Hump day

We finished the quilts from the last post, and quickly moved on to today's projects.

When I delivered the quilt to its owner, she remarked that she saw a block turned wrong-way-to in the pictures from the last post! I hadn't noticed anything askew, so I went back and looked...She's correct. But it isn't readily apparent in the picture of the entire quilt.

Very swirly quilting and border treatment to soften all the geometric lines.

Mr W completed the shabby chic quilt

The panto 'Rosie' was perfect for the quilt's style

We both had errands to do today, so quilting was scant. Plus, I entertained a new customer who has a long history in this neck of the woods, all jam-packed with family quilting stories. We chatted for an hour after taking in two of her hand pieced tops for quilting. She told me she has made over 100 hand pieced, hand quilted heirlooms for family, friends, and some to sell. Amazing and interesting lady. Her son brought her because, in her late eighties, she can't drive as well these days. I would love to see the fifty or so quilts she has at her home! Some were made on her treadle machine, but she does have a modern machine, too. This is why I love my job; I meet such interesting and lovely people who all have the same respect for the art of quilting.
Mr Wazoo was poking around in the garage and found a box labeled 'Fabric for Sue to look at'. He obviously packed and stored the box, because I would have never labeled anything so vaguely. We brought it into the studio and found a top I made at a retreat years ago in Florida!! It was all balled up, stuffed away in haste, and forgotten. A quick press, and voila! Another UFO calling my name.

All I remember from when I made the top, was that I had a bag of strips from past projects, and decided to do a bit of a nod to log cabin. Easy and fun...something I could put together while chatting and laughing with quilters at a retreat. Fond memories in a really plain quilt.

Here it is in its entirety.

On the frame, I have a customer's  underwater turtle fantasy. The stitch in the ditch is done, and tomorrow, I'll do the fun quilting!

Mr Wazoo finished his day with this whimsical Halloween quilt. He chose the spider web panto and variegated purple thread to add to the spooky feeling.

A beautiful end to a relaxed day.

Where did January go?!

The older I get, the faster the time seems to fly by. January sure blew past me in a hurry! Here at the end of the month, I'm getting a bit nervous regarding the quilt show in September. We have a meeting again today, and my co-chair and I need to light the fire under the committee chairs. Tick, tick, tick...
Meanwhile, we stay busy in the studio, quilting every day and never running out of things to do. The quilt for the fire victims in Tennessee is quilted and ready for binding. I made the binding and will get it applied later today.

A simple Boxed Square pattern, with sashing to make it bigger.

Panto: Swirl and Twirl

On the back, a shabby chic floral print.

Mr Wazoo quilted this 'worldly' project for a grown son who loves maps.

The customer chose the panto Primrose swirl, which, despite the name, is very manly.

We both have quilts on our frames, and will finish them up today. I quilted the center of this one, and have the borders left to finish after the meeting.

It is a scrappy Jacob's Ladder variation. Really pretty!

The man is working this shabby chic quilt. I love the fabrics, but the camera doesn't get the colors right. What's that about? They are much prettier in person.

On sewing Sunday, I made some of the bits for the border of one of my UFOs. I have had the center of the quilt finished for months, but got tripped up on the border. Thanks to Freddy Moran and her Collaborative Quilting book, I found the border I like! Its a wonderful book, full of ideas from what she calls 'the workshop'. She and Gwen Marston have written two books together with all sorts of idea for designing your own quilt from bits and pieces. I love them!!

Chain piecing is the only way to go for me!!

I finished one set, and have the alternate set ready to go.

Mr Wazoo helped me by turning the Dresden plates for the customer commission I'm doing. I have twenty more to turn, then I can start the applique.

On the right, turned...on the left, not.

On a happy note...6:00pm and not dark! The days are getting longer.

 

Customers and charity

We have been busy the last couple of days getting customer quilts out the door, and quilting for charity. The devastating fires in Tennessee have left many people with nothing, and the guild is doing its part, making quilts to keep the victims wrapped in love while they recover. Both Mr Wazoo and I have done quilts, and I am getting bindings on a couple of them. I also quilted the quilt of valor I recently made, and the binding is on and ready for hand sewing.

Quilted! The binding is a flag print, and is waiting for hand sewing.

I forget the name of the panto, but I really like it!

Strs on the back, too!

A customer donated this quilt for the Tennessee relief.

The panto is a nice feathery and feminine one

The back is pieced, but this print made my heart flutter!
I made the binding from the trimmings of the back, so it is also scrappy.

This four patch posy was made at a guild retreat! The customer is donating it to an auction to benefit fire victims.

The poinsettia panto complements the fabric perfectly!

I worked on a custom quilt, too. This pretty quilt is going to a new granddaughter. I love all the dimensional bits!

Little flaps keep the motifs secret until the child opens them.

The bunnies have pink in their ears and fuzzy tails!

The pinwheels are dimensional, too. I quilted hearts in two places.

I have been working on a customer commission, making vintage dresden plates into a quilt. The customer's mom made the 'plates' but no centers. She also didn't turn the top curves on each blade. I have been machine sewing them to fusible interfacing and then turning them so I can fuse them to the background fabric. I have already made the center circles and they are all turned and ready to go. Only 22 more plates to sew and turn before I can start making the quilt! 

The turned plates, on top of the charity quilt ready for hand sewing.
I'll have something to do when watching TV tonight!!
Now, it's off to the studio, and quilting the third quilt for the fire victims.