Becky's quilt obsession

We’ve received our next project, and I am having a bit of trouble deciding on colors. I’m enlarging the project enough to make a quilt of valor if it doesn’t morph to something else. Blues: Since I used a lot of shaded blues last time, I’ve picked, according to Joen Wolfrom’s Color Guide, pure blues this time. The bottom, lightest, slightly greyed blue will be a consistent background this time. The bright blue with the grey stars is actually the center of a border print, which I won’t be using. This is about 15+ years old, one of the first fabrics I bought, and have yet to use. Whoever heard of frogs leaping for freedom? I have a great niece who was into frogs, and I thought (wrongly) that she would like this fabric for a pillowcase. NO! Reds: I pulled orange reds this time. The red in the first one on the right isn't very orange, but the gold stars in it make you think it is. This is a nice, safe group of reds. A little too safe, known as boring. I decided to pull s...

Thanks for the nice comments about my QOV – plain, simple, instead of boring. I’m always amazed at the difference quilting makes. There is a book by Lee Cleland of this title, and I’m always amazed at the difference. I put the lime green binding on this quilt at retreat, and received many oohs and ahs about it, nearly all about the quilting. The texture certainly changes the plainness. I had just about enough fabric left for a pillowcase. So, my adventure into modern quilting wasn’t a waste of time, it just shows that quilting is much more than just piecing. I had a good time at retreat, but was also ready to come home. I missed my tall cutting table more than anything else. I bought a layer cake of some fun fabrics and made the blocks for one of those funny four patches that has the you tube video about it. The blocks didn’t turn out exactly square, so I will need to fix that. I just can’t make myself fudge that much. I also need to put them on a design wall so the colors are so...

The landscaping is finished; my shoulder is now missing a big hook-shaped bone spur, and I’m back to the quilting machine thanks to the Physical Therapists! I’m starting with some HeartStrings quilts that are needed for Robin’s project. This first one was made from blocks sent by Kathy (I think). I finished it in my favorite way, adding sashing just wide enough to cover the seams, similar to a quilt as you go, but just on one side to make the top. This way I don’t have to try to press all the seams open! I had just a yard of this stars on blue print, just enough for sashing and binding! I love it when it uses the fabric all up! Kathy sent backing, so that was great. This second one is a top sent by Melva, one of Bonnie Hunter’s mysteries. I had it over the couch to finish drying and my daughter walked it, saw it, and said did you make it? No. Well, can you make one like it? These are the colors in my living room and it matched perfectly. I love Ohio stars set on point! There is a t...

I cut and fiddled on the design wall trying out everyone's suggestions. I ended up with the blue paisley. I was really trying to make the center glow, but the yellow I had just died - no luminosity in that one. So this is the layout. I have one more row of strings, alternate blocks, and setting triangles, but that would involve standing on a ladder to reach, so you just have to imagine those. Thank you to all that responded with your advice and suggestions!! Now if I can just piece it together without turning blocks the wrong way! Happy Quilting, Becky Email me

I've finished up some of the RWB Chinese Coins quilts from HeartStrings donations. I think I've posted pictures of the tops before, but these are finally ALL finished!! The top left one is a Disappearing 9-patch that I pieced at Retreat in February. I quilted it with meandering stars and loops. The lower left one is the first Funky Caterpillars from the RWB coins. I quilted it with the swirls giant template from Circle Lord. The top right one is a string-X. I really enjoyed making it from sets of 4 CC strips. I call it the "Soldier quilt" I quilted freehand stars and loops on it as well. The lower right one is also a String-X, but with sashing. This is the first time I tried quilting spirals with the Circle Lord frame so I could center the swirls in each block. While I like its appearance well enough, I didn't like all the starts and stops - then going back and burying all the ends. I think I need to do a few more with this template and see if I can figure ...

Today I finished up the 4th of the Quilts of Valor that I'm doing for Heartstrings. They need labels, pictures, pillowcases, and washing, then they will be sent to Alycia for her goal of 400 quilts by June. I thought it was appropriate to work on them today in honor of our Veterans. It seems a small thing to say thank you as compared to the sacrifices they make and made for our country. It's too grey of day here for pictures, so hope to post some tomorrow. Tonight I will be sewing on labels. I did finish up the Coke cushions for the soda fountain. I used up the rest of the strips I had piping on by making two pillows - a round one and a square one. I only need to carry them downstairs and attach them. I only have a few scraps of the fabric left, so I can finally say that the sewist is finished, and quilting can resume. My Bernina was a casualty in the making of these cushions - the needle struck the zipper foot, and now the machine goes clunk, clunk. DH says it needs to go t...