MQX Bound

Maine is enjoying what is inevitably our last real dose of summer this weekend. It is in the 80's, and I couldn't be happier. While most of my fellow teachers that are heading to MQX this coming week are probably busy double and triple checking their packings, I got to do that over a week ago.  Last Saturday I drove an entire van (back seat down) of stuff to Janet-Lee, MQX owner who lives in NH. She drives a trailer to Springfield, IL and I am fortunate enough to have a spot in the trailer for all my things.  Mind you, there are 17 quilts in here that are part of a 19-quilt retrospective exhibit too.  This teacher really does not pack as heavy as the van suggests! Never the less, when I pack to go to Road to CA in January, it will be eye-opening for sure as this trip is via air and class supplies must be shipped!

A week ago, I wrapped up a client quilt. It's a cute Fig Tree sampler. Though this is a custom, it did have a desired budget.  I opted to use a greater part of this budget on the outer borders and sashings, where details will show more.

 Timing required that the house and pieced blocks would get an edge to edge.  I chose these relatively tight nested swirls.

 Here's a look at the border, quilted with an ivory Glide thread.

The backing is an ivory cotton, so all the quilting shows!

With one week before I was traveling, I chose to load my quilt and plug away on it.  I started this in March or so, but the summer was so busy that I never got back to working on it. I can happily see the end in sight, despite there still being quite a few areas I need to get back to.  Sometimes decided when something is really DONE is hard.  Kindly do NOT copy these images to pinterest or anywhere else.

The center of the quilt got dense backfill around the scrolly design.  I know some of the scrolls are not perfectly symmetrical.  I don't really care, either. The finish line is in sight, and done always trumps perfect.

I think this next picture is sideways, but whatever. Quilting on asymmetrical logs is challenging. They are not good for a cross-hatch, which was my first thought. I quilted this floral/feather pattern in a turquoise thread, then matchstick filled behind it in a turquoise silk thread.  I know you are thinking..."turquoise thread on orange & pink fabrics??". Yup.  It helps the design to show more AND it ties in with the other pops of turquoise on the quilt. It's a gutsy and perhaps less-common thread choice, but I hope it will be right!

With every quilt I make, I am always looking for THAT project which will not produce those "AW crap, wish I'd done this differently" moments. As much as I quilt, they still occur! Here, I put a deep turquoise piping between the aqua and red 1" borders. It looks good, but NOW I am asking myself why the piping is not between the ivory silk and the aqua? DOH! Anyhow, I have tried to use quilting to help frame the quilt with these borders. My hunch is when I take it off the frame tomorrow, I will like how it looks. That's my theory at this point, and I'm sticking with it!

I am getting to details, which is a good feeling.  Yesterday, the dozen or so fussy cut butterflies got their antennae, bringing them to life.

 

 Have a good week...One last reminder - I get SO many emails with questions. I hate to appear to be ignoring you, but if you ask something in a comment AND have your blogger settings to "no reply", there is just no way I can get you an answer.  Please take a moment and confirm that you have an email address entered in your settings.