November Free-Motion Quilting Challenge

I love spirals and so was very excited to see this month's tutorial by Sarah Vedeler. I printed out the practice sheets early in the month - and they sat on my desk until yesterday (a busy month with teaching, doing a trunk show with ATW and family).

After practicing with pen and paper I marked my sample fabric using a template I had recently purchased from Pam Clarke and a Quilt Pounce I purchased many years ago at a quilt show but hadn't really used.

As I have mentioned before, I really hate marking quilts.   But as the year has gone on, I am finding it to be easier and love all the different techniques I have learned and used.

I first started quilting the basic spirals in a straight line.

Then I worked on spirals that alternated direction.

Then I did smaller spirals in both techniques.  The larger ones are about 2" and the ones below are about 1".

I am pleased, for the most part, that my stitches are consistent in size.

Another great tutorial.

Portal - Another Time, Another Place

The latest challenge for my art group (ATW) was to do a piece based upon the phrase "Another Time, Another Place".  I choose to do a almost whole cloth quilt from a photo I took in 1981 near Killarney, Ireland at Muckross Abbey.

This has always been one of my favorite photo's I took while traveling during my junior year of college.  Several friends where traveling with me and we had a picnic lunch on the Abbey's grounds.

I used several of my favorite "quilting" tools to make this piece - my scanner, computer and printer.  After scanning the photo in and doing a little color adjustment, I printed it out on four pieces of fabric which I then pieced together to get the full quilt.

I used a little trapunto on the largest arch way, a little thread sketching and lots and lots of machine quilting.

I knew I wanted an irregular edge, so I finished it with a little bit of yarn that I couched over.

I called the piece Portal as I could see this as a doorway to the past - both to mine and the monks.

A Day With a Few Friends

This past Saturday, my husband and I spent the afternoon with a few friends - about 70,000 - at the University of South Carolina football game.

My son, who plays trumpet, is in the marching band for the second year and this is the first time we have been able to make a game.

We had a great time, although it was a little chilly.  They did a great half time performance in honor of Veterans Day.  I think my dad will especially like this photo as he is retired from the Air Force.