Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Too Much Fun!

So ....  I met Pam in the quilt shop and she asked me to quilt a couple of fat quarters and another half yard piece.  "Something swirly, please."

Half yard quilted
I love having such freedom!  After doodling on a test piece to make sure the machine tension was just right, I quilted these swirling flowers densely over this fabric.  The variegated thread was perfect.  It looked like it changed to every color in this piece.

Here's the back side.  It won't show on her finished project.
the flip side

There's also a blue FQ.  This brilliant blue is washed out in the photo's lighting, but it's really pretty.  I decided to quilt the 2 FQ's with a more open quilting design to provide a little contrast between these and the first piece.
Finally, here's the pink FQ.  The variegated threads show up well here.
Here are the backs for these smaller pieces.  My customer emphasized that she didn't mind if I used up a couple of bobbins since the backs won't show.

back side of the blue

back side of the pink
This was so much fun to do.  Easy.  Fast.  And what a sense of accomplishment.  I can't wait to see her finished gift made with these quilted fabrics.

Enjoy your day!
- SeeingStars

His and Hers Quilts part two

Here's the "His" quilt ready to have the binding hand sewn.  The "Hers" is folded in the foreground.  This couple will enjoy watching a movie together or reading after dinner while snuggling under their quilts.

For a more masculine effect, my customer and I decided upon quilting free hand oak leaves.  Several of the batiks in this quilt have a botanical feel, so I thought this motif would be a terrific fit.

Those leaves are a bit camera shy, but they show up pretty well in the rich brown borders.  Although the top thread is variegated to add a little more interest, it's very subtle.

We're getting ready for a grandma arrival this afternoon.  Since all my customer quilts are back in their hands, I can switch gears and start focusing on our family traditions.  No gifts under the tree yet.  Oops.  I don't usually consider myself one of those last minute shoppers.  The house needs a little bit of tidying, but thankfully, I had time to do some of that yesterday.   Time to jot down some menus for the week too - a fusion of vegan and carnivore dishes.

Enjoy your day!
- SeeingStars

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

His and Her Quilts

Batik quilt
Here's the first of two I'm quilting for a customer.  The fabrics she selected are really rich in color and I this the designs are great.  It's made using a sliced layer cake pattern.
The backing fabric provided the inspiration for the quilting.  I like the flowing ribbons and the flowers.  After sketching the design a few times, I loaded a King Tut variegated thread in the top and bobbin and began to play.

The back is pieced.  Here's an area of white on the back.  It shows the quilting well.
The second top is made using the same pattern and many of the same fabrics.  I'll quilt an oak leaf design on it.  First, I'll need to square the backing fabric.  And before that, it's almost time to go to my day job. 

I'm looking forward to finishing up a few more Christmas quilts for customers and then closing shop for the rest of the holiday season.  It's still a little scary for me to see a person's face when they receive their quilt back from me.  So far, so good.

Enjoy your day!
- SeeingStars