After a six month blogging hiatus -
it's time to review what actually got accomplished
during very strange unprecedented year of quarantined isolation ~
sprinkled with bits of joy.
Feeling very fortunate to be a quilter -
my time was occupied completing three long term projects,
and my love for painting has been rekindled!
2020 Completed works:
#1 Garden Trellis
Pattern 'Flower Garden' by Kim McLean
Needle turn Applique
Machine Pieced
Machine Quilted on a domestic Janome 6600
This was a true labor of love and a fabulous traveling
project - it was started in 2016 and blocks traveled to
Florida and Texas during visits to my kids.
Once completed the poor quilt top sat for a year - waiting...
waiting for quilting design inspiration to hit!
The quilting design makes it appear that each flower is growing up a Garden Trellis.
The trellis effect is achieved with matchstick quilting.
The sashing are quilted to make it look like bark on a branch,
and the outer border is a leafy vine to pull it all together.
For the finishing touch a beaded binding was added.
The technique was learned in a class taught by Bethanne Nemesh
'The Devil is in the Details' at MQX in 2018.
It certainly added the perfect touch!
Here is 'Garden Trellis' in my entryway ~
waiting to greet all my guests ....
in 2021 (hopefully!)
#2 All Hallows Eve Sampler
this BOM from Figtree Designs was sponsored
by The Fat Quarter Shop
It is a wonderful Halloween quilt
without looking TOO Halloween!
It is machine pieced with a little
prepared edge appliqué sprinkled in!
I fell involve with the black and cream flowered border fabric
so much so I have it in the red, orange, taupe and green!
Having my 'Raven' quilt under my needle this quilt was
sent out to be long arm quilted by my friend Karen Ives.
She did a fabulous job selecting the perfect quilting motif!
and of course a Cream piped binding to trim it all up!
pattern by Blackbird Designs
Needle turn appliqué & machine pieced.
The background fabric is a grey taupe with black script writing,
the body of the birds is all the same fabric for unity and
each bird has a different wing fabric.
Ravens was free motion quilted on my domestic Janome 6600,
with a piano key quilting design in the border,
and Yes! cream piped binding with the favorite
black and cream Figtree floral!
Projected 2021 Finishes!
(cross your fingers!)
#1 Mariner's Compass
pattern by Judy Niemeyer
This project was started in 2016, and has had
several stops and starts!
In the fall the top was finally completed.
The snag was the orientation of the compass -
I turned it slightly from the original pattern to set it
more North/South and East/West ....
which meant figuring how to turn and square up the background...
that took a few (months!) minutes!!!
This is my quilt design though process for all the quilts I quilt...
it's old school with tracing paper, templates, stencils...etc!!
This is probably why it takes me forever to get my quilts done!!!
my new toy was this Boogie Board
(reminds my of an etch-a-sketch!)
It was very helpful to draw and audition quilting designs!
Now that the quilting designs are set and threads picked out
the thread basting and machine quilting will begin!
#2 Afternoon Delight
pattern by Sue Garmen
and offered as a BOM from The Quilt Show.
Using my stash of Tilda fabrics
all the needleturn applique blocks are complete
and half of the Nine Patch 9-patch blocks are done!
only 20 more of these Nine Patch 9-Patches to go!
they measure 7.25"
#3 2020 Temperature Quilt
This is my third Temperature quilt ~
January thru September are all together!
The inner spike are the daily low temps,
the outer triangles are the daily high temps,
the center hexie is the monthly high/low temps
and the out corners represent the average monthly temp!
just finished up October now onto November!
My 2018 and 2019 tops are done but still need to be quilted.
I'm leaning towards sending them out to be quilted!
#4 Ladies of the Sea
pattern by Sue Garmen
The hand quilting on this one is a slow go...
three ships done and six to go!
2020 was the year my love for painting was reignited...
It all started in May with Bethanne Nemesh
and her "Art Therapy Thursday" classes,
since then watercolor painting has overtaken the house!!
Here are just a few of my latest pieces:
Having fun playing with paint!!!
The HIGHLIGHTs of 2020
WEDDING
The wedding of my son Matt to Emily!
10/10/2020
Due to covid it was a very intimate wedding...
Bride & Groom and parents.
It the most magical of weddings...
just them and their day.
These pictures make me smile every time I look at them...
which is daily!
Can't wait to see where life takes them!!!
NEW JOB
Victoria moved slightly closer to home!
From Houston to New Orleans...
slightly closer to Massachusetts!
So proud of this gal for getting a new job,
packing and moving all on her own ~
while working on her dissertation and teaching
and continuing to work as an Athletic trainer!
Nothing like having a full plate!!
She is now the Baseball Athletic Trainer at Tulane University!
Looking forward into 2021
I am hopeful ~
for the vaccine so I can visit with my kids again,
go out to dinner with my sweet hubby,
sit with my Quilty Gal Pals to chat and stitch.
I am hopeful for life to return to a new normal.
Wishing each of you a Happy and Healthy 2021!
Have a great Quilty Day and enjoy the process!
Janet
