Samples...

I've been away, well only away from the Internet, no connection for six days, not even for emails, so sorry if you had to wait for a reply. I've had exasperating conversations with Call Centre staff in India, I know they needed to ascertain whether the problem was with my equipment or the telephone company's line but given the fact that next door and  most of the town had an internet problem then it seemed kind of clear cut to me, (of course the towns problem was fixed within a day). After numerous phone calls I was totally shocked when one staff member told me to take a screw driver and open up the telephone socket....that was the last straw.  I think they have me flagged as a nuisance caller but if they got there act together and upgraded our line I am sure the problem would clear. I've been told we will have fibre optic broadband here in the valley in 2015, I'll believe that when it happens.

In between customer quilts I've been quilting up a few new samples to help show customers all of the different pantograph designs available out there in quilt land. I would never ever be able to show all of the different designs but hope that I can at least enable other quilters and piecers to know that there are thousands available and that they could even look out some designs for themselves if they wanted something different....

So, I don't need fancy quilt tops to distract or confuse just plain easily pieced tops....here are a couple of tops made from around half of a left over Layer Cake, it's Falalalala by French General for Moda with some additional yardage added.....I realised that this easily made top could be split into two different samples by pulling out most of the plainer blocks and leaving the red/green blocks.

I think this is called the 'double cut layer cake' block, I used Glide thread and Simply Cotton wadding, these are digitised designs quilted with Quilt Path....I intend to quilt 'all over designs' with my computerised system but still do custom work freehand as that is my passion.

For the green quilt I chose Green Tea Leaves by One Song Needle Arts

For the red quilt I chose Feathered Leaves also by One Song Needle Arts

We've had some wonderfully colourful morning skies lately.....

Crystallography.

Crystallography is the scientific study of crystals, crystal formation and light refraction.

This quilt was made for my customers Son who is studying crystal formation. Rather than quilt motifs in the negative space I was asked if I could quilt a design radiating out from the centre, I was emailed one or two crystal formation drawings to help a little.
Sometimes it's still difficult to know if I've understood the vision that my customers can see and other times the slight diversion of my thinking can add a little more to the finished design.

Some of the colours are off in a few of the photos as the quilt was picked up early one morning along with the green and blue applique quilt in the previous post and was given as a Christmas gift.

All stitched in the ditch with Superior Monopoly, all other quilting was Glide thread and 100% Simply Cotton wadding.

On a Lone star quilt there is a lot of negative space....depending on budget this can be a wonderful opportunity to really go wild and enjoy the quilting....this design needed a fair amount of marking, I only use a purple air erasable marker or white chalk on customer quilts....

All freemotion, hand guided, with a fair amount of ruler work, except for the stars in the border, where I used a template.
I think the look has an Art Deco feel about it, the photos speak for themselves....

Vibrant colours...

Before I Christmas I had the pleasure of quilting a top that had such vibrant colours that you would presume it was made yesterday...how wrong could you be.....this quilt was piece 23 years ago......in Oklahoma.

Twenty three years ago my Scottish customer was living in Oklahoma and was pregnant expecting twin babies. My customer was on bed rest and while there she and her Mother pieced quilt tops. This is her Mother's Quilt, Mother is now in her 80's.

As was quite popular back then some of the fabrics are polycottons. It's all hand appliqued, my customer chose the blue fabric for the sashings and backing (perfect choice) and finally pieced up the blocks ready for me to quilt.  These photos were taken very early morning just before Christmas in artificial light rather quickly as pick up was imminent so unfortunately the true colour isn't shining through.

Although this is an older pieced top I wanted the quilting to be contemporary to the style/colours of the quilt. I used matching Metro threads and quilted using pebbles, echoes, echoed swirls and stitch in the ditch. It was a lot of work and we were on a deadline to get it finished but it was so worth it. What a treasure trove of memories this quilt must hold.....and the twins arrived safe and sound and are now in there twenties......

Can you see the date inscription 1990-1994- Oklahoma, Fortrose.

This photo shows more of the vibrant colours

Still more December quilts to come soon.....

Recently quilted....

I still have a few quilts to show from November/December so over the next couple of weeks I'll get to them.

Kath brought me a lovely Irish Chain in lilacs and reds on a cream background....this was a Christmas gift for a family member, Kath chose a Wildflower panto and lilac Glide thread, the quilting showed really well on the cream backing fabric....

Maureen has been working on this appliqued quilt top for a few months at the 'Patch and Chat' Friday group at Borderland Fabrics in Jedburgh, it ended up a very large quilt. Maureen had already decided on a custom treatment and a cream thread, I used Simply Cotton 100% wadding/batting and Glide in the Linen colourway....this one is all freemotion, handguided with a little ruler work.....

I'm rather pleased with how this design has turned out, maybe Maureen will have it bound when I see her later in the week.

I've struggled to do much sewing over the holidays....mind was willing but the body was just too tired, I have managed to play with this quilt top over the last couple of days but didn't get too much done. I'll have to get back into gear next week.....back to working on quilts on Monday....of course I live on a farm so we don't really have holidays here......just days that are a bit less organised.....