Cherry On Top Revisited

 In the last few weeks, I've had some emails inquiring about my Cherry On Top Quilt.  I designed and made this quilt way back in 2013.  The tutorials for it can still be found on my blog.

Before linking to the tutorials, I feel I should mention they were made in 2013 and are not the best quality, I did the best I could at the time.  So I updated them just a bit this weekend. Still not the best quality tutorial but I think they are much better and easier to understand.

  If you make this quilt I would love to see it and share them with my followers!  You can send pictures to my email podunkpretties.gmail.com 

The cherry block tutorial and links for the rest of the quilt can be found by clicking here.

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~ Jane's Cherry on Top Picnic Quilt ~

 Nothing makes my heart go pitter-pat quite like when someone sends me pictures of quilts they have made using my patterns.  Whether it's a free pattern here on the blog or one of my purchased quilt patterns the feeling is the same.  To know that others love my patterns enough to make them fills my heart with so much joy.  Yesterday I was feeling a little overwhelmed with the daily grind when I was contacted by Jane.  She had some questions about my newest quilt pattern Stars and Stripes Forever and then it happened, just what I needed on a stressful day.  She shared some photos of her Cherry on Top quilt.  

Oh what a beauty!  So much love and attention to detail with every hand quilted stitch. 

Can you see the hand quilted cherry?!  Too cute!

Jane found the perfect cherry backing fabric.  

I thought I had every cherry fabric ever made.  Guess I missed this one!  Me and Google will be spending some time together looking for this darling print.

The label was the cherry on top. I love the quote, how sweet is that?!  Margie is one lucky lady to have a cousin who loves her so much.

After seeing these pictures I was recharged and ready to tackle the rest of the day with a little pep in my step.  If you like to make one of these sweet little quilts you can find the link to the tutorial by clicking the image below.   And don't forget to send pictures to my email, podunkpretties@gmail.com.  I love seeing you creations with my tutorials.

#cherryontoppicnicquilt #cherryontopquilt #cherryquiltpattern #cherryquilt #podunkpretties

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Sharing the love Cherries

 It always tickles me pink to get picture from quilters using one of my quilt patterns.  Earlier this week I received this email from Debbie Bunch...

       

  Isn't it just gorgeous?!  The Green border fabric was the perfect compliment to the cherry blocks. 

I love those fussy cut chain blocks!   Then she finished off the quilt with a super sweet edge to edge cherry quilting design.  Thanks Debbie for making my day!

The tutorials for this pattern can be found in the tutorials tab at the top of this blog or you can just click here , here and here.  Of course if you make this pattern or any quilt from one of my tutorials I would love to see them!

~ Lea Anne ~

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Another Cherry on top please!

Nothing tickles me more than to receive pictures of quilts made from one of my patterns.  I just couldn't wait to share this because there's so many things about it that I love.  Made by Jane B. for her cousin who loves red.  Isn't it adorable!

Check out this backing, MORE CHERRIES!  Oh yes I need some of this fabric.

Can you see that HAND quilting!  I'm so envious of hand quilters patience. 

And a special cherry label, I blurred out part of the signature.  You can see more pictures here.  Thanks so much Jane for sharing your quilt with me, you made my day!

The pattern for this quilt can be found here, here, and here, it's a freebie.

~ Lea Anne ~

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She Made My Day!

Nothing makes me smile bigger than seeing a quilt that someone has made from one of my patterns.  Lisa over at Always Home contacted me yesterday to let me know she had a Cherry on Top  flimsy.  Just tickled me pink!

Love her fabric choices!  Hop on over to her blog and see the cute label she stitched up and backing she chose.  As I wandered around her blog and noticed that she has a love for vintage items, lots of eye candy!   Thanks again Lisa!

I must say that this has helped a bit with my quilty rut, don't you just love blog land friends?  Seems they know just what you need.  

So it was back to the studio, and a light bulb came on, an epiphany!  Well at least that's what I thought.  Remember I told you I needed new glasses in order to get an even tinier stitch?  The brilliant plan was to use my magnifying light.  Bad move!  Oh my gosh it was horrible on they eyes to look through.  

Even though the first plan was totally stupid, the lamp did provide the extra lighting needed to see better.

