Hand quilting using embroidery floss

While in the car today, waiting for Al, I was able to do some hand quilting. This is a new stencil that I got from Hearts to Holly Quilt Shop and I've been dying to try it. I used a silver marking pencil to mark the quilt lines on the white Kona. the "thread" is deep blue embroidery floss as it comes, not split. Hand quilting is SO relaxing. I wish I had more time to do it. I'd love a whole quilt with this design.

The fabric is just old blue and white shirting plaids that I've been collecting plus a few prints from the 80's or 90's.

And those buttons in the center of the pillow? Vintage ones from my jar of buttons... stacked two of them together.

 Now that the pillow is finished, I'm back to peeling peaches and getting them packed into freezer jars. This peach shortcake is a little reward for all that work :)

My Just Judie Competition Quilt... and the bad news :(

 Well, I finally heard from Marcus.... Bad news is my quilt didn't make the cut. BUT now I can show it here.

It's about 70" square and uses all Judie Rothermel fabrics. I made 25 blocks (because it's her 25th anniversary and mine!.. I started quilting about 25 years ago) and I used 25 different fabrics. The design is my own and the quilt was pieced and quilted on my old Pfaff (except for the corners which were English paper pieced hexagons).

Daughter Jennifer claimed this quilt before it was finished so it'll be going to her soon. We named it Twigs and Berries... my daughter wanted it named something "foodie" since it sort of has a pickle dish look and had the deep red of  Bing cherries or raspberries. Since she's VEGAN and one of the ladies I work with thinks vegans only eat twigs and berries, THAT became the name. (Thanks, Em)

 Yesterday, Jenn came from Traverse City to visit us and help do some canning (Peach Salsa :). After a busy day (we also went to an auction), we decided to relax at the beach and watch the sunset. Took one of my favorite beach quilts, my favorite Mondo back (and she took hers) and enjoyed some quiet time.
Of course we couldn't just sit still... had to create SOMETHING.. so we made a sand turtle :) He's right near the water edge so I'm sure by this morning he's gone...
Making sand animals and people has kind of been a tradition with our family. We usually leave something behind on the shore. Sometimes a mermaid.. or a huge snake... or a person... or an octopus.

Keeping Al company in the barn...

 Today I'm working on some hexagon flowers to add to a new quilt. This is a new pattern that I came up with to use "Flip Flop" packs from Hearts to Holly Quilt shop. Flip Flops are 8 fat eighths that coordinate and are packaged together. The pack I'm using for my quilt is mostly Fig Tree fabrics... soft yellows, aqua, pinky peach and soft green.
I took a picture of another pack that was at the shop... all 30's.. They're called flip flops because you see 4 of the fabrics on the top... flip them over, you see the other 4 fabrics. Great little packs to buy if you need added fabrics in a scrappy quilt. The shop has some pretty civil war packs too.

 

 So here's where I am... working in Al's barn garage (the car side)... He has this little work table that we like to sit at. I'm here and he's in the loft, getting it studded for an upstairs room... a man cave I think (doesn't matter to me, it's his barn).

And there he is... up on a ladder, putting up the partition... won't find me up that high... Not too fond of heights!

Finishing up a Halloween Quilt

This is one of my UFOs that I was determined to finish up by Halloween. It's just 6" squares of Halloween scraps plus a header of appliqued spiders and "Boo"... then a couple of borders.

 The spiders have "glow-in-the-dark" eyes and embroidered cotton YARN legs. Ready to pin baste and machine quilt.

And this is the start of a new scrappy baby quilt. Hoping to have this finished up by the end of the week. I'll add pictures when it's done.