KatyQuilts

Quilts of Valor

Posted on January 21, 2016 by katyquilts

I’ve been working away at quilting some QOV tops for my Stitching Sisters QOV group. The first one I showed in process yesterday. My idea to quilt the panto around the center panel worked out so well. I am sure I will be using this technique again!

This next one used a panto with the words bravery, valor, courage and honor included in it. It is harder than you might think to follow this one!

I fell completely in love with this top! So crisp and beautiful! I used al allover feather design called Chaparral.

I had a lot of fun creating all the freehand feathers on this next top.
Some are a little bit funky, but as a whole, I think it works.

I used a design called Swoosh on this last top. It is a really good panto to use if you need to ease in any extra fullness. However, it isn’t always easy to keep those long smooth curves wobble free. Believe it or not, more complicated looking pantos are often easier for beginners. They tend to be more forgiving.

I have one more top to quilt for this batch. I hope to get it done this weekend.

Linking up with My Quilt Infatuation

Posted in Finishes, Machine quilting, Pantographs, Quilt of Valor, Uncategorized | 10 Comments

WIP Wednesday ~ Semi-Custom Quilting with a Pantograph

Posted on January 20, 2016 by katyquilts

I’ve been working on quilting Quilts of Valor this week for the Stitching Sisters QOV group. Forgive the terrible picture of this beautiful top.

I’m trying out something a bit different on this one. I plan to quilt this using a pantograph around the center panel and to do the panel freehand. I chose this pantograph.

I knew quilting up to but not on top of the panel could be a bit tricky, so I decided to use Superior Mono-poly thread on top. I quilted the first two rows as I would any other quilt.

This panto will give great texture and the clear thread means it won’t distract from the piecing at all. All was fine until I got to the third row.

To figure out where to stop and start the panto, I dropped the needle at the corners of the panto like this:

Then I walked around the back and used my grease pencil to mark where the laser light hit the pattern.
I repeated this every few inches until I had the space marked off.

Then I used my grease pencil to redraw the lines of the panto in this area.

I hope to finish the quilting on this today so I can show you tomorrow how this all turns out. This is something I’ve wanted to figure out how to do for a while. I think it will be a useful technique for quilts with panels or medallions.

Linking up with Sew Fresh Quilts, Freshly Pieced, Quilt Fabrication

Posted in Machine quilting, Quilt of Valor, Tutorials, Uncategorized | 8 Comments

As if I didn’t have enough of my own…

Posted on January 19, 2016 by katyquilts

UFOs that is. I don’t know why I am so drawn to projects left behind by others. But I am. Thursday I met a friend in a nearby town to pick up some tops to quilt for QOVF. I got to town early so I could check out an antique mall. That is where I spotted these.

And for the princely sum of $4.24, they were mine. I have no idea what I will do with them.

The picture above gives you a rough idea of size. I say rough because I don’t think any two are the same.

Here is a look at the back.

These two were put together with a melon so maybe they were intended for a double wedding ring.

There are 50 arcs in total. What would you do with them?

Posted in Vintage Fabrics, What was I thinking | 9 Comments

Design Wall Monday

Posted on January 18, 2016 by katyquilts

One of the items on my UFO list, was this pile of Goose in the Pond blocks.

There were 15 from a guild swap so I wanted to make one more. I cut my pieces last week.

And finished that last block.

Now I need to decide where to go from here.

I’m using my “design floor” since I have a somewhat secret project on my design wall that I am also working on. What’s on your design wall today?

Linking up with Patchwork Times, Cooking Up Quilts, Em’s Scrap Bag, Laugh Love Quilt

Posted in Civil War Repro Quilts, Design Wall Monday, Uncategorized | 23 Comments

Slow Stitching Sunday

Posted on January 17, 2016 by katyquilts

After church today, I plan on finishing up General Grant’s binding.

I’m nearly done now. Yesterday, hubby and I took Daughter #1 to nearby town to shop at one of our favorite outlet stores. We stopped at a new little quilt shop along the way. I picked this piece up to make s pillow case for Big E.

Since it was their grand opening, they gave away these cute little EPP kits.

It has enough pieces to make one little flower. So I plan to make this little flower after I finish the binding. I think it will make a cute pincushion.

Linking up with Kathy’s Quilts

Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments

Intrepid Thread Challenge Reveal!

