Dreaming Big x 2

Happy Tuesday! This week is about dreaming Big. A client sent me two of these gorgeous 44" panels to quilt. I did two earlier in the year to showcase fills and feathers from my books. I use these in my classes when teaching. I have a lineup of quilters interested in having me quilt panels for them similar to the ones here. It's a fun quilt to stitch - who doesn't love a job that is finished in just a couple days?!

So without further adieu, here is the aqua panel.

Here are the 40 wt threads I used...starting at the center with the lime, going to the deeper shades at the outer edge.

Both quilts have 2 layers of batting, 80/20 on the bottom and a wool on the top. This gives the intense texture that each pattern needs. I quilted a different design in each petal, after outlining the petal. I try to keep linear designs beside more swirly patterns so that each shows better. As I near the end of the panel, I find myself consulting my samples for other fills not used. It's a fun process, but sometimes it is hard to find a 47th unique pattern!

 I am always amazed how creative and unique these patterns look when quilted this way, even if many people might not use some of them often. It's the "variety is the spice of life" in action!

 These are a combination of purely freehand fills as well as fills that rely on a premarked grid. I have used square grids on this blue panel as well as a hexagon grid.

 Some of the patterns also need a small bit of marking to execute - it's my secret crutch. The bricks design (below) would be a pure disaster without some premarking!

 There are also some fills in these samplers that will debut in a new class next year, as well as a new fills book (assuming I get off my firmly planted lazy butt and get it started!).

 Seen enough blue?...

OK, then, let's move on to the orange panel. I just love orange, so this may be my favorite.

I ran into a bit of a "oopsie" on this piece. To make it more frustrating, I didn't notice the severity of the bumble until the panel was off and laying in my hallway being photographed.

The center of the flower just looked wonky. At first I tried to rationalize that the center IS awkward, but in the end, I grabbed the seam ripper and made a modification.

 Here's the finished "tweak", looking much more au-natural, and less like one petal was on steroids.

 Like the aqua panel, several threads were used. These are all 40wt, and are either YLI Polished poly (my personal fave) or Superior Magnifico/Fantastico or Glide. They stitch out very similarly, but the YLI is slightly lower sheen and seems to tension easier. It is the larger yellow cone below.

Many of the patterns will look familiar, but I know I used several that were different too.

 Quilted texture is just delicious!  Outboard of the petals is a tight 1/8" matchstick quilting in the deepest color. It frames the quilt nicely. If you are curious how I do this, I uploaded a short video to my facebook business page today.  I am not a skilled videographer, and only have my iphone as a camera, so don't expect ultra-high quality. I do think that the video addresses many of the questions I have received over the last few years.

 Feathers, flowers & leaves  OH My!

 Bamboo, modern checkerboard, ribbons and more!

Hopefully you enjoy seeing the many photos as much as I struggle to pick just a few photos of these pretty quilts to share. Remember... Most of these feathers and fills are taught within my books (see the right sidebar...the green fills books and the gold feathers book). I show photos as well as detailed and numbered illustrations. You, too, can quilt your Dream Big panel similarly.

Or if you prefer to have me quilt it, just drop me an email msolomo1 at Maine dot rr dot com.

One more bit of excitement hit our house last week...we got a new baby. At first, "he" was named Simon. On Friday, the vet informed us that Simon did not have all the male kitten parts we thought he had.  A-hem...Simon was going to need spaying.  Begrudgingly, we came up with another name, Bella. We're pretty smitten. She's a mighty lovable 9 week old kitten. I could most definitely become the crazy old cat lady. LOL!