It's a good thing this machine has the ability to program in stitches(not as easy as the book makes you think it is, HOURS of  work). The makers of this machine must have thought that no one needs a stitch this tiny.  And the blanket stitch would take a stitch backwards in between each stitch.  Way to much thread build up.  The machine is  sold as a Quilters machine, what do they know!  The first block stitched was done at 3.5 width and 4.0 long. 

So what does that mean?  Here's a couple of pictures to show you how tiny that stitch really is.  Below is the needle in the white background fabric. 

 and below...it's in the red.  Super tiny!  As tiny as this gal can get it without getting a massive headache from straining the eyes.  Adjusting the speed control to a slow speed also was a big help, this helps with the temptation of putting the pedal to the metal.  The pedal is still to the metal but it's like Grannies Sunday driving.

 TADA!  Yep this is definitely more invisible.  Now lets hope those small puckers wash out.  Could it be the tension causing the puckers? After adjusting the tension over and over this was the best setting.  Switching up needles several times didn't help either.  I can live with it.  It's better and quicker than hand stitching!  There's enough of that in the UFO pile, so this ones getting machined.

Well it's time to put my eyes back on and get to work!

~Lea Anne~

"I am determined to be cheerful & happy in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our unhappiness or misery depends upon our dispositions and not about our circumstances" - Martha Washington

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She made my pattern!

There's nothing like seeing someone make a quilt using your design.  It just tickled me pink.  Can you believe I almost forgot to share this cutie with you?  This is Annelies from Sew Blessed and her Cherry on Top Quilt, that I designed.  SEW CUTE!  Okay so I'm a little bit biased....

You can find the pattern here on my blog under the tutorials tab at the top of the page.  If you've made or are making any of my patterns I'd love to see them, and share them here!  

Lea

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"Cherry on Top" Friday finish

Finally she's finished.  I can't tell you how much I love this sweet quilt.  I designed it after seeing so many new cherry quilt designs this spring.  Obsession doesn't even come close to my love of cherries right now.  Funny though I really don't like eating cherries.   Cherry pie is my least favorite pie, I never eat the cherry that tops an ice cream sundae or milkshake.  But I'll admit that I pick through Lifesavers candy and eat all the Cherry ones first!  

To make sure I get a good picture of a quilt I always take tons of pictures.  Normally I'll get a few bad ones.  The lighting was so good yesterday almost everyone came out great.  So what the heck I'll post them all!

 The Rose of Sharon bushes on Debbie's property are so pretty right now.

I could spend all day in her gardens.  Just so lovely, with so many points of interest.  

 Its so quiet and peaceful, as I'm taking pictures I can here the water flowing in her fountain that's just to my left as I took this picture.

The old farm house in the background was built in the late 1800's.  One of these days I'm gonna get some pictures of the quilt she has that's dated around that time.  Its stunning!

While taking this picture in my minds eye I could see an old lady on this porch sipping ice tea and humming a tune.  Just enjoying her porch swing and a lovely view of the garden.

 Hershel, 75 yrs old(Debbie's husband) was born and raised on this property and has never lived anywhere else.  All the old farm equipment is now part of the gardens.  

 I decided to focus on one part of the yard.  That way when I come back with another quilt I'll have a different backdrop.

 The plan for the quilting was to make the cherries POP.  My longarm takes a normal size bobbin(15).  I used 21 bobbins of white on this quilt!  

 Every time I use this background fill I get questions on how its done, whats the pattern?  Really there's no pattern.  Its just swirls, loops, and the occasional feather coming off the swirls.  Its of my own design, almost a Mctavish, but with  more.

 The red border quilting was achieved by marking equal sections and using circle rulers of different sizes to make the leaves and vines, the little cherries are freehand circles.  And the cherry leaves are also freehand.

 A special thank you to Wallace Farms.

 As I hopped on my four wheeler and was leaving this handsome stud wanted his picture taken!  Now that's a horse blanket!

Well that's all of the pictures!  So what do you think about a tutorial on making this quilt?  Anyone interested?  Just let me know.  I don't want to go to all that effort if no one is interested in  making one.

Until next time "Quilt out of Your Comfort Zone!"

Lea

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