Jeanette’s Vintage Hankie Quilt

A lovely customer of mine recently asked me to machine quilt her Vintage Handkerchief Quilt.  This was a custom longarm job, and I love how it turned out!

Jeanette first backed the hankies with white cotton before applique’ing them onto the larger white blocks.

Even the back of the quilt is pretty:

Jeannette’s hankies belonged to her grandmother.  What a sweet reminder of this special person!

Alphabet quilt

Here’s another quilt by one of my customers that you all love!  Her alphabet quilt was made for her new grandson.  I wasn’t able to get a full view of the quilt, but here are some of my favorite blocks:

The redwork is so finely done, that another customer who saw the quilt on my longarm thought that the redwork stitching had been done by machine.  Beautiful work, Karen.

So as not to distract from the redwork designs, I chose to quilt a simple echo using white thread; this holds everything in place while giving prominence to the redwork stitching.

Check out the size of these feathers!!

Each corner of the quilt featured a variation of this block.  Whimsical hearts fit the block as well as the sentiment behind the quilt!

Each block was unique in it’s setting, so I chose a couple of different quilting designs which related to each other, and designed each block separately!

Meghan’s Fairy Quilt

My youngest niece is currently crazy for fairies, and I was thrilled to make her a girly Fairy quilt for Christmas.

I found a Fairy panel at Quilt Ventura, my local quilt shop, and it was simple to border the panel with some Robin Pandolph fabric until I arrived at the size I needed.

I wanted a very cuddly quilt, so I used Minkee for the back, and I didn’t use any batting.  I quilted fairly lightly– just some feathery fill in the background, some outline quilting around the Fairy children, and some ditch stitching in the border.  I would have loved to do more, but alas, I had very little time to finish the quilt and get it in the mail!

I hope my niece likes it as much as I like her!

Triple Irish Chain quilt

One of my customers asked me today if I have any season busier than another for my quilting business.  After thinking it over, I realized that I have a fairly steady stream of loyal customers; I get to visit with them a couple of times a year, when they bring me their treasured quilt tops to quilt.  Some seasons I’m busier, but that’s due to my own craziness added into my mix!

Here’s a quilt I finished recently for one of my loyal customers.  This was a very large quilt that filled my machine space from edge to edge!

Here’s a close up of the plain alternate blocks in this triple Irish chain quilt:

Here’s a close up of the continuous curve quilting I did in the “chains”:

One day, I’ll figure out a system to photograph more of the quilt.  For now, you’ll have to put up with my close-ups, Mr. DeMille!

Romance in the garden (a quilt)

I take the photos.  Why do I procrastinate and not upload them for you?

Here’s some closeup photos of a recent customer quilt.  This is one of my more prolific quilters who enjoys softer beach-y colors.  This was from a pattern she called Romance in the Garden, although I can’t find any pattern online that looks quite like it (sorry!)

I chose to quilt whimsical feathers and fun spirals as the client is rather free spirited than traditional.  Had the fabric been more traditional, a background of crosshatching with formal quilt feather motifs would have been right at home on this quilt.

Close up of the applique block:

Close up of the feather block (the setting triangle is quite similar to this full version):

End of the blog drought

It’s been so long since I’ve posted, and so I owe you all an apology.  I’ve been burned out, pure and simple.  My fourth grader had a huge project, complete with a California Mission model:

For those of you with sharper eyesight than mine, may I point out the Frankenstein-esque earthquake fault line artistically drawn to the right of the door?  This mission (Mission Santa Cruz) had a very bizarre history, which made for fun research for a 9 year old boy.  The mission flooded, then was hit by 3 earthquakes, was raided by a French pirate, and had its Padre hanged by the neophytes (not to get all political on you, since this is an art blog, but this is not the proudest moment in California history).  This last bit– plus the fact that the dead Padre received California’s first autopsy– really caught DS2′s attention.  Look closely at the tree behind the mission.  That’s a noose swinging on the tree.

And you wonder why I’m tired?

and then my sixth grader had a huge project for his science class.  He researched driving distractions (uh, that would be 4th and 6th graders, sitting in the backseat, wouldn’t it?) and was chosen to present his “findings” at the Ventura County Science fair.

And you know who had to keep everyone on task, don’t you?

Plus, customers quilts, track season started (this is a big deal in the Italo household, since Dad is a Master Track runner on Team USA.  Double that deal– Mom is the Secretary AND Treasurer of the Ojai team– hah!  top that, DH!), my mother moved to town for the winter, and I had my first lecture to a big guild in January.  Phew– I’m getting tired just remembering it all.

