Double Wedding Ring

My project last week was another 'first'. I had never quilted a Double Wedding Ring top, much less a vintage Double Wedding Ring. The first of the week I put this on the frame:

The top is hand pieced and the work-womanship is just about flawless. There are some areas of concern, but, I felt as though I could handle them. It looks like the pink border was added at a later date and it has mitered corners.

The first thing I did was to pin and stabilize the open areas as I came to them. I was doing that at the time that I used continuous curve on all of the arc sections and the 4-patch connectors. Instead of stitching in all 10 fabric sections I stitched as though there were only 5 in each arc.

It was a lot of fun to work my way across the top and back again without breaking the thread. Once a rythm was established, this part went fairly quickly. I can only work on something like this for about 4 hours a day and then we have to go to another day to work some more. So, most of the arcs were done in one day.

Tuesday I had 2 guild meetings, but, only attended one. Went to the Logan luncheon, sale, auction and had a blast. The food was amazing (quilters really know how to cook) and the whole event was very well planned and lots of fun.

Wednesday I was back to the quilt. That was when I started the feathering on the top. I worked on melons all that day:

Yes, there is some staining of the top, but, I really feel as though all of it will wash out. I hope to see this quilt after it has been washed.





I also had setting triangles and corners to work on so this went on until sometime Thursday or Friday.  I had to get a little inventive with these and I admit to doing a lot of 'Stand and Stare' to try to figure out what I wanted to do. This is what I came up with:

These are the little triangles that go all around the top.

This is what I picked out for all four corners. Next time I want to extend these feathers all the way into the corners.

Let's see now, what's left. Oh yes, the centers of the rings. What to do? What to do?


This is what I did: Simple feather looking flower in each one.

Finally it was time for the border. If I were doing it again I would make a change or two, but, I am happy with what I chose to do.

So, it took the week, but, I finally finished the quilting and this is what we ended up with:
First the front:

Now for the back. I just love looking at the backs of quilts. Especially when I used a plain wide back. I can really see the design work. Here ya go:

Look at the texture!! Sometimes I think that the back looks better than the front.

Now all I have to do is bind this big girl and Lynn will be able to come and pick it up. The binding alone will take several days. I have it cut and ready to sew on, but, had to stop over the weekend and work on a challenge for Knight Bee.

That's a whole other story for another time.

This quilt was lots of fun and as usual I learned many new 'things' that will help with the next one. Yes, I have another wedding ring on the schedule, so we will be discussing that when the time arrives.

Hope you have a good week and take some time to register for Sewin' in the Summer. Time is passing and soon we will actually be ..................Sewin' in the Summer....................

Dresses for Africa

I spent a wonderful day last Saturday at Greenhill Baptist Church. 20 or so ladies gathered to make pillow case dresses to be given to little girls in Africa.

This was so much fun. I met some wonderful ladies that may not even have known how to sew, but, they were there to help.

It was amazing to watch everyone come into the fellowship hall, set up their machines and just 'go to work'. They matched trims with fabrics and ribbons and just had a blast putting these dresses together.

Several of my quilting friends came to help too. For most of us it has been YEARS since we constructed a garment of any kind, but that didn't stop any one at all.

Sue

Libby

Jodi and I spent the day cutting yard after yard of fabric into the lengths needed for the dresses. Just as we were about to run out of fabric, Leslie came in with more bolts of fabric and we cut that up too.  Pillow cases were also used for these little cuties.

See Jodi. See Jodi cut fabric. CLOSE THAT ROTARY CUTTER!!!!

Needless to say it was a wonderful day. I want to thank Libby, Sue, Jodi, Leslie, and Helen for coming out that day. I also have a dress from Deborah to deliver and I know several other members of design group are either making dresses of have contributed fabric for the dresses. It was a great showing for our Design Group quilters.

 Dick and I  topped it off with a wonderful dinner with the children and grandchildren at Dusty and Sherry's house. That boy sure knows how to cook ribs-------------.

