Almost finished!

I have been working on my Chantilly Jelly Roll Race Quilt and finally finished the quilting and weaving in the tails, er, I suppose that is a knitting term... hiding the miscellaneous threads. Now I just need to trim it and bind it and it will be done! I just did some simple quilting, first I stitched in the ditch and then did a line at about a 45° from one corner across, echoing the lines 2" apart across the whole thing. I decided I wanted more when that was done, so I did the same in the other direction. Turned out like little puffy diamonds. Far from perfect, I really struggled with the bulk in the small throat of my machine, but I managed.

I let Art pick the thread color for the Quilting, telling him that I really wanted it to pop. He went with the yellow, not my first choice. He usually nails the colors and is much better than I am in choosing color for embroidery. I used it for the ditch stitching and then switched to red, I really like it. I could have gone with the green or the turquoise blue and almost did on the second diagonal, but thought it would wash out with the red. Since the border, backing and binding are turquoise and red, I wanted to accent those colors. I am still contemplating additional quilting in another color, perhaps a ¼“ echo line? oh, the work! But it may just be the thing! I did turquoise in the bobbin for it all, which blends really well and, yet you still pick it up against the red flowers.

I have to find a way to stretch, or rather smooth the backing better before I pin baste. There are little folds and the back is a bit wavy. No big deal, it's just for me and I love it! I just want to do a better job next time.

I cut and pieced the blocks for Kristina's quilt. It went really fast! I cut a layer cake of Marquis by Robert Kaufman fabrics and some yardage to make it bigger than the pattern. I like the fabrics much more in person than I had online. I hope she really likes it. The colors are what she asked for. I got the pattern at the Moda Bake Shop, it's called Basic Math Quilt. I really love patterns that leave some big squares of fabrics so you really see how pretty the fabric line is. I also prefer precuts, so you get a full selection of the coordinating prints.

Now that I have played with the pallette, I kinda wish I had ordered a little extra yardage of the brown prints, there is some beautiful greens in it that I didn't realize were there. I may have to look and see. I was thinking about just a solid backing, but I think a pieced one would be cool, too. I should have enough leftovers from the extra yardage I bought to also make some pillows.

I really need to get my design wall hung! It is really difficult to lay out a quilt top and make sure you like it before sewing it without one. I just let the blocks be put together by random and a balance of light and dark. but putting it all together... Need more space!

Tomorrow.... please?

Maci's My Sunshine Quilt

One of the best things about being a dog trainer is all the wonderful people and dogs I get to know. Many of them become dear friends. Last year I began working with a very nice young couple who have one of the coolest Yorkies I have ever known! I was delighted when they called to tell me that it was time to get the dog ready for a new baby sister!

I had just finished making my first Sleepy Jean Crib Quilt by Springwater Designs available on the Moda Bake Shop, using the pastel portion of two Baby Talk by Benartex charm packs and I really enjoyed the pattern! It is easy for a beginner (me) yet looks complex and much more advanced than I am. So, I found a My Sunshine charm pack on Missouri Star Quilt Company's Daily Deal @ www.MissouriQuiltCo.com for some ridiculously cheap price, like under $2 and using leftovers of the Moda Porcelain yardage from the Baby Talk quilt, and some backing and border fabric, I whipped out a new Sleepy Jean Crib Quilt for baby Maci. They loved it! I got more creative with the quilting this time, doing each section in a slightly different style. I had just gotten a walking foot and had to play a bit!

I wasn't super happy with one of the sections quilting design, but my friends loved it. In fact, the hubby remarked that he liked the different textures that the quilting made... I hadn't thought about this from the view of stimulus for the new little lady and how they like that sensory feel. I definitely learned something valuable from that!

Today I am going to work on the next baby quilt for a friend, whom we shall call Velvet, who I know from AMTC. He and his wife just just welcomed a new baby girl into their lives. Velvet is an incredible man, and while I have only just met his wife once, I am delighted for them. I hope they like the colors I used this time! Velvet is a great actor and musician, funny, spiritual and just an all around excellent guy. I have no doubt that he will make it big and that God is doing great things through his life. I am just privileged to have gotten to work with him and to call him friend!

I am also going to hang the design wall I got and can't wait to start using it! Well, I am using it, but it's not convenient... it's draped across a desk and stack of fabrics! I was hoping to get some of the wrinkles out after I opened up the package yesterday.

And I have to say, aren't the Olympics, in Sochi for the Winter Games right now, incredible? I love how it makes it a small world again. It was heart wrenching to see Evgeni Plushenko have to make the decision to not skate yesterday after injuries. He may be Russian, but everyone was pulling for him and sad to see him go out without getting to finish the competition. And then the whole thing with the Russian Cross Country Skier who had broken a ski and a Canadian coach who came out to give him a replacement, who's wife won gold after her teammate in a relay, it turns out, had been helped by a Norwegian coach in her Olympics in 2006. It's the Spirit of The Games! 

From my experiences racing, every racer I have ever met would rather beat you on the track, even if they have to push you to the starting line themselves, or give you parts, and even help you install them! Why can't we help each other out more off the track? Keep the spirit alive!