I had a lot of fun working on this quilt top.
Cutting these 3 1/2" Tumblers was a great way to use up some of my fabric scraps.
This is a Charm Quilt which means no two pieces are of the same fabric. Although that sounded easy to do, it was a little tricky to make sure no fabric was repeated.
I have had friends and family members look over this quilt top. No one was able to find a repeat so I am confident it is truly a Charm Quilt and ready to be quilted!
Time to cut some more scraps!
Happy Quilting,
Laurel
I finished and delivered five memory quilts from my Great Nephew's dress shirts, t-shirts and the tapestries he had hanging on his walls. His mother, father, grandmother and sisters are very pleased with the way they turned out.
I used the dress shirts to make four patches (6" finished) and six inch (finished) squares. A white-on-white fabric completed the 4-patches and was added to some of the t-shirt pieces to make them fit with the six inch squares.
The orange and blue tapestry with elephants was used for one quilt's backing. It was not quite large enough so I added a strip of orange fabric . The other tapestry was larger and its design allowed me to cut it in fourths and use part of it on each of the other four quilts. I was lucky to find the matching blue and pink fabrics in my stash and made borders around the tapestry pieces to complete the backs.
It was my pleasure to complete these keepsakes.
Happy quilting,
Laurel
Help keep Earth a happy place!!
These are the tiny snippets of quilt fabric left from my quilting projects. I do not want to add them to the landfill so I encourage quilters to use them to make fire starters, stuff pet beds or add them to your compost bin.
You may have other great ideas too. I'd love to hear them!
If you do not plan to use them yourself you can donate them to a local quilt guild who will likely use them to make pet beds to help a nearby shelter.
*Easy fire starters - fill cupcake tins or silicone molds with 100% cotton fabric snippets. Add melted wax of your choice (even candle leftovers and crayons!). Let harden. Enjoy an easy start to your next camp, backyard or fireplace fire.
Happy quilting,
Laurel
Happy Easter!
Happy quilting,
Laurel
Perfect for Saint Patrick's Day and finished just in time!!
Everybody seems to be decorating with all kinds of items featuring red vintage trucks. When I spotted these green vintage trucks I couldn't resist bringing a few yards home with me!
I made a simple Irish Chain using only two different blocks, but, since there are several different trucks, I think it has a boost of character.
The truck blocks were each cut 6 1/2 inches square and are 6 inches finished. The Nine Patches are also 6 inches finished. Each of the 5 green and 4 light squares were cut 2 1/2 inches (2" finished) to achieve a 6 1/2 inch unfinished block (which is 6" finished). I added a 2 inch (cut 2 1/2") green framing border and a 4 inch (cut 4 1/2") light outer border. I used the same green for the backing and wrapped it around for the binding.
This is a nice sized throw ideal for decorating and snuggling.
Happy quilting,
Laurel
]]>
I am very happy with the way this project turned out!
It all started with the beautiful embroidery done by Debbie (thank you for letting me share) on this cute prequilted panel.
No matter how good your embroidery skills are, (and let me tell you, she is skillful) I don't think anybody wants the back of their embroidery showing! She brought this to me and asked if I could help.
We decided to use a thin layer of batting to help hide the knots and strings left by the embroidery process and add a backing.
Since the panel was already quilted, but the batting and backing were not, I did outline quilting on the animals, their toys and their quilt. This simple quilting enhanced the quilt and held everything together without overpowering the quilting already in place.
The panel had rounded corners and since I did not want to have to take inches off of the size of the quilt by squaring up the sides, I left the corners and created a slant as I did the binding. This left the size of the quilt intact and added a little character.
A lucky baby will get many good nights of sleep under this beauty!
Happy quilting,
Laurel
]]>
This beautiful Noah's Ark quilt was hand embroidered by a very talented lady. She did an excellent job.
She brought the embroidered quilt top to me to be finished. I added batting, backing, quilting and binding. Voila! One more quilt was born!!
Thank you for sharing Debbie!!
Happy quilting,
Laurel
This gorgeous quilt was made for this beautiful girl by her very talented grandmother. She will treasure this wonderful keepsake for many years to come.
The pattern is Disappearing Hourglass and the colors are spectacular.
I am happy to have been the one chosen to do the quilting on this quilt. I have the best job! I get to work on many beautiful quilts and rarely are there two alike! I get to work on so many different patterns, and even if the same pattern is used, the quilts are different due to fabrics, colors, size, layout, individual variations added by some quilt makers and the quilting I do. Remember --- It's not a quilt until it's quilted!!
Happy quilting,
Laurel
]]>
I ordered this box of cards just because I wanted to see what's inside! I am enticed by anything quilt related and often take a chance and order. Sometimes I am disappointed, but, usually I am very satisfied.
