Summer sights and a big finish

I had a happy dance yesterday in the late afternoon when I finished the big colorful circles quilt. It is beautiful!! I would make one, too, but the thought of hand appliquéing 201 circles stops me in my tracks! No, thank you. Maybe a smaller one will be in my future, but for now, I will simply marvel at this one.

9 M size bobbins, 21 thread color changes, 201 motifs quilted in each of the circles, Ruler work for all the background quilting. Over a week of work, and done on two different longarms!

The color changes were worth it to get the final effect. The quilting is subtle, not overwhelming, and looks great.

On the back, I used Magnaglide thread in a medium gray color. The wool batting kept the thread from popping up on the top and gave a uniform look on the floral backing.

I'm happy with the quilt, and I'm pretty sure the customer will be, too.

I have been going to the studio a half hour early for a few days to have a bit of time for shabby chic block sewing. I may not be able to get much done in that short period of time, but it starts my day off with a feeling of accomplishment.

I sewed the small half  square triangles one day and cut them all apart the next. I used the method of making 8 at a time from 2 large squares, and it went along quickly for all these components.

I'm still trimming them up to 2 1/2 inches, and think it will take a couple more sessions to have them all squared up.

I just couldn't wait to see what a block would look like, soI sewed a few and put them up on the design wall. So far, so good!

I kept the points the same fabrics for continuity in what will be a really scrappy quilt. The small white with dark pink rosebud fabric will repeat throughout the quilt as the background. Sort of an anchor in a quilt with a wide assortment of fabrics. I'm excited about the project even though I only have a tiny part of it done!

A few more things are blooming outside, but the weather has been super hot with hard rains almost daily, so many of the flowering plants are struggling to keep their petals on. 

Mr Wazoo has been working on a secret project in the garage...lots of power sawing and wood dropping sounds coming through the wall to the studio. Oh well, it keeps him occupied during the hottest part of the day or when it is raining. What is it he's making? I have only his word for it that I'll like it. Silly man...

These hydrangea are a hybrid variety and don't bloom in tight balls like the regular ones do. They are more lacy looking.

These bee balm are taller than ever! I am amazed at the height of up to four feet on some of them! All the heat and rain has made them into these alien looking flowers.

The hosts is blooming, too. I'm surprised the deer haven't nibbled them away to stubs! There is so much leaf cover in the woods all around us, the deer are staying out of the gardens this year. We see them daily just beyond the tree line, eating leaves and slowly making their way across the ridge behind the house. There were four does yesterday, with a tiny fawn wobbling along with the group. So cute!!

This is all there is of Mr W's project so far...a 4x4 in the center of the back garden, held in place with Quickcrete at the base. I hope he has a vision because I don't  get it. Stay tuned to see what develops!

Machine switcherooo

Yesterday, I switched the circle quilt to the Millie to do the quilting on the 201 circles. The next custom quilt is loaded on the big Gammill, but I can not find the batting the customer brought for it. After looking everywhere possible, I gave up and ordered a new one. Darn! How does a king sized packaged batt up and disappear?! Anyhoo, this is what I got done on the circles. It will have 21 thread changes and 201 starts and stops on just the circles! Tedious, but worth the effort.

                                          

Thread I have used already...

Thread ready to be used...

Where I left off for the day.

I quit quilting at 5:00, since I went to work an hour early yesterday. I sewed and squared up the first pile of half square triangles for one of the blocks in my shabby chic quilt. There are a ton of smaller HSTs to be made next for the same blocks. I'll tackle those soon.

The first stack is done!

Later in the evening, we settled in with homemade pizza and some dreamcicle pie. Miss Molly thought she should get some, too, but we all know dogs don't eat pizza and pie! At least that's what I tell her when she gives me the sad face.

Everybody go to work! Those quilts aren't going to make themselves!!

Really big quilts...and other fun stuff

I hope they never make a bigger bed than king, or California king. What person besides Shaquille O'Neal needs a bed that big?! On the other hand...big quilts keep me in business. Nobody without a longarm machine wants to quilt something that big! HA! Enjoy what the last few days have been at Wazoo! 

                                         

                                         

Giant quilt number one has my favorite plan...scrappy goodness!

Panto: Texas Fan

64  different scraps per block!

This quilt, same maker, is a heaven full of scrappy stars. And it is giant!

The colors all go well together and I chose a cheddar color for the thread.

I forget the name of the panto...I thought it looked like the flowers in the border, which is the fabric on the left in this picture!

I saved the biggest for last. This quilt was inspired by a quilt I made! My friend, Diane, asked for the pattern and made her much larger version. 

My favorite manly panto is Rounded Squares. It looks great on this, too.

Photobombed by the best, I took a picture from this side, too. This quilt is too big to take a head on photo, 100" x 119". Wow!

Miss Molly had a wonderful time hanging out in the studio, relaxing in her new bed. The other one was lumpy and old. She is in dog nirvana

My sister and I always have a chat on Sunday. She is so thoughtful to call me and listen to me ramble on about my quilting. I love her quilts. They are usually soothing colors and traditional patterns. I have always wanted to step out of my box and make a quilt like hers. We talked about it and she convinced me to give it a try. I pulled out the shabby chic fabrics I have been collecting for years, and set to work. It took two days of cutting, but the quilt is cut out and ready to be sewn! I expanded on a pattern I bought years ago called Elizabeth, which also happens to be my sister's middle name! Here is my version  on EQ.

I wanted mine to fit the queen bed in my guest room, so I added a couple more rounds of blocks.

 The first bits were cut out on Sunday and are ready to sew,

I laid out my fabric selections in preparation of making selections for the different blocks.

I can't believe this is what the entire quilt  consists of! I cut the block parts out between rows of quilting on a customer quilt yesterday. It will take quite a while to sew. I plan to make a few blocks a day until they are all completed. Stay tuned to see how it goes.

Meanwhile, Here is what's happening outside. Flora and fauna in abundance!

Hiding in the trees just feet away. Molly never saw her or her five friends!

Can you see the deer? She really knows how to blend in with the surroundings!