"It all started with a panel..." by Melissa

After starting to quilt this quilt, this seemed to be the perfect name for it.  Not sure if there was a commercial pattern, or if it was something that Melissa and her husband designed together.  Regardless, lovely quilt.  Quilted with 2 layers of wool batt, and simple pond water meander free hand quilting.

 

The quilt is 106.25x111", so far to large to hang up an photogrph.  Here it is on my queen bed.

The center panel that seems to have started it all.

Some larger blocks, surrounded by squares, and even some really big flying geese blocks.  Well done to the desingers.

Aldoa's "first professional quilt"

Aldona is a new to me customer, and I really hope that we'll develop a long relationship.  She describes herself as a new quilter, and has always completed her own quilting on her domestic machine.  So, when she brought me this joy, I was a little anxious to make it even more lovely than the beautifully pieced top that she started with.

She began with a jelly roll pack, and used that to make the fan blades.  I showed her photos of some other similar quilts I had quilted, and she like the idea of the feathers in the background, and along the borders.

Although difficult to see, there are continuous curves in the white background of the 9 patch units.

Beautifully pieced and a joy to quilt.  Sure hope we get to work together again!

 

2 from Pat for her nephews

Pat's nephews are growing up, and needed some new quilts to reflect this.  These were the patterns that they chose.  Gradations of blue for Ben. 

Quilted with "Tangled Triangles" panto

And for Frank, "Snowcones"

Quilted with "Circuitry " panto

 

Chenille Animals by Sharyle

So pleased with this quilt.  I was a bit concerned initially due to the thickness of the fabrics in the quilt top and backing.  Minky backing, Chenille background, flannel applique layers on top was a bit thick, but my Lenni machine went right through everything.  (Gotta love my APQS machines!)

Quilted with a giraffe panto and made for Sharyle's soon to be arriving grandson.  Congratulations to one and all!
 

"Sleepy Dragon" by Michael

So dang cute!!!  I love this pattern, and may need to find it for my own use.

Michael made it even more fun with what is probably glow in the dark background fabric, but I can't be sure.  Shimmery fabric for the winds, and many of the other fabrics have a little bit of glimmer to them as well

Quilted with glow in the dark thread and the "Primitive Sky" panto
 

"Sunset" by Donna

Donna is a new to me customer, and a relatively new quilter.  Nothing like a worldwide pandemic to help you find new hobbies.

This quilt is for a friend of Donna's who is ill, so it needed to be finished quickly. 

Quilted with "Cool Beans" panto.

 

T-shirt quilt for Erika's friend's birtday

Erika gets some serious longarmer brownie points.  She brought me the shirts for this quilt in late June, and the friends birthday isn't until Jan.  Yeah!  

Erika said that she had started this quilt during the pandemic, and became overwhelmed.  Boxed it up and put it away for the future.  When we mete, the square were cut mostly to size, and one had been interfaced.  I took them all and finished it up for her, and I think it's darling!

 I have no idea what the significance is of the racoon, but I love his face!

Photo dump of donation quilts from me

I have had a pile of donation quilts piling up, and it was time to just get them completed.  (There's still more to do, but this was a start).  Also gave me an opportunity to decrease my stash of batting and binding leftovers.  All were made with franken-batting where you take pieces of leftover batts from other projects and put them into the same quilt.  They are all made with a consistent type of batting in each quilt, but I used up whatever was there.

Many of the quilts are also made from scraps of fabrics.  This "Black and White string quilt" is from my time pulling all of my string pieces of fabric out of the bins and sewing them into rows.  These are then cut down to 6.5" because I have a square ruler that size.  This time, I focused on only the shades of grey blocks, but more are coming that need to be pieced with other colors.  Quilted with circles to counteract all of the straight lines in the quilt top.