I have to say I am very happy I took a chance on the Quilt Builder Card Deck. The first thing I noticed was the sturdy construction of both the 50 cards and the storage box.
There are 40 block cards. The front of each block card shows a diagram of the quilt block. The back of each block card shows the block, the pieces needed with cutting specifications for five different block sizes and an assembly diagram. Such a useful reference tool and the math is already done for you!
There are 10 more cards in the box. One is, in my opinion, like a book cover. Giving the title, publisher and disclaimer information. The other nine are jam-packed with information on both sides that can be useful to both new and seasoned quilters. I like having them on my shelf as an easy to access quick reference tool.
Happy quilting,
Laurel
I love my regular Oliso, but, wanted something that I could use on a small table while watching a movie with my husband in the evening (and still get some quilting done)!
This little workhorse is perfect for pressing all my little scrap pieces of fabric as I sort and cut them in preparation for my next scrappy quilt. It is weighted perfectly, produces great heat and steam, has a wonderfully smooth ceramic plate and came with a silicone rest that doubles as protection during travel.
This turned out to be the perfect tool for the task.
Happy quilting,
Laurel
]]>
I am having fun sewing with my new machine!
A crank machine was missing from my collection so imagine my delight when Singer announced their 170th Anniversary Machine!
It took just a little practice to get used to sewing while turning the crank. This machine, like the vintage models, makes a lovely stitch.
I am impressed with the design details, especially the finish and the filigree.
My collection is now complete and since this machine has no motor, is portable and does not use electricity, I will be sewing quilt blocks even if the power goes out or I am at the picnic table in my backyard!!
Happy quilting,
Laurel
I am watching the snow fall as I work on my first quilt of 2022.
Wishing you a year full of health, happiness and quilts!
Happy quilting,
Laurel
]]>
There are many variations of them now days for children and grown-ups alike! Last year, by the time I learned about Jenny's Countdown to Christmas from Missouri Star Quilts, they were already sold out!! This year, I acted quickly and was lucky enough to get one!!
My sister, who is also a quilter, lives six hours from me. Due to weather, we rarely get to see each other during the winter. She ordered one also and we decided to enjoy this together.
Starting December first, we called each other every morning. First, we would each try to guess what was in our package of the day, then we would open them at the same time! This was so much fun! Our guesses were often incorrect but each surprise was delightful.
I am sure everyone has opened their packages by now so I am not ruining anyone's surprise by including a photo of each day's treasure.
We will certainly try to get in on the 2022 countdown too!
Happy quilting,
Laurel
I made this sweet Winnie the Pooh baby quilt for my sweet, new, granddaughter.
It was pure luck to find various yellow prints that match the exact yellow in the Winnie the Pooh fabric. I am also very happy to have been able to find so many grays to match!! I always thought gray should be one of the easiest colors to match, but, it is not! Some grays have more blue in them than others. Some more green etc.
Auditioning my fabrics ( I collect fabrics for the quilt. Lay them next to each other. Leave the room for awhile. Come back and look. The fabric or fabrics that don't belong pop out at you.) has always helped me make sure the finished quilt top has fabrics that all work together even though they may not all be from the same line, designer or manufacturer.
Both of these blocks are from the same piece of fabric. I liked these two "scenes" best so I fussy cut them (cutting around a certain image to get the best look) and sprinkled them throughout the quilt.
I love the way fussy cut pieces look in a quilt: -You can choose the part of the print you like best. -You can make sure the block looks its best (nobody would want to see a headless character, especially on a child's quilt) -You can draw attention to a certain color or image.
Fussy cutting has its drawbacks though. - It takes more time to cut your pieces. -You have to make sure you buy extra fabric as there, depending on the print, can be a lot of waste. (Of course, the extra fabric goes in my scrap bins for use in scrap quilts.)
I quilted a freehand design of Meandering Double Loops which added a fun flair.
I hope you have as much fun creating your next quilt as I did creating this one!
Happy quilting,
Laurel
Happy Halloween! I hope you have a fun, safe, spooky day!
I love the Churn Dash block. Each of these is a different Halloween fabric!
It made me happy to bring this quilt out again for Halloween.
Happy quilting,
Laurel
I created this quilt for a dear friend and neighbor who has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
She loves flamingos so I added some and named this quilt "Fighting Flamingos". I was sure glad to have my Accuquilt cutters and dies to cut all of these pieces, especially the 4 Flamingos and the 21 cancer ribbons. I am also very glad she loves pink as I used 38 different pink fabrics for the 464 2" (cut 2 1/2") pink squares used to make the sashings and borders.
My friend was surprised and loves her quilt. I hope it brings her a bit of warmth, comfort and lots of encouragement.
