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Wednesday, December 07, 2016

When You Just Gotta Quilt!

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I was a good girl yesterday.

I got home BEFORE my estimated time of arrival.

This is what happens when the GPS says it will take 80 minutes from Quilt Villa to Home, and you do all in your power to beat the time given.  HA!

No more than 5mph over the speed limit though, and just keeping up with traffic.  I know I have a lead foot!

I tackled the stack of mail.

I opened boxes of things that had been ordered.

I got laundry going.

I printed all of the invoices that had been waiting in the system since I left for the cabin last Wednesday afternoon, they are all now marked PROCESSING meaning invoices are printed, labels made ready, and placed in line so when  the Essential Triangle Tools arrive I’ll have everything in order and can crank these out the door and get them to YOU.

And before I knew it, darkness had fallen and it was evening time.


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I pieced a backing.  I loaded this!  I started quilting!

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Fun design – Hall of Mirrors!

I was asked in Facebook last night why I have the quilt mounted sideways.  

  • Sometimes I do this simply because there is a seam the long way down the backing from top to bottom and it rolls up better on the rollers if the seam lays along the roller bar instead of wrapping around and around it which can cause uneven tension in the backing. 

  • Sometimes I do it because it means less rolling around the take up bar, making less bulk in the throat of the machine there. 

  • Sometimes I do it because working the long way means less starts and stops. 

  • Sometimes I do it because I don’t want the pattern to look like “stripes” across the quilt from side to side.  It hides the pattern better if I mount it sideways.  Rows are less evident. 

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I am SO happy with how this turned out!

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Finished and trimmed this morning!

I know this is not a very in-depth blog post, but sometimes I would rather just sew than write!

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Rows of happy pumpkins!

And I love this texture!

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And this border is what ties it all together.

Yes, these were cut with the Essential Triangle Tool!

There will be orange binding.

With the pumpkins being “rows across”  can you see why I wanted the quilting to be the opposite?  Rows from top to bottom?

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Perfect on a leaf covered back porch.

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In the sunny spot!

Our Quiltmaker Gift-Away is still going on.  Did you leave your entry THERE?  The drawing happens TOMORROW EVENING!  There is still time to get in on it, but don't delay!

Our Mystery Monday Link-Up for Part 2 of our En Provence Mystery is gaining entries at quite the pace! Over 150+ of you have shared your progress and it is so great to see the gorgeous fabrics you are working with and how they are coming together in your units!  If you haven't checked the links in a couple of days, go back and catch up.  AMAZING work, Quiltvillians!  Simply wonderful! Go HERE to see.

My day is cut out for me.  I've cherry-picked through all of the printed invoices and pulled the ones that do NOT include Essential Triangle Tools and will fill those orders and get them out the door on my way to a much needed Massage this afternoon.

The rest of my day will be desk work -- getting things ready for my January teaching venues, working on the website, and of course working on Part THREE of En Provence which is coming up quickly.

Binding tonight, maybe?  I hope so!

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Quiltville Quote of the Day!

Vintage drunkard's path variation shared by Kevin H.

These words from such a young life haunt my heart.

I first read The Diary of Anne Frank when I was 12. I visited the place where the Frank family and others lived in secret before they were discovered in Amsterdam. Such an amazing insightful young lady.

Her words still inspire me today.

Hopefully they will inspire you today as well.


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30 comments:

  1. Love the texture quilted in the pumpkins. LOTS of bobbins wound on that one!

    Do you ever want to say "Because I want to" when somebody asks questions?!

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  2. The pumpkins look amazing! There is such great texture.

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  3. Very Modern - almost Straight Line Quilting. Love it! Glad you didn't break the speed Limit.
    a Massage sounds like a great way to De-Stress. Snow Day/Sew Day Here, once I get my Blog updated with Christmas Decor pictures. I love this time of year!

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  4. This quilt turned out beautifully. I love the use of your over-abundance of gray! Please share the name of the panto - never have I seen this one.

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  5. This quilt turned out beautifully! It's so cute, and perfect for fall. Love it!!!

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  6. I admit, I wasn't really feeling the pumpkin love in the beginning. Now that their fenced in and beautifully quilted I like this quite a lot. Have a great day!

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  7. Thank you for the insight into the reasons you loaded the quilt sideways. I have done this too, but never thought of the tension issues with a long seam in the middle of the backing. I think this might explain some questions I have had. I love the pumpkins!

