Divine Quilting

Jennie's Scrap Jewel Box

2012-02-03T08:18:00.000-05:00

Isn't this gorgeous! I LOVE scrap quilts! And it's always entertaining to quilt them, because I think to myself "Hey, I have that fabric . . . and that one . . . and that one!" I love the flange and how it separates the central part of the quilt from the inner border. This quilt definitely deserved the custom quilting it received.

full quilt

outer borders

another shot

scrappy one patch border

backing

close up

Jennie's 30's sampler

2012-02-03T07:21:00.001-05:00

The 30's fabrics are perfect for this twelve block sampler quilt Jennie made. It's quilted with the pantograph Alfresco.

full quilt

close up

backing

Jennie's Bling Thing

2012-02-02T17:44:00.001-05:00

This was made from 2.5" strips. I love scrap quilts, and Jennie did a great job piecing this. It's quilted with a beautiful King Tut variegated thread in a freehand paisley/teardrop design.

full quilt

close up

backing

Jennie's Cheese and Crackers

2012-02-02T17:36:00.000-05:00

I think this is the first top I quilted for Jennie. This bright fresh quilt is from an Atkinson pattern "Cheese and Crackers". It's quilted with a simple freehand loop design.

full quilt

close up

backing

Lydia's scrappy pinwheels

2012-01-20T21:49:00.000-05:00

This is the most recent of Lydia's quilts. This one is quilted with all over freehand feathers.

full quilt

close up

backing

Lydia's "Vintage Rose"

2012-01-20T21:47:00.000-05:00

This is the first quilt I received from Lydia. She calls it "Vintage Roses" and asked for a freehand all over leaf design.

full quilt

close up

backing

Eastern Long Island Quilters Guild 2011 Quilt Show

2012-01-20T21:32:00.000-05:00

Liz's quilt wasn't the only one to win a ribbon at the Eastern Long Island Quilters Guild 2011 quilt show in June. Ann's French braid quilt and her circle quilt also got ribbons. Heck, I even picked up a few of my own : )
This first quilt is the pattern "Neo Stella" from the book StrataVarious Quilts: 9 Fabulous Strip Quilts from Fat Quarters by Mary Hoover and Barbara Persing. I made it in my favorite color combination. It's also the one hanging behind me in My HQ Story video and now hangs on the wall at the end of my HQ Fusion.

Close up

This one is only 16" x 20" and I made it for a challenge with my online group. It took every fiber of my being not to make that fish bright yellow.

The 30's quilt I quilted for the raffle

Liz's quilt

Ann's quilt

Ann's quilt (I guess I was too busy admiring it at the show--I don't have a photo of it hanging completed at the show with the ribbon)

Liz's "Call Me Crazy or I Love Judy Neimeyer"

2012-01-15T23:19:00.003-05:00

This is a Judy Neimeyer pattern painstakingly pieced by Liz in brilliant colors. I made quilting suggestions, we discussed the options, and Liz made the final decisions. Here it is with a second place ribbon in the Duet Small category and a merit award for color in the Eastern Long Island Quilters Guild quilt show in 2011.

And here it is with a first place ribbon in the Small Professionally Quilted category at the 2011 Dutchess Heritage quilt show!

close-ups below

backing

Pieceful Quilting's Country Village

2012-01-13T19:26:00.000-05:00

This is Pieceful Quilting's Country Village custom quilted sample.

the back

Frances' medallion quilt

2012-01-12T18:08:00.004-05:00

The latest quilt from Frances was also scrappy. A medallion quilt also quilted with the Alfresco pantograph.

full quilt

close up

backing

Frances' scrappy nine patch

2012-01-12T18:08:00.003-05:00

This was the second quilt from Frances. I LOVE scrap quilts. I don't use white much myself, but I think it always makes a quilt look so fresh. This one was quilted with the pantograph Alfresco.

full quilt

close up

backing

Frances' scrap half square triangles

2012-01-12T18:08:00.000-05:00

This was a few years ago, but I think Frances gave me two quilts at once. This scrappy half square triangle quilt was quilted with the Popcorn pantograph.

full quilt

close up

backing

Kathy's duo quilt 2

2012-01-06T16:50:00.000-05:00

And here is the last one I quilted for Kathy! Same fabrics, same basic pieces, assembled differently.

full quilt

close up

backing

Kathy's duo quilt 1

2012-01-06T16:48:00.000-05:00

Kathy had a pattern that used the same basic pieces, but could be turned into two (maybe three?) quilts, depending on how the pieces were rotated and assembled. I can't remember the details (It's been almost a year! Boy, I'm really backed up on posting!). Both of the two she gave me were quilted with the Rhapsody pantograph.

full quilt

close up

backing

Kathy's Take Five

2012-01-05T17:09:00.000-05:00

Kathy made this quilt from the Take Five pattern and I quilted it with Jodi Beamish's Popcorn pantograph.

full quilt

close up

from the side

backing

Kathy's Go Green quilt

2012-01-05T17:06:00.000-05:00

Kathy won the blocks from the Eastern Long Island Quilters Guild "Go Green" challenge in 2010 and this is the resulting quilt.

full quilt

close ups follow:

the backing (the log cabin block)

Kathy's Stars and Strips

2012-01-04T16:41:00.000-05:00

Kathy graduated to triangles and this is her version of the Atkinson pattern Stars and Strips. She chose the pantograph Rhapsody by Jodi Beamish.

full quilt

close up

another view

backing

Kathy's Queen YBR

2012-01-03T22:54:00.000-05:00

Kathy's queen Yellow Brick Road in autumn colors. This one is quilted with a freehand paisley design.

full quilt

close up

backing

Kathy's pink/green/yellow

2012-01-03T17:01:00.000-05:00

Kathy made a LOT of quilts when she started! She was HOOKED! This girly one with bugs and flowers was quilted with Butterfly Charm by Willow Leaf Studio.

full quilt

close up

backing

Kathy's blue/green/red

2012-01-03T16:58:00.000-05:00

Another quilt, same pattern, same pantograph.

full quilt

close up

another close up

backing

Kathy's red/green/gold

2012-01-03T16:55:00.000-05:00

A third quilt, also quilted with Popcorn by Jodi Beamish.

full quilt

close up

backing

Kathy's second quilt

2012-01-03T16:53:00.000-05:00

I think this is the same pattern and I believe Kathy gave it to me at the same time as the other one. Again, the Popcorn pantograph by Jodi Beamish.

full quilt

close up

from the side

backing

Kathy's red/green/gold

2012-01-03T16:47:00.001-05:00

Kathy was a very new quilter when she first came to me, but she sure paid attention to her quilting lessons. I think this is from the pattern Yellow Brick Road. This one was quilted with the pantograph Popcorn by Jodi Beamish.

full quilt

close up

backing

Pieceful Quilting's 5th Birthday!

