Quilt Show entry: Starburst and To The Rescue

Good Sunday and Happy Father's Day!

I didn't have time to post, but Tuesday on the way to work, I entered two of my recent quilt finishes in the Peteetneet Quilt Show in Payson, Utah. It is a small, non-juried show put on by our local Peteetneet Arts Council. Peteetneet was a local Indian chief who lived in this area with his tribe when the LDS pioneers settled in this area around 1850's I guess. They named the first school after him, and that big school is still standing and is the local "museum" and artsy events are held there.

I entered Starburst in the baby quilt category, and To The Rescue in the wall-hanging category. You should have heard the coos from the quilt ladies gathering the entries, as they saw my paper-pieced fire trucks!

It doesn't seem like I've been quilting much, but I have. I just haven't had time to share. I'm on a second round of antibiotics for a sinus infection, and I've been working a lot of swing shifts and grave shifts--like last night: 6 pm to 6 am. I'm awake now and cleaned up at 4:30 pm, but only just functional. I did stick a roast and potatoes in the crock pot before I went to bed this morning, and frozen rolls are thawing on the counter, so the house smells wonderful. Dinner shouldn't be too much work now.

I was able to get three more blocks cut for my Swoon.

I was able to get the Dresdens assembled, appliqués, and the ring sewn onto Maltese Dresden. It's growing and looking great!

Whew!

I believe that I finally have all the quilting finished on my Starburst!! Yay!

I kept taking breaks for life, work, and inspiration. Inspiration came in the form of Angela Walter's Craftsy class "Machine Quilting Negative Space", since this design has such large, beautiful negative spaces that need filling. 

I decided on my favorite motif, Follow Your Dreams (www.quiltstencils.com) in the center of the star, corners, and small corners in between the burst points. Then I used a sweet Passion Flower motif in the triangles around the small Follow Your Dreams. I settled for wavy lines from the center star out through the burst points, to stretch and help the points "burst" outward. My favorite fill from Angela's class was the spirals, and it was pretty easy to pick up after lots of practice sketching on paper with pen. Also, I've done spirals before. 

Then I continued the spiral in continuous lines down the side borders and next to the inside off the top and bottom border. I used my favorite continuous flower in the centers of the top and bottom border. They just don't show up well, since this gorgeous purple orchid print is so busy and shaded.

Now my machine is switched to a piecing foot, the binding strips are cut, but joining the strips and trimming the quilt will have to wait until tomorrow. Goodnight all!

A Week's Worth

Gee, it seems like I've barely been able to squeak a post a week lately, huh?

I've been busy, but with a lot of WIPs. I guess I haven't felt like I've made a lot of progress on my WIPs. I need to keep stopping to get supplies and wait for $ to get them.

Oh yeah, and my little guy is finally potty-training, and he's doing awesome! That's been taking quite a bit of my time, but he's managing to do most of it himself! He's the one with Autism.....just like so many other skills, it seems he takes forever to learn something or catch on, and then suddenly a switch is flipped, the lights come on, and he just does something!!!! So proud of him!

I kept myself busy while my hubby was in Vegas for the NASCAR race. I was busy making continuous bias strips and weaving knots for the Quilt U Be Mine borders.
Then it took me several days to fudge and fit my way through adding my final blocks, and also the background fabric to the quilt for those borders. I was so frustrated! I have decided that I'm not a modern quilter because my style is not helter-skelter, fit and fudge and tweak and throw it down. I hate all that. I like everything precise and balanced, and execution and good quality work is super-important to me! Even, balanced, and accurate seam allowances are a must. I might try new things, and learn some tips and tricks to help me, and I might incorporate some techniques or designs that are considered contemporary.

Anyway, when my hubby got home from Vegas, he took a look at the knots, and told me I needed fabric with more contrast for the corner knots. Grrrr. If thats the case, then more fabric needs to be bought (and more bias made!!!) since all the fabric I used for the Quilt U Be Mine was really close in tone and shade (medium reds and darker burgundy). He also told me I just should have used two alternating colors in very contrasting reds, so the knots would "pop" a bit more. Yeah, maybe he's right in all counts, but I'm doing my best to use fabric I have, and not buy more. Surely he appreciates that!

And then I was making continuous bias binding for the fire truck quilts.

Tonight, I got the back pieced together for the Starburst. Whew! That's all I got to, tonight.

I also made a little stencil with a firefighter Maltese cross, and I will hand-quilt the cross in the corner posts of the fire truck quilts. LOL to myself. I used the graphic from my hubby's department T-shirt to trace and copy, then traced it onto stencil plastic and cut out the stencil with my Fiskars craft knife. I call that being creative, because the graphic in the T-shirt was the perfect size for the posts!

Starburst Quilt-Along Finished Top

Hi! Feels like a long time since I posted. I went to the doctor, have a sinus infection, and thank goodness for antibiotics ! I just haven't had any energy with all the congestion and headaches to be able to get anything quilty done.

But I finally picked out and fixed the borders on my Starburst Quilt Along tonight. I think it looks much better! I really just need to buy batting and I can start quilting this baby quilt! (ok maybe some purple machine quilting thread)

Ooooh, and I received the rest of the Cuzco that I ordered! Thanks, Stash Fabrics!

Starburst Quilt-Along--Making Blocks

Hi!
The rest of this week, after the big Valentine's reveal, was a little bit calmer. Thursday and Friday:
1-- I started the continuous binding square for the fire truck quilts
2--I cut out and started piecing some more kisses and hugs blocks
3--finished cutting the continuous binding prep for applying/making fusible bias for the Celtic borders.
4--finished sewing the binding and label on the yellow and gray baby quilt, and took pictures!

I'm so proud of myself for a Sunday night!
I finished the center star for the Starburst Quilt-Along last week. So tonight, I put together the side burst units, and pieced and matched and pieced and matched, and Ta-Dah!
I finished the Starburst!
Now I just need to add some border and purchase some batting, and I will be prepared to make it a big block baby quilt!
Whee!