From "Mystery Quilts Anonymous", here is a computed "Double Down."  Again with the scraps!  The blues are leftovers from 108" backing fabrics that have been in my stash, the occasionally pieced to the necessary size to cut them.  I actually bought the red bears with a plan to use it in a donation quilt, but I didn't read directions well, and didn't realize how much would be left over.  Look for more of this fabric in a future quilt!

Since the bears are wearing winter sweaters and hats, I opted for a "Christmas Star" design for quilting.  Seasonal, but not just for Christmas.

"Miscalculation #4"  These are all hand dyed fabric leftovers from a future donation quilt.  Just a little baby quilt that helped me to empty out a bin of fabric  Quilted with "Lotus Peel" design.

And finally "Scotty Dogs"  Found this in a magazine, and loved it.  They designer had made it with 2.5" squares, but I've got an overflowing shoebox of 2" squares, so opted to use those and an even more scrappy look.  This worked great until I got to the setting squares of 15 patch units. Since there is a strip of black at the top, bottom and sides of this to build the block to the same size as the dogs, my math was off (What a surprise).  Trimmed them to size on the sides and moved on. 

 This is quilted with a paper pantograph of Scotty dogs.  It was too perfect not to use for this quilt, but since it's done with black thread, it doesn't show in the photo.

Corgi fund banner by me

 When your dear friend asks if you can make a banner, the response is "of course!  What size?"  So, that's what I asked Mariellen.  With help from darling husband for the lettering, here it is .

This year's Corgi Walk in the Pearl is Aug. 19, 2023.  If you need a dose of adorable Corgis and their parents, many in matching outfits, here's more info.

https://corgiwalk.com/

"Hedgehog Hollow" by Carla

We live in a small world.  Carla got my name from Kathy W.  She asked me to quilt this in a hurry as a gift for her mother's birthday in July.  Plan A was this was for Christmas 2023, but life changes, so now it's a birthday gift. (Shh.  Don't tell.)

Through conversation,  I found that she is a flutist who played with the Oregon Symphony until her retirement.  When I was in high school, I took double bass lessons from a fellow symphony member, so there is our small world connection.

I also have to say that this quilt was beautifully pieced.  Flatter than a pancake, even edges, you name it  Wish mine were this well made.

Quilted with a design of butterflies that I've forgotten the name of already.  Spring dreams maybe?

 

"Stunning" by Sharon

I think that "Stunning" is a very apt name for this quilt.  Clearly, Sharon chose ombre fabrics in rainbow colors and black then carefully pieced it to make the color gradations match.

Quilted with a straight line design along the strips, then echo quilted the insides and out of the star blocks.

All done with a light grey that will blend well.

 

2nd Vintage Fan quilt from Sandra.

This is another stunner from Sandra's relative.  I honestly asked her if she was sure that she wanted it back.  Ever hopeful, but yes, she did.

Both of these quilts were beautifully pieced, the fans and green background hand pieced together.  Although Sandra had asked that I finish the binding by machine, I kept getting a voice from the piecer of this that "I put all that work into those tops, piecing them by hand, don't you dare finish the binding by machine!"  So, although I don't think I've ever done that before, sometimes you just have to do what the quilt, or in this case, the piecer, needs.

 After I contacted Sandra to let her know that her quilt was ready, she sent me the following background on the piecer.

The background of the quilt is my Mother-in-law's Grandmother, Marian Degman Balsiger, born in Kentucky in 1901, made these and was working on them when she passed away in 1981 in Washington. We don't know how old the fabric is though. They were put into cedar chest and passed through a few family members before getting to us. 

My m-i-l shared, "Marian did a lot of sewing, quilting, baking, canning, and all things Farm. And she wore 3-inch heels to Grange meetings! A fiery curly redhead with brains and brawn."

 

I think the "fiery, curly redhead was speaking to me from the grave, and I was honored to help complete her heirlooms.

 

"Orange Batiks by Carla

This is one "hot" quilt with great, bright hot summer colors.  Maybe this is why it's been so hot in Portland recently.

 Quilted with a simple design called "Simple Squares", just enough to hold it together but not detract from the quilt top.