Sewing and Beyond with Mary Anne Ciccotelli

I was able to complete sewing the rod pocket and binding down on this quilt this week-end while attending the QPN conference. Many of the members of QPN really liked this quilt, but did not care for the name – Gift Bag Swap quilt. I have had Karen Dever appraise a few of my quilts and she strongly encouraged me to give this quilt a name more fitting the feeling is has. So, after giving this some thought, I have add Happy Memories to the quilt’s name. Happy Memories for a few reasons:
1. It reminds me of the happy times I had in participating in all the online quilting swaps.
2. It reminds me of going to Idaho to celebrate my mother’s life after her death.
3. It reminds me of going to Idaho to celebrate my father’s life after his death.
4. It reminds me of preparing for the QQQ 50 1/2 Birthday Celebration.

The back of the quilt….
and a close-up of the modified label.

Last night at my mini group get together I asked for input in deciding which quilts I should enter into the Northern Star Quilters show. This year each quilter can enter four quilts. So I am planning on entering The Generations Unite, Grandma’s Hexagarden, and that is where the mini group came in. I had three quilts that I was considering, but could only enter two. The one’s that I was considering were:
1. Back to School
2. Turkey Quilt
3. Gift Bag Swap.

The group suggested to enter Back to School and Gift Bag Swap. Do you agree with the mini group?

Regardless of their input, I was planning on blocking the Gift Bag Swap quilt today. I want to sew the binding on later this week and take it with me this week-end to the QPN conference so I can hand sew the binding down.
The lighting was great in my living room today and I got some good pictures of the quilting on this quilt.

One good thing about this cold that I have, I wake-up really early in the morning with a coughing fit and about the only way to get it to stop is to get up. So, I have had some quite time to quilt the past few mornings. I completed the quilting on The Gift Bag Swap quilt yesterday. Since I did all the circle quilting in the center of the quilt it needs to be blocked. I will do that in the next few days, sew the rod pocket and binding on. I have a QPN conference at the end of this month. Most of my handwork on my other projects is completed, so I am going to try and have a couple of quilts ready to sew binding down on at the conference. (I think I should be able to have this one ready.)

Here are some detail shots of the quilting I did yesterday.

I have been quilting grid lines in the background of the borders and it TAKE FOREVER. This type of quilting was inspiried by the gift bag that this quilt is bases on. After reading a post by Feather on a Wire I realize that it is not just me that takes forever to quilt grid lines. I am looking forward to geting to a quilt that has some more freeform to it.I have figured out a better way to do the grid lines though after reading Vivan’s blog. I am using a ruler as my guide – much easier to get straight lines this way. Just have to watch to keep the lines at a 45 degree angle. I ended up having to take out some lines because I didn’t do that very well. Seems that’s the story of this quilt – frog stitching (ripped).

I have the bottom left corner and side to complete the grid quilting.

Even though it takes forever, I do like the grid quilting.

I think the circle and gird are a fun contrast. After discovering the ruler for the stright lines, I have been trying to figure out where I can get circle templeates for the ciricle quitling. I’ll let you know if I find something.

P.S. I LOVE the wool batting!!!!!!!!

I kept thinking I would take some better pictures, but it is RAINING today, so it isn’t going to happen. So, to keep my daughters happy I will work with what I have.

Gift Bag Swap challenge – While in Utah I laid out the arrangement for the flowers on this quilt. I have now finished sewing them on by machine with invisible thread. All I have left on the top is the bees.

This is the back of the quilt. I decided I din’t want a thing left hanging around, so I used the blocks that I took out of the front of the quilt in the back. I also had prepared to many flowers, so I decided to incorporate them into the back. (And yes, I realize that the top right flower is not centered (but I realized it after I had cut the backing fabric away, so now it stays as a design element. I am not sure exactly what design element, but it stays anyway.)