Curve Master and Marti Michell

Well, a couple of people have asked about how I liked using the curve master foot so here's what I think...I will make another quilt with curves because I used it. I don't think I would have if I had used the pinning method. I am disappointed in the quality of the adapter for my Bernina. I had to buy a whole new set because the adapter was broken when I got it out to use it again, but the foot itself works well once you've read the directions and had some practice. It's quite a bit quicker than pinning.

I also had a pleasant surprise when I opened my email this evening. I moderate all comments so they come to my email before the are posted. I had an email from Richard Michell (of Marti Michell fame) who offered me a free drunkard's path template set from their website. I don't know why, and I was a bit leery at first, but then I thought I'd just give it a shot and trust that it's legitimate. So, I'll let you know if I actually get a template set. If I do, I have another quilt in mind because the one I chose was for 6" blocks so I can use it with my current template and make something completely different!

Drunkard's Path notes

I realized after I wrote a reply to Marilyn, that the drunkard's path quilt used a number of quilting items that had remained unused used for a long time or never used. I used the template set for the quilt blocks for the very first time. The templates are acrylic, very nicely cut, but they have this dumb square handle that is just in the way. You have to apply pressure to templates when you are cutting fabric, or the template slips, and I can't with these because of the handle. I also used my curve master foot that I've had for about 2 years. Well, actually it's a new foot, because the adapter for my Bernina broke, and it is unique to the curve master, not to Bernina, and I used hand-dyed fabric from 2002 that I bought from Ricky Tims when my guild had a class from him. I think that's pretty good for one project.

I'm sewing the binding on the turtles wall hanging, and next I plan to sew it on the Chinese Tiles quilt and then SEND IT OFF! My niece has waited long enough, I think.

I am considering sandwiching and quilting a QOV next, the Greek Keys quilt that has been done for a while.

Marilyn (mentioned above) also sent me to her quilt blog of the week--of a Romanian quilter named Geta. On her blog she made mention of a cool site that generates a palette of colors from a photo you upload. I am such a geek that I like stuff like this and had to try it. Geta challenged her readers to use that palette as a basis for a quilt. I think I might try that, and try to quilt outside my comfort zone. But for the moment, I tried it with this picture and it came up with this palette. Love it!

Drunkard's Path....Done

The top is done, and I like it. Now I just have to figure out how to quilt it. I'm going to put the binding on the Oriental Tiles quilt, and the turtles wallhanging. I'll post picture when I'm done.

Rainbow Drunkard's Path

I chose to do the flying geese border. I ended up using a blue/green batik I had for the thin inner border. I used yet another yard of hand dyed fabric for the flying geese and the same mottled navy for the "sky". The geese ended up much more subdued than the quarter circles in the drunkard's path. It makes the border have a little less punch, and I think that's good. It won't compete with the drunkard's path for attention. I have the two short ends of the border complete and I tried to get a picture, but it's dark and the batteries on my camera are dead--so I'll charge them overnight and then take a picture and post it when the sun comes up.

The hubby said he likes this quilt, so I think I will make it for him. It's funny, but I don't know what he will do with it. He never sits with a quilt across his lap, and it's not large enough for our king sized bed, but--it will be his. Maybe he will want to hang it in his office. That might be fun. I have no idea what I am going to do for the quilting. Any ideas or suggestions?

Drunkard's Path Borders

Well, I've got the main part of the top done, now I have to decide on the borders. What do you think? I think the thin blue inner border would be multi-colored using the hand dyed fabric.

Next...

Next weekend I am going to a friend's house and we are going to have a quilting retreat. I am trying to decide what I want to bring to work on--that's what all this figuring is about.
I have some blue bonnet fabric and I was thinking of a One Block Wonder quilt, but I don't know if I want to do that next. The white diamonds will be more of the blue bonnet fabric. These are just mock ups of the blocks. I wanted to see if there would be enough variety in the fabric to make a OBW. I'm still not sure. I'll come back and look again a bit later.

Then I have some hand dyed fabric that I might make into a drunkard's path--dark blue for the background. This is also a mock up. I took a photo of the fabric and used it in the drunkard's path block I made in MS Paint. I think I like it...
Or--this...I decided to try to change the blocks some in this one. (I know that the quilt is not symmetrical, I had just enough room for this many rows.)

I need to think on this a while and come back later a look again at these.

Turtles Quilted

The quilting is done, now I just have to put the binding on. I am going to be hanging it, so I will use the triangle corner pockets and a couple of bands on the back to hold the rod. I just sort of played around with the quilting--the setting corners are kind of seaweed with turtles and around the turtles I used nylon tread and echo quilting. I hope when I hang it the back doesn't show--it's warm pink with blue and blue dots with green circles in them--I won't show you.

The back isn't very flat, but that's OK because it's going to be against the wall. I'm not sure why it bunched, but I'll live with it.
This picture shows you one of the turtles echo quilted. The triangle at the bottom isn't quilted in this picture, but I used nylon thread and outlined a turtle, then echo quilted there too. I'll get a picture once it's hung.