Beautiful piecing of a very modern quilt by Kim who wishes to be known here as "Kim in Texas".

Very interesting fabrics, quilt layout & IQ pattern selection.

Oct 27: First contact & quote
Oct 29: With photos and several design options, we started planning. White thread, Bread Basket panto, medium density ../ we are about done with the planning.
Oct 31: The quilt is here. Photos later.
Nov 01: First pictures. Of course I got them upside down before getting them right side up. Better now than later.
Nov 03: We will reduce the pattern down to about 3" thus it will much denser & will flip odd rows horizontally.
Nov 10: Turns out I can't flip the rows. It doesn't line up nicely.
Nov 12: Setting everything up. Lots of interruptions today ... hopefully things will settle down a bit. Ran a quick sample of the pattern since I had a place to do it. Quilting. Quilted. More pictures before shipping in the morning,
Nov 13: Final pictures.

One of my original customers way back when, it is so good to hear from her again. Formerly from Greensboro & patron of Ye Olde Forest Quilt Shoppe, she now resides in Raleigh. Welcome back, Sylvia.

In Sylvia's family, a quilt is not a quilt if it doesn't have a fleece backing. Starting with layer cakes (10"squares), Sylvia lets the fabrics speak for themselves--her trademark.

Only a quilt shop has more variety of fabrics than this quilt, many of which I recognize.

Nov 09: Started setup process.
Nov 10: Continuing setup including programming IQ. Back is loaded. Top is pressed. Need to cut batting. All loaded and basted. Will quilt tomorrow.
Nov 11: Quilting...and quilted.

Oct 21: Pattern selected.
Oct 28: Programming, prepping, loading.
Oct 29: Trimming threads as I press the top. Re-visited the density & ended up exactly where I started. Such an open pattern is not as dense as the "density factor" indicates. The snow flakes are one thing but the fat little snowman belly is another. Loaded, basted & ready to quilt.
Oct 30: Quilting. Oops! Machine problems when bobbin ran out & thread got caught inside the machine creating a horrific jam. I've cleared the jam but still having what I hope is a minor problem. Will call APQS in the morning for help.
Oct 31: Heard from APQS but it was at 5 PM. We sorted out in just a few minutes that the drive belt needs replacing. It was worn just a tad too much from the jam. A new one is on the way from Iowa.
Nov 04: The belt is here & the machine is fixed. Back in business.
Nov 05: Let's quilt! Quilted.
Nov 06: Binding is attached.
Nov 08: Bound
Nov 09: Shipped to Pete

Runner & four placemats.
Actually, I will do the runner first.

Oct 21: Selected thread--Magnifico #2034 Orange Spice.
Oct 26: Selected Chicken wire panto--horizontal version.
Oct 27: Prepping, loading, quilting.
Oct 28: Quilted.

I will be doing the binding only on this quilt Joan is making for her sister.

So, so (sew) beautiful!

Oct 23: Cut & attached the binding. Ready to hand sew.
Oct 24-26: Binding. And bound.
Oct 27: Photos

Now Marie wants frogs!!

Marie has asked me to make a quilt with frogs on it. She has someone in her vast family who is really into frogs ... thus...

  "Before the Kiss" Quilt

Oct 12: After the Todd festival today. Marie asked me to make a quilt for her to give someone. It must be all about frogs.
Oct 14: I searched high & low for fabrics with frogs them. Tonight Marie came by and gave a thumbs up or down on each of them. We were left with a "Before the Kiss" panel, a few coordinating fabrics from the same fabric line and some frogs on fleece I will use for the backing. Who knows, I may dare to use some of the fleece on the top. All afternoon and evening, I have been designing  from scratch. You know how it goes…scratch this one…scratch that one…LOL. Feel free to offer suggestions or pick a favorite. I have a couple but it is up to Marie now. She is why I have all these posted for now.
Oct 16: Marie came by before I left for Greensboro on a fabric run & we finalized her plan. Ordered the fabric & they are all on the way.
Oct 19: The fabrics ordered on eBay are here.
Oct 31: Marie came by today to see her fabrics. Whew! As I checked what I had vs. what I needed, I discovered I had, not 6 yards of backing fabric and front panels, but 6 24-inch panels. Turns out that is 4 yards which is exactly what I in fact need. Cut the side panels & ready to start sewing.
Nov 01: Piecing.
Nov 02: Top & backing are pieced and ready to quilt. This time Marie gets to choose a pattern & thread color & I am ready for her.
Nov 04: Marie chooses Leapin' Lily Pads & I have to choose the thread--light turquoise top & back.
Dec 12: Loaded & ready to quilt.
Dec 13: Quilted. Squared. Clamped for hand binding.
Dec 16-17: Bound.
Dec 18: Final pictures.

I'll be piecing & longarming this quilt for Dorothy Wonder using the Yellow Brick Road pattern. She is sending the skins fabrics. I'll do the rest including shopping for suitable borders.

