Quilted not bound

     I have been able to only get two quilts done on the longarm. I have so many to do. These two are done, but need binding. I usually wait until I have at least 3 until I bind them because to drag fabric choices out, cut, iron, and glue- it is easier in groups.
     The first is one made from blocks that were in a bundle of scraps and fabric donated to me.

The back- the stripe is actually bright pink, not orange

Detail of quilting by block on back

     The next one is Bright Birches, using made fabric for the strips. I varied the quilting the long way, using a pattern for each long space from top to bottom, and then using a different pattern for the next long space after the Birch strip.

Details of quilting 

Details of quilting 

Details of quilting 

Back of quilt

Bright Birches- Made fabric and sparkling solids

     At our guild's quilt retreat last weekend, I was able to sew all the blocks for Bright Birches. I had previously sewn made fabric, pressed it with spray starch, and cut it to the sizes I wanted. Skinnier is better. I cut and inserted the strips to make the block. 
    The solids were 10" to start and I was able to trim them to 9 3/4". I wish the blocks were about 2" bigger. These were the only solids I had- I was given this stack by a guild friend, so this had to be the size. 
     I would really like to make another using 12" squares, but how do I get thirty different 12" squares of bright solids without buying yards and yards of fabric? Hmm. This quilt has a happy look to it.

On the design wall

All sewn 

Lots of miscellaneous stitch ramblings

    Sometimes, the way my brain works, I can only work on something for not very long, when I have to stop and change because my thinking is racing somewhere else. Yesterday was like that. My husband was due to arrive at the airport from a business trip at 5 pm, but did not arrive until 1:30 am and I had to make an airport run with toothpicks to hold my eyes open. Which means I never knew, minute by minute, when his flight would be a reality. So, I skipped around trying out some ideas.
    First, I spent a couple of hours quilting Circle Dance and am about half way. Just lugging queen size quilts through the machine is wearing. Here it is in a heap on the machine.

    I fell in love with a pattern I saw in the Keepsake catalog, but I hardly ever buy kits. I found the pattern on Craftsy, Bright Birches. I probably could have figured it out, but I bought it because I always think everyone else is much smarter. I was disappointed to see the blocks were from 15" blocks. This is not a size I have a lot of different colors in. However, I had some 10 x 10 solids, and pulled them out. I tried one block. I love to sew small scraps by chain stitching and then cutting them into useable fabric. Here is one block. I will have 30, 5 X 6 arrangement.

      I had bought a small Lemoyne Star template from Victoria Findlay Wolfe at QBL in July. I had cut out a star with made fabric and it was sitting on the wall. So, last night, I pulled out fabric for the edges. When I had sewn it together, I realized that the background fabric was so busy, that the star disappeared. So much for working past my bedtime. So, I ripped it all apart and used the yellow scraps. Much better. Because the autofocus went south on my lens, I did not take a picture of the wrong fabric. I am using manual focus which is just about impossible to get right. In my old film camera, the center for focusing were prism rings that came into focus when it was right. This Canon Tli has none of that. I have emailed a few places about repair costs, but no one answers me so far. So, I apologize for blurry photos.

This is about 20 x 20. I am wondering if I can just add border ideas to make this lap size. I have no more of this particular yellow to make more background for other stars. Or would it matter?

    I also continued to polish Grandma's 66 and am making slow progress. There is a shine that emerges. Yay for TR3 and elbow grease and cotton balls.
     Lastly, someone generously gave me scraps that were triangles of pumpkin/fall fabric. I sewed the triangles into squares and made a small quilt/table runner. I have finished FMQ it on my 301. It just needs a binding. My daughter in law loves fall decorations, so it will probably go to her. Just love using up those precious scraps.

it is about 14 x 20