That was last weekend. Wait until you see what I did this week!!!

Later,

PS !!! Oh Yes, I forgot Pat and Stephanie!!!!!!!!!!! They were there too!!! I knew that I would forget someone!

Quilting Practice and Cuddle Quilts

I have spent some time recently practicing some over all quilting designs. The way that I like to do this is to load a wide back, some batting and add on some juvenile panels. This time I did not have enough to cover the area, so, I just pulled out some yardage from the stash and added it to the mix.

These were some cute panels that I found on a recent trip with some friends to a distribution warehouse. Nothing special about them except that they are a good size. I loaded these three and quilted them. On one I did a paisley design.

On the next one I did one of the Pajama quilter's designs that could either look like big leaves or the rivers and valleys that you see in the desert.

On the last one on the right I did feathers!!!


Then I rolled these on the take up bar and added one more panel and 2 large pieces of 'Monkey' yardage for more practice time.




On the last panel I did a flower over all and practiced some flowers, leaves and loops. On the middle panel of yardage I did some circular designs that actually looked like curved monkey tails. Then on the last panel of yardage I practiced doing a design that looks like olives. This is what everything looked like as it came off of the frame.

Then I cut them apart and will spend a few nights this week or next doing the binding on them. This has been not only fun, but, educational. I had been wanting to try driving 'Olivia' without using the stitch regulator. This gave me a perfect time to do that. Now I know what speed to use that suits us and that I can feel confident in not using the stitch regulator on certain designs.

Some of these tops will go toward the challenge issued by the Quilters of South Carolina in their 'Covering South Carolina's Kids' campaign. Some of them will go to local guilds, because they fall short of the challenge guidelines. All of them will be loved by some child in South Carolina, and that's what really matters.

I did spend Saturday with an awesome group of ladies------------more on that later.

Happy Father's Day,

Design Wall Monday

This is what I am working on today. How about you?

This is currently hanging over the rail of the longarm because the design wall is full of the May Mester Lone Star that is in progress.


Have a good week,

AUGUST 2012--What are you doing?

QUILT CAMP--SEWIN' IN THE SUMMER

Sewin' in the Summer

August 16 - 19, 2012


Registration is now open !!!!

Where: The Bishop Gravatt Conference Center, Camp Gravatt, Aiken, S.C.

When: August 16 - 19, 2012  Check-in time is 2:00 PM or later on Thursday with Check-out on Sunday, August 19 at 2:00 PM.

No, we won't be sleeping in tents!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cabins have 2 adjoining rooms that sleep 2 per room with shared bathroom.

Motel rooms: These rooms do not share bathrooms. Double rooms with a limited number of single rooms.

ALL MEALS ARE FURNISHED

Everyone gets a 6 foot table to themselves, so plenty of room to work.

What I have planned:

• Sit and Sew as long as you want to. No supper to prepare, no husbands to cater to, no children to stop your thought process. Lot’s of laughter and Loads of Fun.

• Don't want sew? ROAD TRIP!!!!!!!!! We will be within 1 hour drive to 3---count them---3 fantastic quilt shops!!!!!!!!!!!!

• Nightly Show and Tell with an on-going quilt show

• You may request that certain techniques be shown in the evening

• Don't want to sew? Well, bring a chair and sit by the lake and read. Work on cross stitch, embroidery, whatever................ The time is yours.

• GOOD SURPRISES

Come Join Me (Joyce Greer) and other 'Frayed Knots' for a weekend of fun, food, and fellowship. There will be NO STRUCTURED SCHEDULE with the exception of meals. What a great time to try a new technique or ask for opinions on a design problem. With all level of quilters, problems can be solved, and many opinions will be available.

Registration form  available here: http://oneloosethread.blogspot.com/p/registration-forms-for-olt-events.html

Let's go have some fun!!!!!!!!!