Oct 11: Got a call this morning from Dorothy to help her with this project. She is swapped & I have a lot of free time. Until her fat quarters get here, I am working on EQ7 to draw the quilt. I've gone about as far as I can for now. Double borders 2" & 5" makes a 77 x 95 quilt. As I play with the colors, it seems to me that the inner border needs to be a subtle transition, either a medium shade or a blender or simple print of some kind, to ease out from the skins to a solid or another muted blender. No inner border is too abrupt. An inner border that pops it, poops it too. The fabrics here are so dynamic so let the borders tame the wildness. We will see what Dorothy sees. I love talking over quilt layouts with her & always ask her to critique my quilts. Ha! She agrees.
Oct 12: Used some software called Quilter's Lightbox for the first time to audition pattern & thread options. This tool might help us get closer to the thread color we want before I go pull specific spools.
Oct 15: Fat quarters are here. Added real fabrics & re-did the layouts.Oct 16: Added some almost solids to the mix to have enough fat quarters to make a larger quilt. 14 skin fat quarters, 6 more or less solid blenders & one black-brown print.
Oct 16: Going/gone to Greensboro to look for border fabrics. Very successful trip.
Oct 18: Cutting & piecing.
Oct 19: Finished the cutting. The blocks are together. Finished the layout & started on the rows.
Oct 20: I have a panto designer lined up--Ellen Munnich. The main part of the top is ready. Just needs borders.
Oct 21: Restricted by the backing which is 84 x 96, I can add 2" + 3" borders or just one 5" border. Either way the top will be 73 x 91. Dorothy says 2" plus 3". I have contacted Ellen Munnich about doing a special panto for this quilt. She has agreed but I have to wait until mid-November.
Oct 31: Pieced the backing & inner border. Double checking how much backing I have now that it is pieced before cutting the outer border.
Nov 05: While pressing and squaring the backing, I realized the quality was just not there. I'll get more of one of the "solid" fabrics used in the top for the backing. Brown marble was available.
Nov 13: Contacted Ellen Munnich about our panto. She says it will be in the next batch. Not sure what that means but it had better be quick...time is running out.
Nov 16: Picked up the backing fabric.
Nov 22: Ellen Munnich did the panto today. My idea was profiles of animals represented by the skins. Ellen suggested Zany Swirls & I countered with using that type of connector between the profiles. She was concerned that including a giraffe would be hard to fit everything together. I left the details with her. Several hours later, she sent me her sketch.  I am trilled with what she did. After all that--spending most of her day focused on it--she wasn't even going to charge me. Thanks so very much, Ellen. When I get the panto today, I'll be ready to load Dorothy's quilt.
Nov 23: Outer border is pieced and thus the top is finished. Now the backing--also pieced & ready to load. Batting is cut. IQ is programmed. Thought about using a variegated but found the perfect So Fine! brown instead. Having to wind bobbins to get a perfect match. Have 5 ready to go. Wanted to get a lot more done, but HEY!, my hair cut looks great. Well, it does -- kudos to Lowell! My ultimate goal is to ship on Monday.
Nov 24: Loading. Loaded. Quilting. Very hard to photograph but I'm trying. The back should should show up nicely.
Nov 25: Quilting along making nice progress when ... a tension problem has me taking out a row. Since the thread is too loose, it shouldn't be too hard to do or take too long...just long enough that I won't get this in the mail today. And so it goes. Well, it wasn't hard but it did take a very long time nonetheless. All set to start again tomorrow & hopefully beat the nasty weather.
Nov 26: Quilting ... Quilted ... Shipped. On a rainy day, I couldn't get the picture I wanted of the back. Also the marble effect obscured the quilting more than I thought it would. Still learning after all these years.

I fell in love with this beautiful Tree of Life Tapestry at the Todd Fall Festival today. It was made in India & the exact colors in my living room rug.

The trinket boxes are black walnut crafted by a local artist. I picked the roomiest I could find. He sells his boxes shaped like bee hives, acorns, mushrooms and many other shapes. Absolutely beautiful work by a man who does not over charge. In fact, I suspect he undercharges.

​5' x 7.5'   =  60" x 90"

Oct 12, 2013:  I have washed this tapestry now 3 times in cold water and it is still bleeding. Yikes. One more time and then I am giving up. HA! Four times did the trick.
Feb 2017: I still love this tapestry but so does Shana. I gave it to her when she visited the cabin today. It has been tucked away in a box for too long. I must say Shana bought & brought me a spiral ham that fed me for 2 weeks! How thoughtful of her. My intent was just to give her the tapestry but we have become friends instead.

I bought this fabric back in July 2011 intending to make curtains for my bedroom. I have decided to make drapes for the living room instead. I have just enough to cover the french doors & thus block out any drafts.

Quilted curtains...wonder if this is a first?

Oct 14: Loading. Pattern selected & programmed.
Oct 17: Quilting left panel.
Oct 21: Finished left panel. Loading right panel.
Oct 22: Both panels quilted. Going to shop for binding. Made the binding.
Jan 12, 2012: Trimmed curtains to correct size & made straps for hanging.
Jan 13: Attached binding on both panels. Prepped (i.e. trimmed & clamped) for hand binding.
Jan 17: First panel is bound.
Jan 20: Second panel is bound and curtains are hung. This much brighter look will definitely take some getting used to.