Small simple piece

Torn strips of fabric applied to batting with misty fuse and hand quilted.

I like this process

I like playing with my quilt process so that it emphasizes spending the most time on my favorite aspects which are playing with color and hand quilting.

In this case, I fused  wonder under onto a small rectangle of cotton batting and arranged colored blocks of fabric on top of the batting and then fused  them together.  This left everything pretty well anchored to the batting with free edges where the blocks overlapped.   I like the free edges.  I then big stitch quilted the piece with Valdani perle cotton, size 8.   And now I am playing with fusing small strips on top.  They aren't fused yet, just pinned on.  I like this process. It is fun.

I left it un-square because it might become part of something else.

Almost done

I finished quilting Wanda's quilt but the edge isn't quite done yet.  I was going to just bind it but I like the small border.  And I like how the green border pulls the colors together.

Here it is before quilting.

Wanda's quilt

Quilting Wanda's Quilt

I got another quilt from Wanda.  The quilting is coming along.  I am quilting it all with one color (unless I change my mind).

 I am using Valdani Perle Cotton size 8 in color JP7, faded marigold.

I love the soothing feel of hand quilting.  And I love spending all that time looking at the fabrics up close and personal.

Refrigerator Art

Refrigerator art is like the kids art you stick on the refrigerator.  Not too serious.  Just fun.   This one is made from fabric bits placed on top of batting and backed with harem cloth.  I pinned it and then I began big stitch quilting it.  I rather like it...

It's especially nice in my native seeing mode (without my glasses).  Sometimes I prefer the world with my glasses off.

Finished Wanda's Quilt

I mentioned a while ago that I was quilting a quilt I bought from my friend Wanda.  Well, I finished it!  I am sort of sad about that because I really liked doing it.

Quilting Wanda's quilt

I enjoy hand quilting more than any other aspect of quilting.   My friend Wanda had this quilt for sale on her shop site.

I decided I wanted to big stitch quilt it, getting me right to my favorite part.  I've only just started but I already like it a lot.

I like this one

Wanda pieced this and I quilted it.  I really like it.  I don't know what I will do next with it.  I pinned it to a door for the time being.  Thanks, Wanda!

Small quilting things

I haven't posted anything quilted in a month.   I have been doing a little quilting most days but only small things and most of them may never be finished.   I've been working on small pieces and just enjoying doing it.

Here are a few things from this last month.

Wanda made this little piece and I quilted it.

These two are still in progress.

Finished Quilt

I am very happy with it.  John says he thinks that Oregon's geology with all it's visibe layers is having an impact on me.  

It's all hand stitched and quilted.  I surely do like hand work....

Skinny lines

My skinny lines are really fun.  The narrow strips are made with my quarter inch bias maker, though they are not cut on the bias.  I hand sewed them to the background fabric with batting underneath.   The batik fabrics are especially nice to use with the bias maker.   I like how the fabrics look in such narrow bits.   I want to make more.  I really like how this looks.  The background purple is a Vicki Welsh fabric.  

My friend Wanda sent me this link on how to do skinny lines by piecing them.  I think that is beyond my skill level.  I don't think I would enjoy the process as much.  I really like playing with my skinny line pieces,  moving them around until I like how they look.  I couldn't do that if I were piecing.  But it was really fun to see how it is done.  Thanks, Wanda!

However, I am having doubts about big stitch quilting the background.   I would really enjoy doing it but I am not sure it would enhance the background.  I think the narrow strips DO enhance the background but I am not so sure about the big stitch quilting.

I think most quilters struggle to finish things.  I struggle to have enough hand work.  Hard to believe, huh?

Adding the reds

The quilting is mostly done.  I haven't done the two outside pieces.  I think I will wait until I finish the edge before I do that.  There are also a few center strips that are not quilted.  Not sure if they will or won't be quilted.   Not sure how I will finish the ends either.   I can't bring myself to cut off the tails.  I don't even know what it will be.

I am working on the reds now.... which reds and where to add them.  The fabrics are all hand dyed by Vicki Welsh.  I love her fabrics which you can buy on Etsy.

Update: better truer colors in this photo....

Progress on my new piece

This is my favorite perle cotton for hand quilting.   It is Valdani perle cotton size 8.  The color is M80 'Distant Grass'.

I hand sewed the strips together with batting on the bottom.  Now I am hand quilting the strips.  I decided to do that before I add the red.

New piece started

I cut 2" wide strips and shaped them by hand and now I am sewing them together by hand.  I plan to add red and orange highlights to the piece.  And then I will hand quilt it with perle cotton.

Wonky pillow

I really enjoy the hand stitching.   I have another piece started and a few more ideas...

This is the piece when I showed it to you before...

My ugly duckling

I decided this piece was done for now so I tacked it on the wall.    I left some parts unquilted.  I may go back and do more.  It has a very sampler look to it.  It certainly did not turn into a swan.  But I shall persevere on this technique because I really like doing it.

I started the quilting with a shorter needle which made for smaller tighter stitches.  I switched to a a longer needle and my stitches got looser and freer.  The fabric tended to pucker more and I like that.  

This is the same photo. In the second one I adjusted the color in Picasa with the neutral color picker.