Another Wedding Quilt

I'm making up for lost time on this particular wedding quilt. You see, the wedding was in 2019. I am only a year and a half tardy in gifting. Good grief.

Meet the Everhart Weathervane quilt. You saw snippets of it here when I was stitching the binding. I wanted to wait until that was done to show the full reveal. The quilt is one I've had on the to-do list for a very, very long time. As these various fabrics began coming together - quite by accident - the idea to make the quilt with them solidified, and in 2019 I made the top. 

Finally, it is quilted, bound, wrapped and ready to deliver to Seth's parents for eventual delivery to the couple. 

Here are some more views of the quilt.

I admit that practice on the long arm is paying dividends. Each quilt I finish moves me closer to a comfort zone. My confidence with my free motion quilting is growing, and I'm 'listening' to the machine. It is very similar to the regular sewing machine in that a new or different sound is an indication of something - a bobbin running low or another thread issue of some sort. There's also a 'feel' that the machine affords and I'm learning to be attuned to that, as well.

Here are some closeups of the quilt while it was on the long arm. I like studying these to see how my meander stitching looks, and how I might improve it.

So, yes, practice is the game-changer, and I am becoming more willing to get right back to it and put another quilt on. Basically, every single one is practice, and Lord knows I have a few quilt tops hanging around needing quilted. Practicing over here for the foreseeable future, right?

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Binding Work and Art Show Recap

Seems like I've done quite a lot of binding lately, and that must mean I've been getting things done! Yeah! I like that. The quilt I was binding last month at the quilt retreat is a surprise, therefore you've not seen much of anything on that; and I won't be able to say or show anything until this surprise is gifted. *zip it!*

One project you have seen is the little topper for my mantle. Click here if you missed it. Binding that was super-fast. 

Today, I find myself binding a quilt that is a long-overdue wedding gift.

This quilt will be going to a young man and his bride who have been married a year and a half already. Yes, I am that tardy! My reluctance with the Tin Lizzie machine prevented me from getting this done, and now at last I feel confident in my skills to do a job worthy of a wedding quilt.

Seth and Liz, married in November of 2019, are the son and daughter-in-law of good friends Bob and Vickie. Seth and our son were best buds all through elementary and high school. I've tried to stay caught up with all the friends of our children - their weddings and babies, specifically - alas, I still have some gifting to do, I admit. 

The quilt is one I made in 2019 - a weather vane pattern. It had been on my to-do wish list for quite awhile prior to that. Here's the post with all the background explained.

So, last night we attended the Wine Walk and Art Show in Greenfield. It was fun. I had no idea what to expect, but I really enjoyed it. As intended, it did bring people downtown and gave folks an opportunity to visit shops we might not otherwise ever visit. 

Coffee shop where my mini quilts were displayed.

 

And, circling back to friends of our kids, my quilts were displayed in a coffee shop, Cream n' Sugar, which is owned by Heather and her husband Lee. Heather was a classmate/friend of our older daughter. Heather's brother was another classmate/friend of our son. I love small towns - everyone is so connected.

The mini quilt display.

As we walked we passed murals and sidewalk art.

I am linking up today with Kathy over at her Slow Sunday Stitching party. Coincidentally, she is binding today, too. You should stop by!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Shopping the Stash

Happy Spring, Quilters and Friends! Isn't this a beautiful time of year?? Blue skies, budding trees and bushes, daffodils and crocuses - these fresh, new signs of the change of seasons are more welcome than a trip to the fabric shop! The pictures below were taken around our yard early last week.

When I finished the Market Basket quilts early last week, I had in mind that I wanted to make a quilt using the weather vane block. I'd had the tub of potential fabrics and the pattern stored away for a good long while, so I pulled it out and re-evaluated the plan. This was on Tuesday because Sharon was here. She offered some insight and asked key questions.

The pattern is called Lavender Fields from a book I've had for about 10-15 years called Mulberry Lane by Teri Christopherson. Below is a picture of the quilt I want to make.

Remember I said I wanted to work on something with nice big pieces and few triangles? This seems to meet those qualifications. Only 12 blocks which finish rather large; nice big sashing strips; yes, this will be a quickie, I do believe.

Now, for that stash shopping; below is what I have come up with, and obviously I doubt I will be referring to this quilt as Lavender Fields. It will likely just be called Weather Vane.

I built this combination around the big paisley print; I love a great paisley; always have. The darkest blue will be the center of the block; the brownish will be the corner pieces; the neutral will of course be the background, and the light blue, tone-on-tone will surround the dark blue center. My big paisley will be the sashing strips and the borders. All from the stash!! Yay!

While combining this grouping, I wondered what that same Weather Vane pattern would look like in all red and white. With just a little bit of encouragement from Sharon, I came up with a red grouping, too.

I've never been so organized that I've had a couple of quilts cut out and ready to sew at the same time, yet by the time we go to Canter's Cave, this just might be my reality. It will be an extraordinarily productive retreat, if so!

These two quilts will come on top of a quilt I have been cutting out for most of the past 3-4 days, at odd moments I find to work in the sewing room. (We  had a rather busy weekend!) And it is a quilt that will also be a project for the Canter's Cave Retreat. Jan had the idea that we all work on the same pattern, a scrappy quilt using country or reproduction prints. I will write more about it tomorrow, but I have finally gotten all 16 blocks cut out. I've also got quite a mess of fabric in the cutting area! Scrappy quilts are great, but what chaos they create when using so many different bits! Below is the neat box of fabrics I pulled to get started; believe me, it does NOT look like this any longer!

And, incredibly, I was in the mood to pull fabric for one more quilt I have had on my radar. I will proved the details on it later, as well. Suffice it to say, though, that this sudden attack of advanced planning is not like me in the least. Here is the final grouping.

Four quilts moving ever closer to completion, and all the fabric has come from the stash! It is satisfying to know I can to this; it is discouraging to realize I've barely made a dent. But pretty quilts will be forthcoming, and I am motivated to do it. Maybe I've got Spring Fever.

Hope you have a good Monday! And a Happy Spring!