A Finish and A Start

I have started the Roseville Album quilt. I have gone back and forth with myself about hand or machine applique and finally machine applique has won out on this one. I have such good momentum with the Civil War Bride, which I work on most evenings, I really did not want to start another hand applique project when I can really see the end in sight for the Bride. I do not have as much day time sewing available but I wanted to start on this quilt, I think it will be so nice to work on these bright colors with fall and winter coming. I machine applique with a small blanket stitch and I already have all the threads I need to match the Kaffe Fassett fabrics used in the Roseville album-mostly King Tut variegated thread. I started right in the middle of the quilt with the fruit compote, it is kind of fun to make blue pears.

My finish is the Hawaiian quilt for my son and daughter-in-law, YEA!!! It is a little hard to see the pattern in this photo, the center is fish swimming in a circle with lots of sea coral. The border has more coral, fish, snails, and those cute little crabs right on the corners. I machine quilted it on the Handiquilter and it worked pretty well, I am a newer long arm quilter, it is a little difficult to quilt in the ditch around applique, but the echo quilting went well. I made wider echoes - 1 inch - and did the top and bottom and then one turn on the quilt frame for the two sides.

I am on to prepping block two for the Roseville album, my sewing room was a wreck when I did the first block with fabric cut up like swiss cheese and piles laid out everywhere. I am going to the International Quilt Festival in Houston this year and signed up for a lunch lecture with Kaffe Fassett, can't wait to listen to him. I also signed up for a long arm machine quilting class on borders with Pam Clark and that pretty much did my quilt budget for this time - I have to save some money for the vendors : )

(Thomas and Kaori - I will deliver the Hawaiian quilt when I am in Houston- can't wait to see you guys - Love Mom)

Happy Stitching All...

Cheri