New Year, New Quilts!

My oh my!! I don’t believe it has been six months since I have posted to my blog! Where does the time go? These last few months HAVE been busy. Even though I have been somewhat housebound – thank you Mr. Covid – there is still a LOT of quilting to do, patterns to create, instructions to be written, samples to be made, etc., etc.

On New Year’s Day 2021, I hosted my annual Mystery Quilt Along class on the Longarm Classroom website. This year, the quilt was “Winter Stars” For more details on this quilt and online class Click Here 

Click on the photos for a larger view.

The quilting, which was done with contrasting thread, was fairly simple feathers, but when they feathers “came together” they formed some secondary patterns. 

       

When the dust settled from the Mystery Quilt Along, I began working on some customer quilts. 

This quilt, Prairie Points and Pinwheels, 37 x 44 inches, was impeccably pieced by Connie M, and it is FUN to quilt! 

I quilted a feather border and had the feathers dip in between the Prairie Points. The body of the quilt is quilted with an all over, free hand feathers and swirls pattern. Click on the photos for a larger view. 

   

And today, I finished this quilt, 56 x 73 inches, for Shirley R. Again, an impeccably pieced quilt! This is the Boomerang Quilt pattern. You can view the pattern details by Clicking Here Click on the photos for a closer view

     

The quilting is all free hand with the matchstick quilting in the main part of the blocks and a diamond “spiral” in the smaller part of the blocks. The quilting was going along smoothly with no problems. Then, when I was finished and turned the quilt over, Oh NO!!!! I had the dreaded “big loops” on the back of the quilt. This has not happened to me for a LONG time!!! It started from when I put the last bobbin in the quilt. The quilting goddess is keeping me VERY humble! 

So I took the quilt off the machine, took out all the bad stitching, put the quilt back on the machine and re-quilted the area. All the time checking the back for the big loops. Thankfully, the big loops disappeared and the back now looks wonderful. Check out the photos below. 

Here are the dreaded big loops!

 

And here is the back of the finished quilt. I LOVE the texture on the back! You can’t even tell where I took out the stitches! 

I am going to believe that my “big quilting mistake” of the year is now over and done with, and that all my quilting in the rest of the year will be problem free! 

Now, on to the next quilt! 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Flags, Stars and Sunflowers

When I was on a family visit to the Midwest earlier this year, I saw this Barn Quilt when my sister and I were on the Racine County, WI Barn Quilt Trail.

Click on any photo for a larger view

I LOVE this pattern and I re-created it into “real” quilts and then created an online class with my Flags & Stars quilt!

The quilt on the left is a Wall quilt, 39 x 57 inches and the other quilt is a Twin size, 72 x 90 inches.

I am proud to announce that the Flags & Stars Quilt Mystery Quilt-Along class is now OPEN for registration!!! For more information Click Here

How does a Mystery Quilt-Along work? You sign up for the class (there is a fee to attend the class) and you will receive the piecing instructions for the class project. Piece your quilt top and have it on your quilting machine, ready for quilting on Saturday, September 7, 2019. On September 7, about 8 am Pacific Time (possibly a little earlier) the first PART of the class video will be activated. You follow along with the quilting to learn how to quilt this quilt! During the day, about every two hours, another PART of the class will be activated. By the end of the day, ALL the class Parts will be activated and you will be able to see the completed quilt and all the quilting.

This is a FUN way to learn new quilting techniques and to finish a unique class project.

For more details on the Flags & Stars Mystery Quilt-Along Click Here

Register NOW and begin working on YOUR class project!

Each summer I plant Sunflowers in my small garden. I like to plant the GIANT sunflowers and this year, I also planted DWARF sunflowers. Unfortunately, I planted both of these sunflowers a little later and they are slightly behind in their growth.

My Grandaughter Maddie was over for a visit and I had her stand next to the sunflowers for comparison. Click on the photo for a larger view.

The dwarf sunflowers in the front are already blooming, and the giant sunflowers will grow up through the top of the arbor – the top of the arbor is about 7 feet above the ground – before they blossom!

Yes, there is an angel on Maddie’s shoulder! I have a metal garden sculpture angel in another small section of the garden and it is perfectly positioned! Maddie can be a bit of a “wild child”, as any almost five year old can be, and her guardian angel is on her shoulder a LOT!!!

I’ll post more photos of the sunflowers as they get taller and blossom!

 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day!

What better way to celebrate all things American than with a barn quilt and a barn quilt!!!

