The Colts quilt

Just in time for the football season, a man-sized lap quilt!

Center piece was free motion quilted

When the Mr.'s daughter dropped by for a visit, she brought some remnants I could make into a quilt for her and her husband. She wanted grey and white with the Indianapolis Colts fabric. No amazing shots in the wild for this one, too hot outside. 
The quilts I give to friends and family are part of my legacy. Here is a link to a well-written post leave-quilts-not-fabric.

She chose a cotton batting and said she wanted "soft," to me that meant flannel backing. I had finished my last few quilts that way and it is fast becoming my preferred method. I figured that type of fabric would be half off this time of year and found the perfect one, tie-dyed horses and a smattering of plaid. 

Winding the backing onto the baseboard

The binding I used were 2" precut strips from a Coastal Beacons quilt kit. The finished binding looks more like piping when it is cut that small.  My upcoming quilt also uses pieces from that kit I purchased thrift. 

Updated post to link up with Amanda Jean at crazymomquilts for Finish it up Friday.

Smoked duck ringed with fruit salad

Veering off subject and onto food and tablescaping, for years, I have wanted a set of china. If not a set, then dinner plates. 6 Noritake Belmont dinner plates in perfect condition ($1.50 a plate) came home with me earlier in the month. I also found the tablecloth secondhand, buffet length priced $100 retail, for $1! I added 7 white fabric napkins, shown in the top of the image below, to my budding tablescape.

I listened to this 5 record set of Hawaiian music while quilting,
well worth the $2 paid for it

There has been a lot of thrift shop visits but not a lot coming home with me. I am still focusing on art work, linens, and now records. Clothing is always on the list, if not for me, then for others in my family.

Sharing a Tom Jones video  - just because I'm a fan!


My next project is the picnic quilt, pin basted and ready for quilting. 

Linking up with lizzielenard-vintagesewing for Free Motion Mavericks, I've got that bit of center piece that was free motion quilted. 

Zoiks it is back to college

Spring college classes are in full swing now. I am taking online Introduction to Computer Information Science this semester. 

Thrifting continues to supplement my T-shirt stash. I had culled through ones I had grown tired of or were too big. For less than $8, I picked up this lot at hospice, couple of yards of maroon Christmas themed fabric, red Dr. Peeper glasses, gray pair of lounge pants and a Blair red and white polyester shirt.

I couldn't leave behind the Scooby Doo tie.  This types of items usually don't catch my eye but these three might have resell possibility.

My second attempt at free motion quilting went a little better after I purchased these gripper gloves in the garden center at a discount retailer. I also buy replacement rotary cutter blades at a discounter rather than a fabric/craft specialty store, you can save a ton on a necessary quilting item. 



Found a desk for the Mr. at half off day for MLK at the thrift shop. It is in great condition, tongue in groove drawers, original hardware, all wood five drawer desk for $100. I adore buying furniture, so many pieces and so little room. 

I have been intrigued by art quilts. The latest addition to my hardcover book collection bound in pure white coffee table edition of a Barnes & Noble 2001 edition Quilts by Marie Salazar. 

Pattern of the Day is 50-year old survivor, 1966 Simplicity 6549.

I will be participating in 

Over at eseckman.blogspot.com, posting a two-part story titled "Where in the World is Cupid?"

Free Range Quilting and Fashion

What do free range quilting and fashion have in common? Only an excuse for me to dress in Western wear and link up with the gang at Notdeadyetstyle.com for Visible Monday. Admittedly, there isn't such a thing as free range quilting, but if there were I would liken it to plein air painting. Sewing up a storm out there on the prairie ...

Thrifted ensemble

Unlabeled hat

Jeanstar vest

Levis tank top

Bandolino skirt

Ariat boots (retail)

The title was to grab your attention as I venture into free motion quilting. Sewing together the piecework on a quilt is only half of the project, then comes the actual quilting process. Little did I know that there are all kinds of quilting stitches to choose from, free motion means you are in control of the stitch rather than the machine. You are only limited by your imagination and skill level. 

The majority of my quilting knowledge has been gleaned from YouTube tutorials. One online tip was to set up a comfortable work space by creating an "L" shape to the side of the machine. I rearranged my desk to add the foldout table you see to the left so the bulk of the quilt would rest on the desk and side table, rather than my lap.

I was happy to hear from the tutorials that it is possible to free motion quilt with a standard home sewing machine. I've heard mention of long arms and such but I am trying to keep the total investment cost of this hobby at a manageable level. 

It is recommended to practice on smaller pieces before beginning on a full-sized quilt. There are also "grabber" gloves I've also seen in tutorials that move the sandwich along easier. 

Update to post - my first attempt at free motion quilting was an unmitigated disaster. The quilt sandwich does slip around and without those ribbed gloves, I can see how it makes the task more difficult. I did finish preparing the backing, binding and batting for the trailer quilt log cabin style. I bought one of the bagged battings and along with two decent sized pieces the rest were in small sections. Even though I affix the batting to the backing with temporary spray adhesive, I baste all of the batting sections together, one of the behind-the-scenes tasks of preparing a layer for quilting.  

I aspire to this type of detail quilting. These images are examples of hand quilting from the 1963 Woman's Day Book of American Needlework. 




Since we are on the subject of Western, let's end with a Pattern of the Day with children's costumes of cowboys and native Americans.