Double Wedding Ring Quilt

I promised my daughter a double wedding ring quilt when she got married. Being a Quilter herself, she understood there was no way to get it done before the wedding last April. I told her I'd have it done for her first anniversary. Sorry the colors in this picture aren't better. The corner stones are a dark blue floral and a bright yellow.

So far I have all the arcs (400) made and the rest of the pieces cut out. I have attached arcs to the "melons" to make 120 completed melons. I need a total of 189. My goal is to have all the "melons" completed before I go to PIQF on the 14th of October.

In the last few years, instead of taking classes at PIQF, resulting in more unfinished projects, my friend Selma and I take our own projects to work on. When we get tired of walking around the show we go up to our room and sew. I hope to get a good number of "melons" attached to the centers.

I was working on this project at the Diablo Valley Retreat last June. I was anxious to see how it would go together, so put several rings together. Attached is a picture.

PIQF

Just received my letter excepting my "Doctor Doctor, All I see are Quilt Blocks" quilt into the Pacific International Quilt Festival next month. It's the picture posted on July 24th, the one that will be in the Walnut Creek Library in January. This is the first time I've entered a Juried and Judged show. For those who don't know, a "juried" show, is one where your quilts have to be accepted into the show, meaning not all quilts get in.

More Quilting

Have you ever looked at a quilt that you had thought you were finished with and it just didn't look as good as you hoped? Well that is what I've done recently. My "Red & White Wedding" quilt has very nice feathers all over it. With SID around the pieced blocks. But the feathers didn't quite fill in the plain areas and just didn't pop the way I had hoped. The original quilting had been done 2 years ago.

So I put it back on the frame and began quilting again. I added "sprigs" of feathers in the plain areas and put veins in each feather. Also added some curliques where needed. Now, I'm pleased. Now I can say "this quilt is finished". My eye moves around the quilt wanting to look at more. It makes me smile. I can say I'm happy with this quilt. Moral of the story is, that it's never too late to add more to a quilt to make it zing.

One of my favorite quilts will be on display in January at the new Walnut Creek Library. Along with 15 other members of Diablo Valley Quilters. You can check out my quilt on their website: http://www.bedfordgallery.org/cag_schedule.htm.

I encourage everyone to show their quilts as often as possible. Joining your local guild (and we have so many in the bay area)and participating in local shows is very rewarding. It helps promote the art of quilt making. And you don't have to be an experienced quilters to show your stuff.

Happy News

It's been a busy time. My daughter was married to a wonderful man in April. They had a great wedding in southern California and honeymooned in Hawaii. We dog-sat while they were away. Now life has returned to normal.

Been enjoying quilts my clients have brought to me lately. Such a variety of fabrics and patterns. Still have time to take on new clients. I really enjoy helping beginner quilters get their first quilts quilted. There are so many quilting "tricks" that I've learned in my 35 years of quilting, and I love passing them along to newbies!

For those of you who have not visited my website (www.thequiltingco.com), please check out the calendar of events. Seems like there are quilt shows somewhere each month. If you miss one, there's always another to check out.

So Many Quilts So Little Time

Isn't that what all quilters think? Right now, it's how most of us longarm quilters feel. Need to get all those client quilts done for the holidays...not to mention our own.

Just finished two small scale double wedding ring quilts for my great-niece and nephew. I'll post

pictures as soon as I can. They are both hand appliqued and hand quilted. Each measures 7 X 5 and are mounted in the shadow box frame. My husband teased me about putting them on the longarm machine. The first time I made one of these was back in 1994 as part of the Diablo Valley Quilters Quilt Show challenge. The small double wedding ring along with an Ohio star quilt where part of a whole quilt. They were actually being hung on a clothesline three dimensionally. I won my first First Place Ribbon for that quilt. It hands in my living room.

My daughter is getting married in April. She has always wanted a king size double wedding ring quilt. I actually started piecing the rings a few years ago. Need to find time to get it out and finish it. The question is how to quilt it. More than likely it will be partially quilt by machine and part by hand. I let you know how the progress goes.

Too Hot to Quilt

Don't know about the rest of the States, but here in Northern California, we're having 100* + weather.

Even though I run a Long Arm Machine quilting business, I've always loved to hand quilt. A tip for you hand quilters for summer time quilting. If you are using a lap frame or a hoop on a stand; work in front of a table. Place the bulk of the quilt on the table and place a fan under the table. Keeps most of the weight of your quilt off your lap. And cool air on you.