EPP Rainbow Star Quilt....

I hand pieced this quilt top using EPP last year during the winter and never got around to quilting it.  But now I need a new quilt for my classroom so I busted it out and did some light custom quilting.  The first two pics show the accurate colors, but the next two show the quilting....

A little more shadow and the quilting pops out....The money shot!

I really like how it turned out.  And the quilting went pretty quickly....but I did do each of the stars separately--that was a pain!!  The loops in the white hexagons were easy...I started at the left side of the quilt and just went across the tops of a row, then circled back and did the bottoms once I hit the right side.  Easy peasy!!

I'm thinking about longarm quilting again for customers in my retirement....maybe.  ;-)  I've recently discovered SiriusXM radio, specifically the Bridge channel, and time passes rather enjoyably upstairs now.  I think The Bridge and I are soulmates....honestly, best.music.ever. if you are into late 60's to early 80's folk rock, mellow songs, etc.  Rebecca got it for her car but we can listen online as well or via an app for the phone.  I'm also considering listening to books on tape....that might make the time pass quickly.

Anyhow, I'm working on a new pattern.  The second run-through is being made now (can't show pics of the first yet, but it is great!).  And I ordered some awesome Alison Glass fabric, Sun Print 2016, for what I hope will be the cover quilt!!  Yeah....

Anyhow, more updates soon!!  Happy Quilting!

Alabama Fail....LOL....

Though I planned out the pattern for my Sweet Home Alabama quilt with vivid diagonals in mind, my first run through of the quilt was unsuccessful.  I used some pre-cut red, pink and aqua fabrics for the background strips and white/black squares for the cornerstones.  The problem is that the cornerstones didn't "pop" to create the diagonal effect.  The quilt is cute, but not "right"....

And an up-close money shot of the quilting...the panto is called Rhododendron.  I love it!!  But can you see the diagonals with the white fabric???  Nope....neither can I!!

And then I did the binding in a black and white stripe as a nod to Rita at Red Pepper Quilts.  The effect was awesome and made me love this epic fail quilt even more!  LOL.... The background is a cute Valentine sale fabric I found online--that is what tipped me toward the stripe binding.

And a finished shot in the backyard.  Definitely a nice quilt, but without the diagonals being done in a contrasting fabric, the whole Alabama block thing goes out the window.  I'll list it on Etsy and hopefully it will make it's way to a home someday....

Anyhow, I'm enjoying Spring Break right now.  We worked in yard and everything is blooming....we have the smell of Mock Orange permeating the yard and it is wonderful.  Ryan is composing music for an upcoming Great Gatsby party, Rebecca is golfing and I'm sewing.  It is just perfect....

Happy Quilting!

Sweet Home Alabama Quilt Pattern

I'm excited to show you my latest quilt pattern.  It is based on a block I saw on Pinterest--an Alabama block from back in the day.

My pattern includes the last round of pieces as sashing--this ensures that the quilt has uninterrupted diagonal lines, instead of a four-patch of cornerstones between the blocks.  Well, it makes sense to me....LOL....

The quilt uses jelly roll strips, though instructions are given for cutting from leftover scrap pieces.  Here is the back of the quilt pattern....

The alternate sizes vary from baby to twin size.  This quilt is perfect for beginners as it has no tricky piecing....just straight lines all the way!!  I definitely advise using a strongly contrasting color for the cornerstones.  In another post I'll show you what happens if you don't....LOL.  I learned the hard way!!

I quilted it using a new panto called Shasta.  I love the swirling daisies and whimsical leaves.  It is a lovely quilt and was quite easy to make.  The pattern is available for PDF download on Etsy here, or Craftsy here.

I've got another quilt in the works so keep checking back in with me...soon it will be Spring Break, then summer break then one more year until retirement!!  Yeah....

Happy Quilting!