Last Post for 2016

Welcome! It seems the  Jolly Ole time when bloggers far and wide are publishing their final post as the  year comes roaring to a full stop. So now it is my turn...............................

Sharing the last customer quilt for 2016! Jean's Sue Spargo "Magnolia" quilt. Jean bought this as a kit from Houston, complete with all the luscious wool's, fabrics and ribbons. Jean has been a secret follower of my blog for sometime and informed me she wanted to let me be the one to 'let loose' on her quilt...............very exciting!

Jean likes detailed dense quilting and these folk-style type quilts suit "free" motion quilting..........aka: quilt doodling. Once all the SID was completed it was on with the fun stuff - SID is a bit like flossing your teeth you know it needs to be done but it isn't much fun!

There were a few sections on the border that didn't have any applique so I found a nice heart template as a base, then filled the middle in with micro stipple then quilting doodles surround it to make the heart pop. This type of quilting so so fun, it's free and liberating but I always get fooled by how hard it is on the body to do.

Below the house on the middle of the quilt are two birds, I made a paper template of the bird and traced with chalk on two spots on the border once again not having any applique. As with the hearts I quilted several times around the shape then for the birds I gave them feathers on their wings........well how else will they fly?

When Jean posted me the quilt, she also sent the backing fabric and wool batting, which always gives nice texture and dimensions to the quilt. The only issues I had with this quilt - other than NOT wanting to give it back! was the thickness of the woolen seams................

Other than my 'Deloa's Appliquide' and a straight ruler for SID and for the straight lines seen here on the 'grass' everything was free motion/ hand guided, no computers...........cause I don't have one!

Jean has further embellishing to do now the quilting is complete, I wonder what it will be?

Now how about some attention to the back? A lovely olive green print, from memory it was by Free Spirit?

Thanks ever so much Jean for entrusting me with your amazing quilt. this will bring many hours of enjoyment for you I'm sure.

             Some of you have been asking where is Simon, well he has temporary job...................

Some much work and soooooo little time is what he told me, but then here he is laying down on his Biscornu, perhaps being a stand in Reindeer takes it's toll................???

I want to thank all the visitors to my blog and Facebook page, thanks for your words of encouragement and delight in what I do. Thanks so much all of it means so much to know even though I am at home all by myself quilting away you are there, waiting and interested in what I am doing and have to say! A huge thank you to my lovely customers who keep coming back, handing over your precious creations to have a coating of 'icing/frosting' (quilting) sprinkled on top, I wouldn't be here without you!

See you again in the New Year with more scrumptious quilts and perhaps a sprinkling of other things.