Another Forgotten Quilt Top Finally Quilted

I finished this quilt top seven years ago. And now it is finally quilted.

I bought it as a kit in November 2008, the only time I've been to the International Quilt Festival in Houston. And I don't even like the color purple. I think I was attracted to the two background fabrics and how they both blended and contrasted with each other. I finished the top sometime in 2009.

So I needed a quilt I wasn't especially attached to to use as one of my HQ Pro-Stitcher practice quilts. This was my second go at edge-to-edge quilting. Luckily I only made one mistake -- and it isn't very obvious. (The thread broke and when I got it all fixed and started up again, I didn't pick quite the right spot. The machine quilted over a portion of the design and while it was only about a needle's width away, if you look close you can see it -- especially since it was in the border and more visible.)

Here are a couple views of the back so you can see the Ribbons design by Wasatch Quilting that I used with HQ Pro-Stitcher.

I'll be giving this quilt to my niece-in-law. She loves purples and lavenders. She and my nephew just had their third baby, Zeke. But this obviously isn't right for a baby boy. But I never finished a quilt for her second daughter, Rowan. I'll give this to her to use as she wants with her two daughters. I did make a baby quilt for baby #1, Penelope. You can see that quilt in this post. But since Penny is now in a big-girl bed, this quilt will work on that bed.

Now back to finishing more quilts! Only 33 quilt tops to go! (Yes, I really have that many tops done and waiting to be quilted.)

2011 Quilt Finishes #2 and #3

Quilt finish #2:

This is one of my first attempts at a blended quilt – where many of the fabrics tend to “blend into” other fabrics such that you can’t always see where one piece ends and the other piece ends. The pattern was from one of the blended quilt books by Marsha McCloskey (I can’t find the book right now to give more details on the pattern name, etc.)

This project was an impulse one weekend to use a pile of fabrics, some of which were from the same line, a couple of which were purchased at a huge discount at a fabric store, and a few to fill in from my stash. I think it has a little bit of a French country look and looks great with the upholstered chairs that used to be in my living room – one’s now in my office and one in the downstairs family room.

While I was experimenting with the blended look, I made some orphan blocks. I love them individually, but don’t think they would work together in a quilt. I might pick one and try to do more in the same color scheme someday. Not that I’m at a loss for projects to start or finish.

Quilt finish #3 is the wedding quilt for Mike and Emily.

Mike is in the army, stationed at Ft. Stewart, GA. I made this quilt top last year, not knowing at the time who would receive it. I’ve had the fabrics for about 10 years or so. It was one of those times when I bought cuts from the entire line of fabrics designed by Kathy Spear/Calico Mountain for Clothworks – and this was before pre-cuts were so readily available. (I bought so much that I have enough to make another quilt. Those were the days – when fabric was $7 a yard or so.) I just needed to figure out the right pattern to show off the variety of fabrics in the collection. It turned out well, but is perhaps lacking some fabrics that pop a bit. But it looks kind of “army-ish”, don’t you think?

The backing was an accompanying border print that is cute enough that it could have been the front of the quilt.

Now I need to think about a baby quilt for Mike and Emily since son #1 is on his way.

I'll hopefully be able to do one more blog post showing the remaining 2 quilts before I have to go to Philadelphia again next week.  I'll be home for about 24 hours and then my mom, sister and I are heading to Las Vegas for an early 80th birthday celebration for my mom. No, we're not going to hit the casinos, but rather to see Donny and Marie at the Flamingo (oh, and do some shopping and eating while we're at it).

Hope you all had a nice St. Patrick's Day. My parents celebrate their 59th wedding anniversary today. I guess it isn't too soon to start thinking about what we will do to help them celebrate #60!