Asian Ladies Wholecloth Quilt

This was an interesting project to work on - two ladies came into the quilt shop and fell in love with a piece of yardage.  They each wanted a quilt made out of it, just a simple quilt using the print with a black border and backing.  I figured out the cost, and they said "Let's do it!"

Here is what the finished quilts look like:

All I had to do was add 4 1/2 inch border strips to the outside of the fabric, layer the quilt sandwich, basted, quilt and bind!  Voila!  A quilt in an afternoon.

I did a swirly pattern with black thread.  It was nice not to have to worry about sewing over bumpy seam allowances!

I was hoping my pictures would come out all right - we've been having quite the windy summer here so it is hard to get pictures without corners flapping, or your quilt just blowing off the fence if you are fool enough to try it in the afternoon!

I'm making a quilt nest week that has enough piecing to make up for these plain and simple quilts...another feathered star quilt for a retirement celebration!  This time I will write up instructions.  This one will be for experienced quilters, some y seams and tricky piecing and cutting.  I like a challenge now and then, what about you?

WIP

I can't believe I haven't posted in three weeks!  After spending the  Fourth of July being miserably sick, it seems like I have spent the next couple of weeks working my tail off getting a couple of custom orders completed and not having time for anything else!  I am so excited to have all my big projects done and to be able to work on some projects that I want to work on!  The cat quilt below is a top my sister made for me, and it is my July UFO project.  It is basted and ready to quilt, so I hope to get that finished up this week - this is going to be a lap quilt to take in the car with me on trips.  I just love the cat print and how it is put together - Sis, you did a nice job on this one!

This quilt is a shop sample in my CityScapes pattern.  I wasn't too sure if I really liked the blocks, but once I got the sashing and cornerstones on, I loved it!  This one is up for quilting after the cat quilt, I think I'm going to try doing an overlapping design with boxes.  Should be interesting....

And here is my June UFO Challenge.  Another Asian panel quilt.  This one had plain cornerstones, so was simpler to quilt.  I remembered to add the sleeve before I sewed the binding, so all I had to do was hand-stitch one side of it (wish I would remember all the time, really makes it easier).

Here is the finished quilt!  Came out very pretty and now is available for sale in my Etsy Shop.

Do you do hand quilting?  I still do some, and I have been pushing to get a quilt done that I've been working on for way too long, now.  (Let's just say that menopause is not helpful....between hot flashes and bi-focals, I have had an interesting time adjusting!)  I really do love stitching by hand, it is very calming.  And the results are so beautiful!

I like hand quilting with regular quilting thread.  I really love working with contrasting thread, but not on this quilt, it needs to be more traditional.  I've done some Big Stitch quilting with Perle Cotton, but I thought it was difficult to pull the thread through.  The look was pretty neat, though, and it was really quick to do.  Overall, I'd have to say I prefer the traditional method.  When this one is done I have a green and white Grandmother's Flower Garden to do.  Then I think I'll do one of my own!

No matter whether you quilt by machine or hand, enjoy what you do!  Check out the Quiltsy Team Blog here for more WIP posts, and see what other quilters think about hand stitching.