I managed to squeeze in a last-minute finish for 2014 – the red, black & white Chopsticks quilt.

The quilt top was completed in November 2012 and, after aging for two years it is now an official quilt.  I love the sharp contrast of the red, white and black.

There are areas of the machine quilting that are not as smooth or even as I would like, but I won’t get better unless I practice – right?  I was trying out three of the machine quilting motifs from the book Free-Motion Quilting with Angela Walters.  The book contains pages of quilting designs with detailed diagrams and  encouragement to help a quilter succeed with their machine quilting.  I enjoy paging through the book and dreaming of the day far in the future when I may be as good as Angela.

2014 closes with 14 quilt finishes, 69 yards of fabric used and one move.   I wonder what 2015 will bring.  Actually I do know one thing that 2015 will bring – a new granddaughter.

A Blessed New Year to everyone,

Marlene

The last couple of days have been spent hand sewing binding.  The first quilt finished was the wool applique owls – I love the autumn look of this project and the big eyes of the owls.  The wallhanging measures 14″ x 28″.

The oriental hexies was the next project finished.  It is 20 1/2″ x 27″.  I enjoyed the hand stitching of the little hexagons and really like the look of the finished piece, but next time I think that the hexies will be bigger than 1/2″.

I am hoping to machine quilt at least one more top by the end of the year, but no promises since I am so easily distracted by all things quilt related.

Happy sewing,

Marlene

While blog hopping, I came across the directions to make an Interleave quilt.  It reminds me of Ricky Tim’s Convergence quilts except all the strips are the same size.

The wallhanging is 16 3/4″ x 17 1/4″ and will make a great doll quilt for one of my granddaughters.

I have also been working on my wool flower applique project.

The saying on the bottom border says “Believe there is good in the world”.  I am going to replace that with “Friends are flowers that never fade”.

Are you planning to do Bonnie Hunter’s Grand Illusion mystery?  I haven’t pulled any fabric yet, but I have been thinking about the colors.  The plan (subject to change) is gold replacing yellow, purple replacing green, all the neutrals are beige/tan, and burgundy replacing pink with the black and turquoise.  I also want to make the quilt smaller – more around the 70″ size.  It is going to be fun.

Enjoy your weekend,

Marlene

My Disappearing 9 Patch quilt is finished.

I used monofilament thread in a square meander pattern.  This wall hanging measures 28″ x 36″ and I think that it is adorable.

The Oriental Flower Garden is blooming.  All that is remaining is the black pathway around the last two flowers – which I hope to complete this weekend.

Marlene

Under the Sea is finished and I am so pleased with it.

The quilt measures 42 1/2″ x 46 1/2″ and is quilted with clear monofilament thread in a meander pattern.  This is my 8th finish for the year.

Once Under the Sea was completed, it was time to decide on the next project.  I was so tempted to start something new – Bonnie Hunter’s Spiderweb, but there are four or five projects in various stages of completion in my sewing room.  There will be no additions to my UFO piles, so some of these need to be sewn before I give myself permission to start something new.

With stern resolution I focused my attention on finishing the 501 quilt top.  This pattern is from Miss Rosie’s Spice of Life Quilts book.

Four more rows and the middle will be together, then an inner border, a pieced border and an outer border.  My goal is to have this top completed by Friday.

Marlene

Another top quilted and bound –

My best guess is that this top was made in 2005 or 2006.  In 2007 I started numbering my completed quilt tops and this one didn’t have a number.

I don’t remember why such a thin black outer border was put on this quilt – maybe that is what the directions said to do or maybe I just used the fabric I had – but I like how it looks with the colorful binding.

After washing, the quilt measures 55″ square.   The block pattern came from a magazine, but I don’t remember which one.  It sure is a nice feeling to get another quilt completed.

The next goal is to complete the 501 quilt top and hand stitch on the hexies.

Wishing everyone a good week.

Marlene

The Autumn 9-Patch quilt is finished.

The quilt was too large to hang on my wall, so I laid it on the bed to take a picture.  It is 63.5″ x 76″ and -I think – looks good on the bed.

Last week I sent off the Hugs & Kisses quilt to one of my granddaughters.  I had promised her a quilt when she moved from a crib to a “big girl’s bed” and her favorite colors are red, black and white, so this was perfect.

Adorable, isn’t she?  I was assured that she was smiling, she just doesn’t like her picture taken.

I will be at the Denver Quilt Show next weekend which will contain lots of inspiration.  Just what I need – more quilts to add to my bucket list.

Have a good week,

Marlene

who swallowed a fly – Do you remember this story?

I found this panel for making a cloth book eight or nine years ago.  A couple of years later my quilt guild had a challenge to use a panel in a quilt.  I made this quilt top and put it away in a box.  And now seven years later the quilt top is a completed quilt.

This is number four on my list, so I am half way through the pile of quilt tops.  I have been averaging one finish every 5 – 7 days, so I should have the remaining 4 quilt tops completed by the middle of May.

Marlene

Quilt #3 – Broken Dresden Plates – is completed.

This is my version of Bonnie Hunter’s Daylilies from the String Fling book.  It measures 56 1/2″ x 57″.  I have more of the dresden plate blocks and my string bin is overflowing so I think a second quilt like this is in my future.

Quilt #4 is ready for machine quilting, but I am having issues with the monofilament threat.  After having no success with my HQ Sweet Sixteen, I set up my Bernina with the stitch regulator to do the quilting.  It is going some better, but the bobbin thread shows on the top.  If I can’t resolve the tension issues tomorrow morning, I am going to pick a color and just get it quilted.

Marlene

Happy Dance – another quilt finished!  I used the same quilting design on this quilt as I used on Hugs & Kisses.  The quilt measures 47″ x 59″ and the binding is applied by machine.

The quilt top was completed in 2007, so it was time to have it finished – however, it is not the oldest quilt top in my closet.

Now to quilt Broken Dresden Plates.

This quilt top was completed late in 2012, so it is a fairly new one.  The quilting design is loops & flowers.  I have a hard time deciding on thread color with some of my more colorful quilts, but I am using a variegated pastel thread which I think blends well.

I plan to hand stitch the binding, so maybe by the middle of the week it will be done.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

Marlene