasn't met the recipients of these baby quilts yet . . . actually, no one has . . . but I'm sure the little ones will be wrapped up nice and cozy in Gwen's flannel quilts - simple panels make great gifts!

Glide Thread; Hearts and Daisies panto

Hearts and Daisies
 

Hearts and Daisies - backing
 

Glide Thread; Freehand 3s and Es; meander in centre block

From little to really, really big!  Diane's son and daughter-in-law to be will be the lucky recipients of this quilt - variation of a log cabin block. 

This is the largest quilt I have ever had on Freeda - and really, couldn't go any bigger - it measured 114 x 124 inches - now that's a big quilt!  Diane told me her DIL to be helped pick out the fabrics, and likes things simple and crisp.  I quilted a freehand feather/swirl design and stitch in the ditch around the stars.  Diane will likely hand quilt either hearts or the couples initials in some of the star blocks - so special!  The wedding is next week - we got this one done just in time!

I have a couple of more quilts in my que that are for weddings - I know they'll be cherished!

BTW - it's been great having Freeda at home - I have to admit, quilting in my PJs and bare feet has a certain appeal!  The other day I quilted for a few hours, planted my flower beds (finally!), watched a movie and quilted a little bit more . . . . it works for me!  I'm working on a custom job right now - another super-sized . . . here's a peek . . . I think it will be finished just in time to take a picture with the lilacs in full bloom . . . believe it or not, the lilacs have not bloomed  at Water Valley yet!

Until next time - Happy Summer from the Little House!