Shoo Fly... Don't Bother Me

Its finally finished!  I started this quilt, wow almost 2 years ago for my dear friend Gina in New Mexico.  I decided to hand quilt it so it had to wait its turn.  I started the hand quilting around the beginning of this year and just finished it.  Now its bound and ready to go.  

Shoe-Fly is a traditional pattern, a simple block with sashing and corner stones.  This was done scrappy and the only fabric I bought was the background.  I love how the colors fade in and out.   I used what we call Uglies mixed with bright pretty fabrics.  Uglies give your quilt character and interest.  Scrappy is fun because you can take fabrics that normally don't go together and they look great together. 

So don't throw out those fabrics you think don't go with anything, cuz I'm here to tell you...they will find a place if you do scrappy.  I mean look at the picture below, would you ever think to put those together in a quilt, no not while they are on the shelves.  But thats the fun of scrappy.

The hand quilting was done with a variegated thread.  I heart variegated thread for hand quilting because it gives your eyes something new to look at every 30 secs or so.  

  

The paisley border was a little out of the theme, so I used a woven check for the binding cut on the bias to bring that country look back into the quilt.

This is my favorite hand quilting find.  Clover's Dome quilted needle case allows me to load 10 needles in one shot.  I load 10 quilting betweens on a needle threader, pull the thread from the spool through the needle threader loop.  Then pull one off at a time, cut it and put it in the dome.  Then the next and so on.  Finally you twist the case and the thread gets tucked in the bottom.  It has a little plastic cover to make it kitty proof.  

I can't tell you how many times my WillieNo! ran off with my pin cushion loaded with needles and I had to find needles in cream carpet.  Assuming I remembered how many I had in the pin cushion.   lol...NOT!

Thanks for stopping by and Gina, I Love You Sister, and I'll have this to you in time for your Anni....Birfday.....Ok, Christmas!  Eh-Wheh-Chu!  Squeeze Jade and Pablo for me.  Squeeze em hard.

Love Aunti Nicole

Quilt Bag of Requirement

I thought I felt someone staring at me while I was sewing and I turned around to see WillieNo peeking out from inside my Quilt Bag of Requirement. He's always watching, waiting for........

a lap whatelse. It really doesn't matter whose lap.

When I called my Mom to tell her I finished this bag, she asked "How big is it?"  My response, "Well, its as big as you need it to be".   Thus the name.

I wish I had a Room of Requirement, that had big empty design walls and light from every angle, oh and a hot tub for when I'm machine quilting on my Bernina...and. cabana boy and a chef....  hmmm  Right away please!

I made this bag with fabric purchased from Beyond the Reef http://www.beyondthereefpatterns.com/  last year at PQIF. 

You can find this pattern at http://figtreequilts.com/ My Paris Traveler's Bag. Pattern is easy to follow and the best part is the zipper! Cuz normally we hates the zippers.

Well I just love the bag and it is absolutely huge.  Don't worry I can fill it, you can count on me.

Many quilt stores are giving special perks to shoppers who use their own bags. Last Sunday I was entered in a drawing at The Calico House in Brea, California and the week before in the The Quilting Bee in Orange, California. It would be a great story if I said I won the drawings ;] .... I still might.

Have a wonderful weekend!