Works in Progress

Happy New Year 2010! I will definitely learn more this year about quilting and practice, practice, practice! I just bought the "Quilting Answer Book" which will stay by my side through all my quarter inch adventures! After my traditional (and wonderful) southern New Year's Day lunch of collards and black-eyed peas and a long afternoon nap, I will be back to my quilting tonight. Applique is now beginning to intrigue me...

My first needle-turned applique attempt...still in progress. The pattern is called "Spring Snowflake" and I will be adding pink tulips to the other five "stems". I just loved the name of the pattern and thought it would be an uplifting project for long and cold winter days. I'll post it again when it's all done and quilted!



This is what I learned to make in my quilting class last September - the churn dash block. I did it in Christmas fabrics and used it for a table topper during Christmas. I had a really wonderful teacher.... she was really patient with all of us beginners. I learned to make a template, use an accurate 1/4" seam, and do a hand quilting stitch.

This was my first attempt at machine quilting on my home machine. I loved the variegated thread for all the many colors going on in this twin-sized contemporary quilt. It is still a "UFO" (unfinished object) in my quilting corner. Machine quilting is ALOT more work than I ever imagined. I'm not sure this quilt will ever be the gift it was intended to be.... but I learned alot and had fun! Isn't that why we quilt?

Here's a quilt block with the top folded to show the bright yellow backing fabric which was the same bright yellow fabric as the center square. Had lots of fun making this one... all hand quilted. Still needs its binding. Practice makes perfect! All the graphics were done with red thread so I could really see the imperfection of my stitches but loved the results anyway!

A little of the red thread hand quilting.... keep on shining!!