FMQ Table Runner

I'm finishing up sewing the binding on my new fall table runner. I used the blocks I made over the summer for the EQ Summer Drawing Series. I loved learning how to use EQ7 a little better and making something for fall all at the same time.

 

As you can see, I may have gone a little overboard on the quilting! It was so nice to be able to quilt something not too large! Everything seemed easier since it was so easy to maneuver. I tried spirals, feathers, loops, pebbles and paisleys. So fun!

 

 

I love having some handwork to do while watching television.

 

Hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day weekend.  I'm working most of it, one of the drawbacks of working in a hospital. Hope to link up with Leah Day's blog if she has her Free Motion Quilting Friday today. You can use the button on my blog to get there! 

Two Knit Doilies

 

I love to knit lace. I'm not really sure why but I just love the end result! I bought a new magazine and have already made 2 doilies using their patterns. I used cotton thread, size 10 and knitting needles size 2. I splurged and bought Knitter's Pride Dreamz needles. They are so smooth with nice pointy tips.  They make knitting in the round much more pleasant.

The above photo is a square doily which isn't seen all that often. It's 9 1/2  inches square. It's sitting on my night stand with my lamp on it. The dark wood really makes it look good.

 

This next one is a star doily, for obvious reasons! The diameter measures 12 inches. This one has found it's place in my formal living room with a vase on it. I feel it really adds a nice touch to my home. My grandmother used to crochet doilies but I like to knit so I've changed things up a bit!

The doilies look like a floppy mess when done knitting them. They have to be blocked very badly! I pin them dry to their finished size and then wet them with spray starch. When they're sopping wet, I let them air dry. Here's what they look like being blocked.

I use an old June Tailor Press and Cut. It's the perfect size and so easy to handle.

This is the magazine I've been using. It's full of wonderful patterns. If you're interested in lace knitting at all, pick it up! You won't be disappointed.

Mancuso World Quilt Show - New England

I attended the Mancuso World Quilt Show this past Friday.  It took place in Manchester, New Hampshire which is about half an hour from my house. It's one of my favorite shows. It features quilts from all over the world. There are also many vendors to choose from! I also love that the quilts and vendors are set up together. There is no decision about when to view the quilts and when to shop. You do both at once! I did hear from some of the vendors that there was another quilt show at the same time in Grand Rapids, Michigan so not all the usual vendors were there. It was a little disappointing but there were over 60 vendors there. I won't complain! I found plenty to buy! (Which I did just fine!)

Here are some of the quilts I really love!

This quilt is 78" X 51".  It's called Green Tara and made by Allison A. Wilbur from Barrington, RI.
The colors and beautiful image from this quilt just grabbed my attention. There's beautiful trapunto and fabric painting to really bring this quilt to life. Just awesome!

 

 

This quilt is made by Keiko Ike of Kochi-city, Japan. It measures 77" X 78".  She was making circles from narrow lines. The colors were so bright and fun. I have no idea how she made this! It looked so happy and fun!

 



 

This is Barcelona's Crow Nest made by Pat Delaney from Abington, MA. It measures 85" X 96". I loved the fact that the contrast is low and yet the pattern is so evident. It has a very classic look.

 



Star Burst is 63" X 63" and made by Mieke Apps of  Okaihau, New Zealand. The colors of this quilt were unbelievable. I love how the border picks up all the colors and showcases them like a color wheel. This quilt was inspired by the Big Bang Theory and all the stars in the sky. 

 

 

 

 

Chromatic Transitions was made by Rachel Wetzler from St. Charles, Illinois. It measures 66" X 66".  This quilt is perfection in color. It's a wonderful feast for the eyes. The image and colors are so balanced. The colors all seem to morph into each other. Amazing!

 

 





This is Cyclamen, 54" X 78", made by  Brigitte Morgenroth of Kassel, Germany.  This is made of purple pineapple blocks. She uses Dupioni silk and it's hand quilted!  A real treasure!

 

I loved the quilting on this beauty! Candy Kisses is 37" X 37" and made by Jacqui Harvey of West Beckham, Holt, Norfolk, UK.

