{Post 1,378} Machine Quilting Again

I have had this quilt top and backing since August 2013.  Couldn't let quite a year go by without starting it.  So much has happened to keep me from getting to it.  But here it is.

The top picture was taken so I could remember how I quilted the corners.  I made up a swirl in the center with an 8-point flower coming off of it.  The border is done in a large feather.  I am trying something new.  Quilting all the way down the quilt, then reloading it sideways so I can stitch what are now the side borders horizontally.  That way I won't be advancing the quilt over and over and having to break thread and start over.  Cross your fingers for me.

I have had the thread break over and over.  It is so frustrating and takes the joy out of an otherwise pleasant occasion.

The back had to be pieced (I thought it was ready for me).  This belongs to a friend.  It sports the blocks that were meant for embroidery.  Someone painted them for her instead.  I am using a variegated peacock-colored thread on the colored fabrics and invisible on the white blocks.  

My quilting skills are rusty.  They are not that great anyway, so I decided to do a simple meander in the embroidered blocks.  That was for two reasons.  One is that I had no idea how the invisible thread would behave.  Secondly, I could not come up with a pattern that wouldn't have looked dreadful.

{Post 1,377} Churn Dash Mini Finished

Here is my latest mini...a 14-1/2" square Churn Dash.  It is made from all shirts in my burgeoning collection.  I love sewing with shirts.  I guess I'd also love sewing with reclaimed fabric.  It's the old use it up mindset, I guess.

The bottom picture shows it playing with friends.

{Post 1,376} Mini, Mini, on The Wall

Who's the fairest of them all?  My clips came in today.  Sadly (but possibly fixably) they are too narrow to hang over the back edge of the yardsticks.  They perch up there just fine, but it would be better if then went over the top edge.  This does make changing them out very easy.  72" of mini quilts.

{Post 1,375} Decisions, Decisions

The original quilt in this pattern is 16" x 24".  I was going to make it square instead of rectangular.  That still has it finishing at 16" square.  I am thinking of leaving off a few blocks and making it smaller (maybe around 12" square) by using the layout in the bottom picture.  I will be adding side and corner triangles, then a border or two.

{Post 1,374} Two Minis Quilted and Bound

Here's my latest 2 minis.  I only have one more pieced.  Will get to it later today perhaps.

The one on the left is about 14-1/2" square.  The one on the right is 12-1/2" x 15-1/2"  My clips have still not arrived.  I hope they come today!

I just realized I never posted a picture of the original quilt on the left.  I trimmed it down to a 12-1/2" square from slightly larger and added a 1-inch finished border and binding.  I like it better smaller.

{Post 1,373} Mini-Reunion

Had a good visit today when my two sons who live together came up to see me.  Well, they came to see Timmy, but I am pretending they came to see me.  Luke (on the left) is 21.  Ben is 18.  Doesn't Elisabeth look good?

Didn't realize I hadn't posted this picture on my blog.  I use Facebook a lot, and it was on there.

These are two of my other girls.  Rachel (16) is on the left, and Susie (19) is in the middle.  This was the day Timmy was born (7.8.14).

{Post 1,372} Minis Don't Make Me Blue

The border of this little quilt might be blue, but I'm not.  I love MINIS!!  There.  I said it.  This is the last one for a while.  I was so disappointed that my hanging clips still have not arrived.  It's been nearly a week since I ordered them.  In this day and age of instant everything, it can be so hard to wait for things.  This measures 16" square.  I might trim the outer border down a bit.

This was copied from a pattern I saw for sale.  Honestly, I can't remember where I saw it.  I think it was a combo pattern with other designs.  Not even sure it's a mini, but that's what I made it.  The squares finish at 1".