January, Machine Quilting Sample

          One of my goals as a quilter was to start a blog.  I started this blog to not only share my trip to Ireland with friends and family, but to keep track of what I do as a quilter.  Well, adding to this once a year just doesn't help me remember what I've done, so a goal for this year is to write more.

           An after school program in Thermopolis called "Lights On" asked me to help some kids in a quilting club.  We dyed fabric and set to work.  They are amazing kids and have created simple, but beautiful quilts that will be keepsakes for them for a very long time.  We are now ready to do some simple quilting and needed quilt backs.  I took all the little pieces of left over fabric home and pieced them randomly together to create backs.  I loved the pieces so took some of my fabric from my stash and traded one of the backs with one of my quilters.  Both of us were very happy.

         Besides working on a t-shirt quilt with a very good friend, I also need to create a machine quilting class model.  I will be teaching a quilting class in Worland this spring and hopefully in Sheridan this summer at Quilt Wyoming.  When I teach this class, I usually have many quilts to show during class, but Heart n' Home in Worland asked for a display sample.  It was a really good idea and I will be putting as many quilting patterns in this small quilt as I can for demonstration purposes.  I will hopefully also use this at Quilt Wyoming this summer.  I needed something eye catching and thought the colors in this top would be perfect.
     

        I put the quilt together and got ready to quilt it when I realized that I could also do some experimenting with my stamps (bought mostly in Santa Fe).  Cynthia St.Charles does a lovely job with her hand carved stamps and I so admire her work that I thought a bit of experimenting on my part would be a fun thing to do. 

          I realize that my stamps are for smaller projects and I need to think more about contrast, but I had fun and I appreciate how talented Cynthia is!  She makes things that are so beautiful and makes it sound so easy to do.  If you want to see what she can do, she's a cover girl, check out the last issue of Quilting Arts, the quilt on the cover is hers.  I will heat set these stamped areas at get to work on my sample quilting this afternoon.