 

Hope you enjoyed by little tour of the latest quilt show I attended.  This is just a small sampling of the many beautiful quilts in this show. If you ever have the opportunity, go see this show and enjoy it for yourself!!

 

Lily loves quilts!

This is so fun! We all know our pets love our quilts.  I actually think some of our pets think they're helping us out! My cat is no exception. We've had Lily since early December.  She always seems to hang around the sewing machine when I'm sewing away. Or maybe it's because she likes the finished product! She thinks whatever I'm making is all for her to play on.

 

Not sure if you can see, but she grabbed a couple of her toy mice to keep her company! I had this quilt spread out trying to figure out how to quilt it. It's all pinned and I doubt the pins make it very comfortable.  But she lay down on it and took a nice nap. Of course, I didn't disturb her. I waited for her to continue working on my quilting plan! Yes, she's spoiled!

 

 

 

 

I had this quilt laid out on the kitchen counter. I was marking it for quilting. Again, she hopped up and inspected my work! I hope she approved!

 

Wouldn't we be lonely without our furry friends? They're our favorite assistants! Head on over to Pets on Quilts and have fun viewing our four legged friends!



Lowell Quilt Festival 2013

The Lowell Quilt Festival is an annual event held in Lowell, Massachusetts. It ran August 8-10 and also includes some of the city's galleries and museums.  The juried quilt show is called Images and takes place in the Lowell Memorial Auditorium.  It's always a fun show and a great way to discover the historic mill city of Lowell.

 

 

 



 

In addition to the many quilts on display, there are vendors, demos and quilt appraisals available. The above pictures are just overviews of the many quilts on display.

 

Here are some of the vendors.  They're set up around the floor of quilt exhibition. It's a real quilter's paradise! There were many beautiful and amazing quilts to view.  Here is a small sampling of what caught my eye the most!

 

 

 







I saw this quilt from a distance and just had to see it up close. It's just stunning! It's called Persephone Rising. This quilt was made by Marilyn Belford of Chenango Forks, NY.  It was quilted by Jamie Wallen.  (67X82) Beautiful!

 

 

 

 

 

82X82

I love optical illusions and had to see this one for myself! Unbelievable! Don't you love when things make you a little dizzy?!  It's called The Sound of the Universe and made by the Monadnock Quilter's Guild from Peterborough, NH. The top was made and quilted by Anne Whitman Miller.

 

 

 

 

 

 

65X65

 

This is Zen Garden made by Margaret Solomon Gunn of Gorham, Maine. This picture doesn't do justice to this beauty. It has crystals and simply shines. It was made with fabric from her stash! Do not feel guilty! Look at what she created! I feel it's more reason to go out and buy more fabric! This quilt won a ribbon.

 

 

 

 

 



42x 48

 

This one is a sentimental favorite for me. This is called Marathon Monday and made by Rosemary Bawn of Stow, MA.  The Boston Marathon bombing is very much on everyone's mind in this area. This quilt was a lovely tribute to the events of that awful day.

 

That's the quilt show in a nut shell. Next week, I'll be attending the Mancuso World Quilt Show. I'm sure I'll find many quilts to show you. It's a travelling show from all over the world. It has many quilts but also many vendors. Maybe I'll find a new little gadget to buy!

 

 



 

A Baby Finish

I finished my baby quilt. I quilted in the ditch around each ice cream cone. I quilted diagonals in all the other squares.  I meandered in the border. I love the way it came out. It's an adorable pattern. The paper pieced ice cream cones were so fun to make. I hope to make this quilt again. It doesn't take very long and it's just adorable.

I haven't done much quilting lately.  I've been having trouble with sciatica. I've been taking Motrin and laying on the couch.  It's better but hasn't completely gone away. Working the last few days didn't help either but it wasn't bad enough to call in sick.  I've had a busy weekend. I worked yesterday and went to a wedding last night.

 

My cousin's wife's daughter got married. It was a wonderful wedding with tons of great food! My cousin even got me to dance! (Might be why my back and leg are bothering me today!) The wedding was at their house. Their house is a great place for a wedding. It's huge and has beautiful grounds. There were about 125 people there. I took this picture during the ceremony.  It was fun to see family and spend time with my parents.  We all ate too much but it was worth it!