More Finishes!

Just a little note, if you have not received a personal reply from me to your comment it is because you are a no-reply blogger or your address no longer works.  I try to respond to all comments, so check your blogger profile!

Now to what I have done this past week!

I have now quilted all of the 12 quilts I basted in October.  I have a 4 day weekend coming up and it's time for another basting party.  I bought 25 yards of batting and will have to piece backs for some of them, but that's okay.  I will be using up fabric!

This quilt was 11 years in the making.  My late friend Deb purchased the fabric in 2008 and the Quiltsmart interfacing.  I was supposed to make a wedding quilt for her to gift to her niece, but she changed her mind and gave me the fabrics instead.  They languished for a few years and finally in 2013 I made the top.  The interfacing is an interesting method and the rings are machine appliqued with a blind hem stitch and invisible thread.  It is a nice throw size, but not my favorite.  I posted a picture on Facebook and my wedding singer (almost 35 years ago!) said she LOVED it.  I am sending it to her!  She has purchased some quilts from me in the past, but I am gifting it.

Double Wedding Ring

The weather was great yesterday and I managed to take some outdoor photos, although the sun was getting a little low by the time I got outside.  We still have a bit of snow left, but we have had a strange winter so far!

I was influenced by a couple of friends and started making this 1930's Farmer's Wife quilt a couple of years ago.  (6 inch blocks).  I got bored with it and lost the CD with the templates.  Forget that!  I had to cut a couple in half for this setting, but I really like the zigzags.  It's a small throw/lap size.  I had fun with the quilting though!

1930 Farmer Wife

quilting closeup

backing

 Both quilts together in the old corral in our pasture.

Linking up with Design Wall Monday.

Retreat Projects

Last week I was at a quilt retreat hosted by Quilt Treasures.  I worked on 4 different projects.  I didn't have a lot of space, sharing a 6 foot table and no room to set up my little ironing table as I was on the inside so I sewed as many blocks together as I could.

Since I have been home I have assembled all the tops and added borders.

The first project I worked on was a batik throw quilt called Rip Tide.  I had purchased a kit, but exchanged out some of the fabrics.  This was a pattern by Karla Alexander where you stack up fabrics, slice them apart, move fabrics in your stacks and resew them.  It was fun and nothing to match up!  I loved that!

Rip Tide throw size

The next project I worked on was my 1930's Farmer's Wife.  I am a Farmer's wife, but samplers are not my favorite.  I also have the regular Farmer's Wife quilt in progress.  I am not sure what I was thinking!  Anyway I had 21 blocks done and there are 99 in the book.  I lost the CD with templates and I decided to do the lap size setting in the book and needed 32 blocks.  I went through and kitted up 11 blocks and got those sewn and I had precut the setting triangles.  I added a narrow border and I have a quilt top ready for quilting!

six inch block closeup  LOTS of pieces

Next I worked on a disappearing 4 patch.  I had a bunch of bright 10" squares and thought I would make a throw quilt for a gift.  I got all the blocks done, but couldn't lay them out at retreat.  After I assembled the quilt top at home, I HATED it!  It was too much, too intense, too something.  It was an 8 X 10 block setting.  I had decided on the alternating design, but I think I should have set it together like Ramona did.  I decided since it was too big for what I wanted, that if I split the quilt top in half it would work better and it does!  I added a border from fabric on hand and now I have two nice lap sized quilt tops!

disappearing 4 patches

The last project I worked on at retreat was a Scrappy Trip Around the World.  The pattern is found on Quiltville's site.  I had a bundle of Bonnie and Camille's Vintage Holiday fabric.  I just loved the pinks and aquas.  I added a few other fabrics and since I am not a true scrappy quilt lover, I made sure reds went through the center.  I am still contemplating a border or not.

Scrappy Trip Around the World

Scrappy trip closeup - sometimes matching fabrics came together!

School starts back up Monday.  I have worked this week and have open house tonight, but then have the rest of the week off.