Mrs. Mary Lee's quilts (finishes)

 I finished some customer quilts! These are quilt tops hand sewn by Mrs. Mary Lee, my mom's old neighbor. Her daughter asked me to long-arm them so they can all be finished and gifted to her children and grandchildren. And probably a few great-grandchildren. Here are pictures that one of the grandchildren took and texted to me so I'd have a record of some of my quilting motifs.

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Columns

  


Back when I taught Fine Arts Survey at Bunkie High, I studied enough architecture to be able to know the columns of ancient Rome and Greece. When I was pinning earlier in the week, I discovered these drawings. Of course, I had to add them to my "architecture buildings construction edifice structure" board.

Here's the thing: now I love them for a different reason. Oh sure, the architecture is stunning, but the lines, feathers, and scrolls are all motifs that I love to include in my quilting. Studying these drawings may be helpful in preparing for my next quilt.


Strangely, I didn't see the connection back then, but now it's quite obvious. 

The quilts I'm showing aren't about the curvy quilting, they are more about the straight lines and columns. When you search for column quilts on Pinterest, the responses tend to be more about the piecing, so that's what we've got.

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: O R A N G E

It's been a while since I used a color for inspiration and it's possible that I've never used orange. Such a pretty, hot color that can be used with many other colors. It's one that was rarely mixed with anything other than its analogous colors: red and yellow. Today, anything goes, and I've seen orange mixed with just about any other color, so don't be shocked by some of the loud, wild colors that may appear.

Do you wonder about orange quilts? Well, there are a few....

Do you recognize this last one? It's a recent finish from AmandaJean at Crazy Mom Quilts. I hope today's inspiration inspires you to use a little orange in your current or next project! Look for inspiration everywhere!

Building Blocks ~~ Finished!

I've been working on two particular quilts, one for each of the granddaughters who live away.  They recently moved into separate, twin-sized beds in the same room and need quilts.  My idea was to make one quilt at a time, but quilts have their own agendas.  So I ended up making lots and lots of large, overwhelming blocks that simply could not all go into the same quilt.  

I divided up the blocks and made one quilt while the other waited its turn.  As soon as the first quilt was finished, I put it on the long-arm and got started with what I thought would be a great design, but quilts have their own agendas and again, I lost.  Instead of lots of squares that would imitate the colored blocks, I quilted some squares then added a feather design that took a life of its own. Oh well! 


When the quilt came off the long-arm, I immediately began the second top and it is now on the long-arm getting the same treatment as the first.  

But that first quilt just would not wait.  Today I cut all of the left-over focus fabric and made lots (and lots) of binding.  

I was going to cut the binding in half and add as necessary but quilts have their own agendas, and I ended up using well over half of the binding on the first quilt.  

Leaning up against the new iron, which
had the pleasure of pressing all of it.

This poor second quilt will simply have to make do, but it's been doing that all along.  (Sort of like sisters who share a room.)  We'll see what the second Building Blocks quilt will do in a few days as I hope to complete it fairly quickly.

 Of course, quilts have a way of getting done the way they want to get done, and this one has been very patient.  It didn't mind at all that I took photos of the older quilt from the long-arm.  Look there how nicely they are playing together.  

Too bad there's not enough binding for both quilts.  I really like the way this one turned out.  Plus, it's already cut and pressed and waiting for the quilt.  

 I've decided to figure out who gets which quilt when both are finished.  At that time I'll rename the quilts Building Blocks for Catherine or Building Blocks for Sophie.  I'll also add the labels to both quilts.  Hopefully they will still be playing together!

My favorite part--the feathers turning a corner!

 Linking up to

finish it up Friday (on Monday!) at Crazy Mom Quilts