Let’s leave all the news behind for now.  Here’s some long overdue eye candy for you.

One of my fav customers is a prolific piecer.  She lives at the beach, and her color palette reflects the soothing nature of her surroundings– pale pinks, blues, greens, taupes, creams.  Recently, she brought me this whimsical tulip applique top.  She plans to give it to one of her girls, so I brought out the feminine feathered hearts and swirls:

I’ve never figured out how to photograph the whole quilt, so this small segment will have to do!

Below is a close up of the freehand feathered heart I quilted into each alternate block.  For you non-quilters, a plain unpieced/unapplique’d fabric square can be sewn in between the pieced/applique’d squares to highlight the overall pattern.  These plain squares are referred to as “alternate blocks”.  The heart:

Below is the swirly fill I did to highlight the tulip appliques.  I did stitch around the outside of the flower, as well as along the seam separating the two parts of the flower– this served to puff out the applique.  Quilters call this “faux trapunto”!

I have more photos to share, more news to tell, but for now, I’m off to make dinner!  Enjoy, and thanks for sticking with me through this blog drought!

Quilt photos!

Before I began my weekend, I posted a list of work I wanted to accomplish by Monday. I have always kept lists but posting them for the world to see was a new concept for me! I didn’t mind if you saw the list, it was the thought of owning up to the lack of cross-offs that kept me hopping all weekend! I had quite a hefty weekend to-do list, but I did get through quite a few of the items. Thanks for keeping me busy!

Here is the original list, crossed off and commented on appropriately!

• finish Nancy’s quilt I was able to finish quilting this beauty this morning, took photos, and took it to UPS for overnight delivery.
• over-dye the fabric sitting in a pile in my studio I dyed fabric like a maniac for much of the afternoon Sunday. I didn’t finish all of the fabric because I ran out of tubs. I did try a few new tricks I learned online and through some dye books. I’ll share photos and tips and
• sites in an upcoming post!
• 
• dye some more fabric for flower appliques ditto the above comment!
• get some fabric rusting I’ve got a couple of yards of fabric happily rusting away. The weather is even cooperating– it warmed up considerably today. I also found some fabric in a zip bag that is kind of goopy looking. I think I wrapped the fabric around some pineapple slices to see what would happen. I might be afraid to open this bag…. I’ll let you know if I gather up the courage. First, I should probably don a haz-mat suit….
• take photos of more bracelets and scarves for my etsy shop well, like I said, I tried to get it all done… These bracelets are tough to phototgraph. I did make a stab at it, and I’ll keep trying!

My loveliest accomplishment was finishing Nancy’s quilt. For those of you who don’t know, one of the hats I wear is as a professional longarm quilter. A longarm quilting machine is like a stretch limousine sewing machine– a domestic sewing machine has a 9 inch throat, my machine has a 30 inch throat. It sits on wheels atop a 12 foot x 4 foot table. I can pin an unquilted top and back to the table and quilt the top by moving the machine over the fabric instead of moving the fabric under the machine. It’s wonderful! My machine’s name is Phoebe.

You can find me in my studio, quilting for customers on any given day. Recently, Nancy sent me a beautiful silk quilt she had embroidered. Nancy is the owner of Sew Slip, a company which manufactures a slick surface to make free-motion sewing a breeze. Luckily for me, she likes me to quilt her large quilts!

Here are some photos of the finished quilt, all done freehand, with some freehand ruler work.

Above is a photo of almost the full quilt– I couldn’t get the side scalloped borders in the frame. Any wobbliness of the quilt is due to the wind, not quilt issues!

This is a closer view of the center panel. I have to say bravo to all you quilters who make cross hatching seem so effortless. Take my word for it– cross hatching is tough!!

Here’s a closer view of the outer border, which Nancy will cut into scalloped edges. The shadow at the lower left is my camera hand. Notice the elegantly lifted pinky finger! We are nothing if not elegant here at Wild Onion Studio!

This is a close up of one of the beautiful embroidered motifs from the outer cream panel. The large pink flower is trapuntoed. Can you see it? In person, it’s beautiful!

Look for the quilt in person this weekend at the Seven Sisters quilt show in San Luis Obispo, CA and again at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, CA. Nancy is a busy lady, and I’m sure this quilt will travel to many more shows around the country!