~ Laura Ashley Quilt Finish ~

It's done!  This simple Disappearing Nine patch took way to long to complete and way to long to photograph.  How long have I been working on this?  Since the beginning of July!  You can see the original post here where I discuss the pattern source and fabrics pulled.

The quilting went very smoothly.  I used a couple of different size heart templates, one made from paper and the smaller heart in the green squares was a plastic template.  Both were traced using a water soluble blue quilt marker, then free motion traced using Superior Threads 100 wt. White Micro Quilter Thread.  

It's my go to thread because it's strong, light and backtracks beautifully.  Backtracking is when a quilter stitches over the same stitches 2 or more times.  In the image below the arrows are pointing to feathers with 2 layers of stitches.  No heavy thread build up!  The light weight white thread also blends nicely with all colors of fabric.  No need to buy several colors of thread that you may never use again.  Multiple thread colors in one quilt requires changing the thread spool may times throughout the quilting process.  

As with all my quilts the quilting isn't perfect.  Picking out quilting almost never happens in my studio.  Quilt show quality they are not.  

Even with all it's little flaws I still love the feathers and hearts.

Here's one of the reason I can't seem to get anything done these days.  My baby girl, Khaleesi, she has come a long way and doing well.  I'd make her a quilt of her own but she still has a lot of puppy bad habits.  Maybe in a couple years when everything isn't a chew toy! 

#disappearing9patchqal #thecraftyquilter

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~ The Quilt Stare ~

I know I'm not the only quilter with this issue, the quilt stare.  Some of you may be wondering what the heck is the quilt stare?  Well, I think there's more than one type of quilt stare.  The first type is when you have a beautiful bundle of fabric that you absolutely love, it's laid out on your cutting table with the intentions of using it for just the right quilt pattern.  But it can't be just any pattern, it must be the perfect pattern for these gorgeous fabrics.  So you stare at the bundle for hours, occasionally you'll pull a pattern or surf the net for ideas. Until hours later you are still exactly where you started, staring at them.  I've done  this many times with the bundle below.  The stare didn't produce anything but wasted time.  The bundle still sits in my cabinet waiting for the perfect pattern.

The second type of quilt stare happens once you have chosen the perfect pattern for this perfect bundle.  Now it's time to chose the perfect fabric combinations for each block.  Carefully we audition the color combos. Stepping back away from the fabric is a must, making sure those fabrics look right at 2 ft away, 5 ft. away, and from way across the room.  Once you have made the perfect fabric combinations and cut your fabric then comes the third type of quilt stare.  This is happens while you piece the quilt.  I often find myself sewing along not paying any attention to what's going on with my hands and the needle but looking at the fabrics in the quilt.  This is the most dangerous type of quilt stare.  I've had more than one needle in my finger due to being distracted by beautiful fabrics.

On this day I decided to stop, step away to admire my gorgeous simple quilt.  Sigh...florals and polka dots, they make my little ole heart go pitter-pat.   My mind drifts off, imagining this quilt finished, draped over the back of my white rocking chair on the back porch.  A cup coffee and a good mystery book sit on the side table calling me in for an afternoon of relaxation.  Will this ever happen?  Well I may stage this for a photo shoot but actually sitting down to read a book doesn't happen much these days.  Audible books is how I get through a good book.

The fourth type of quilt stare is when the quilt top is complete.  Now it's time to decide how to quilt the quilt.  This is the most common type of quilt stare.   I have quilts tops that have been waiting for years to be quilted because I STARE at them and never come up with a quilting plan.  Are they that great of quilt that I have to have a fabulous quilting design?  Nope.  I'm just picky I suppose.  

Over the years I've learned to put the quilt on the frame even if I don't have a plan.  When I do this it means I'll go with a simple quilting design.  Elaborate quilting designs that need lots of pre-marking can't be done once the quilt is on the frame.  Maybe I can come up with an quilting plan while preparing the backing fabric.  The backing for this quilt will be the scrap leftover from the background fabric and a green print from my Lakehouse Drygoods yardage stash. 

The backing took about an hour to press, trim and piece.  But still no plan has been made for the quilting.

Maybe if I look at from over here.....

....or over here.  Hmm....I'm stumped!

If you need me I'll be in the sewing room in...STARING.

#disappearing9patchqal #quiltstare

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~ Searching for MOJO ~

  Today I'll start down a very unfamiliar path in search of my quilting mojo.  In my 30+ years of sewing and quilting this is the first time I've needed to push myself to do what I love.  It's the strangest feeling.  Everyday I read quilting blogs, quilting Instagram post and scroll through hours of quilting on Facebook but I just can't seem to find the gumption to get back in the studio.   Maybe a quick quilt finish will help build up my mojo.  Honestly I don't even have enough in me to design my own quick quilt.  Quilt math....UGG...not going to happen.  This lack of enthusiasm has spilled over into my entire life.  It's been quick and easy meals, very little housework and absolutely no yard work.  Sigh....time to put on my girl panties, stop the whining and buck up buttercup!  Baby steps, just do SOMETHING! So I did, I pulled fabric for a new easy project. 

I'll be using these fabrics and joining The Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt Along by Julie over at The Crafty Quilter.   Her tutorials are very well written and easy to follow and best of all I don't need to do any quilt math. 

The two Elm Park by Laura Ashley charms are leftovers from a Dresden project(UFO).  This line of fabric is a couple years old but if you do an online search you can still find some of it out there.  Normally I use a bright white background.  For this quilt I've chosen to use a cream print to match the background in the charm pack.  

The colors of the Essential Dots #8654 match the charms almost perfectly.  

The slight color difference in the green and aqua shouldn't be notice able.  And if it is.....back away from the quilt until it looks better!

Of course what's a quilt if I don't include a little Lakehouse Drygoods fabric from my stash.  The pattern in this quilt along calls for 2 consistent fabrics, one being the background and the other is the center of each nine patch.  This line has hints of green in a few of the fabrics in the charm pack.  So I thought a green fabric would work best as the center for my nine patches.

Now to choose which green?  I love them both.  I could use them both. The green below is one of my all time favorite prints from Lakehouse.  I have it in every color.  So dainty and cute.

Which green would you choose?

#disappearing9patchqal #quiltalong #freequiltpattern #lauraashleyfabric #showmethemoda #pamkittyplayswell #podunkpretties #quiltmojo

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