Sunday, September 11, 2011

A Couple of Finishes

I just finished this quilt from the Scrap Bee players over at 15 minutes play. It started out as a basic string quilt...


  But I had a stack of petal shape scraps from this quilt sitting around.


Looking at the quilt, I realized there were stems scattered about, just waiting for their blooms!


They had to get a little stitching, just for fun.




It wasn't going to have a border, but this Hawaiian print shouted, "use me!"  And the polka dots wanted to be on the back.  Kind of a "If You Give a Moose a Muffin" quilt story. 


Meanwhile, I'd been hand quilting this Our Lady of Guadelupe quilt for the last few months.  I had machine quilted it earlier, but I didn't like the way it looked, and took it all out.


I had fun deciding what design to quilt in each different space.



I also used up a bunch of colors of spare embroidery floss.  I find 3 strands of floss look about the same as #8 perle cotton. 



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31 comments:

  1. TeodoSeptember 12, 2011 at 12:43 AM

    wonderful quilts.....I love your flowers.
    ciao linda

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  2. RachaeldaisySeptember 12, 2011 at 1:53 AM

    Both of your quilts are so wonderful!!

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  3. DianneSeptember 12, 2011 at 2:02 AM

    Lovely finishes. The hand quilting makes your quilt. You did the right thing there. Going to try the 3 strands of emb. thread one day. It looks really good. Dianne.

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  4. Julie FukudaSeptember 12, 2011 at 3:14 AM

    What a bummer taking out machine stitching but it looks so nice done by hand.

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  5. UnknownSeptember 12, 2011 at 3:49 AM

    They are just fabulous!! Can you hear my heart singing from here! The color is phenomenal! Wonderful finishes!

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  6. Pinkadot QuiltsSeptember 12, 2011 at 4:11 AM

    Beautiful! Can't believe you picked out the machine quilting UGH!The hand quilting looks great!

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  7. JanetSeptember 12, 2011 at 4:50 AM

    They are both fantastic quilts, they have so much character and soul. You come up with brilliance again with the blooms in the first one. Love the look of the hand quilting too.

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  8. Twisted QuiltsSeptember 12, 2011 at 5:06 AM

    You are so busy! I love the string quilt and the "blooms" are the perfect addition. I see you are channeling your inner Gwen with Our Lady of Guadelupe. I love it. What great quilts.

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  9. Sujata ShahSeptember 12, 2011 at 5:22 AM

    LOVE both your quilts. Your hand quilting looks perfect. I had undo a little of the machine quilting over the weekend. Not fun at all. You must be quite happy that you chose hand quilting over the machine.. It looks great!

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  10. Tonya RicucciSeptember 12, 2011 at 5:45 AM

    gorgeous!!! love the tulips quilt. I hadn't realized you'd placed them by where the stems were - awesome way to let the quilt tell you what it needs.

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  11. MicheleSeptember 12, 2011 at 6:13 AM

    Oh wow! They turned out so pretty!

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  12. Mary KeaslerSeptember 12, 2011 at 6:32 AM

    Bravo! they look brilliant. And the hand quilting is perfect. I love the way you used different quilting designs in the different spaces. What fun.
    You have been a busy bee

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  13. NancySeptember 12, 2011 at 7:11 AM

    Well it may have started as a basic string quilt, but you took it to a much higher calling! This looks wonderful, as does the Lady quilt.

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  14. Miki WillaSeptember 12, 2011 at 8:37 AM

    I do love both these quilts. You have such a great sense of color.

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  15. Lee DSeptember 12, 2011 at 11:50 AM

    I love the applique flowers on the string quilt, great way to use them up.

