A friend in need

When a friend of yours is going through a hard time, what do you to, but contact other mutual friends, and then make them a quilt. I sent out a prayer request on the APQS longarm chat for my friend. She reads the chat, so I couldn't very well use her name. The people who responded to my post were then invited to make quilt block in 1930's prints and send it back to me. True to their word, in they came. I spent the 31st of July piecing the top and adding borders, then quilted it soon afterwards. Again with the meandering feathers. This time it's because they really do fit the theme of the quilt. Seems that feathers were a popular quilting design in the 1930's, and since this lady collects them, that's what we had to use. I hope that all works out for her, but I still can't say her name. She doesn't have her quilt yet.

Wendy's Patriotic Panel

During the summer of 2009, Wendy decided that since this particular panel of fabric wasn't selling well at the shop, she would design a quilt using it, and then we would make kits to sell. I remember her making this top on a Saturday during one of our weekly "Quilt Til you Wilt" times. I took it home to add the borders when she was finished. The following week, the shop got an internet order for the remainder of the panels that we had in stock. Well, not much point in quilting it now, so it too had to wait and wait for it's turn to be finished. As you can see, I love my feathers, so they meander all over the quilt. I believe that my initial plan was to not quilt over the panels, but I got to moving too fast and zipped right over one. Rather than rip it out, I just kept adding more feathers. I like it this way without large unquilted areas. This quilt will be mailed to an Army base in WA state to be given to one of the soldiers. They'll know who needs it.

"Boondoggle"

This quilt was made by Wendy at a trade show, again, oh so many years ago. She was never happy with it, so it too just lived in my bin of unfinished quilt tops for a long time. When my bin was getting to the point that no more tops could fit in, I decided it was time to start quilting some and clean things out. This quilt has a polyester batt, so a loftier look, but densely quilted with a swirly meander. Another one for the police.

Color Theory

Oh so long ago, I took the Color Theory class from Sharyle at the Heart to Hand quilt shop. Then the top languished in my bin for years before I finally got a bee in my bonnet and got it quilted. Since there are so many colors in the quilt, I chose a light grey thread that would compliment all the colors, but not compete with them. The quilting design is all over feathers which gave me a chance to practice those. I chose a wool batting for this, mostly because I wanted to know what would happen to the quilt when it was washed and dried in the dryer. This will go to the Portland Police Sunshine Division, and keep someone warmer than they were before.

Austrian Mystery

This was a group effort between Lisa and Rachel. I believe that Lisa pieced the blocks, and Rachel added the borders. I think that neither of them were thrilled with the quilt top when they were finished with it, but they seemed to like the completed quilt. Rachel chose a quilting design called "Earthquake", and I think it mimics the Delectable Mountain blocks really well.

"Cuba"

Here is Diana's version of the Cuban mystery quilt that she made at the Heart to Hand Quilt shop. I love the colors, it's so different from the others that I've seen. Diana chose a simple Baptist Fan quilting design, and a fun tone on tone orange thread called "Mango Tango" It's just yummy!

Block of the Month by Tina

Tina is a friend of my friend Joan. This is a BOM, block of the month that she completed that will go to her aunt. Lucky aunt to get such a pretty quilt. Tina said that the pattern and kits used only black and brown fabrics, but that the setting was the same. I love the turquoise that she used for the sashing, and then the applique that Joan completed. I think it just makes the quilt.
The quilts is quilted with a feather meander in the large outer triangles, up to the blue sashing. Then it's a simple meander through the pieced blocks, stitch in the ditch around the applique, and a smaller meander through the flower pot.

Well done ladies!

Mary's Prairie Star

Mary first showed me this quilt in the spring of 2010. My first thought was "I have to quilt that?! I'm not good enough!" My second thought was "I get to quilt that?! Won't that be fun!" Mary had made the quilt top in a record 5 weeks during a class that she took at a local quilt shop. The pattern is by Judy Neimeyer, and it's just amazing.
Since Mary uttered those dreaded words "Do what you think it best. I trust you." when she dropped the quilt off, I quickly ran to the APQS forums board to post pictures for my friends there looking for suggestions. They didn't fail me, and soon I had some ideas running around. I finished up what I was working on, and that gave me time to let those ideas simmer and percolate. Once I got quilting on the quilt, I found that I couldn't wait to get back to it.
The computer won't let me put all of the pictures here at once, so scroll down, or keep looking for some closeups of the quilt, and the backing which shows the quilting. I have encouraged Mary to enter this quilt into a show, and I hope that she takes me up on it. Well done, Mary!

Mary's Prarie Star

Baby quilt for Melissa's baby

The baby's name has not been announced yet, so she remains "Melissa's baby". The quilt is a simple rail fence block, set on point and then quilted with a pattern called "Clematis", and the quilting thread is called "Wisteria Lane". I thought both were appropriate since Melissa is a horticultural therapist. Done in shades of lavender and greens.

West Texas Night

Lisa designed this quilt to remind her of having lived in Texas. I love the idea of a bargello quilt done as a landscape. To simulate the heat of the area, I quilted sunfire in the sand and the mountains, then flames going sideways in the sky. The cornerstones received a single sunfire design, and the borders were treated to "brain coral." Fingers crossed, we've just entered it into a show!