Finish Line: "Katie Loves Chris" and "Love Those Scotties"

I am in love with labels!!  Never a dull label again on my quilts.  :D


2011 Finish #15 is the quilt I made for my sister's wedding (Yes, this was in 2009~!) 

Katie Loves Chris (63 x 63) was pieced, partially quilted, and bound in a timely fashion, but when it came to the freemotion quilting I wanted to do on the Sue blocks, I just couldn't do it. Didn't have the skill yet and couldn't bear to ruin the quilt. Well, I finally bit the bullet and decided to finish it at the level I've acquired so far even though I have a long way to go for uniform stitch lengths, etc. So here she is, all finished! Had to make a heart label, of course! 

This quilt is waaaay different from my own styles. I purposefully chose a block and fabrics that made me think of our grandmother, who made hundreds of quilts and never let a significant event pass in a grandchild's or great-grandchild's life without making them a quilt. But she died a few months before Katie's wedding. This was my way of filling the gap a bit.

The hearts are all different reds, and were trapunto'd as the blocks were assembled. What a pain that was the way I did it! Really worth it, though. They pop out so very nicely. I let someone talk me into using filament thread on the Sue blocks so I wouldn't have to change colors 4 times - you know, to let myself focus only on the quilting. I don't think I will do that again. Convenient, yes, but it just goes against my grain thinking of a quilt with quality cotton fabrics and cotton batting suddenly having plastic thread. 


Anyway, it's completely finished and has its label!!  One more strike off the UFO list.  :)

~*~*~*~

Second quilt: An Oldie But Goody!!  

Love Those Scotties

Hubby's folks are down for a month - they bring their RV and park two miles away at the bay beach by the bridge to the Gulf. As long as I've known them they've had a cute Scottie dog that accompanies them. As newlyweds this adorable skirted friend was Maggie, and she inspired the 1991 Christmas present I made for them. I suggested to Mom that she bring it with them this time and I'd give it a label, so yesterday while the guys grilled, I stitched.

This quilt is a good sofa-sized specimen (58 x 75), made of scottie blocks with faux suede on muslin that are sashed with plaid flannel. Yes, I remember it being a pain to sew with biased sashing, but really, the plaid on the diagonal was the only way to go! The back is muslin - so perfect for this quilt even though I've never chosen it for anything else - and the batting is thicker poly from JoAnn's.






This is hand quilted. Scott even did one of the blocks himself for his mom! I actually had to scan the blocks twice yesterday to make sure I'd spotted the correct block - that's how good a job he did. I'm thinking I'll put him to work with me whenever I get around to hand quilting something for myself.  ;D


The label's made of cotton velvet - so soft and fuzzy.  Hmm - why didn't I take a pic of the current Scottie companion with the quilt?  ::sigh::  Lady Heather of Devonshire (named after our two older girls) would have graced my blog most adorably. . .