shaverg

I just completed the Rainforest Rings runner top for my sister’s birthday in April. She is planning on using it for a wall hanging over the hearth.

I picked up the beautiful Fireweed background fabric in Alaska in May. I fell in love with it, bringing back memories of living in Alaska as a child. Then I had a friend that was in Alaska in July and saw a pattern by Lisa Moore called Rainforest Rings, using the Fireweed. I fell in love with everything about the pattern. But when I tried to find the fabric for the rings everyone said it had been retired. So I was on a quest and after much searching I found the fabric online from a store in Minnesota called Hingeley Road Quilting, they had all the colors. It is a Hoffman called At Home in the Woods a Ryan McKenna collection and yes it has been retired. I did try other fabrics, but just didn’t have the same effect, usually I can adjust, but just couldn’t on this one. The border is a little different.

I hand appliqued the rings and will hand quilt the runner. But this time I will use a colored quilt thread, either a dark purple or dark pink, I want it to blend instead of standing out. Usually I am traditional and use ecru for hand quilting. I want something really special for the back and binding, not sure what and of course I don't have it in my stash. So off to the LQS.

For those that are interested Lisa Moore has a great website with her patterns at quiltswithatwist.com. If you have questions she is right there with a quick email response and can help you if you have any challenges with her patterns and she has said to call her if I have questions. She is great to work with.

I also just finished a very long table runner for my cousin in NC. She wanted it to be really long so just over 62”. It is the North Star block from the Underground Railroad Sampler book. She had seen the block and fell in love with it. I just hope she will like it, It is off in the mail on Monday.