Wow, it's been a lot longer than I thought. I must have REALLY been having fun.....at least if that old saying is true. Yeah, I thought so. Soooo, let's see, where to start. It's been a pretty bumpy road this year. The usual lifetime tribulations, but nothing too terrible. Things are settling down now, so I hope I can get some good blogging time in these days.
The fun news I have to share is that back at the end of the year I started longarm quilting. I had been doing some domestic quilting and liked it. I kept thinking it had to be so much better to quilt on the frame than to maneuver a large quilt around. And there are so many gorgeous quilts out there done on the longarm machine!!!!......sooooo....I did what I had to. I took some longarm classes from the APQS rep here, Connie Keller, and I am hooked. H-O-O-K-E-D. My first charity practice quilt in class looked like a drunk did it-while passed out. Seriously no control. But the next time I came in it was better.....I came away with this.
Not too bad. Just an easy meander, but surely more control than that poor first quilty thing. Then the very next quilt up I decided to try my hand at some fillers.
It gets a little better each practice session. I am amazed at how much I love doing this. So, we ended up finding a used APQS Millinium and bringing it home right before Christmas. (I say flippantly as if it wasn't the biggest deal ever. And a hilarious story getting it home. See? It is in the garage. The garage because it fits NOWHERE ELSE. It is HUGE!!! I was able to start quilting right after Christmas. The first thing off was a small present for my step father.
Then one for me. Do you recognize this one???? My Kaffe Fassett Pennants! Yea!
I love love love this one. It took a long time to piece just because I worked on it sporadically, ummmmm, like everything, but I am so glad it is done so I can use it.
Another one and some practice pieces. Then came time to put on the GLACIER STAR.(echo, echo...echo....echo....) It was a little terrifying. Especially when I accidentally snipped through one of the pieces. Good, God! What have I done!? I ended up appliquéing a piece on top and I can barely find it now.
Ugh. That was a painful lesson. So, I got some curved scissors and proceeded forward.
And after seven weeks...I was working too, so there was a lot of time in between sessions.....I came away with this.
I love this one. I am thinking of adding Swarovski crystals on, but I haven't made up my mind. I go back and forth daily. hahahahah Never was good at design decisions...Anyway. There is my first Glacier Star. Yep. Gonna do more. Lots and lots more.....hahaha. Ok, maybe only one or two....unless I start quilting for others. And I am considering it. Once I get a little more practice in I think I probably will. I can only piece so many quilts a year!!!!
My next quilt was a present for my mom. You will know this one, too. Oh God, I need to get these off my phone.....this could be bad.....hold on.....importing.............that's positive......it is taking forever.....alrighty. Here we go.
This is on a bed to see how it looks before the binding was put on. I guess most of these pics are. But, you can see how it looks on a bed. The feathers were done on a single spine that twists and turns throughout the quilt. I am so happy I waited and waited before I sent this one out to be quilted. I had always planned on it, but I was able to do it instead. :0) For my mom.
And last up is the Jacqueline Dejonge quilt. Remember it? And notice how the garage is now closed in and slowly becoming my domain?? hahahahah Evil laugh....
This is on the farme afar I have stabilized it with pins and with stitching in the ditch. SID. More than 700 of these
to quilt around. Oh yeah. That was long. Now I am working on the center star and circle. I don't think I will spoil it just yet. ;0) It's good to be back! Please let me know if you stop by. I missed my blog buddies!
but I am now in limbo. I have design ideas swirling around for outer areas and nothing is becoming cohesive enough to say "Yep. That's it". So I wait. And study...and sketch.....and study pictures.....of fillers...of other ideas......This seems to be a good lesson in design off of the machine, doesn't it? ha! How do you design? On or off? By the seat of your pants? Or well thought out?
I have been working on presents for two new moms to be. The blue needs a border and the pink now only needs a border, too. This pattern comes from the Borderline Quilter. She made this a while back and I completely fell in love with it right down to the quilting she did. If you look on her sidebar you will see her tutorial for it. It is the zig zag quilt. She is another APQS machine quilter. :0)