2011-11-27T21:13:00.000-05:00

Pieceful Quilting turned 5 in March! I'm so far behind in my posting that I'm not sure if the kit is still available for this quilt they made to celebrate, but I know some of the fabrics from the Mariposa line still are! I quilted this with the Jodi Beamish pantograph Butterfly Charm.

full quilt

close up of the Mariposa line fabrics

more beautiful fabrics

back

Ann's circle quilt

2011-11-14T02:20:00.028-05:00

You know, once in a while someone will ask me which quilt I've made is my favorite. Most often, the answer is the one I just finished or the one I'm working on now. Our fabric tastes change with time, and the most recent quilt probably reflects my current loves the best. My skills increase, and the most recent quilt is probably my best technical work. Maybe I'm making a quilt for an upcoming wedding or birth, so the reason I'm making it is closest to my heart.

The same is true now that I'm a longarm quilter. Most often the quilt I'm quilting at the moment is my favorite. My technical skills increase with time and practice. I become better at helping the piecer make the best choice for thread colors and quilting designs, often having to consider time and financial limitations. Maybe I purchased a new pantograph or a new ruler that fascinates me.

I quilted this quilt over six months ago, and yet it was hard to narrow down the number of pictures I wanted to share because I love it so. In the near future, you will see pictures of the companion quilt. I knew when I started this that there would be two similar quilts. Both with the same fabrics and the same design. One of them, Ann wanted quilted tightly, to be hung on the wall. The other she wanted softer, to be used as a lap quilt.

The left side of this sketch shows the vertical and hortizontal lines 1/2" apart, and pebbling between the outer edge of the petals and the ring surrounding them. The right side shows the lines 1" apart and pebbling only in the centers of the flowers.

quilting diagram

full quilt

several detail shots

back

Angie's wedding quilt for Jackson

2011-10-20T07:23:00.000-04:00

Angie, owner of Pieceful Quilting, made Hanging Gardens for her son Jackson and his bride, Lisa, a few months ago. I don't have a picture of the entire quilt, but some close ups follow:

Round Robin

2011-10-17T13:19:00.001-04:00

I joined a round robin focus group with five other women in my guild at the beginning of 2010. It's a little frightening to work on someone else's quilt--especially when you don't know them well enough to know their color/fabric/design preferences. I am SO pleased with the quilt I received back and I think the other women were equally pleased. These were the rules of the challenge:

Rounds

#1. Center block is to be 14 inches finished (remember that it will be put on point so consider this when choosing your center block design).

#2. Place center block on point and add a border 1 to 2 inches.

#3. This round is to be 3 to 4 inches wide and include squares or triangles.

#4. This round is to be 4 to 5 inches wide and be appliquéd. The appliqué may extend into the previous rounds if you so choose.

#5. This round is to be 3 to 4 inches wide and include squares or triangles.

#6. Your choice; let the quilt speak to you. The quilt should be a cohesive whole.

Kathleen's quilt top

Mary's quilt top

Barbara's quilt top

Caroline's quilt top

Claudia's quilt top

My quilt top

And the only one that I have seen finished is Caroline's (quilted by Janet Heins) and here it is with a ribbon on it from our quilt show!

Agnes' Past and Present

2011-09-06T17:09:00.000-04:00

This is the most recent top I quilted for Agnes--another great batik scrap quilt. I love how the royal blue pops out. This one is quilted with the pantograph Feathered Curls by Jodi Beamish.

full quilt

close up

backing

Agnes' scrappy half square triangles

2011-09-05T14:01:00.000-04:00

Not batiks, but still loving the scraps! A nice mix of fabrics + a great use of value = a scrap quilt that makes you just want to crawl up underneath it! This one was quilted with the Willow Leaf Studio pantograph Joust.

full quilt

close up

another view

back

Agnes' Marakesh bazaar

2011-09-05T13:56:00.000-04:00

The next top I quilted for Agnes is this Marakesh Bazaar. She made the sampler blocks at our local quilt shop, Pieceful Quilting. The setting was her own design. I think she did a great job setting so many different blocks, containing so many different fabrics. It's quilted with the Jodi Beamish pantograph, Waterworld.

full quilt

close up

backing

Agnes' glitter butterflies

2011-08-30T23:58:00.000-04:00

Agnes appliqued these glittery butterflies to please her grandaughter. It was quilted with the pantograph Butterfly Charm by Lorien Quilting.

full quilt

close up

close up of backing

pieced backing

Agnes' Zen batik wallhanging

2011-08-30T23:06:00.019-04:00

This wallhanging is the first top I quilted for Agnes. I love scrap quilts and I love batiks, so it just doesn't get any better than this. Agnes suggested the freehand water quilting design and it goes perfectly with this quilt.

full quilt

close up

close up of the back

Ann's Oceanica lap quilt

2011-08-13T17:36:00.001-04:00

Ann made this for her friend. I freehand quilted a water design in the center and the outer border, and did some ruler work in the inner border.

full quilt

close up

border

back

Diane's "Wheels" quilt

2011-08-13T00:30:00.000-04:00

Diane made this quilt for her grandson, who loves wheels. The primary borders surround fabrics with wheels--cars, trains, tractors, bulldozers, race cars, tractor trailers, etc. It's quilted with freehand loops in a primary variegated thread.

full quilt

Aren't these wheels cool??

