Another vintage find…

Posted on July 17, 2013 by katyquilts

Here is a vintage top I purchased in an antique mall in Traverse City.

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It looks like someone laundered the top causing some fraying. It is all hand pieced. I plan to quilt this on my Avante. Each block pillows out slightly as the blocks between seams are tighter than the seams in the blocks. It will be a challenge to get this to quilt out! It has a few stains here and there.
I hope to get this loaded and start quilting it yet this week. I just need to decide how to quilt it. A wonky crosshatch? A simple stipple to just add texture?
This top definitely has issues but I believe it can be beautiful. Reminds me of this verse:
Ecclesiastes 3:11
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

Posted in Machine quilting, Traditional Quilts, Vintage Fabrics | 2 Comments

An unplanned project…

Posted on July 16, 2013 by katyquilts

I decided to sew together the leftover strips from the batik quilt. As I began to sew, I knew who should receive this quilt. It needs to be lap quilt size but I ran out of strips. I made some 16 patches but not enough. I started using the strings I had left over. This is getting more and more chaotic and it is still too small.

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I rearranged the bits a few times. I have a bit more fabric I can use. We shall see where this takes me…

Posted in Creativity, Scraps | 2 Comments

Quilt of Valor #15

Posted on July 15, 2013 by katyquilts

I finished quilting this QOV this afternoon and bound and washed it this evening. The quilting on this was a challenge for me and for a while, I wasn’t sure I would like it at all. But washing and a bit of shrinkage can hide a multitude of sins!

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The back is white and I love the way the sun shone through hen I took this picture tonight.

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I still need to make a label and sew the presentation case. I am really happy this is off the frame!

I am linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict and also linking up with Connie at Free Motion by the River. Check to see what others are working on!

Posted in Free Motion Quilting, HQ Avante, Machine quilting, Quilt of Valor | 16 Comments

Design Wall Monday

Posted on July 15, 2013 by katyquilts

Most of my design work this weekend has been at the frame. It has been slow going but I am making progress.

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I did throw these little guys up but clearly have a long ways to go to finish this.

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My goals for this week are to order the rest of the fabric for the batik quilt, finish this QOV including presentation case, label, and binding, and start working on my swap blocks. We shall see if reality looks anything at all like theory.

I am linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday. Click here to see what others are up to today.

Posted in Design Wall Monday, Doll Quilts, Machine quilting, Quilt of Valor | 3 Comments

Oh feathers!

Posted on July 14, 2013 by katyquilts

My weekend has been filled with lots of this:

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And some of this:

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Yes, I finally started the quilting on this QOV. It is slow going. I had my heart set on feathers for this. I decided to do piano key border and feathers in the white.

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I used this curve ruler to make melon shapes for spines.

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My biggest quandary was the corners. Not totally happy but I have ripped enough.

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I have a long way to go but at least I am started!

Posted in Free Motion Quilting, HQ Avante, Machine quilting, Quilt of Valor | 3 Comments

Frame Friday and SQT Challenge

Posted on July 12, 2013 by katyquilts

No sewing yesterday :(. However, I do have this on the frame. It has been there since Wednesday but still haven’t been able to decide how to quilt it, Even my little chicken scratches haven’t helped!

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I can’t decide what to put here:

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I really want feathers in that white space but I can’t figure out how to resolve the corners. Since I am pretty much a rookie at feathers, this is not something I can do off the cuff. Part of the challenge is that what I want to do and what I have the skills for are not one and the same…..yet!

Maybe something brilliant will pop into my head while I am at work this afternoon….I really want to present this QOV to my co-workers husband by the end of July. I have an order of thread from Superior coming tomorrow. I am going to try using a low sheen monopoly for stitch in the ditch work on this.

The challenge for the Small Quilt Talk Yahoo group is a lovely little bowtie quilt patterned by Marian. She has a wonderful blog you can see here. The bowtie blocks for the challenge are 2 1/2″ finished. I was thinking about starting this and was reminded that I had some little bowtie blocks from a few years ago that I had started. I pulled them out and realized they are 3 1/2″ finished. Part of the challenge was to use poison green, which I love, and yellow. My blocks have a similar green but not yellow. I have decided I will make a few more of these blocks and finish by setting them as Marian did. it just doesn’t make sense to start over when I have these done and just sitting there. It will be my personal challenge to “make it work”, to quote Tim Gunn.ff4

Off to the library for the day job!

Posted in Civil War Repro Quilts, Doll Quilts, Hand piecing, HQ Avante, Machine quilting, Quilt of Valor | 1 Comment

My Antique Quilt!

Posted on July 11, 2013 by katyquilts

I showed a sneak peak of the quilt I bought when we were up north last week. I have more pics to share with you today.

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The hand quilting in this picture looks like cross hatching but it is a thallus very tiny clamshells.

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The binding appears to have piping but it is now the same color as the background, binding, and backing.

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This block seems to be very similar to the one Lori at Humble Quilts is using for her Christmas quilt. This was tagged as a “cutter” quilt but I fell in love with it. I think it looks great in my guest room! I paid all of $29 for this beauty and I think it was worth every penny.

If only it could tell me it’s history….

Posted in Hand quilting, Vintage Quilts | 5 Comments

Work in Progress Wednesday

Posted on July 10, 2013 by katyquilts

I finished piecing the last quarter of the BB before work yesterday. I took pics and printed them out so I could figure out where the stars for the last quarter should be.

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I need to buy fabric before I go any further so this is on hold for the time being.
I woke up early and prepped and loaded the backing for this QOV.

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I am having a terrible time trying to decide how to quilt it. So I started doing this.

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I am really happy with this top and I don’t want to mess up the quilting. I may photocopy this and doodle for a while. BTW, loading the backing with my new system that I talked about here, went quicker this time. I think I am really going to like this!

Time to order fabric, plan dinner, do some housework and get ready for the day job.
I love seeing Works in Progress (WIPs) and you can see more of them here at Freshly Pieced.
That reminds me of a fave verse:
And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Phil. 1:6

Posted in Bed Quilts, HQ Avante, Machine quilting, Quilt of Valor, Quilting Designs | 3 Comments

The Batik Behemoth

Posted on July 9, 2013 by katyquilts

AKA BB for short. I made pretty good progress yesterday. I really appreciate all the comments and suggestions. After considering it all, I have decided to add 5″ borders and keep the center to 100 blocks. I am working the top in 25 block quarters. My house is a decent size but I do not have the space to lay everything out. This makes placing the stars a bit difficult. Here are two of the quarters I have pieced so far.

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And here is the next section that I hope to get together today before work:

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The color in these pics is pretty true, just slightly faded.  I need to find border, binding, and backing fabric yet. Based on Vicki’s comment, I decided to go with a blend for the batting. I have Hobb’s 80/20 on hand so that may be it.

Until next time…

Posted in Bed Quilts, Fabric | 3 Comments

Design Wall Monday

Posted on July 8, 2013 by katyquilts

I have 61 blocks done in the Batik Behemoth quilt. Here are a few on the design wall.

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And the rest of the finished blocks so far.

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Here is my current work station with block kits laid out in the lower left of the picture.

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I am trying to decide if I want to make 121 blocks and go without a border or make 100 blocks and add a 5″ border. I think my MIL prefers a border but that would require more fabric shopping. I also need to purchase fabric for the binding and backing. She said she would prefer a poly batting. Any recommendations? I only use it for service quilts and a low loft at that. She would like a higher loft.

I hope to get the background blocks finished today and figure out where I want the stars placed.

I linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times for DWM.

Posted in Bed Quilts, Design Wall Monday, Fabric | 4 Comments