Happy Quilting,
Laurel
]]>
Oh what a beautiful quilt!!
This gorgeous Pineapple Quilt is a beautiful collection of Fall colors. Made entirely of flannel, this quilt will be warm, soft and cuddly during the cold wintry nights which are right around the corner.
I quilted this quilt with an edge to edge design of falling leaves. Using a Fall colored variegated thread turned out to be a great idea. The colors matched the quilt perfectly and seem to tie everything together. The quilt maker and I are both delighted with the result. There will be many long, cold, Wisconsin winter nights for this quilt to do its job and bring warmth and comfort to its owner!!
Thank you, Carol, for letting me share your masterpiece!
Happy quilting,
Laurel
I had a great time visiting my sister and the Gammill dealer "At the Heart of Quilting" in Beloit, Wisconsin.
I was planning a trip to At the Heart before Covid hit, but, of course, did not get there.
I am very fortunate to share my love of all things quilting with my sister. We live quite a distance apart and hadn't seen each other in awhile. When I heard that she was going to go to At the Heart of Quilting, I decided to hop in my Jeep and drive there!!
Turned out to be a great idea! I met her there. We visited, shopped, went out to lunch, hung out, went to dinner and hung out some more. Much talking and laughing was involved.
From the moment I walked through the door of At the Heart of Quilting I felt welcome. Everyone there was helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. They answered the many questions I asked and demonstrated tools and equipment for me.
I purchased some supplies, tools and gadgets which I packed in my Jeep and drove home the next day.
Thank you to everyone at At the Heart of Quilting for helping to make my adventure such a pleasant and fun experience.
Happy quilting,
Laurel
My quilting buddy, Moose, decided to rest a bit while waiting for me to grab a fresh cup of coffee before sorting through some scraps of fabric received from a quilting friend!!
If you do not know by now, I am addicted to all things quilt and quilting related including fabric. Scrap quilts are some of my favorites. I love seeing how a variety of colors and prints come together to make a beautiful, unique project.
It is thrilling to me to receive a pile, carton, bag, box or truckload of scraps from friends or strangers. I am in a happy place while I sort through the pieces of varying size, shape, color and print. Although they have not been used in a project these treasures each have a history. It is fun to see pieces from quilts I have quilted and to make plans for the scraps.
Sometimes, I even find an assembled block or cut pieces that I incorporate in a scrappy quilt and give them a new home!
While many people sort their yardage and scraps by color, I sort mine into plastic storage containers as follows:
When I decide on which scrappy project to make, I easily know which tub to grab to cut the right size pieces. I can also just reach in and start sewing pieces together for crazy blocks.
Happy Quilting,
Laurel
]]>
My sister made this extraordinary quilt and allowed me the pleasure of quilting it for her!
Laura Heine calls this pattern Garden Party.
I wish you could each see this quilt in person as the color choices are perfect and a picture does not do it justice! She used various threads, some variegated, to machine applique each piece to the background fabric. Even the tiny heart petals are appliqued individually!
Free motion quilting gave me the opportunity to enjoy each piece of fabric as I stitched along. A large variety of prints and colors make this a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. I quilted an all over configuration of hearts and loops to compliment the pattern.
Thank you, Carol, for letting me share your gorgeous quilt.
Happy quilting,
Laurel
I am not sure of the name of this quilt, but, it makes me think of the houses around the block of the neighborhood I grew up in! Many great childhood memories came to mind while I worked on this piece.
It was a blast quilting this beauty. I had a lot of fun stitching various patterns in the rows and borders of the quilt and a little something special in the center.
I do like when a quilter tells me to "quilt it however you want" and I get to let my creative juices flow. I do, of course, make sure I take into consideration the quilter's wishes such as price point and what the quilt is intended for (i.e. child's quilt, heirloom, drag about, display, show or everyday use).
I love my job!
Happy quilting,
Laurel
I like seeing the collections people come up with to showcase in their Jar Quilts. Usually, I see a collection which follows a single theme, i.e. fruit, candy, food, bugs, toys, trinkets or sewing notions. This quilt displays many different types of items. The shape of the jar helps show off the items. The variety of items and colors makes it a happy looking quilt!
This was a ton of fun to quilt and check out the contents of the jars as I stitched along.
Thanks for letting me share this Pat.
Happy Quilting,
Laurel
I had so much fun quilting this beauty for a very talented quilt maker.
I truly love what I do and enjoy any time that I get to quilt, piece or work on any and all other aspects of quilting.
There is something very special about free motion quilting on my Gammill Longarm Machine! In my opinion, free motion quilting is creative and soothing. With some of my favorite music playing in the background, I get a rhythm going and the design I chose flows across the quilt. Often, you could even catch me singing while I fill the quilt with my design in thread.