The PERFECT backing

Rae's embroidered teacups

2011-08-10T17:19:00.004-04:00

I don't own an embroidery machine--my thread collection is large enough! So I can only imagine how long this took. There are several styles of teacups and teapots, all embellished differently, alternating with blocks of embroidered floral sprays. The pink bows perfectly straddle the seams of the blocks.

full quilt

close-up

back

Roz's Christmas quilt

2011-08-08T22:56:00.000-04:00

This is Roz's Christmas quilt. It's very elegant, made with metallic fabrics. It's quilted with the Deck the Halls pantograph by Urban Elementz.

full quilt

close-up

close up of back

Patricia's red/white/blue star quilt

2011-07-08T17:50:00.000-04:00

When Patricia's daughter saw the stars and loops on a previous quilt, she told Patricia that was the pattern she'd like on HER quilt. So she got it : )

full quilt

center

close up

Patricia's Baskets

2011-07-08T17:48:00.000-04:00

Okay, so maybe these aren't really baskets, but they look like it to me! I love the look of an applique border on a pieced quilt. I shy away from the "a" word myself, but I certainly appreciate all the work that goes into it. This one was quilted with the pantograph Tulip Basket by Willow Leaf Studio.

full quilt

corner

block

back

Patricia's Stars with appliqued borders

2011-07-08T14:10:00.001-04:00

Another of Patricia's quilts--she doesn't do "small"! This one was quilted with freehand feathers everywhere except for the appliqued sections of the border. The applique was outlined and a small stipple filled the background. There's nothing better than a scrap quilt, don't you agree?

full quilt

close up

border

back

Patricia's Stars

2011-07-08T13:58:00.003-04:00

This is the second top I quilted for Patricia. The fabric choices really make this quilt. It's quilted with the pantograph Simple Stars & Loops by Willow Leaf Studio.

full quilt

close up

back

Patricia's Double Wedding Ring

2011-06-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

This is the first top I quilted for Patricia. I think she prefers hand work (applique and quilting), but there's just not enough time to hand quilt EVERYTHING you want to make, you know? This is also the only one I've quilted for her that is machine appliqued. It's quilted with the pattern Alfresco.

full

close up

back

Lucy's pink one patch

2011-06-18T00:32:00.000-04:00

Isn't this sweet? She did a great job placing the dark and light pink patches to keep your eye moving over the entire quilt. It's quilted with allover freehand feathers.

front

back

Roberta's Country Villages

2011-06-17T21:47:00.014-04:00

This is Roberta's Country Villages quilt. She prefers less quilting, so I tried to oblige.

full quilt

corner

flying geese and clouds

houses

flowers and fence

baskets

log cabin and border

U of HQ Retreat--the Basics

2011-05-21T12:04:00.001-04:00

In October, Handi Quilter chose MY HQ story to be featured in their marketing campaign. One of the benefits of being chosen was an all expense paid HQ retreat in Salt Lake City. I couldn't travel then because I had pneumonia. Handi Quilter, amazingly and generously, offered me a retreat at a later time, whenever I could make it. I made the trip in January--what a treat!!

The night we arrived, there was a social and a light supper at the hotel. There were 16 of us. Two women from Canada, one from Alaska, and two women who worked at quilt magazines. There were women who had their machines for years, and women who only had their machines for a few months. The two women from the quilt magazines didn’t own Handi Quilters, but they sure kept up in class. There were women who quilted for themselves, and others who quilted for hire. And I’m not exactly sure of the ages, but I bet there was at least a 40 year span between the oldest and youngest attendees.

We got to tour the building, and they allowed us to take photographs. There are quilts EVERYWHERE! Some made by the staff, some by other famous quilters, like Karen McTavish, Claudia Pfeil and Jodie Davis. You can see pictures here taken during my trip. We were also lucky enough the last day to be there when a trunk show from Judy Woodworth showed up. Yowser! GORGEOUS! Her wholecloth won a ribbon at MQX East in April.

The Handi Quilter staff was FABULOUS! Vicki, Hatty, Cheryl, and Kathi are chock full of information and they don't mind sharing it. They showed us faster, more efficient ways to use our time and materials to get the most out of our machines. They ate meals with us, sharing personal stories and quilting information so we felt like we were all best of friends by the time the retreat was over. Since I was the only one at this retreat that had my HQ story chosen, I also spent some time with Brenda (the Marketing and Education Director), and Luke (I'm not sure of his official title, but he's the "man behind the camera") when they videotaped my HQ story, which you can see here.

The first class was on the basics of the HQ. They explained the controls on the handles and the displays, discussed cleaning and oiling the bobbin area, and threading the machine. We had a catered lunch all three days right in the classroom. For those who know me, they’ll understand why this was my biggest concern. I have no allergies, but I’m a very picky eater. VERY picky. Like a two year old. Anyway, the first day I had the best chicken soup I’ve ever had in my whole life. My boss at my day job was a chef at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC, so he’d be terribly offended if he read that since I’ve had his chicken soup. But hey, “I calls ‘em like I sees ‘em”. That soup was so good I think if I had pneumonia when I was there, it would have cured it!

In the afternoon, we had training on threads and tension. This (and feathers!) was the main reason I chose this retreat over others offered. They discussed thread qualities and assured us that we could use any thread at all on our machines, with some minor adjustments. Then they gave us a dozen or so different threads and a cheat sheet to help us. Some threads needed to be put on a horizontal pin, some needed to have fewer holes used in the thread guide, some needed to have a net over the spool/cone, some needed a larger needle. But they all worked! We quilted with silk, glitter hologram, monopoly, metallic, polyester, cotton. We even did some bobbin work—which was a heck of a lot easier than I would have thought it to be.

We had dinner catered at the hotel and then went off to spend some money at a local quilt shop.

The second day of the retreat instruction began with feathers. I adore feathers. I’d love to have the confidence to quilt heirloom feathers. I still don’t have that, but it was nice to practice them with no guilt. When I’m at home, I can’t seem to take time away from customer quilts to practice something for myself without feeling deep pangs of guilt. Now that a few months have passed since I quilted these, I must say, those feathers don't look so bad after all!

