Saturday, September 30, 2017

Quilt for Baby Malinda



A couple of days ago while pulling fabric from my stash for the diamond-shaped petals on the Baskets of Lilies quilt, I came upon a piece of fabric left over from something somebody made me when I was a baby -- and I'm almost 57 years old.  

I decided it was high time I did something with that piece of fabric, which is still in perfectly good condition -- and now I have the baby granddaughters for whom to do it, too.  It will be for Baby Malinda for Christmas.

There was a piece of soft pink fabric next to this piece; I probably put it there a long time ago, thinking it would make a good backing.

I loaded the fabrics on my quilting frame, tucked in a piece of batting, and quilted away.  The fabric is printed to look as though it is pieced.  I 'stitched in the ditch' to add to the illusion. 





About the time I was done, I thought, This would have looked a lot better, and been a nicer size, if I had've put borders on it.

Sooo... I pulled out a piece of matching blue, a few more strips of batting, and, with some difficulty, added them to the central piece.  I hadn't yet trimmed backing or batting, so was able to butt strips of batting to the batting of the quilt, and zigzag them together.  I only needed to add to the pink backing at the top of the quilt.  After adding the aqua-blue borders, I sewed strips of muslin all around the quilt so I could attach it to the leaders on my frame, using water-soluble thread in the bobbin.

I reloaded the quilt onto the frame and quilted the borders.  Upon removing the quilting from the frame, all I had to do was lightly spritz the seams between muslin and quilt with a little water, and presto, the muslin pulled away like magic.  I sewed on the binding and was done.








Thursday, September 28, 2017

Finished Quilting Donna's 'Golden Days of Hollywood' Quilt

Last night I finished quilting my customer's 'Golden Days of Hollywood' quilt.  It measures 60" x 66".  I used a pantograph called Drama (masks), with #60 Bottom Line thread -- silvery gray on top, cream on the bottom.
















Teensy always has to come check out the quilts -- and he'd get right on them and cuddle up, if I'd let him.  "Stay down!" I tell him, and he looks at me, all squinty-eyed and purring, trying to look as cute as possible so I'll relent.



Here's old Tabby, our 20-year-old kitty.  He, too, loves the quilts, and must be told, "Stay off the quilt!"  
"Meeee?!!" he always answers in astonishment.




Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Quilting Donna's 'Golden Days of Hollywood' Quilt

Can you see the pantograph, and can you tell what it is?

I'm using #60 Bottom Line thread top and bottom, pale silvery-gray on top and cream in the bobbin.








The pantograph is made up of drama masks, and is appropriately named 'Drama'.


Saturday, September 23, 2017

Stems for the Baskets of Lilies Quilt

Today I cut 75 stems for the Baskets of Lilies quilt.  Using the freezer-paper-and-starch method, I turned under and pressed the edges of the 50 curved stems.  I'll be able to fold under and press the seams on the 25 straight stems without using freezer paper.