Table Runner

Dana made this beautiful table runner based on instructions from Carol Taylor http://www.caroltaylorquilts.com/QuiltPages/architecture/architexture.htm

The pictures give you an idea but it is gorgeous in person.  I definitely want to make one.  Please note the pics aren't the best quality....I caught her off guard at guild and snapped a couple quickly.

Guild on the third Tuesday of the month

I have guild meeting tonight.  It is always inspiring to be able to see what others are working on, and to hear the speakers.  I am finishing the binding on my scrap quilt from the block exchange.  Judy from my bee, and I will show ours together.  Lema from my bee has her top done but not quilted.  Next week, maybe I can post pictures of all three.  It is amazing how different they look even though we have the same components and many of the same fabrics.

I will be travelling tomorrow and not back until Sunday.

 I need to get cracking on my mini quilt for the swap.  I had hoped to make progress last weekend, but I got sidetracked.

Mini Quilt Swap

I am participating in a mini (not minature) quilt swap with some of the quilters on the APQS forums.  I just received my quilt today.

I really like it!  The quilting is awesome, beautiful feathers, some leaves and some fillers.  I like the color and design.  It was made for me by Monika.  This is a link to her blog:  http://www.quiltloversnews.blogspot.com/

It is so fun to receive a quilt made for me!  I hope the person I am making a mini quilt for likes hers at least half as much. 

practicing

I purchased my longarm quilting machine August 2009.  This year I upgraded to the APQS Bliss system which makes it glide smoother.  I also got a new hopping foot.  The hopping foot that came on my 2003 Millenium was very thin and not suitable for ruler work. 

Having the longarm is a wonderful tool, but there is, at least for me, a big learning curve.  August -  December 2009 I quilted 18 quilts.  Many of those quilts were small donation quilts that others had pieced.  This year I have only quilted 4 quilts, so I want to get back working on quilting to improve my skills.

A couple weeks ago, I decided I needed to learn a new free hand design.  I reviewed all my longarm dvds and decided to practice Nicole Webb's bottoms up hearts.  I have a couple dvds of hers, but I also saw this posted on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JzHGWwZ2bg

My first attempts looked more like droopy, sad hearts.  I have learned from many other quilters, that it is important to draw on paper to practice.  I practiced on a piece of muslin also.

I have also loaded a practice quilt, so below is my 5th quilt for this year.  I am doing the bottoms up hearts in the blue border, but they don't show up in the pictures.  I am getting better.

It is a simple 9 patch.  It will be a donation quilt.  The feathered square wreath is a Patsy Thompson stencil. http://www.patsythompsondesigns.com/   I just freehanded the swirl in the center.