On a recent visit to Northern Illinois to visit my family, my sister, brother-in-law and I went “barn quilting” in Racine County, WI. (For more information about the Racine County Barn Quilts Click Here)

I saw this barn quilt and I LOVED it!!! I don’t think I have ever seen a pattern like that before. Of course I had to take a photo – (click on any photo for a larger view.)

And since I was visiting and staying with my Mom & Dad for nearly three weeks, and I had access to a sewing machine and sewing tools (thanks to my sister Sherree) guess what I did?

I made my own Stars & Flags Barn Quilt quilt!

I did take some liberties and added the extra stars across the top of the quilt for added length. I am planning on donating this quit to American Hero Quilts, and organization that makes and donates quilts to active duty wounded soldiers.  (For more information about American Hero Quilts Click Here) 

This quilt is has been quilted but I am not yet posting a photo of the finished quilt. I am working on turning this quilt into a Summer Mystery Quilt Event. I hope to be posting the details in a few days.

Take some time today to celebrate your independence and your freedoms with your family and friends!

Enjoy the day, I know that I am. And I am free to do what I love, which is quilts and quilting!!!

 

Read Full Post »

Ric Rac Rabbit

Oh my goodness, it has been a (long) while since I have written on my blog! A lot has been happening and I finally have a few moments to write.

It was a busy late Summer, Fall and early Winter! Where does the time go??? I have been teaching, traveling, quilting, knitting, designing and in all of that, I had the floors replaced is 75% of my house!

Here is a quilting update –

My latest finished project is a quilt for a customer, who is going to be a first time Grandma. She is so excited!! Her daughter in law picked the fabric, my customer pieced it and I quilted it.

The fabric is from a line called Ric Rac Rabbit from Andover Fabrics. The quilt is 35 x 42 inches and it is way too cute!! I used Soft & Bright batting and Signature 100% cotton machine quilting threads for the quilting.

Click on any photo for a larger view

Here is a close up of the center of the quilt. In the background I used a grid design that is based on diagonal half square triangles quilted with wavy lines. ( I LOVE wavy lines!!) Around the rabbit I did echo quilting and then quilted some detail on the star.

Here is a photo of the back of the quilt where you can see most of the quilting detail.

Flower Basket Quilt

Every New Year’s Day for the last 11 years I have done a New Year’s Day Mystery Quilt event, and this New Year’s Day was the Flower Basket Quilt.

Here is what I started with – pieced baskets, lots of background fabric and lots of borders. I know, it’s going to take a LOT of quilting to make it look good!

When it was finished, it looked like this! What a transformation!!! There is a TON of texture in the background, lots of feathers in the borders and the flowers and basket handles are appliqued with the longarm!!!! 

You have got to click on the photo to see all the detail!

Here is a closer view of one of the baskets. Notice that the background quilting in this block is the same as the Ric Rac Rabbit quilt above!

And here is a closer view of the feather border, which is done free hand!! In fact, ALL the quilting on this quilt is done free hand!

The Flower Basket quilt is an online class and is open for registration. You can get more details by Clicking Here

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that 2019 will be a fabulous year for you and your family!

 

Read Full Post »

New Year’s Day 2018 Mystery Quilt

Every New Years Day, for the last 10 years, I have hosted a New Year’s Day Mystery Quilting Event and it is SO much fun!

The class project is titled Medallion Mania and (hint, hint) the quilting is mainly feathered wreaths! Generally, no hints about the quilting are given, but this time I made an exception.

This is how this Mystery Quilting Event works – when you sign up for the class you will receive the piecing instructions. Choose the class project size you want to make – this year there is a Wall quilt, Twin size quilt and Queen size quilt – piece the quilt top and have it on your quilting machine, ready for quilting on January 1, 2018. On that day, about 8 am Pacific time (usually a little earlier) the first “Part” of the QUILTING will be activated on the website. Then, about every 1-1/2 – 2 hours throughout the day, other Parts of the class will be activated. By the end of the day you will have all the Parts to the class and (maybe) have the quilting done on your own class project!

If you are busy on New Year’s Day, don’t worry, you have 60 days of 24/7 access to the online class AND at no additional charge, a DVD of the class and all printed material will be sent to you!

Here is a photo of the Wall size quilt, 60 x 60 inches, BEFORE quilting! Click on the photos for a larger view.

And here is the Queen size quilt, 96 x 96 inches, which is the quilt I am quilting in the class video.

As you can see, the piecing is super simple. But the quilting – for that you have to attend the class on New Year’s Day!

Note – the quilt blocks are 34 inches! That is a LOT of room for quilting!!!!