We had chicken salad for lunch. I’m sure this is no big deal for 99% of the population, but those who know me will be super shocked that I even tasted, much less ate, this chicken salad.

In the afternoon, we were taught how to do pantographs. The majority of my customers choose edge to edge pantographs, so much of this wasn’t new for me. We did get detailed instruction on how to revise a pantograph to fit a specific area. I choose my pantographs wisely, making sure they interlock and will not be affected by having the pattern partially quilted on the top and bottom of the quilt. Even though I now know HOW to make a pantograph fit into borders and other specific areas, I believe I will continue to choose my patterns wisely LOL!

It's been a while, so I'm not sure which day it was, but we also used stencils. I tried stencils when I first got my machine years ago, and wasn't in love with them. I was happy to see how easy they are to use. They're in my bag of tricks now! Not bad, huh?

We ate dinner at the Mandarin in Bountiful. It was a beautiful restaurant and the other members of the class loved the food. Chinese is not on the list of foods I eat, but I was able to eat a little chicken. The strawberry daiquiris helped me forget about the food, and, let’s face it, missing a meal is definitely not going to do me any harm.

The next day we learned about trapunto, saw some gorgeous pieces quilted by the staff and made a simple little trapunto bag, all with the HQ Avante, loaded on the frame, right up to sewing the side seams.

I highly recommend investing in a U of HQ Retreat. And if you can, add a couple days to your stay. Salt Lake City is beautiful, but Handi Quilter is so adamant that you get your money's worth, that there isn't a second of spare time left for sight-seeing!

I'm sorry it took so long to get this posted, and sorry the post is so long. But I hope you enjoyed the photos and the information.

ELIQ 2011 Raffle Quilt--tickets available!

2011-05-01T01:55:00.000-04:00

Below are two photos of the finished raffle quilt for my guild. Isn't it beautiful? It will be on display at the Eastern Long Island Quilters Guild 30th Annual Peconic Quilt Show the first weekend in June. Quilts are always, and I mean ALWAYS, more beautiful in person than they are in a photograph.

Raffle tickets are $1.00 each; 6/$5.00. The drawing will be held June 5, 2011 at 3:45 pm. Winners need not be present. You can email me at DivineQuilting@aol.com if you'd like to purchase tickets or you can contact the guild. Proceeds from the annual raffle support a fund at Suffolk Community College for a one year scholarship to a student in the area of design.

First Prize: Queen-sized Granny's Stars quilt pictured below, made by ELIQG members, based on the design by Nancy Mahoney as seen in Fons & Porter Magazine, quilted by Debbie Higgins, Divine Quilting, Calverton, NY (that's me!)
Second Prize: Baby Lock, Molly sewing machine donated by Pieceful Quilting, Riverhead, NY
Third Prize: Quilter's Basket

Full quilt

Close up of the yo-yo's and the pieced binding

For close-up photos during the quilting process, please see my previous post.

Good luck!

Missing Quilt!

2011-04-05T23:41:00.000-04:00

I know, it's been a long time since I've posted and I'll try to catch up soon. Right now, I have something extremely important to say.

Remember the quilt my friend Janet had in the Houston show? She won third place in the "Handmade" category!! Kaaterskill was also accepted into Paducah! Unfortunately, it was shipped via UPS on February 16th from Quilters Newsletter in Colorado to Janet, but has yet to reach its destination. Here's the story: Quilt Stuck in UPS Limbo and the entry on the Lost Quilt site. Please pray for the safe return of that beautiful quilt!

Maria's batik box quilt

2011-01-28T23:40:00.000-05:00

This is quilt I just finished for Maria. All batiks (I LOVE batiks). This was quilted with the Handi Quilter: Groovy Board - Dueling Circles. I don't have room to take a picture of the entire quilt--I think it was 14 squares by 16 squares. Isn't it pretty with that punch of rust mixed in with the blacks, browns, and beiges?

Full quilt

Close up

Back

Maria's wedding quilt

2011-01-26T09:38:00.000-05:00

Maria made this quilt as a wedding gift. The quilting is the pantograph Fantasia, by Willow Leaf Studios.

Full quilt

Close up of border

Back

Maria's rose quilt

2011-01-26T08:50:00.000-05:00

This is the second quilt from Maria, also quilted with freehand peacock feathers.

Full quilt

Close up

Back (it's really green)

Maria's log cabin

2011-01-26T08:37:00.000-05:00

This is the first one I quilted for Maria. It's quilted with a freehand peacock feather design.

Full quilt

Close up

Back

Liz's Lipinski project

2011-01-09T20:49:00.000-05:00

Liz started this top in a class taught by Mark Lipinski at Pieceful Quilting. She gave me total freedom on the quilting, and I had a blast!

front

I love the spaced triple lines. I don't know if it has a name, but it looks like beadboard to me.

I repeated the triple lines in an inner triangle border with flowers in the next border.

Ribbon candy (So Fine thread colors throughout the quilt were matched to the fabric)

I knew immediately that I was going to put butterflies in this section.

The four butterflies meeting in the center

Batik backing

Liz's Irish Chain

2011-01-09T19:24:00.000-05:00

This is the third one I quilted for Liz, a gift for her son. Simple Stars and Loops pantograph by Willowleaf Studios. My pictures don't do the colors justice. It's a striking red and black quilt.

front

close up

back

Liz's strippy quilt

2011-01-09T19:17:00.000-05:00

Sorry, Liz, I don't know the official name of this quilt pattern. But isn't it gorgeous? This one ended up going to her sister.

front

close up

back

close up

Liz's Garden Twist

2011-01-09T18:33:00.000-05:00

I'm dreadfully behind in my posting. The last quilt I quilted for Liz was last May, but the photos are still on my camera! So, let me show you what Liz can do.
This is the first quilt I quilted for Liz, several years ago. It's the Garden Twist pattern, and is quilted with Butterfly Charm pantograph from Willow Leaf Studio.

front

close up

back

2011 ELIQG RAFFLE QUILT

2010-12-26T23:39:00.000-05:00

My guild, Eastern Long Island Quilters Guild, honored me by asking me to quilt the 2011 raffle quilt! The pattern is Granny's Star by Nancy Mahoney, and was featured on the cover of the July/August 2009 issue of Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting.
This is just a sneak preview until the official photo is taken. Lots of yo-yo's were sewn on by hand after I returned the quilted top to the guild.