Free motion quilting is like drawing free handed....no pattern, no stencils and no rulers. While I draw (sew) out the design I am creating, with my needle and thread, I get to see the quilt top, batting and backing being transformed into a quilt. This is very satisfying.
Remember! It's not a quilt until it's quilted!!
Thank you Marge, for letting me share your beautiful quilt.
Happy quilting,
Laurel
I love being a long-arm quilter who quilts for others. I get to see such a variety of quilts come to life under my needle.
I had tons of fun with this cute little farm quilt which I have nick-named Down on the Farm. I added a little uniqueness to the quilting in each block.
The maker of this quilt did a fantastic job with color, placement and piecing.
It came together nicely and will be cherished for many years to come.
Thank you, Pat, for letting me share!!
Happy quilting,
Laurel
]]>
My very own Barn Quilt!!
My sister made this awesome Barn Quilt of my logo for me and gave it to me for my birthday!! I absolutely love it! She is quite talented and did a great job. She surprised me with it when she came to visit!!
Thank you, Sis, for making such a fabulous piece for me.
Happy quilting,
Laurel
I do love scrappy quilts and I love collecting scraps.
Several of my quilt friends even save their scraps for me. I am always excited to look through them and see what treasures I have to add to my scrappy quilts.
This time, rather than making scrappy blocks, I decided to make this Scrappy Vortex Quilt.
When making scrappy blocks, I sew scraps together until the area is a bit larger than the block I am making then cut the block and use it in my quilt top. This quilt intrigued me because the whole quilt top is one large block!!
I ran across this quilt and found step by step directions from a past QAL (quilt along) from Amanda Jean at 'crazy mom quilts' outlining a method for assembling the multitude of scraps to create the Scrappy Vortex top.
Each week of the QAL has specific instructions for each step of the piecing process. Before you know it.....a pile of scraps turns into a fabulous quilt top! I made mine throw size but you can make any size you wish. I couldn't wait to show this to you before finishing. I am going to add a narrow framing border and a scrappy border to finish.
This didn't even make a dent in my scraps!! In fact, scraps seem to multiply as you use them, so there are more scrap quilts to come.
Happy quilting,
Laurel
Meet my new quilting buddy, Moose. It has been a long time since we have had such a young puppy in our home. He is really keeping me on my toes.
Don't worry...he is not allowed near customers' quilts!! We keep all of those in a safe and pet-free area.
I have to say, Everything is more fun with a puppy around!
Happy quilting,
Laurel
I received some new fabrics and wanted to play with them to get a feel for them.
The prints were in a Charm Pack of 5" squares. I had the solids in a fat-quarter pack in my stash and am thrilled that they match so well!! I cut the solids into 5" squares. Next, I matched a print with a solid and put the two squares right sides together. I stitched 1/4" on each side of the diagonal then cut on the diagonal and voila! had half square triangles already in a square. I use this method often. I find it much more friendly than sewing the triangles.
I played with the squares and laid them out in several different ways. I finally decides to sew them together and make this fun, throw size, happy, Pinwheel quilt!
This quilt top is ready to be quilted and ready for spring.....now for the weather to catch up !!!!
Happy Quilting,
Laurel
]]>
I had not sewn curves in awhile and wanted to practice before helping my sister develop a block she was working on......a block with many curves.
First, I used my Accuquilt machine to cut pieces using my Robbing Peter to Pay Paul die and fabric from one of my scrap bins.
Secondly, I practiced stitching curves with a 1/4" seam. I was working toward a perfect 1/4" seam and no puckers!! I practiced sewing curves with pinning, without pinning, using my 1/4" foot and using my Curve Master foot.
I expected to conquer the curves. What I didn't expect, was how easy and comfortable sewing curves became!!! Practice really does make perfect. Curves do not intimidate me any longer.
I don't like to waste, and just couldn't throw them away, so I sewed my practice blocks together and made this cute, little, scrappy quilt top. I will add a border before quilting it and end up with an awesome throw.
I love curves.
Happy quilting,
Laurel
One of my favorite new tools to use for quilting is a blacklight flashlight!!
Every year that goes by, I seem to need better light to see fine details. I learned about the use of a blacklight from a quilting friend. Shining the blacklight on white on white fabric makes the design very easy to see whether I am shopping at my favorite quilt shop or searching through my own stash for the perfect piece!!
The larger one is my favorite and I keep it handy in my studio. I also purchased a package of small flashlights because they are so convenient to carry in my purse and pop in my pocket.
I love tools, gadgets and gizmos. I especially love the ones that really do what they claim and help make my life easier. I hope you will have as much fun with this one as I am.
Happy quilting,
Laurel