Posted on January 16, 2016 by katyquilts

A while back, Julie from Intrepid Thread invited people to participate in a challenge using these fabrics:

You could make anything you wanted as long as you posted pictures on Instagram. I cut my fabrics up into 2 1/2 inch squares to go with the mini charm pack. I tried out several different ideas on the design wall.

I ended up going with this one:

I added borders and quilted it in an allover swirl.

And then made it into a pillow.

You can check out what everyone else did with their challenge pieces over at Intrepid Thread today by clicking here. Thank you, Julie for the great challenge!

Linking up with Sew Can She

Posted in Finishes, Free Motion Quilting, Uncategorized | 12 Comments

Finish It Up Friday ~ Double 4 Patch

Posted on January 15, 2016 by katyquilts

I finished the Double 4 Patch that I was working on and was able to gift it yesterday. My friends husband came in to the library and I sent it home with him. They were both so pleased! The weather has not cooperated so these pictures were all taken in doors.

These pictures were taken before washing.

And the following pictures were taken after washing.

And a look at the back.

I’m quite pleased with how this one turned out. I hope it keeps my friend warm this winter. She has warmed my heart many times.

Thank you all for your kind words and suggestions this week regarding my General Grant’s Bow Ties quilt. In this journey to becoming a better quilter, I am only competing against myself. And when you work up close on a quilt, you see every little wobble. Things looks so much better in blog pictures than real life. But since this blog is to be an honest record of my quilting, I write about my frustrations and disappointments as well as the bits I am most proud of. Usually, when I finish something, I am able to step back and overlook the bobbles and bumps, but the process of getting there is the real life part of the story.

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, A Quilted Passion

Posted in Finishes, Uncategorized | 12 Comments

Thursday Thoughts

Posted on January 14, 2016 by katyquilts

I started the quilting on General Grant’s Bow ties. I often seem to get a quilt in the fame and then get paralyzed not knowing how to quilt it. I had an idea in mind for the borders but then chickened out. I thought this would be easier. I don’t care for it much. But I’m not ripping.

I took this photo in the dark with a flashlight for side lighting so the quilting would show. I’ve been frustrated with my template skills lately and decide to freehand most everything on this top. I started the blue border with a crosshatch and then added the little loops. Kinda wishing I hadn’t.

I’m using Glide thread in Khaki. Mono-poly would have looked better, but I don’t love using it. I am doing a freehand crosshatch in the blocks.

The lines are about an inch apart. I am debating quilting closer. Lots of quilting angst with this one!

Linking up with My Quilt Infatuation

Posted in Machine quilting, Quilting Designs, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

WIP Wednesday

Posted on January 13, 2016 by katyquilts

I got my bow tie blocks set together with the Civil War a Generals panel.

I wanted this to be a small wall quilt. But it just kept clamoring for wide borders. I finally relented. It is now on the frame. I need to quilt it quick because I have QOVs coming in to be quilted.

I am leaning towards feathers of some type in the borders. But I need to figure out how to quilt the panel.

Any ideas?

Linking up with Sew Fresh Quilts, Freshly Pieced, Quilt Fabrication

Posted in Civil War Repro Quilts, Swaps, Uncategorized | 10 Comments

This and That Tuesday

Posted on January 12, 2016 by katyquilts

I had the day off yesterday and hubby is out of town. Usually, that is the perfect chance to get a lot done. It didn’t quite work out that way though. I started the day clearing the driveway since we’ve been dealing with this.

There’s a pretty thick layer of ice under that. The garage door was frozen shut, but I managed to get it loose. Of course then the snow blower didn’t want to cooperate so I ended up doing it the old fashioned way. After that, I visited these little sweeties.

I stopped at an antique shop on the way home and found this lovely quilt.

There was only room to lay out a quarter of it. The hand work was magnificent! All the appliqué work was stuffed. It had this piece with it.

It was about 24 inches from top to bottom and the same width as the quilt. Perhaps it was meant to cover pillows? It wasn’t nearly as worn as the quilt. I didn’t bring it home, but I would have liked to!

Last night, I finally recovered my ironing table. Here are the before and after photos.

Quite an improvement, no? I used a Teflon coated fabric I bought at JoAnn’s and two layers of batting. The first cover lasted nearly 10 years. Not sure why I waited that long since it looks so much better now.

Here’s hoping that I get a big of quilting in today before work! Have a good one.

Posted in Sewing Room Pics, Uncategorized, Vintage Quilts | 5 Comments