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  8. Bonnie, I quilted yesterday too and the thoughts on loading sideways are so true. I did just the opposite direction and for anyone out there that is curious, I spent a lot of time adjusting the quilt while I worked because of the bulk of the seam. My quilt was just too long and I used a pattern that needed to go side to side, or else I would have made a different choice. Next time, I more than likely will take the time to make sure my backing seam is going in a different direction at least, but se la vie. Love your pumpkins and now it's back to trimming and finishing mine :)

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  9. Next time you visit Boise, you'll have to stop by the Anne Frank memorial. It's right behind the library, on the greenbelt. It's very impactful.

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  10. Luv the quilt. I am new to your blog and mystery quilt. Gathering fabrics to start MQ after Christmas. My first one!!. Is there a pattern for the pumpkin quilt?

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  11. I had a chuckle at Saska's (1st comment) "because I want to". I own a store and I say that in my head quite often...

    The quilt is beautiful and inspirational. I'm chomping at the bit to get to my sewing machine. I have a date with it in mid-2019. lol

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  12. I love the pumpkins (nearly) finished. I just love how quilting raises a quilt top from good to great! I am still sewing step one as leaders/enders for the last blocks of Razzle Dazzle. I want it to be at the long-arm quilter for the first of the year, it's half size for a baby quilt, and he just turned 4 months. Also need to fit in a Christmas wall-hanging and 90 4.5" half--square triangles for an exchange on the 17th. But after that it's mystery all the way - half sized. I don't need any more big quilts.

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  13. An amazing quilt as only you could make :)
    The words and life of Anne Frank do inspire me... almost as much as Bonnie Hunter's!

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  14. Love how your pumpkin quilt came out! Did you name it yet?

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  15. I agree can you share the name of the panto you used. Lovely texture to accent the pumpkins. Understand all of stated reasons for loading sideways and agree sometimes it is because I want to. lol.

    Chris

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  16. So nice to see the cabin stay helped fill up your createve bucket! I told myself i was only doing the mystery from my stash this year. Well, since the colors are my colors, i didn't have a problem to pull scraps today. I work retail so i will be catching up in January!

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  17. Fun quilt! It looks great!

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  18. I am so in LOVE with this pumpkin quilt!!!!

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  19. I love your quilt and the pattern you used to quilt it. I would love a quilting machine like that! I am about to begin wrestling a 50 x 60" quilt through the neck of my little singer sewing machine. I'm always glad when it's done, because it wears me out! This is only the third one I've quilted on my machine, so I am still learning all the little tricks.

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  20. I love the pumpkin quilt! Thanks for sharing how you load your quilt. I have a short-arm (Juki sewing machine on a frame). It took me a lot of trial and error to figure out how to work with the lean horizontal space. How it's loaded is part of the trick!

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  21. Have you talked about what type of long arm you use and do you use an auto quilt program? Loved the quilting on the pumpkin quilt! Thank you.

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  22. OMG, where do you get all of this energy, can you bottle it up and put it up for sale in your Quiltville Store? LOL Your quilt came out stunning and I sure like those little pops of blue, just beautiful. I hope you enjoyed that massage, you deserve it!!!!

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  23. Bonnie, I love the pumpkins! This looks like a perfect fall quilt to read under. You have taught me so much, maybe I can conquer my fear of orange fabric if I make this one. Lol. :-)

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  24. I do believe you are the master of time management. Wish I could do half of what you do in a day.

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  25. Love the daily quotes- I'm often shaking my head "yes" as I read it. I finally got some sewing time-yeah, it's been since the middle of May. Mug rugs for gifts this year. Thanks for your sharing.

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  26. I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS QUILT!!! I am going to start hoarding ORANGES, Greens and Grays!!
    LOL
    Another Great Masterpiece of beautiful work as always Bonnie. Have a Blessed week... Finishing tonight Step 2! Yes with the twins I am keeping up!!! YAY ME!! Hugs!

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  27. You are my hero every morning when I read your blog. Such a nice way to start my day. Your positive attitude and humor is so refreshing. Your energy level is amazing. Thank you for sharing.

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  28. You are my hero every morning when I read your blog. Such a nice way to start my day. Your positive attitude and humor is so refreshing. Your energy level is amazing. Thank you for sharing.

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  29. You are my hero every morning when I read your blog. Such a nice way to start my day. Your positive attitude and humor is so refreshing. Your energy level is amazing. Thank you for sharing.

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  30. This pumpkin quilt is absolutely darling!!
    Totally scrappy and delightful. I love it!!
    You continue to be the reason I look online for inspiration and beautiful things to admire.
    Bless you, Bonnie!!

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