Log Cabin Trees... continued

I feel really honored that the gals from Missouri Star Quilt Company have chosen a couple of my patterns to feature in recent tutorials, including the Log Cabin Tree Skirt pattern (previous post)!  

Kathryn's Star Quilts

A Carpenter's Star

My friend Kathryn makes a quilt for each of her grandchildren, and she's got a bunch!  She has them

Cheryl's Winter Stag

A little custom quilting for Cheryl - Isn't this Winter Stag stunning?  Love the beautiful layout of

A Deluxe Denim Quilt

You guys!  I just finished this beast-of-a-quilt, and it is gorgeous, even for denim!

I don't normally do commission quilts, in fact, never.  I don't have time.  But my sister had a friend who begged to have a quilt made from all his old Levis.  I quoted a price that I figured would change his mind, and he accepted!  Now, I just needed about 50 hours to do it.

Design Challenge: Ypsilon Illusion Quilt

New PATTERN:  Ypsilon Illusion Quilt, 64" x 82" by. Deonn Stott

Ypsilon Illusion Quilt, 64" x 82"

My local quilt guild issued a Design Challenge this past year, and I was excited to play along!  

THE CHALLENGE:  Make a quilt using the following criteria:  

Oh, My Stars, Marthie! That's Good Pie!

Oh, My Stars! (& Garters) 24" x 24" Topper, 
featuring Give Thanks fabric by Sandy Gervais for Riley Blake Designs

Finished quilting this sweet little topper, just in time for Thanksgiving!  

I was recently reading a story about my great-grandparents.  Grandma Martha was an excellent cook, and Grandpa Henry was quoted as saying, "My stars, Marthie!  That's good pie!"  I don't often make pies, and this year's pie was a frozen Marie Callender's that you bake at home, but it tasted good too! 

Haulin' Stash: RBD Licensed CAT® Buildin' Crew Fabrics!

Time to Haul Stash!

Kelli Fannin's "Haulin' Stash" quilt pattern, 78" x 80",

featuring CAT® Buildin' Crew fabrics - CATERPILLAR® - Licensed fabrics 

for Riley Blake Designs;
made by Debbie Proctor, quilted by Deonn Stott

Invisible Binding Tutorial

Purple Aurora Dream Big Digital Printed Panel

Every once in a while, there comes a need for a quilt NOT to show a binding around the edge.  For example, with these Dream Big digitally printed panels that are so popular these days, the design continues off the edge, so to speak, and a binding may interrupt that design.

Mary Elizabeth Project Tour!

Nestled Stars Quilt by Deonn Stott  ~ Pattern available in digital format HERE, and hard copy HERE

Awww.  This is the sweetest material!  So glad I could have a chance to play with this new line:  
Mary Elizabeth by Christopher Thompson for Riley Blake Designs.

Fossil Rim Blog Tour ~ A Dino-mite Baby Ensemble!

Sometimes, the cutest fabric comes along, and you just gotta make stuff!

Baby Ensemble made by Debbie Proctor & Deonn Stott

As the Fur Flies... Quilts & Comforters

I love the texture and feel of cuddly plush fur fabric, a.k.a. "Minky".  This soft-as-mink (hence the name) polyester fabric is finding its way in to more and more quilts.  I'm guessing the name "minky" is now synonymous with all brands of this type of product because that was the first brand available - much like we call all tissues "Kleenex".   There is a huge variety of colors, designs, textures, stretchiness and quality of this stuff.  I especially love it for backing on baby quilts and lap throws, as it comes 60-inches wide.  My preference is Cuddle Soft - I can always find the color I need, and can depend on the quality.  It's not as stretchy as other brands I've tried, so it works beautifully for longarm quilting.  That sounds like a commercial - but as always, it is my own, unsolicited opinion. And kids (big kids too, lol!) just can't keep their hands off!  Here are some samples.

Finding "Mo"Jo

A couple of months ago, I introduced you to "Mo", my new-to-me Gammill Classic longarm quilting machine with a computerized Statler Stitcher system.

Because I bought it used, it came pre-loaded with hundreds of designs.  My girls and girlfriends have made some great strides in getting to know this little gem of a machine.

Lauren wanted to make quilted ukulele cases.  (I know, cool!)  This is her ukulele, hand-made by her father-in-law - I think it is stunning!