Piano key quilting on all four sides in the center of the outer portion of the border

Ruler work, ribbon candy, and a freeform flower in the blocks and sashing, stippling in the border area not quilted with piano keys

The block from the back

The Goody Box!

2010-11-14T15:07:00.000-05:00

Okay, I told you in my last post that Handi Quilter sent me a goody box, even though I missed my HQ Story retreat.

First, my name quilted out! The Handi Quilter machines are all run through several different tests before they are shipped out, and one of those great Handi Quilter people had the super cool idea to stitch our names out in fabric!

A binder that had autographed pages of all those who had their HQ Story chosen, and quilting designs! The pin cushion was made by Catherine Sprague, another woman that was not able to attend the retreat. Wasn't that nice of her?

Two Handi Quilter tote bags and several different types and brands of batting!

Markers, scissors, prewound bobbins, different types and brands of thread!

Jelly rolls, layer cakes, charm packs!

Books and magazines galore!

Batting scissors and preview paper!

Complete set of Quilter's Academy Series One DVD's!

Rulers, rulers, and MORE rulers!

Yessiree, Bob, Christmas came early to MY house this year!!
Thank you so much, Handi Quilter!

Handi Quilter makes great people? Or great people make Handi Quilter?

2010-11-11T09:04:00.004-05:00

Do you remember how excited I was that I my HQ Story was chosen by Handi Quilter? My flight to Salt Lake City for their planned event was scheduled for early Sunday morning, October 11th.
Well. . . . . . .the Friday morning before that I arrived at work perfectly healthy. I swear. The picture of health. By the time I left on Friday afternoon, I sounded like a Nyquil commercial. My co-workers were pleading with me to see a doctor. "Eh, it's a cold, I'll be fine." Saturday morning I went to work for 6 hours, felt like I'd been run over by a train, and decided maybe it WASN'T a cold. I went to see my doctor to see if I could get medication before I left on my trip (Yes, my doctor's office is open Saturday AND Sunday, and until 8 pm during the week---isn't that amazing? Sure, I have to wait, but I don't need an appointment. I much prefer a two hour wait in the office to a two week or two month wait for an appointment time to be open. I also may not always see the same doctor every visit, but I was in the military so that doesn't bother me.)
ANYWAY, they took x-rays, listened to my breathing (which, frankly, they could hear in the next room, without amplification equipment), and told me I had pneumonia. I received a breathing treatment with a nebulizer, a shot of steroids, and prescriptions for antibiotics, prednizone, cough syrup with codeine, and two inhalers. I asked the doctor if he knew if I could travel with inhalers on a plane.
He said, "Just where do you think you're going?"
"Salt Lake City, " I responded.
Him again, "I don't think so."
Then there was a lot of whining on my part about how important it was, and how excited I was, and how I MUST go.
He said, "At that altitude, you'll feel 5 to 10 times worse than you do now--you could end up in the hospital." But he gave me a medical note for airport security that I needed to carry my meds with me. Yeehi, Salt Lake City, here I come!
So while I'm waiting for my prescriptions to be filled, I start thinking about it and decide maybe I should let the people at Handi Quilter know. I called Brenda, the Director of Marketing & Education for Handi Quilter, knowing she was vending at a show, and left a message about my predicament. I don't remember much of what I said except that I still wanted to come, but didn't want to put them in a bad situation and could she please call me. I then proceeded to take a nap. When I woke up, I felt like the train backed up and ran over me a couple more times. Reality set in. Along with a megadose of disappointment. There was just no way I was going to be able to travel. None. I called Brenda again, apologized for acting like a four year old who was going to get what I wanted no matter what, and told her I would not be attending this special treat for those whose HQ Story was chosen. And THAT made me feel worse than the pneumonia!
SHE WAS SOOOOOOOO GREAT! Really. Unbelievably understanding. First thing to do, she said, was to cancel my flight, so I could transfer the ticket to a future date. She said to let her know when I was able to come, and she'd schedule HQ educators to give me training for a day. Then she said, no, she had a better idea. She invited me to attend an HQ Retreat! I was flabbergasted. I mean, it's not THEIR fault I got sick. I figured I just missed out on it, and that's how life goes. No way did I expect such a generous offer!
So, along with being sick with pneumonia, I was in mourning for a few days for the fun I was missing. But again, Handi Quilter was so great. They left me on the emails that shared photographs and videos of the things they were doing in Utah. They got a tour of the facility, training, a field trip to a local quilt shop, dinner at the CEO's home. They were videotaped sharing their HQ Story and quilting tips.
Once they got home, the attendees started blogging about the once-in-a-lifetime experience provided by Handi Quilter. They came home with rulers, magazines, fabric, batting, scissors, thread, and heads full of ideas of new ways to use new tools. I was getting a little green (but this time it was envy, not pneumonia! LOL), but I assumed that when I finally made it to Handi Quilter for the retreat, they would shower the goodies and knowledge on me, too : )
Then, lo and behold, they emailed me to tell me they shipped a box to me! YEEHI!!
I'll tell you all about those goodies in the next post!!

Ann's French braid

2010-10-14T20:44:00.005-04:00

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS QUILT!
Before I die, I must, MUST make myself a French braid quilt. And I hope I do half as good a job choosing fabrics as Ann!

The full quilt

leaves in the braids, pebbles in the small diamonds

leaves on the darker braids

Concentric squares

horizontal lines in larger sashing with ribbon candy in smaller sashing

concentric squares fill setting triangles at top and bottom of braids

Closeup of backing

I actually know someone with a prize winning quilt at Houston!!

