Clearing the Decks.....

I'm busy, never a dull moment. I'm trying to finish up a couple of tops and clear the decks a bit so that I can start on a 'I have to do it right now project'! I like to have my surfaces cleared up a bit to start on new projects it kind of clears the mind....
That in it's self is always a bit funny...this is when you get enticed to start new projects that you were definitely not planning...I will confess that one next time too. I am being good though and finishing up some stuff but will show those next time...

This is a fabulous quilt from a very lovely Lady, Maria, red, black and white (French General) fabrics, with a red fleece backing...very cuddly. As Maria was a little indisposed 'we' chose Trellis Hearts panto, with red thread, it turned out really nice.

Next, we have a lovely stars quilt in tans, rusts and blues in lovely traditional fabrics. My customer chose Surf by Anne Bright, we used Metro thread in Khaki Sand....a very versatile coloured thread it mixes so well with many fabrics. I believe this panto is going to be a firm favourite.

And so I have already started a big wholecloth, here is a sneak peak....

I spent today doing very micro, micro fill.....at least 8 hours worth ......now my hands hurt!

Tripping.....

My Customer Annette is the owner of my local quilt shop, Borderland Fabrics in Jedburgh, Annette pieced this beautiful quilt to give as a wedding gift later this year. I love the subtle colour variations in the fabrics, they are very restful and reminiscent of vintage quilts and coverlets. Annette chose the panto Surf by Anne Bright, quilted with my Quilt Path system.  Surf adds lovely movement to the geometric structure of the design which is of course a variation of the Trip Around the World....it's an Eleanor Burns pattern where the pieces are off set so there are no points to match. I'm sure this will be a treasured gift.

Just a note, I want to add that I show my customer quilts on a bed that isn't used, it's only to display my customer quilts....

Of course a trip around the world would be wonderful but when I was young we didn't have such luxuries. We thought ourselves lucky to have a trip to the seaside once a year on the 'club trip'. This is a quilt made by  me, it's a scrappy trip around the world pieced as blocks, my scrap bin was filling up fast but guess what, there are still even more scraps left for another quilt. Because of the scrappy and economic nature of the piecing I'm calling this one my 'club trip' quilt. This is 48 blocks and is a very generous twin/single or even a queen/double bed size. Again I used the Surf panto by Anne Bright with a cream Metro thread.

Spring Quilt Show Edinburgh...2014

 Last weekend was the Spring Quilt Show in Edinburgh....I only had a couple of hours to run around and buy a couple of things I needed and spend sometime looking at the exhibits.

One of the 'Featured Artists' was my good friend Rhianon Taylor The Nifty Stitcher I took a few photos of her quilts and had a bit of a chat, then had to dash off to Borderland Fabrics Jedburgh, for a 'sew in', and a 'lock in' with a curry....

The hummingbirds are my favourite....

Rhianon had a wonderful exhibition.... I promise Rhianon next time we will have time to sit and chat and have coffee....

Cover girl....Flower of Scotland Machine Quilting Unlimited

I was going to post some customer quilts but events of the day took over.....

The Postman only rung twice.....but with special deliveries.....

Deliveries....of fabric for planned up coming quilts.....that's always exciting...

And then this....I'm calling this one my magazine....I know there are many wonderful contributors but there is only one cover and that is all mine.....lol....you can get your own copy from The Contented Cat here in the UK or direct from Meander Publishing in the USA at  Machine Quilting Unlimited either hard copy or download, it's really easy to order over the web.

You can see the original post for my Flower of Scotland quilt here, Inner Circle Flower of Scotland

Then my purple wholecloth Flourish arrived back from the USA too, it's been away since last July . After winning a 'blue ribbon' for Best Machine Workmanship at The World Quilt Show 2013 in Manchester, New Hampshire, the winning quilts went on tour of the Mancuso Quilt Shows for 6 months....great to have it home again....you can read my original post here, Flourish...

All in all quite an exciting day.....

Not all hearts and flowers.....

Valentines Day is not all about hearts and flowers....how about this little quilt for a bit of romance.....

I've had this fabric by Robyn Pandolf for a few years now and intended to make a quilt similar to this with it. When I came across this beautiful digitised panto design, Sheri Berry by Anne Bright I knew it needed a quilt and fabric that would show case the design as a sample for my customers.
Hobbs 80/20 batting with white Metro thread. I mitred the borders and intended to add a scalloped border but instead used a serpentine border as seen on the vintage quilt below....there is also a wonderful tutorial by Margaret Solomon Gunn in the January issue of  Machine Quilting Unlimited.  That's all bias cut binding but my Serpentine Border is more curvy this the vintage quilt.

A vintage quilt.....

Isn't it nostalgic, it reminds me of the Eiderdown toppers we used to have when I was a kid, I still have one of those in the loft......I like this modern version.

At 50x60 inches it looks great as a topper on either a single/twin or double bed or could also be use as a lapquilt or large crib quilt.....love it.....

Comments and Emails
Can I make a plea to those of you who ask me a question via the comments link....sometimes I would like to send you a personal email, but some of you are on no-reply which means you don't leave me an email address.....so if you would like to ask me something please use the email link on the top left or to kay@borderlinequilter.co.uk......thank you.

Samples and Samplers..

My customer Christine recently picked up her first quilts...yes, that's right her first quilts.

This sampler quilt was pieced as a class project.  Christine chose to have this one custom quilted. This is often a good decision as then I can use the quilting as a tool and place some extra quilting where it is needed and it really show cases the different blocks in a way that a pantograph would not.

I chose different fills to compliment the block piecing, I think it turned out great and my Customer was really pleased too.

I chose Metro thread in Khaki Sand, unfortunately the backing fabric is very busy so doesn't show the quilting to the best advantage.....my customer brought her own wadding and chose the option of having the binding machine sewn to the front of the quilt so now all that's needed is to sit in an easy chair and hand sew the binding to the back of the quilt. What a great time of year to be able to do that!

This one is all freemotion hand guided by me....

I also quilted a pantograph with Quilt Path on this lovely purple and cream quilt for the same customer. Christine chose Wildflower with cream thread and also had the binding machine sewn to the front of this one too...it looks great....

In December I took delivery of my prize for winning Best of Show at the West Country Quilt Show, Janome followed through with their promise and delivered the 'quilting package' with the extended base that gives a level machine bed and also extra feet including the walking foot....I hadn't even opened the sewing machine box until the quilting package came....I'm strange like that...lol.....so it was like Christmas to open the boxes and take a look.....Thank you Janome and the West Country Quilt Show....