My niece is getting married over Labor Day weekend and this is the quilt I decided to make her for a wedding present. I knew that when I saw the picture I knew that there was going to be a lot of cutting but had no idea. I feel like I have been working on this for a long time, all I have done so far is cut and piecing the individual little blocks together. I know that it will get done sooner or later.
I am so hooked on applique and have found this wonderful blog that I have learned so much from. Erin has videos on YouTube and she is a great teacher. She also has applique blocks that she post on her blog that can be downloaded, how great is that? I think the reason I love applique so much I can sit and watch tv with Mike and can still sew. Also the instant gratification of seeing it coming together so quick. I always seem to pick out pieced quilt patterns that seem to take forever and not with applique except for this quilt I would love to be able to start one day. I’m sure this one would take forever.
Isn’t this just beautiful!!!
After typing that statement I just realized that I really like such a wide range of quilts. I really love the quilt I am making for my niece but I really do love the this applique quilt also. I think back over the years of quilting and how much my likes and dislikes have changed. I remember the very first quilt I made, it was for Mike and it was 4” squares and all in 100% cotton in different blues. I then used a dark blue piece of polar fleece (what was I thinking? Polar Fleece?).
I knew nothing about quilting then, I used a piece of cardboard to use as a template for my squares and I’m sure if I was to go back and measure those squares they would be different in size. When I got my longarm I ripped off the polar fleece backing and used it for a practice piece and now it now sits on the end of the couch. Much nicer now. I also did some organizing about 2 months ago and it was so funny to look at my fabric that I purchased years ago and wonder “did I really like that back then?”. I must have but not sure why. How things change.
My sister in law gave me 2 quilt kits to do for her. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in November and was given 1-3 years. Well I am so happy to say that she is doing great. But anyways, she gave me 2 kits and I was able to finish piecing 1 of them and she was so thrilled with how it turned out. She wants to quilt them so I am hanging onto it. So now to start the other one. So 2 Saturdays ago I dropped her and her son off at the airport so they could fly out to California to spend a week with her daughter. When we got to the airport she gave me money and it was a lot of money for doing her quilts. I was very confused by my feelings. I NEVER wanted money for doing her quilts since these are quilts she wants to give to her boys before anything happens to her. I realized that I don’t like doing quilting for money, it puts a responsibility that I don’t want right now in my life. I now feel I have to hurry and get the other one done and this comes from my own feeling nothing she has put on me. I know others who quilt for customers but this is what they do for a living or maybe not. I just feel like it will take the fun out of it for me. I also quilted a quilt for Pat’s sister and also a friend of hers. I now have received 2 checks in the mail over the last week so that made it a little easier to do.
One of the quilts that I did for Pat’s friend
I have a friend, Kathy, who says she has about 15 quilts she would like me to quilt for her and I could not say no, of course. So Kathy gave me 2 quilts that she had already sewn the backs on y sewing them inside out and then turning right side out. I told her I would try. I’m thinking if I sew a piece of fabric on each end I could attach it to my leaders that way. When I get a quilt to quilt all I keep thinking is what if I screw this up? I know how much work goes into piecing a quilt and I would feel so horrible if something happened while having the quilt in my possession. I don’t think I can screw it up to much all I do is a all over meander and I think the only thing that could happen if my tension got screwed up but that is something I would catch really quick. This quilt is Pat’s friends quilt that I did.
I can’t believe that it is the 4th of July already. Here in Minnesota the weather has not been the best and they are saying 95 and humid for Thursday and Friday. Mike and I are going to Algona Iowa on Thursday and then from there La Crosse Wisconsin on Saturday. Mike has outdoor shows so hopefully it is not 95 degrees. This summer is going by so fast!