2010-09-19T17:31:00.001-04:00

Sigh. No, it's not me LOL! It's my dear friend, Janet Atkins. She's an EXTREMELY talented hand quilter. She's on the finalist list for the International Quilt Association's 2010 "Quilts: A World of Beauty" , with other famous top notch quilters, she just doesn't know exactly WHAT she won yet. Her quilts have won many ribbons at many shows.

Kaaterskill

Close up of the quilting on the back--look at those teeny tiny stitches!

And just to prove I really DO know her, this is the beginning of that quilt, which I believe was started at a retreat in Wiawaka in 2005.

February 2006--some of the fabrics in the quilt were from fat quarters given to her by our online group for her birthday -- isn't that cool?? (Well, WE sure think it is!)

December 2007

Finished!

Our online group has been together about a dozen years now, and this is not the first prize winning Atkins quilt we've followed from begining to end. And I know it won't be the last.

Congratulations, Janet!!

Mary's first quilt!

2010-09-19T09:57:00.000-04:00

Mary took a beginner class at Pieceful Quilting and now she has this beautiful quilt. She must be hooked, because she hasn't seen the quilting on this one yet and she asked me to add her name to the list for another one! This one is quilted with the pantograph Hyacinth Grande by Patricia Ritter.

The full quilt

Close up

Close up of back

Jane-Marie's "Granny's Choice"

2010-09-18T22:33:00.000-04:00

This quilt belongs to Jane-Marie. I quilted it with the pantograph Splash by Willow Leaf Studio. It's one I've had for a while but, at 15", it was too large to use on my HQ16. But now that I have the HQ24 Fusion, it was a snap.

I ironed this top, loaded it on the frame, and quilted it. Yet I didn't notice that striking diagonal design until I took a picture at Pieceful Quilting when I dropped it off!

That happens to me sometimes at quilt shows, too. I take pictures of every quilt and then some detail shots. Then I go back through the show to really examine the quilts and take more photos if something catches my eye. Yet still, when I upload to my computer later, I'll see something that I didn't when I was at the show. Sometimes it's a large design element that requires viewing from a greater distance. Sometimes it's a tiny charm, or an unusual quilting motif that my camera caught unintentionally when my eye was attracted to something else in close proximity. Either way, it's a nice little bonus : )

The full quilt

block

close up of back

Sandy's Country Village

2010-09-13T21:29:00.009-04:00

Don't you LOVE this quilt?? I do. And I had a blast deciding how to quilt each area. Sandy left it up to me, and that always makes it more fun for me. I emailed her yesterday and asked if she wanted me to wait to post pics until after she saw it in person (tomorrow). A girl after my own heart, she said no, post the pics. I took so many pictures that I fell asleep last night in front of the computer while I was going through them LOL! I'm sharing 22 pics, so be prepared to spend a little time with Sandy's eye candy. Clicking on each picture will let you see it more in detail.

The full quilt

Corner design from a ruler class with Handiquilter educator Debby Brown

Lots of different quilting for each row

The last row and the two borders

And some pics of the back

HQ24 Fusion

2010-09-06T22:08:00.000-04:00

I thought you might like to see what all the fuss is about. This is my month old HQ24 Fusion. I love it even more than the HQ16 that I owned for over four years : )

Kathy's 3-D pinwheel quilt

2010-09-05T15:33:00.000-04:00

A second baby quilt I just quilted for Kathy. This is so cute for a baby. And King Tut Cotton Candy thread by Superior Threads was just made for this quilt! I ribbon meandered the border, looped the sashing and stippled the body of the quilt.

Full quilt

(the colors are more accurate in the closeup below)

Close up

Back

Kathy's blue bear quilt

2010-09-05T15:31:00.002-04:00

I just quilted this one for Kathy. She doesn't think it really looks like a baby quilt, but I think the fabric choices make it perfect for a baby. I don't know the name of the pattern, but Colleen, who works at Pieceful Quilting, told me she saw it done in reds and greens and it looked like stacked packages and trees.

Full quilt

Closeup

Back

Kathy's Trip Around the World

2010-09-05T15:28:00.000-04:00

A small wallhanging, quilted with an all over freehand feather design.

Front

Closeup

From the side

Back

Kathy's Thimbleberries quilt

2010-09-05T07:58:00.000-04:00

I quilted this for Kathy over two years ago. Wow, how time flies!

Full quilt

Window box

Chimney

Door

Back

Sandy's International Mystery Irish chain

2010-09-04T21:52:00.000-04:00

Sandy gave me two tops to work on. This one is from the International Mystery series for Ireland. It's for her husband and is quilted with the Joust pantograph by Willow Leaf Studio.

Full quilt

Close up

Doesn't my new HQ24 Fusion make a beautiful stitch? I LOVE this machine!

Back

My HQ Story

2010-09-04T21:29:00.003-04:00

Handi Quilter, Inc. held a contest where Handi Quilter owners posted their stories on the web site. The selected quilters are to be treated to a two day retreat in Salt Lake City, Utah, all expenses paid. Well, in case you haven't figured it out--I was selected!!!

YEEHI!

Can you tell I'm excited???? I think there are 17 quilters that were selected out of 174 stories.
When Brenda from Handi Quilter called me at work to give me the

TOTALLY STUPENDOUS

news, I told her I'd have to ask for time off. She asked if the company I work for would give me the time off. I told her I hoped so, I sure would hate to have to quit my job! LOL!
Here's the link to my story:
Handi Quilter: HQ Stories
When you have time, you should read the stories. Some will make you laugh, some will make you cry. All of them will make you wish YOU had an HQ, too!

Evelyn's 30's sampler

2010-08-17T23:55:00.000-04:00

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the rick rack separating the two fabrics in the border!
Isn't this cute? This one was quilted using the Baptist Fan groovy boards.

The full quilt

side view

block

Doesn't the rick rack just MAKE this quilt??

the back

Evelyn's blue and white, scalloped edges

2010-08-17T23:02:00.001-04:00

Okay, so it doesn't have scalloped edges right NOW, but it will when she binds it. Soft, graceful scalloped edges. This one was quilted with the pantograph Honeyscuckle by Urban Elementz.
And, this is the very first one quilted on my new HQ Fusion!

