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Scrapping with bears!!

My first memory of quilting was sitting at my Granny’s side as she pieced block after block after block. I remember the first block that I made under her tutelage…..sure wish that I still had it!!!

She was always smiling…..

…especially when surrounded by her bevy of grandchildren…..

That’s me in the pink dress on the right!!……circa 1962

Every summer she would invite us by twos to spend a week with her and it was one of the things that I looked forward to the most!

She ALWAYS had a quilt going, including this bear’s paw that she pieced and then my Mom added a border and hand quilted…..

Like my Mom, she loved to use red in a quilt and it sure made these blocks pop!!

Everything that she made was from scraps and I love the mixture of fabrics that are found in the quilt….

As “Bear’s Paw” blocks go, this one is pretty complicated, especially adding the on-point squares in each of the blocks.

It is a favorite quilt and I am so thankful that I get to enjoy her work!! I just wish she could see what I am doing now…..I think that she would be pleased!!

Swirly Quilting!!

For my personal FMQ Bootcamp, I picked a design from a “long ago” workshop and decided to play with it a bit.

This was my inspiration…..

…and I liked it because it wasn’t really an overall design but instead used the same motif in different ways!!

I tried it on paper first…..

…but decided that I just needed to jump in and quilt!!

The “swirlies” morphed a bit as I went along but I did a pretty good job of filling the area.

Angela Walters is always saying that you will see an empty space a lot faster than you will a mistake so, based on that assessment, this is pretty good.

At least…..

It’s all fun until you run out of thread….

I can quilt a wood grain…..who knew!!!

I have joined the “Flora and Foliage” Free-Motion-Quilting Challenge presented by Angela Walters. Be sure to check it out if you are interested!!

You can use ANY fabric for the challenge but she is selling a fun piece that is designed specially for the challenge……

Doesn’t this look like fun!!!!

I basted it using Hobbs Fusible batting, but didn’t feel that it stuck very well so added a few pins along the edge and in the middle to hold it a bit better.

I watched her video about how to quilt the design, tried it on a practice piece….

…and with MUCH trepidation…..

…took those first few stitches!!

Since this design was running the entire length of the quilt, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep it straight so I added a few “wash-out” marks to guide me on the first column….

I found it to be fairly easy to quilt…..

….but I did have to concentrate on the design or I would veer off someplace that I DID NOT want to be!!

I had a great time, until I ran out of thread…..

I am looking forward to finishing this section when a new spool is acquired!!!

It was a lot of quilting and wasn’t particularly FAST to do, but I feel like I have a good handle on this design and wouldn’t be afraid to try it on another quilt. After all….that is what the challenge is all about!!!

I am also starting to write and video my own “MOVE IT”….free-motion-quilting challenge. Keep watching this space for more information before the month is over!!!

Super Fast Charity Quilt

During the middle of the pandemic last year, I made my way to the Guild’s Charity storage and grabbed a few things to work on. One of those had languished in my studio until my weekend quilting spree a couple of weeks ago.

I was presented with a stack of strips and other fabrics…..

….an 18 inch block started in a Courthouse Steps arrangement……

….and these instructions…..

It proved to be a great project for when I was tired and just wanted to sew!!

I enjoyed using the given fabrics and adding some more from my stash.

When it got to the width that I wanted, I started adding strips to the top and bottom and, very soon it was done….

The finished size was 36 x 44.

I think that it would be fun to do this in kid’s fabric or bright colors and would be a great use of all of those 2.5 inch strips that I have cut and organized!!!