Dancing Horses @ Bridle Creek Farm - Finished 07/11/2012

!! Happy First Birthday !!

You just might find more than the freshest vegetables at our local farmer's market. I have wanted to go for a long time, just never did. While I wasn't making much progress on quilts around here last week, I was researching juicers. And a juicer needs a lot of fresh veggies. And grocery veggies can get quite pricey. So I went to the market thinking it would be great if I could find someone who would accept payment for the season and us not nickle and dime every transaction. As many of you know I am a homebody rarely leaving the cabin except for mailing quilts and other can't put them off any longer errands. HA! First people I met were Duane and Irene Grafton of Bridle Creek Farm in Deep Gap closer than the post office, i.e. about 6 miles from here. When Duane mentioned it first--yes, a plan just like I was hoping for--I wrote a check! So when I go to mail a quilt I can swing by and get fresh veggies all season. Thus I guess you can say I became their customer. Little did I know they would become mine. You would think a farm & horses & two boys would be enough work yet Duane is a realtor and Irene does whatever needs doing at a bank in Boone. Busy, busy busy but not to busy to drop by last night.

Duane & Irene & their two energetic sons came over this evening to bring & share some heirloom quilts. No way I was going to spoil such priceless though well worn quilts. Of course, I had to dig into my stuff. While doing so, I discovered they were serious about having a quilt made for a boy who will be one in July. Since these friends board horses at their Bridle Creek Farm...well, it was a hit.

The plan is to use this fabric as is front and back with a solid red border and binding. I have everything I need so this is next on my to do list.

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June 11: Was told I have to get this posted before my friends get home. LOL. What a mess we made & I am left to clean it up. Now does that seem fair? We decided to use Art Studio Colors #101 Yuma Gold, a thick thread like King Tut. June 12: We decided to do a couple of throw pillows too since there is enough fabric.
June 14: Cut the fabric.
June 15: Pieced the top and backing. Ready to load & quilt. Took far longer than I expected because the print on the fabric was not square. It is close now.
June 19: I was about to load this quilt today when it seemed that two quilts with red backings would be a better plan than one with this gorgeous fabric on both sides. I got Duane's go ahead this evening so now I have cut two red backings & will piece them in the morning.
June 20: Piecing the backing. I will quilt one of these today & the other goes at the bottom of the queue like any other quilt. Got the first one loaded.
June 21: Started quilting and then realized I needed to stop and clean the bobbin assembly. When it gets noisy, it is time. And quilted.
June 22: Squared the quilt to prepare it for binding.

June 24: Quilting the 2nd one. About 1/2 done. No pictures on this one yet.
June 25: Finished quilting #2 through a barrage of thread breaks and tension issues. Also attached the binding. Irene came over this afternoon to learn how to do hand binding so she will finish both of these quilts.She took #2 with her. I need to do some tension repairs on #1 & then attach that binding.

July 09: Duane called this morning wanting to deliver one of these quilts this weekend. The recipient has a birthday coming up & they are going down for that this weekend. Irene has not been able to get the binding done. So now it is back on me at the last minute. I have made no promises but since I still have quilt #1 here, I am working on attaching the binding and then going to plug away until the hand work until done. Binding is now attached.
July 10: Hand binding all day. Dorothy asked me how I do binding in this heat (or something to that effect). See pictures and captions below.
July 11: Binding on quilt #1 finished in plenty of time for that birthday.