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  16. EmSeptember 12, 2011 at 12:02 PM

    I am smiling big as I enjoy the pics and visualize them in person from my visit last night with you. You are such an inspiration to be with and your work is such a signature of you! Love, Em

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  17. BarbSeptember 12, 2011 at 12:22 PM

    fabulous post!
    I love both of your finished projects. I especially like the red tulip dancing across your string - very fresh and fun!
    OMOG is fab too - can't believe you picked out machine quilting - the hand stitching is wonderful, so it was worth it.
    I always think "do I want to take the time now to fix this, or regret I didn't forever...." It's usually an easy answer.
    thanks for the colorful inspiration today!

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  18. SharonSeptember 12, 2011 at 12:47 PM

    Wow, I love this quilt with the red flowers, Yes, the stems were just waiting for blossoms! Nice quilting on Our Lady. Is that one of V's fabrics?

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  19. Ann ChampionSeptember 12, 2011 at 3:44 PM

    Fabulous finishes! Adding the Tulips was pure genius.

    I'm very partial to your Eyelash quilt too!

    Taking out machine quilting sounds like an awful chore, but I sure do like the way you hand quilted Your "lady" quilt. I don't think you'll ever regret that decision?

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  20. smazoochieSeptember 12, 2011 at 4:14 PM

    I LOVE the tulips & the are RECYCLED!!!

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  21. LynnSeptember 12, 2011 at 6:41 PM

    So glad to know I'm not the only one who has machine quilted something only to rip it all out and start over!

    Beautiful quilts!

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  22. meli BSeptember 13, 2011 at 3:37 AM

    I remember when you put the first tulip quilt together. the border really does work brilliantly. It looks even more stunning now that it has been quilted. As for the lady, she is glorious. I can see all these fabrics I recognise mixed with chintzy florals and bold moderns and they frame her perfectly. Are you ever going to enter these into a show? They are so refreshingly original.

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  23. Cathy @ CabbageQuiltsSeptember 13, 2011 at 5:41 AM

    Oh my goodness your quilts are incredible, the colour is droolworthy!!! I had to laugh when I read you had unpicked all your machine stitching, you sound like me...so much work though isn't it, but worth it in the long run. Your embroidery floss is looking like perle 8 to me! Stunning! xo

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  24. KimSeptember 13, 2011 at 7:53 PM

    I knew you were a good listener and that quilt just shouts it is the RIGHT finish to have hand quilted tulips across the face of the quilt.
    You've been busy, I have never quilted with floss.....does the thread stay even?

    Congratulations on two beautiful finishes.

    Happy Sewing

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  25. MaritSeptember 14, 2011 at 1:06 AM

    You are sharing three wonderful quilts here! I couldn't pick a favorite, they all have big "personalities". Love your hand quilting on the lady quilt so much! I am so inspired. And I can't even believe that I was lucky enough to see and touch two of these this summer. They are very show worthy.
    The connection between your eyelashes and the tulip quilt is so fun, it is the perfect match!

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  26. ClareSeptember 14, 2011 at 2:53 AM

    I love it when quilts tell you what they want you to do, rather than the other way round.

    I've just been reading about Em's visit. Sounds as if you had a ball.

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  27. VesuviusmamaSeptember 17, 2011 at 5:44 AM

    Lovely finishes. I've been wondering about using embroidery floos in place of perle cotton for some big stitch stitching. Thanks for the hint. Do you also use an embroidery needle to do the stitches, then, too? (I've never done big stitch before, but have been wanting to try.)

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  28. SandyQuiltsSeptember 17, 2011 at 8:04 AM

    Fabulous. Thank you for sharing.

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  29. Quilter KathySeptember 17, 2011 at 11:07 AM

    Amazing...gorgeous...and very inspiring!

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  30. VictoriaSeptember 19, 2011 at 4:59 PM

    Gorgeous work!!!!

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  31. JulieroseAugust 16, 2013 at 1:08 PM

    I love your Lady of Guadaloupe quilt! It is simply gorgeous...(I saw it in your latest post--bedroom view). I have some of that fabric and have been wanting to make a quilt for my Aunt who is in a nursing home in California (hence: Our Lady of Guadalopue) I really like how yours came out...thanks for the peek..hugs, Julierose

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