The full quilt

close up

the back

close up

Evelyn's scrap quilt

2010-08-17T22:13:00.000-04:00

Don't you love scrap quilts?

The full quilt

view from the side

Close up

back

close up of back

Diane's green, yellow and white quilt

2010-08-17T20:26:00.000-04:00

I hope if Diane reads this, she'll let me know what this pattern is called. I know it's made with a specialty ruler, but I don't remember which one.

I'm usually very critical of my work, but I must say, I'm very happy with how this one turned out. I took longarm classes from Debby Brown (Handi Quilter: Educators / Debby) on feathers and ribbon candy. I'm thankful to her for giving me the confidence to believe I could do it, and to Diane for allowing me to choose the quilting designs for her quilts.

The full quilt

starting out

from the side

the back

Diane's Sweet Tea

2010-08-17T19:03:00.000-04:00

This is Diane's Sweet Tea teapots quilt. There were a few things that were to be added after the quilting, some flowers, maybe a teabag? It really IS sweet, isn't it?

The full quilt

border of tea cups

block

back

Diane's Jennifer Chiaverini quilt

2010-08-17T07:38:00.000-04:00

Diane used fabrics from Elm Creek Quilts: The Quilter‘s Kitchen Collection by Red Rooster in this quilt. She makes perfectly mitered corners.

The full quilt

I quilted two circles, like a plate and its rim on the Broken Dishes blocks. Immediately, it reminded me of the adapters I used when I was kid to place over the spindle of a record player to play 45's. And you're showing your age if you admit to knowing what I'm talking about LOL!

File:45rpmadapter.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ribbon meandering in the border

The back

Diane's Surf and Sand

2010-08-16T20:57:00.000-04:00

It should be a crime for me to show you quilts made with fabrics that may be impossible to find this long after the line came out : )
I love the folded edges turned back and machine sewn down. (I know there's a pattern line, but dang, I can't think of what the name is). Superior Threads came out with the turquoise and brown variegated thread #994 KARNAK King Tut 2,000 yds. around the same time, and they were made for each other!

The full quilt

corner

I love it when the quilting on the back makes its own pattern

close up of back

Diane's City Girl

2010-08-16T19:24:00.000-04:00

This quilt was made from the City Girl fabric line from Benartex and was quilted with the Willow Leaf Studio pantograph Popcorn.

The full quilt

block

close up of back

Diane's Embroidery quilt

2010-08-14T11:00:00.000-04:00

This is Diane's embroidery quilt. Several of the pieces are fabrics that get their design element from embroidery stitches instead of being printed with a pattern. Add the fancy embroidery stiches on some seamlines and the quilting, and this quilt is full of texture.

The full quilt

A large stipple in the larger, lighter pieces

Ribbon candy in the unembroidered half of the overlapping star points

Meandering loops in the black background of the star points and loops forming a pattern in the sashing. Please click on the photo to get a closer view of the texture in the terracotta colored pieces. Amazing!

Smaller stipple in the center formed by the parallel embroidery stitches

Feathers in the purple batik

Beautiful backing fabric

Closer view

Diane's Daisy

2010-08-10T14:17:00.000-04:00

Diane's Daisy quilt. What a gorgeous graphic impact this quilt makes! I think it's Diane's own design. It is quilted with the pantograph Rhapsody by Willow Leaf Studio.

The full quilt

block

another block

side view

side view of back

Diane's 30's panel

2010-08-08T08:52:00.000-04:00

Diane added a piano key border to this 30's panel and turned it into an adorable baby quilt. I quilted it with a ribbon meander.

The full quilt

block and border

side view

side view of back

Diane's Star Sprinkles

2010-08-08T05:51:00.001-04:00

This pattern is an Atkinson Designs pattern called Star Sprinkles. Diane asked me to do a lot of quilting so it would be flat and she could use it as a table topper. First, let me say, I love batiks. Pretty much all of them. And these are GORGEOUS.

The full quilt

Doesn't it look like they made this fabric especially for this King Tut thread?

Close up

Diagonal quilting extended into the border

Side view

Close up of the back

Diane's Hugs and Kisses II

2010-08-07T00:28:00.000-04:00

The second Hugs and Kisses quilt made by Diane. The first was quilted in white thread with a more formal design. This one is quilted with a King Tut variegated and is much more playful.

Heart stencil in four patches, half the stencil on the outer border, leaves in the inner border

turtle with swirls in the background

the back

Diane's Hugs and Kisses

2010-08-06T23:01:00.006-04:00

This was the very first quilt under my official business name. Angie (the owner) and the ladies who work at Pieceful Quilting (http://www.piecefulquilting.com/) are so brave about handing their precious tops over to me. They give me permission to try different things and improve my techniques.

This was the first Hugs and Kisses top Diane gave me. Aren't these machine embroidered minkee animals just so cute??

The full quilt

The six outer animals have diagonal lines in the background.

The two center animals have crosshatched backgrounds. I used a heart wreath stencil in the four patch units.

Close up of the back

Pam's newest quilt

2010-07-31T22:45:00.064-04:00

This is one Pam just finished. She made it to bring comfort to her friend whose youngest son leaves for Afghanistan in September, followed by the oldest son leaving in December. Pam said the family spends a lot of time at the beach. There are friendship star blocks, seashell panels, and I know the other blocks have significance, but I don't really remember the names. I'm sending Pam the link to the blog, so hopefully she'll let me know.
This is a thoughtfully designed, perfectly constructed quilt.

Pam says:
"Here are the names of the quilt blocks I used besides the friendship stars. The blocks at the four corners are The Army Star, for my friend's oldest son, who is an Army Ranger and has already done two tours in Iraq. The four blocks at the cardinal points (top, bottom, middle right and left) are The Marine's Star, for her younger son, a Marine. The blocks connecting all of these stars are Mother's Dream blocks. What mother doesn't dream and pray that her sons will be safe during the fighting and I felt that her sons' service also protects her dreams of being a free American who can go to the beach and search for the shells she loves."

The full quilt

There are three different block panels and I outlined the vases in each. All of the sashing has loops in the center section.