She is making cases for her husband's and his brother's ukuleles too.

We quilted out 3 yards of fabric using Soft & Stable foam stabilizer for the batting:

Lolly's Flowers

(back)

 

Ry's Turtles:

(back)

 

  Parker's beach:

 

(back)

Chelsea used the same process and quilted a cute panel to some Soft & Stable for an adorable bag. We also disengaged the belts for a little freemotion doodling...

You can check out her finished bag at 3rDegreeBakery.

I love the fact that we can push a button and the machine does all the heavy labor!  Oh, this is fun!  It can really produce on those edge to edge designs.

My friend Debbie and her daughter knocked out the quilting on their RBD design challenge quilt for HMQS in a matter of a few hours.  I'm working on a schedule to rent out time on the machine.  More details later!

Here's the back!

 Lovely!! 

Zircon Crystals 

This pretty quilt, along with a couple dozen more challenge quilts, mine included (see it HERE), were auctioned at the Home Machine Quilting Show in Salt Lake City earlier this month, raising nearly $7000 for this year's charity, Family Promise.

And we're finally whittling away at that stack of UFOs that have been waiting for the quilter (me) for the past ten years since I first bought Ol' Betsy!

Nicole's Star Medallion Quilt is coming along nicely!

Worked on a few charity quilts - this one will be donated to Quilts of Valor.

We're enjoying this machine, experimenting and getting to know Mo a little better.   Even my dear husband wants to try!

Meanwhile, Ol' Betsy is still going strong, as busy as ever on custom freemotion quilting for clients.  Yep, it's a quilted world around here!

HMQS giddiness... "It's Magic!"

It's time for the Home Machine Quilting Show here in Salt Lake City next week!!  Woohoo!

This is my 6th year on the HMQS board - what a crazy, fun, great bunch of gals!

I'm a little giddy, getting ready for the show.  Here are a few reasons this is my favorite, most exhausting week of the year:

1)  Working as a volunteer to scribe for the judges - Not only do I learn so much from being scribe, but it lets me get up close and personal with amazing, inspiring quilts.  I have been known to cry over quilts, they're so incredibly beautiful and tell such a story.

"America, Let It Shine" by Sherry Reynolds - Best of Show 2012

2) Hanging quilts, setting up the quilted garment display.  This quilted wedding dress is a fabulous example.

Quilted Wedding Dress
by Renae Haddadin

3)  This year I'll also be teaching 3 classes!  I've been cutting out endless kits and have made several extras since I'll be teaching some of these again this summer.  I'll add some of the kits to my Etsy shop after the show, just in case you'd like one but can't make it to Salt Lake!

"Sheep Shape" Quilt Workshop

"In a Bind?Fabulous Finishes & Alternate Endings Lecture/Demo

"Magic Instant Blocks" Workshop

4)  In the past, I've entered a few quilts in the show, but I have usually stayed with the Design Challenge category, and mostly with a group consisting of myself, my friend Debbie, and one, two, or six other friends.  We called ourselves the "Midnight Quilters", usually getting things done at the last minute, lol!  But it has always paid off!   The fun part of the challenge is selling the quilts at auction for charity at the end of the show.  Over the years these quilts have raised more than $3000 for varying causes.

Counter clockwise from upper left:  2007 Blossoms & Beyond,  2008 Wrapped in a Quilted Past,
2009 Ellie's Scrapbook, 2010 Every Quilt Has a Story, 2011 Isabella's Bonnets, 2012 Smart Quilt,
2014 Hexagarden, 2013 That's Amore'.

This year, I entered the challenge alone, using one of my favorite designs from the previous years.  Here's the fabric, can you guess which design I used?  The pattern will be available soon!! Stay tuned!

5)  And finally, well, this is no reason to be excited, but it does give me the jitters!  For the past 4 years, they make me sing the opening theme song. Yep, they know I like to sing.  In a crowd, that is.  They don't realize that I die of stage fright if I have to do it alone...  Maybe I can just hide behind the curtain!  Or, maybe everyone will know this old 80's song and sing along:   "It's Magic!" 

♫♪ Oh, oh, oh, it's magic, you know,

      If you quilt or embroider or sew ~

      You'll find magic, you know,

      At the Home Machine Quilting Show!♪♫

In giddy jitters,