Wednesday, November 16, 2011

On a roll.......

I pieced a back for this quilt.  I wonder if Kaffe matches the pattern on the large prints when he makes a back out of them.  I didn't match it on mine; half roses along the seam.



I hand basted this quilt while I watched  Unforgettable.  I have decided to ditch quilt it.  There is a continuous path to follow so it should go fast.
I loaded this quilt earlier and decided to go ahead and quilt it while the 10 o'clock news was on.  I just did large meandering with Superior So Fine thread on top and in the bobbin.  I didn't want the thread to show much and that thread always behaves and is a pleasure to use.  I intend to take the quilt to my regular machine and ditch quilt around each H and the stars now.
I found large meandering harder to do than medium or small.  It was harder to keep it a similar size all the way through the quilt.  Also I wanted to move the machine too fast and got some longer stitches.  It came out pretty well though and I'm just glad it is finally getting finished.  It is MY quilt so I won't have to worry whether anyone likes the quilting.
We have had a few frosts so I brought a couple of my porch pots into the garage.  This daisy plant has a bunch of buds ready to open.
The snapdragons are blooming too.  The little plant on the left is pretty straggly but I had to bring that color inside where I could enjoy it.

Today is the birthday lunch with my sisters-in-law.  One of them has the same birthday as I do.

20 comments:

Lynne said...

Ooo, your quilts look great. Your machine is so much bigger than mine and therefore scarier to a novice like me! I have a short arm quilting frame!

Hope you enjoy the birthaday lunch.

Sewing Junkie said...

Looks like you have made great progress. The quilting can get confusing when you want a look and it isn't as easy as you think it will be. Have a great lunch. Chris

Unknown said...

I don't think I have ever told you that I would just love to come over and stitch with you! Now I know for sure! I love the quilt on the wall in the third photo, I know you have shown it before, but for some reason it really caught my eye in this photo. Also, I am loving the random star in the H quilt! Hope you have a wonderful birthday lunch!!

Diane said...

The older I get (?!) the more I enjoy those lunches out w/sisters or sisters-in-law-have a great time.
I had the same experience w/big meander. I think it took just as long as doing a smaller one or a different simpler all-over. I was thinking it was the muscle memory thingly-I'm almost robotic in the smaller versions and had to reaalllyy think with the bigger one.

Susan said...

Your quilt looks great! I have the opposite problem with meandering...I find that larger is easier and smaller is harder. I guess it's what you start out with that becomes most comfortable?

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

why do you use two different machines to do the quilting? I don't do machine quilting normally so I'm not sure why the ditch quilting can't be done while you have it loaded on your big machine.
Karen

Linda at Roscoe's Ma said...

I am so happy to see your 'H' quilt again. It has been an inspiration to me. You definitely ARE on a roll!

HollyM said...

Your quilts are all so pretty. I find the way you hand baste with the slanted stitches is interesting too. I never thought of doing it while watching TV. O f course I'd have to move my dining table some and do it there to be able to see the TV but it's an option.

Stray Stitches (Linda G) said...

Both of your quilts are so pretty and so full of color. Enjoy your birthday lunch!!

Cheryl Arkison said...

Happy Belated Birthday! Loving seeing the H quilt up there.

Kerstin said...

your Quilt looks great and your machine. Im full with envy.

a Happy Belated Birthday!
I hope your birthday was all that you hoped for.

hugs Kerstin

Sharon said...

I love the H & Stars. I agree, it's harder to be consistant on a big overall. I too, like the SoFine, it just soaks right into the quilt. Happy Birthday, yes, you will have a great year of quilting, agian!

Anonymous said...

Another great post today. So bright and cheerful, including those blooming flowers in your garage.

I know you will enjoy your lunch today, a tradition that all of you look forward too.

J~MT

Elaine/Muddling Through said...

Oh, wow, they all look so pretty!! You HAVE been on a roll. And I know what you mean about uniform meandering. Not happening here. Ever. LOL Enjoy your birthday lunch!

Anonymous said...

Wanda, a belated happy birthday!! What a great way to spend the first day of your new year! Love those H's!

Mary G.

hetty said...

You are on a roll! Love that 'H' quilt. Nice to see it quilted. Hope you had a lovely lunch.

Bobbi said...

To answer your question, no, Kaffe & Liza favor a single fabric back, nothing additional. All the wonderful stuff is on the top. I have quilted for them since the beginning - Glorious Patchwork - so have first hand experience with this!

Char said...

Happy Birthday Wanda. I hope you had a wonderful day!

Hermione Agee said...

A tip to keep meandering even is to draw the meander on a piece of paper in the size you're using and use it as a reference as you roll along. I have lots of pieces of paper with meanders in different sizes and it works for other freehand fillers too.
You only need to glance at it every now and then but it makes sure you don't get smaller/bigger as you get to the other end of the quilt.

Jean said...

Just catching up on blog reading tonight....I notice that you have your top floating. I have heard of this technique, but how do you keep it taut when you do it this way?
Happy Birthday!