I quilted stars in all four corners of this block, but this photo of one partially quilted shows the quilting best. There are double circles in the center, which are repeated in the friendship star block.

Ribbon candy in the darker blues of this block. Pam fussy cut the seashell fabric for all these blocks so the fabric is the same on opposite sides and every block is the same. She definitely pays attention to the details!

Ribbon candy in the white sections here

Straight lines echoing the angles of the friendship star, and again, double circles in the center. I love the blue flange around the center square.

Perfectly mitered corners on a border quilted with perpendicular lines every 2"

A pieced back with more coordinating fabric

Pam's FIRST QUILT!

2010-07-29T23:13:00.000-04:00

This was Pam's FIRST QUILT! Can you imagine? I guess no one told her how hard it is to make points like that. And then, just in case THAT wasn't hard enough, she set them on point.

The full quilt

Perfectly pieced block with mirror imaged swirls in the pink sections and stitching in the ditch for the rest of the block.

Free hand leaves in the setting triangles

Side view of the quilting--stippling in the pink and white solid areas. I used pink, white, green and black threads, alternating to blend with the backgrounds.

Better view of the quilting from the back--and isn't that gorgeous fabric?

4th Annual Island Shop Hop 2010

2010-07-28T20:01:00.000-04:00

Both locations of my favorite quilt shop, Pieceful Quilting (http://piecefulquilting.com/), participated in the 4th Annual Island Shop Hop 2010. Pieceful Quilting Riverhead looooooooooooooves Halloween and chose that holiday for the theme of their Shop Hop quilt. There are a few kits left for this fun Halloween quilt--and there's plenty of time to complete it!

The full quilt

block

Can you see where I quilted "boo" in the black sashing?

Doesn't this remind you of a cauldron?

And how could I NOT quilt spiderwebs on a Halloween quilt?

Edie's Blueberries

2010-07-25T18:48:00.000-04:00

Edie made this 93" x 104" four patch on point quilt with this delicious blueberry fabric. It's freehand quilted with leaves.

The full quilt

Close up

The back

Debbie's Hopscotch

2010-07-23T21:45:00.000-04:00

I wish I had thought of posting on a blog when I first started my machine quilting business three years ago, but, alas, I did not. I think it would be a shame, however, if you didn't get to see the sweetness of Sheryl's 30's quilt from my first post. Or if you didn't get to see how Debbie put those vibrant hand dyes together to make that beautiful Barrister's Blocks quilt. SO, as I quilt each new top, I will share past quilts from the same maker.
This is Debbie's most recent quilt. The quilt pattern is Hopscotch by Atkinson Designs and the quilting is the pantograph Joust by Willow Leaf Studio. I love the inner patchwork border. When I piece my own quilts, I'm more likely to slap a plain border on, or leave it borderless, because I want it to be DONE, DONE, DONE. But this scrappy border really adds to the quilt.

The full quilt

Close up

The back

Debbie's Cheese & Crackers

2010-07-22T23:02:00.000-04:00

This is the second one of Debbie's quilts I've seen completely finished. I couldn't talk her into showing her face, but you can see her toes! This bright quilt was made from an Atkinson Designs pattern called Cheese & Crackers. The quilting is the pantograph Chrissy by Willow Leaf Studios.

The full quilt

Close up

The back

Debbie's Barrister's Blocks

2010-07-22T22:04:00.005-04:00

I don't always get to see the quilts I work on totally FINISHED. Their edges are ragged and raw when they leave me. The extra batting on the sides is randomly decorated with scrap squares and thread tails where I've tested the tension. It never fails to amaze me how that little sliver of fabric that binds a quilt can so dramatically change the appearance.
So it was a real treat to see Debbie's Barrister's Blocks quilt hanging at the 2010 Eastern Long Island Quilter's Guild quilt show ( http://www.eliqg.org/ ). The jewel colored hand dyes are GORGEOUS, and well paired with the multiple shades of gray. This one is also quilted with the pantograph Rhapsody by Jodi Beamish.

The full quilt

Close up

The back

Sheryl's Mariner's Compass

2010-07-19T20:53:00.000-04:00

This is the very first quilt I quilted for Sheryl. It was made as a gift for her father. Not only does he have a wonderful daughter, now he has a wonderful quilt to remind him!

This is a Mariner's Compass made with Quiltsmart printed interfacing. It's 90" x 96".

The full quilt

Freehand feathers on the entire background

Close up

In case anyone is interested, this is how I usually begin to design custom quilting. I take a photo of the quilt, and then turn it into a faded grayscale picture. I print several copies and then I just play with different options for different sections. Sometimes the quiltmaker says "Do whatever you think will look best", like Sheryl did with the 30's quilt in my first post. Sometimes, they prefer to make the decisions themselves, which is what Sheryl did for this one. Okay, it was the first one I quilted for her, so she may have been just a teeeeeeeeeeensy bit nervous. So I emailed her these sketches and she chose which quilting designs I would place in the various parts of the quilt. I think we make an awesome team!

Sheryl's blue quilt

2010-07-19T20:15:00.008-04:00

My blog looks a little bare. I think I'll cover it with some quilts : )

Since Sheryl's quilt sparked such positive comments, I'll share another of her quilts. This is quilted with the pantograph Rhapsody by Jodi Beamish.

The full quilt

Close up

The back

My very first post!! Sheryl's 30's quilt

2010-07-17T18:58:00.003-04:00

Sheryl posted pictures of her quilt on her blog, and sent me a link. I noticed that her followers were asking for a web site to view my work. So.................., I guess it's time. And it seems only fair that I post Sheryl's quilt as my first entry, since she provided the motivation for this blog.

It's a beautiful quilt that includes fabric from her grandmother's curtains. Sheryl gave me free rein on the quilting design (thank you so much for that, Sheryl!) and I decided to try my hand at feathers. I've quilted feathers before, but mostly an all over, free form type. This was my first attempt to fit feathers into a border space. I'm relatively pleased with the results, and, if the hug she gave me was any indication, so was Sheryl!

The full quilt

The first border, still on the frame

Stippling when the white is outside the circle and a flower when the white is in the circle

The back