Winter Days in Shades of Taupe heading off to HMQS !

Last week Winter Days in Shades of Taupe

was Finally finished!!

Taking longer than expected - I hit a quilting block!

Just wasn't sure how I wanted to quilt it ….

 so it sat on my sewing machine for months!

The dilemma 

when an embroidered quilt is quilted some times the 

quilting takes away from the embroidery.

Wanting to showcase the hand embroidery stitches

and the beautiful Japanese Taupe fabrics

I decided to quilt each block separately,

instead of the feather motif in the border -

which was the original plan.

Here is an example of one block

I'm happy with the results…

the quilting gave me a chance to practice

my feathers and other motifs, and it did not

take away from the beauty of the fabrics

I created the unique quilt label by

using a few of the embroidery motifs,

taking pieces of each and rearranging them,

the wording was printed off the computer,

and using a light bock the design 

was transferred onto the fabric

and hand embroidered! 

Notice the addition to the finish date!!

the quilt was actually all done and quilting started…

but then that pesky quilty block happened

so instead of picking out my "4"

I just added the "5"!

Works for me!!

Lesson learned: Don't finish the Label before the Quilt!!

Now she is off to Utah for the

Home Machine Quilting Show!

Choosing a quilting design … Always a challenge

Yesterday was spent designing a quilting border for this quilt….

 Winter days in Shades of Taupe

(just love the Japanese Taupe's!)

It's a Crab-apple Hill design that has been in the works 

since 2012! Now it's time to quit it!

This is always a challenge for me.

Thank goodness for "Golden Threads"

LOVE this paper!

It gives you the ability to draw out designs,

place them over your quilt

and "audition" designs before

needle and thread hit the quilt!

Option One is funky feathers

(leaning towards this one!)

Option Two is from a quilting stencil 

(thinking it looks more like ocean waves)

Here is my label, 

elongating one of the houses to fit around the writing,

then adding a few trees!

Today's challenge…

decide on the quilting design

and baste the quilt!

Or maybe I'll go to SCQG sit and sew or

to the Narragansett Bay Quilt Show.

Love a weekend with choices!

Winter Taupe Snow Days Quilt ... coming along!

Finally all of the outside embroidered and pieced blocks are done!

Not it's time to start piecing the center!

This has been just the most wonderfully calming

quilt to work on.

It has taken over a year to slowly embroider

all of the blocks ... but well worth it.

Still trying to decide exactly how I want to quilt it ...

Can't procrastinate too long as it

must be ready for the SCQG show in September!

Block 10 and 11 of Winter Taupe Quilt

Slowly the blocks are getting done!

Block #10

Block #11

Block #9 of my Winter Taupe Quilt done

Another block completed!

Only 5 more to go!!

Winter Taupe Quilt Block #7

Before I left on vacation I finished block #7

This one worked up quickly!

I'm half way done with the embroidered blocks!

Block #4 of my Taupe Winter Quilt

Here is the fourth block of my Taupe Winter Quilt

only ten more to go!!

Finished block #3

I've finished block #3 of my Taupe Winter Quilt 

The stitching is definitely coming along a lot faster than I thought it would -

but then again I am just working on this one project at the moment!

My other 3 projects are in a holding pattern -

waiting for me to prep for the next phase in each!

I can give a sneak peek at one of them....

My version of Piece O'Cake's Aunt Millie's Garden

I just put the blocks together with sashings and intersections last weekend

at the Silver City Quilt Retreat. (That was a great time!!)

Now it's time to plan out the applique borders ... like I said ... Holding Pattern!!

This project just might circle the sewing room for a while!

Can you tell I have a son that is a pilot!!!

Another new project....

Yes I know ... I need another new (long term project)
like I need a hole in my head!!
But I just could not resist!! I'm a sucker for hand stitching.
I found this pattern from Crab-apple Hill

last year at A Quilter's Gathering and was just taken by the beauty of it.
This year I saw it again and made up my mind to jump in and get it started!

The pattern uses Seasons (#8049)Cosmo

embroidery floss by Lecien ... made in Japan.

I love this floss it is a variegated from a

light taupe/green to olive green to a darker silver muted evergreen color.

Absolutely beautiful!

Here is block #1

If you notice on the edges the pattern stops ....

Once it is sewn in next to a pieced block

 the embroidery will continue onto that pieced block!

I used two different stitches
the back stitch was used on the
 evergreen trees to give a fluffier look,
like they were covered with snow.
For everything else I used a running outline type stitch,
to give a thinner crisper look.

Fabric selection for the pieced blocks....
well it just had to be from my Japanese Taupe collection!!
 

I searched my stash of Japanese taupe's

and selected these for the project. 

I just love it all stacked up!

All though I hate to cut into these fabrics

I think this is the perfect project for them.

I want this quilt to hang in my dining room

during the winter months.

New England winters are full of cool crispy snowy air and

I think this quilt with these colors will be perfect!

I hope to have it done for next Christmas!