Batik Beauty on the Frame

A quick post to show what I've been busy with this week. 

   

  I thought I'd be done quilting this by now and working on the binding.  Unfortunately, I've been unquilting,  as well as quilting.  It's different quilting for a show.  I'm being extra careful but still noticing imperfections, then wondering if anyone else will see them.   It's a bit of pressure but I'm also very happy to be finishing something of my own.

I'm in the groove now and hope to have it off the frame in the morning.  Next is a customer quilt. 

 Then I have another of my own to finish for the show.  Pictures of that one next time.

Today I'm linking with Design Wall Monday and Quilting by the River Tuesdays (early).    

Design Wall Monday- Batik Beauty

Batik Beauty

I know I have posted about my New York Beauty before, hope you don't mind seeing it again. 

 I'm getting to work on it today because it's entered in the Warwick Guild show in May!  

So, better spend a little time on it between now and May 8th - drop off day. 

Even though I like it like this, a border of the wine color batik will be added as kind of a frame.  I have a few ideas on how I will quilt it but I'm still thinking through designs and enjoying looking at pictures and books for some inspiration.  

Soon I hope to have pictures to share of this all quilted and ready for the show. 

Of course I will take time later to look at all the Design Walls at Patchwork Times and hope you will too.  

Susan

Liebster Award

Yesterday I was thrilled to receive a Liebster Award from Judy at Shade Tree Quilting. 

 Thank you so much Judy for thinking enough of my blog to send this my way.  I truly appreciate it.  Please visit her blog and the other blogs she chose.  

A Liebster is given by fellow bloggers who have fewer that 200 followers.  Although the beginning of this award is unknown, it is believed to have started in Germany.  Liebster is translated to mean favorite, beloved, or dearest.  I think it's a nice way for smaller bloggers to recognized and appreciate each other. 

There are five rules that come with accepting this award.

1. Please thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who awarded you.
3. Copy and Paste the blog award to your blog.
4. Reveal your 5 blog nominees (each with less than 200 followers)
5. Let them know you chose them by posting on their blogs.

Step 4 took a great deal of thought and research.   I usually read blogs on my IPad through  Google Reader so I  don't see all the information on the sides of the blogs.  I really didn't know who has a lot of followers and who had less than 200.  It was interesting to see how everyone has their blogs set up.  Anyway, some of my favorite blogs have more than 200 followers and some didn't show the number of followers at all.
 It was hard to choose just five. Please know that I appreciate all the blogs I follow and everyone who follows me.

  I'd like to present the the Liebster Award to

 Dilly-Dally Days

Sue Daurio's Quilting Adventures

Little Jewel Quilts

Linda's Quiltmania

Tamarack Shack

Please take a few minutes to visit these "favorite, beloved, and dearest " blogs.
 Hopefully they will be pleased to be chosen.
 I wish I could pick more a few more but this award came with rules.

Thanks again Judy

Susan

What's on your Bed?

Bonnie Hunter is hosting a What's on your bed? linky party. 

 It's been going on for a few days and I'm glad I haven't  missed  the deadline.  Our bed is king sized and I haven't made a quilt for it yet    so I'm featuring my daughter's bed.  She usually has a few quilts layered on it depending on the temperature.   I made this quilt for her using Amy Butler fabrics that she picked out and a large, very random, disappearing nine patch pattern.  She wanted it to look modern, not like traditional patchwork.

The rail fence quilt is usually the next on top.  She picked these fabrics and pieced the top with my help.  Yes, I'm trying to get her into quilting.

The next layer used to be on the back of the sofa but somehow ended up in her room. That's okay, because we have other quilts for the sofa.

 and finally her t shirt quilt.  I actually labelled this one. 2008  My first t shirt quilt and one of the first quilts I quilted with my smaller quilting machine.  These are shirts from elementary school years, a beautiful batik and a cosy flannel back.

 I'm joining in at #82 so there are lots of great beds to look at.  Be sure to take a look.

Last but not at all Least.

 I've been been nominated for a Liebster Award!! 

I'm so surprised and thrilled. Thank you so very much  Judy from Shade Tree Quilting for choosing me. More about this award with another post.

About MQX.  I only spent a few hours there this year but it was good. 

 Diane, a good friend of mine, won a blue ribbon! So exciting!  

I was there on Thursday so I looked for Bonnie Hunter, but I didn't see her.  Disappointing.

Enough for now, I'd like to do some piecing.

Susan

Design Wall Monday and Saturday Sewing

 Hope everyone had a good holiday weekend!   

 My design wall is slowly gathering more Four Patch Posie blocks.  

I finally made a decision to use the creamy beige as the inner sashing and got to work on that.  I still like the idea of green for one of the other sashings but I only have a fat quarter of this green.  So I have added more green fabric to my fabric shopping list.  

We spent some time this weekend at our place in Pennsylvania. I have a new to me vintage Singer 301a there and on Saturday I worked on a QOV (Quilts of Valor) project.  I cut it out and started sewing it in January but  haven't touched it since. I did a lot of chain piecing and made some progress.  I am making Bonnie Hunter's Star Struck with fabric I won through a QOV raffle last year at MQX (Machine Quilters Expo).  I was entered because I donated a quilt at the show.  Lucky me.

 I love this machine because it reminds me of the machine I learned to sew with and used when I was very young.  Ours was a beige and cream two toned .  Too bad that machine is long gone.  I found this black one on Craigslist with the cabinet for a good price and it works great. The 301's are similar to a Featherweight without the big price.

This is the beautiful view I had while sewing.  The sun was so nice but don't be fooled, it was chilly outside.  I was cosy warm sitting next to our new pellet stove.  Looking forward to spending more time here as the weather warms up.

Speaking of MQX.  It's this week in Providence, Rhode Island.  The last few years I spent a couple of days there enjoying the show, vendors, and taking classes.  This year it falls on Emily's spring break so I didn't register for classes or make reservations.  She and I plan to go for one day and probably spend the night somewhere around there.  I am always so inspired by the wonderful machine quilting at MQX and wouldn't want to miss it.

Linking with Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday.  Looking forward to seeing all the design wall posts.

Thanks for visiting. 

 Susan

March UFO

Quilt # 8 on my challenge list is a Sudoku quilt. 

 I really didn't work on it this month.  All I did was pull it out of the pile and look at it and think about it.  The top was already finished!   I decided I don't like the backing I bought for it.  Well, I like the fabric, just not with this quilt.  So I will shop around for something new.  Probably a green to go with the sashing.  I've decided I am giving it as a gift in a few months, so now I have a deadline to get to quilted!  I think freehand overall  quilting will be nice on this.  

 

The quilt picked for April is #10.  

That's Bonnie Hunter's Orca Bay Mystery!!! 

 The top is finished and the backing is ready to go!  I am really excited and want to get this quilted.  I loved making this quilt and all the blogging activities that went along with it.   Maybe I will rename this quilt Lakeview.  I had a lot of nice comments whenever I  posted about it.  So many said they thought it looked like a meadow or lake scene.   One of my favorite places is our lake house in Pennsylvania.  I think this quilt may end up living there when it's finished.

I'm linking with the other challengers at Patchwork Times!  Looking forward to being inspired!  

We are celebrating my daughter Emily's 17th birthday today!  

Susan