Custom...

Pictured above is my second try at custom quilting for a client. Yup, I fretted over this one too. I wasn't as stressed over this one but I sure learned a valuable lesson on which way to load a quilt. PLAN FIRST, then load! As you can see this is a prime example for loading lengthwise...how much time I would have saved. Oh well, lesson learned. This fun quilt was first seen by my customer in a magazine and after hunting down the fabric all the way down in the states, she made it for her daughter as a gift. For the quilting I chose a ribbon motif for the orange circles, reverse loop meander in the white background and white border, a wave type pattern for the pink borders/sashings, a ribbon vine for the rectangles and a ribbon and loop design for the outside border. I used white, orange and pink cucurini thread for the top and pink cucurini for the backing. I used Pam Clarke's ribbon motif for the circles with the laser and the rest of the quilting I did freehand with just a visual beside me. So there you have it, second custom done!

Flames...

My first official custom quilt! Now go easy on me okay. My new favorite saying is ... I can only get better! At first my client wanted all the star sections ditched and a flame pattern in the background and other blocks in a blue thread, oh and seperate borders. No problem ... right? Right before I got it out to quilt she popped in to say she wanted the flames to go right over the yellow border and out onto the outer border as well, okay no problem. Once I got it out and ready to quilt, the blue thread just didn't really do much for the quilt and would have looked terrible streaking across the yellow border. After a quick dive through my tickle trunk of thread I found a Rainbow called Salsa, bright red, orange and yellow ... where did that come from? Must have been in my little free pack of thread from APQS. Hmmm ... could it be more perfect? After a quick call to my client to make sure it was okay to plaster her quilt with a Rainbow, I jumped right in. Wow, custom quilting for a customer is scary! I had such anxiety over this one and made so many mistakes ... what was that again ... OH ... I can only get better! Right. Anyway, once it was done I called her right away and she came right down, which was good cause I wouldn't have lasted another day not knowing if she liked it or not. And she did, she loved it! Phew!!!

Hazel...

Customer baby quilt from Nancy Halvorsen's Winsome Baby book. Love the pattern. After searching everywhere for the Winsome fabric line I finally found it last Christmas in Yuma Arizona while on vacation. I brought a whole bunch back and made a quilt for my great-nephew Aron in January. Made it up and delivered it so fast that I didn't have time to take a picture. It was in the smokey blues and celery greens, lovely. Above is a customer quilt made for Hazel that I quilted up with a reverse loop meander with the odd daisy, heart and star thrown in. Love the colors she chose, such a cute quilt!

Winner!

The bargello quilt below that I quilted for a customer, won the Peoples Choice Ribbon at our local quilt show this past weekend. As it should, it's beautiful! It must have taken her forever to piece that quilt, and she even chose all the fabrics herself! CONGRATS! You deserve it!

Bargello Beauty!!

Pretty in Pink! This ever so pretty Bargello is a customer quilt that I quilted using the Cassaundra's Rose pattern with Pink Cuc thread top and bottom. No wonder I ran out of pink thread! :0) This was my first attempt at quilting a bargello and my very first time using super puffy poly batting. The batting stressed me out a bit, I was so worried about sewing puckers into the quilt...I have no idea how this turned out so beautifully. I let my customer know that if her daughter doesn't like it, I will personnally purchase it from her. How do we keep ourselves from getting so attached to these quilts that are in our lives for such a brief time. I love them all!

Here is a pic of the back of the quilt, it was a pretty pink batik.

I actually have a king size bargello kit at home made up in, you guessed it, earth tones. Hmmm, I will have to get at that sometime this year!

Kansas Troubles...

I've always been drawn to the Kansas Troubles line of fabric, there's something so cozy about it. For obvious reasons I ordered in Jelly Rolls and Charm Packs of the Autumn Journey line on my first fabric order. I've since brought in the new Cranberry Wishes line in Jelly Rolls and Layer Cakes...that line is so deep and rich, I can't wait to make something for myself out of it!

Above is a customer quilt, she used a new pattern from Kansas Troubles using the Autumn Journey line of fabric. I quilted it using the pattern Ground Cover by Golden Threads and as this was my first time using it, I didn't quite anticipate it to be the workout that it was. :0) So well worth the trouble though, this quilt came alive after I took it off the frame. The copper thread we chose looks fantastic and just pulls all the fabrics together. Love this quilt! I just might make one for myself! Ha ha, famous last words!

Cracked Pots

This gorgeous quilt was made by a new customer of mine. She did such a beautiful job on all the piecing, it was a treat to quilt!

I used the pattern Paisley Playtime by Lorien with a King Tut Variegated thread.

One down, about a bazillion to go...lol