If you have a small throat quilting machine or you quilt with your home sewing machine, YOU can attend this class! I am showing several different ways to quilt the feathered wreaths, including using stencils and how to quilt on a smaller throat / sit down machine.

For more details on the Medallion Mania online class Click Here 

I hope to “see” you in class on New Year’s Day!!!

PS For more information about past New Year’s Day Quilting Events Click Here 

Read Full Post »

Mystery Quilt Revealed!!

Yesterday, January 1, 2016, was the Snowflake Serenade Mystery Quilting Event on the Longarm Classroom website. Now that the quilting has been revealed to the class members, I can reveal the quilting to you!

This is the quilt we started with  ( I love quilts with lots of “open” spaces!)

Click on any photo for a larger view.

Snowflake Serenade

During the course of the class, marked registration lines – a LOT of them – on the quilt top. When I do marking like this, on my own quilts or quilts that I can wash with warm water and detergent after quilting, I use fine point, Crayola Washable Markers.

This photo shows the completed quilt with the black, orange and green Crayola Washable Marker markings on it.

Note: The background fabric of this quilt is a white solid cotton fabric. In the photos below it looks like a light blue fabric.

Here is a close up of the quilting and the markers. I sprayed some water onto the markings to show that the marker may “melt” but it doesn’t disappear until the quilt is washed.

I know, it looks like a royal mess! But don’t worry, the marker WILL come out!

Here is the quilt, trimmed, bound and washed. What a difference!

ALL the marker is GONE!!! Here are some more photos of the completed (and washed) class project.

FYI – ALL the quilting is done FREE HAND! A ruler was used to mark the registration lines, but all the lines of the quilting are free hand. Even the snowflake quilting design is done free hand!

And here is a view of part of the back of the quilt. You can REALLY see the quilting.

The Snowflake Serenade Quilt Class is still open and you can join in the fun! For class details Click Here. 

Read Full Post »

Snowflake Serenade Mystery Quilt

For the last few years, on New Year’s Day, I have hosted an online Mystery Quilting Event, and the quilt for 2016 is Snowflake Serenade. I designed this quilt to match the FREE HAND quilting that will be done on this quilt. The class is open to ALL machine quilters with ANY kind of machine.

I actually created the quilting design first, then built a quilt around it!  For details on the Mystery Quilt Class Click Here 

Snowflake Serenade Quilt, Lap Size

The photo above shows the Lap Size quilt – there are 2 table runners, a Twin Size, and a Queen and King Size quilt included in the piecing instructions.

Snowflake Serenade Table Runner

Here is how this Mystery Quilt works. When you register for the class you will get a copy of the piecing instructions – and there is a video on how I pieced this block together. Piece your quilt top, you choose which size, and have it on your quilting machine, ready for quilting on January 1, 2016.

About 8 am Pacific Time (maybe a little earlier) the first “Part” of the quilting instructions will be posted online.( You will be notified via email when the Parts are online.) Throughout the day, about every 2 hours, another Part of the class will be posted. You can follow along with the class instructions and work on your quilt. By the end of the day, ALL the Parts of the class will be posted and you will see the completed quilt!

There is also a YahooGroups created for this class – and maybe a FaceBook group too – so that you can “talk” with other students and view photos of their progress.

This is a FUN way to start the New Year!

To Register for this class Click Here 

I hope to “see” you in class on January 1st!

Read Full Post »

New Year’s Day Quilt Photos

As I said in my previous post, this is the 7th year of the New Year’s Day Mystery Quilting Event. I looked in the archives and found photos of all the quilts that were quilted on New Years Day.

Here is a quick look at the previous quilts. Note: all these classes are still available online and I’ll put links to the class information.

Click on any photo for a larger view.

2009 – This is the quilt that started it all! This is the Feather Plume quilt.  For class details Click Here

 

2010 – Not Quite Traditional Quilt. Free hand, Baptist Fan inspired quilting designs! For class details Click Here 

 

2011 – Fancy Motifs. This was a fun class. I love quilting feathers and I love the texture on this quilt. For class details Click Here

 

2012 – Stars on the Mountains. Another fun class. This is all free hand quilting! For class details Click Here

 

2013 – A Winter’s Night. This quilt is one of my favorites – I LOVE it! Optional simple embellishments make this quilt sparkle! For class details Click Here 

 

2014 – Snowflake Star. Another one of my favorites. Lots of feathers and lots of texture! For class details Click Here

 

If you have taken any of these classes and have photos of your class project, send them to me as an email attachment to longarmu@aol.com and I’ll post them here.

Read Full Post »