Pics of Two Gardens

I took this pic yesterday from my studio window. DH Mike was weeding his "salad" garden. Won't be long now until we have some really good eats.

This is a Four Patch Posy quilt; it's sort of a garden, isn't it? It was the first time she'd used a longarmer. Talk about performance anxiety! I think I did it justice, don't you?

Here's a closeup of the block motif and sashings. I reversed the direction of the feathers in each one.

And this is the back. I did the whole quilt in dyed natural thread, except for the inner cable border, which I did in a Victorian pink.

That's it until next time. Now that the heat has broken, I'm hoping to be a little more productive. Stay cool, wherever you happen to be.

Almost done!!

Here are a few shots of the signature blocks on all 4 sides of the quilt. I used spacer strips to bring the borders up to the right size. Each block is from a family member with something relevant to the recipient's life. 

Looks like he may be a martini man. :)

On the left is the coat of arms to one of the schools he attended; on the right is a picnic on the beach.

If you look closely at the sails, they're 1932 and 2012.

Of course, he's a Yankee fan!

Each and every block was a labor of love for this family. I'm so grateful that I got to make this quilt. It's now ready to go on the longarm tomorrow. I have to make the label and apply it before I load it. That way, it can't be pulled off.

This is profound!!

"We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations."- Charles R. Swindoll

This is a pic of my Dear Jane and Quilted Diamonds 2 blocks. I had it in my mind that I wouldn't be able to make these quilts-too much work. Well, I've come to the realization that I've just got to reset my mind-having the IQ on my machine is a great opportunity for me to do hand work while it's quilting. This is no longer an impossibility for me.

You'd think that, at 58 years old, I'd be able to figure this out on my own. Heck no!!! I need those slaps up side of the head. :) So...onward and upward!

Merry Christmas!

My wish for everyone is a very Merry Christmas and a safe holiday.

We'll be with family both here and at Mike's brother's home. That is what means the most to us at this time of year.

Since I decided to stop worrying about making t-shirt quilts for customers, I feel like a heavy weight is off my shoulders. While the machine is working, I can do some of my own stuff, hopefully. I'm planning on 2011 being a more productive year for me personally.

Check out Judy L's blog http://www.patchworktimes.com/ for her 2011 UFO challenge. I'm participating and will get even more done!

UFOs for 2011

I forgot to list my UFOs! So here they are:

Group 1-need quilting and binding

1. Harvest Spice
2. QFAH

Group 2-need minimal work

3. Piece O'Cake 4 block quilt
4. Mini applique
5. Tulip wallhanging

Group 3-more than 1/2 done

6. Shoebox (quilting group club quilt)
7. Project from Robbi Joy Eklow class
8. Project from Micky Depre class

Group 4-started
9. School of Philosophy art quilt
10. Project from Carol Doak class
11. Floribunda BOM
12. Magical Medallions

Quilitng the quilt

I have an advantage here. I'm a longarmer, and I quilt for others. I won't plug my business but if anyone has questions about this way to finish a quilt, I'd be happy to answer them. My goals for these 2 months will be to quilt at least one of my own quilts. Here's a random pic of a client's quilt I did recently. In case you're wondering, she wanted a Scottish thistle.