Decorative Stitching

I have stitched in the ditch around all the blocks and outer borders.  Now for the fun part!  My sewing machine has hundreds of decorative stitches.  Since the framing strips around the butterfly blocks are fairly narrow, I thought it would be perfect to use a decorative stitch to quilt around the blocks.  I bought some varigated thread in pastel colors to use, but it's light and doesn't show well in the practice stitches (or in the picture below.)  I would like to use the varigated thread on the black strips, and black thread on mint green strips.

I have narrowed it down to these choices.  The color shows up best in samples D and F, but they are a little to "dense" in my mind (which is probably why the colors show up better).  I don't want these decorative stitches to take away the focus from the beautiful fabrics.  I'm leaning towards Sample G, it reminds me of a flitting butterfly, it's not too dense, but the colors seem more spread out, and less noticeable. (Sample E is a smaller version of this stitch.) It's a dilemma!  That's the problem with too many choices, I guess!  It's always so hard to choose!  I'm gonna think about this awhile.  Maybe look for some varigated thread in jewel tones instead of using pastels.  

Quilter

I have started the process of quilting Anna's birthday quilt.  The first thing I do is stabilize the quilt sandwich by stitching in the ditch around the blocks (the butterflies in this case,)  or sometimes I quarter a quilt by stitching in the ditch along row lines. This quilt doesn't lend itself to quartering very well, so I will do the blocks.  Fancy stuff comes later. And speaking of "fancy stuff," I found a FABULOUS blog for free-motion quilters, showing hundreds of free-motion "stitches".  I'm gonna try out a couple on this quilt.  Only problem is there are so many interesting and exciting patterns to choose from!  How to decide which one???  Every stitch has a short (@ 1-2 min) video tutorial!  Take a look-see at the Free Motion Quilting Project!  Got a favorite?  Let me know!

Here I am, starting the quilting of Anna's Painted Lady!

Backing and Pinning

My backing fabric arrived from the shop in Minnesota, River City Quilts.  They were VERY pleasant to do business with, and my fabric arrived TWO days after I placed the order.  I talked with REAL people on the phone, not just a generic computer geek with a catalog somewhere in cyberspace.  Do yourself a favor and do business with River City Quilts!  I will again!  Visit them here.  Anyway, I promised you a picture of this elusive fabric, so here it is!

Pretty backing fabric for the Painted Lady

So now that the fabric has arrived, I quickly sewed it into the backing, and today I pinned my quilt.  This is always the chore I like the least.  There is lots of kneeling and getting up and down from the floor and my poor knees creak and crackle.  I do use a kneeling pad and that's helpful.  Also, lots of stretching and reaching--I will feel this tomorrow in my butt muscles and thighs!  But the job is done, and now for the FUN part!  QUILTING!  I'm gonna study this quilt a little to decide what to do and where to do it.  There are 3 main parts that need quilting--the butterfly blocks, the sashing, and the borders.  All the same?  Or each different?  Hmmmmm!  I love this quilt and can't wait for April to get here!  Here is a picture of the quilt sandwich, taped to my kitchen floor!  (I'm glad I have a big kitchen!)

Unavailable

My backing fabric from Hancock of Paducah which has been on back order is no longer available.  My order has been cancelled.  I went online to see where else I can find this fabric.  It's back ordered EVERYWHERE!  Fabrics.com won't have a new order until JULY!  Keepsake-quilting.com won't have it until Mar. 18 (maybe.)  I finally found a little shop in Minnesota that had it!  I ordered it right away, and have received an email that it is shipped and I should have it in 2 or 3 business days!  LIFE IS GOOD!!

Painted Lady's Outer Border

I have put on the outer borders of the Painted Lady quilt.  I had to order more of this fabric since the original kit didn't include any for an "outer border" (I changed the design!)  I was worried that this fabric would be a different dye lot than the original, it even came from a different shop.  But the worry was in vain because the colors matched up wonderfully and it looks amazing.  These pictures don't seem to do justice at all to the actual beautiful colors of this quilt!  There will be just the binding to go around, it will be the dark blue of the inner border and the "domes".  However, I have to wait for MORE fabric to arrive, it is back ordered so I'm not sure when I will get it.  It is the backing fabric.  I just ordered it a few days ago because I wasn't sure just what I wanted to do with the backing.  However, when my border fabric arrived from Hancock's of Paducah (check them out sometime!), they also sent me a FABULOUS CATALOG of a gazillion fabrics!  There were so many beautiful choices, it was difficult to decide!  I finally decided on the recommended backing fabric because I have snippets of it in the sashing strips, but they are so small you don't actually get the beauty or flavor of that fabric.  I'll post a picture when the fabric arrives.  In the meantime, here is a picture of the Painted Lady with her beautiful border.

Painted Lady

Let me introduced you to my latest project:  The Painted Lady.  I saw this quilt in a catalog and and knew I had to make it for my Granddaughter Anna.  She'll be 13 in April and I think this is perfect for her!  It came in a kit, but of course, I had to change the fabrics and fancy it up.  It was a smallish quilt, the kit finishes off at 53 x 61.  I recently bought a book about pieced borders, and I've been excited to try them out.  This was the perfect opportunity to kill  two birds with one stone--Try out a pieced border AND enlarge the Painted Lady quilt.  I've been working steadily ever since.  Did I say "working"??  This is NOT work, this is FUN!  I love making quilts and trying out new fabrics and ideas.  Wheee!

Here is the Painted Lady as it (size-wise) from the kit:  (Colors are a little different too.)

Here is the Painted Lady with it's new pieced border!

There is still one more border to go, the rose colored that you see inside the "V's" of the pieced border.  Then the binding.  It will end up somewhere around 84 x 72.  Perfect!

So you see, I HAVE been busy, this whole quilt going together in a month!  Whooo hoooo!

New home for Moon Glow

I haven't blogged in a month???  Yikes!  You'll think I've been slacking!  But  fear not, faithful readers!  I've been hard at it!

First, I took a trip to Colorado to install the Moon glow in its new home with Dianne.  She was surprised because I had told her it was for someone else so I could get her honest opinion about it.  (Remember, I thought the colors were too dark...)  She loved it then and she loves it even more now since it has taken up residence in her new home.

So, say "fare ye well, Moon Glow" and see how nice it looks on Dianne and Larry's new bed!