Well it is the last day of January and I am barely getting in my January free motion practice piece for SewCalGal's (see the link on my side bar) free motion quilt challenge. This months practice is leaves. The instructor is Frances Moore and she has many more wonderful tips on her blog. My photo does not show the quilting well, or maybe it is my fabric, but the leaf motifs are fun to do, just think hearts. I am looking forward to spending a little of my sewing time practicing some new quilting motifs and techniques.
I am also participating in the Just Takes 2 quilt from Gay at Sentimental Stitches and Brenda at Dear Jane. I am using a turkey red fabric and only have four blocks done, but my annual winter retreat with my quilting buddies is coming up in a couple weeks and I will be working on the blocks then. The eagle is for yet another quilt that I hope to be working on at retreat, the states quilt.
I am not getting to my new projects because I have been spending most of my quilting time on Bella Garden, I have the appliques all quilted and the water portions finished and am now starting on the background fillers for the center block. Now I can throw in a few leaves here and there thanks to the Free Motion Quilting Challenge :)
Happy Stitching All,
Cheri
I was looking thru my quilt pictures from quilt shows looking for a background filler design for Bella Garden. I came upon this embroidered quilt and remember taking the picture because I liked the way the quilting went right up to but not over the embroidery in the blocks. 
I also liked the way the quilter echoed the embroidered butterflies and posies into the quilting. I think this background quilting looks like water and I think it will be good in the center of the Bella Garden quilt. 
I also came upon this picture, this little quilt was just divided into six sections and a different background filler was quilted in each section.
Just another little idea I need to keep in mind.
I have finished a couple quilts recently and they signal the end of a stage for me. I have closed my little quilting business and sold my long arm machine. The blue and beige quilt is a hidden 9 patch made in all flannels, a nice cuddly quilt for Judy. And the tshirt quilt was made by Donna for a friend. It features tshirts from the college world series, an annual event here in Omaha Nebraska every June. Check out that fun baseball fabric on the borders. 
My son in law brought me this denim quilt his Grandmother made him several years ago. The back and edges were wearing thin and he want me to mend it. We decided to put a new fleece backing on it and to keep it the same as his Grandmother had made, I am tying it with yarn. This is the first quilt I have ever tied and I must admit pushing this needle thru the seams is a little hard on the hands.
I think I am about to put safety pins where I want the ties and then I am going to take it off the tables and continue the tying in my lap while watching some old movies on the television. It is freezing cold here in Nebraska today, 15 degrees, and it sounds good to have this quilt over me while I work on it and put the new binding on it. 
The cross hatched background quilting (described as waffle quilting ??? I had not heard that description before) blended beautifully into the border zigzag echo quilting. 
I always like to figure out the blocks in a quilt, there are 4 different applique blocks in this quilt, can you spot them?
Happy Stitching All,
This was the scene in my sewing room this past week. My daughter came over in need of some of my sewing skills.
It took a bit of arranging, but he finally found the most comfortable spot in the room : )
The onesies turned out really cute, she dyed them first and then came over for my help with
the appliques. These are for two little baby boys whose Daddies are outdoor and sports enthusiast.