I have been keeping busy, mainly with things I wanted kept secret. Now that I know my sister opened this gift yesterday, I can share. 

This quilt is a top I pieced ages ago that Jo liked and took home with her to finish. Life got busy so when I purchased my longarm, I brought it back home with me to quilt. No doubt Jo knew it was being finished but she was too kind to enquire. Anyway, now it is done and I believe it will have a home on her brass bed, a suitable place for it.

Even though the day was sunny and I didn’t use my flash, the quilt still looks washed out in this photo.....

I quilted very simple lines and shapes in the trees and houses and also quilted some swirling wind motifs in the sky area.

Quilting this ribbon design made for quick work on the centre.

I used Wilton Easy Image T-Shirt Transfers to transfer the photos of my Mom.

I also made my sister a large bag. She and Mom used to run their errands together and I know going it alone without Mom is tough. This way, she can still take Mom along with her.

Mom’s loves were many, but she especially loved gardens. She always had a vegie garden, even if it was only tomatoes as it was this summer. She loved plants and flowers and I remember thinking when I bought it that I would use this whimsical fabric to make something for her. This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but I think both pieces are perfect backgrounds for the great photos Joanne took of Mom holding tulips she had bought for her.

Same bag, other side.

I used the simple photo editing on my Mac and Wilton easy image transfer sheets to transfer the photos. The sheets are available at Michaels and Wal-mart used to carry them though I am not sure if they still do. The directions are easy to follow and although you can use any iron with the steam turned off, I feel I have gotten the best results using my “vintage” heavy iron without any steam holes for the transferring. I have several of these old irons which are perfect for use when using transfer sheets, transfer paints and heat setting fabric dyes and paints. 

Cabbage Roses

I really planned on trying out a pantograph pattern with this quilt. But, somehow by the time I got it all loaded and ready to quilt, I was seeing my big cabbage roses scattered all over. Without even thinking about it, I started lightly sketching my designs in with chalk. And it appears I found a place to use those cotton candy bobbins!

This is a card trick top that I pieced eons ago. For many years there was a very successful Quilt Fair each year in Moncton that was organized by the local YWCA. It was billed as the biggest Quilt Fair east of Montreal and attracted many, both quilters and non-quilters. Numerous dignitaries came to buy quilts for gifts of state, to find quilts for their tourist shops, to decorate their clients homes. As well as displaying finished quilts, there was also a venue for craft items and tops. When my children were small, I used to piece tops for sale and this is one I kept. And now it is proving to be a useful part of my longarm training.

Snowless and liking it!

Sleep doesn’t come easy to me of late so I try to be productive if and when I am wandering round the house in the wee hours. Binding this quilt was one of those middle of the night projects.

The borders are balanced yet different because I cut up one screen printed panel for all four sides. I made the binding by cutting strips of 3 different fabrics (all of which are in the top), cutting each strip end with a 45 degree angle and then sewing the strips together randomly. I think it adds just a little more than a solid binding would have and ties it all together nicely.

Today I had the presence of mind to take a photo of it outdoors while the sun was shining. I would like to note the complete lack of snow on my deck and the green grass peeking through below! Each year I convince myself this will be the year snow will bypass us completely and each year I am so completely disappointed when it does snow. Once I have my annual hissy fit because I do not live under palm trees - and we all know that is where I should live! - I do embrace winter and snow shoe with the best of them. But, I could live without the snow and the snow shoes. 

Backing made with one screen printed panel bordered with a solid black.

Play and learn

This is my latest piece just off the longarm. I am learning as I go and this was no exception. I had a lot of fun with it because it is in essence an edge to edge freeform design with a bunch of circles and pebbles and echoing added to keep me practicing. By the time I got to the last of it, I had figured a number of things out - all good in my books.

Once again I used Glide marigold thread in the top and bobbin - a choice made easy by having extra bobbins wound from the last quilt. I assume I will eventually be able to better gauge the number I need for a project, but I guess that would also require me knowing what I was going to do before I started. Anyway, my way of solving the problem is to order more bobbins tomorrow. And maybe find a small table runner that would could be quilted with those 3 leftover bobbins of cotton candy pink....lol 

This photo looks a little wonky because the quilt is still on the frame and draped over the rollers. 

I happen to have a fair stock of fabric choices at hand and still, I went for these pigs.....hard to explain but most of my choices are intuitive. I get into trouble when I start ignoring that inner voice so I have learned to stick with what feels right to me. 

Hmmmm....now what next?