Quilting and More Quilting

 I am in the middle of a quilting frenzy. Not in a bad way. 

Now that the "secret sewing" is done, and the taping of The Quilt Show is behind me, I have started lots of basting and quilting of tops that are ready to be finished.

Just a taste:

A NEW class to be taught locally at a NEW shop September 26, It's a Puzzle:

Another NEW class, to be taught October 10, Cobblestones: 

The back of Cobblestones: 

Yesterday, I started this--Afternoon Delight--Small Sample, made with demo blocks from the blog. So far I have stitched in the ditch with Microquilter thread, stitched around all of the Shoo Fly blocks, and echo quilted two of the applique blocks. Next up is a switch to red thread to quilt diagonal lines through the Double 9 Patch blocks:

Every time I baste a quilt, I prepare a small test sandwich with the same fabrics, top and bottom, and the same batting, so I can test thread color and tension before quilting the actual quilt: 

A good tip: use a busy, printed back if you don't want every wobble or oops to show: 

Yesterday I made this 9 patch top, nine 12" blocks, to use for Natalia Bonner's "9 PatchALong" using her mini 4-in-1 tools---I have both of them and want to learn to use them better. The sashing here is 1.5" finished, I wish I had made it 2" finished. She is quilting a printed panel you can buy--I have a sinful amount of fabric so dug into my Amish solids boxes. The Patch-A-Long is free and will run for 5 weeks, twice a week, Tuesday and Thursday--find it on YouTube, or her website or Facebook page: 

More basting, Stars and Stripes, a Quilt of Valor:

The next to be basted, Patriotic Pineapple, another Quilt of Valor:

And the next to be basted after that, "Janet's Happy Village", a top by my friend Janet. I will use this fantastic fabric I also got from Janet--it was the perfect size for the back of this quilt so I changed my original plan to make the village smaller:

One other finish, a donation quilt, one of the 50 of Janet's project quilts that the Sunday Sew and Sews are finishing for her. This Sunday we will present the 50 completed quilts to Janet's daughter and she will get them to the organizations which will receive them:

I still find it a little sad that I have no airplane rides booked currently, but that will change in the future, lots of contracts are being written for future travel. In the meantime, I keep happily busy in my studio.

Let's quilt,

Barbara