Thank you everybody for all the kind comments on my quilt.
You all are always so kind and generous with the compliments. I appreciate it. I like several of the layouts too. I may just make a different block sometime or just use all those 9" Green 8 Point Stars that I already made and do another layout. Thanks again.
Marilyn

Thank you for posting your journey of making this quilt. To see it at the beginning and how it ended - what a transformation and I thought at the beginning I liked what you had. Then you changed it and made it exquisite. WOW!

It turned out beautiful :-P

Thank you so much mimee! Most of my quilts are an "adventure" since I don't use real patterns to make them. I just pick a block or 28 blocks like my star quilt or whatever, and then build a quilt around them. Thank you so much for the compliments! I appreciate it. I like the way it turned out.
I'm thinking about starting a Personal Diary on here. I could write to my hearts content and share the quilts that went "bad" and the ones that I still want to make since my original layout idea didn't work for that one. (They will work on some other quilt though!) Thanks again!
Marilyn

Marilyn,
You certainly must love your SIL as that was a true labor of love!! It turned out so beautifully!!
You need a design wall girl. Laying that out on the floor must have been back breaking!! Skinny seems to like your sewing area. Cats are so funny!!
Can you hear all that noise? It's the standing ovation from the quilt board!!!!!

Ditter

Bravo! All your design work paid off beautifully! I bet your SIL was thrilled!

all the options look great to me. But the finished design is awesome. Great job!!!

Absoutely wonderful!
thanks

I too liked the first one, I am a star freak Anything star is my fav. but they are ALL pretty

Thank you very much Ditter! I do love my SIL. She is a wonderful, honest, hard working woman. I agree with you. I need a design wall. I just don't have a wall in this trailer to use.
If it's something small I can use flannel in the doors of my fabric cabinet, but if it's big I have to use the floor. Thank you for the standing ovation. That's the first one I've ever had!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

It sure is pretty.

Your approach to quilting starts very similar to mine. I see a block, like it, make it up and from there, where it goes and what happens will be know in the end. Yours are so beautiful and more thought out than mine and it's obvious but it sure is fun, isn't it. I just found the diary area yesterday myself and have been considering it myself as that would be a nice way to document what's going on.

Thank you so much Patty. Yep! We approach quilts about the same then. It's hard to tell what mine will look like too when I get them finished. Yes! It is definitely alot of fun. I love laying them out, taking pictures, moving them around in different layouts, etc. I even go so far sometimes as to make things in 3 different colors, to see which I really like best. I did that on my Field of Diamonds.

I have been thinking about the diary too. My Grandma always wanted me to write a book about my life. Can you believe that? I wrote her very detailed letters about everything that went on and she saved them all. I always keep a diary as a child and then a journal alot of the time as an adult. I think it may be fun to start my Quilting Diary on here.

Thank you very much for the compliments on my abilities and my quilts. I love your work too!

Marilyn

You're amazing. I'll be checking in to see if you do set up a diary.
Patty

I liked all the layouts! The finished product is beautiful though! How is it quilted?

Congrats on all your hard work!

Thank you very much Rachel! I liked all the layouts too but just not particularily for this quilt.

It's 110" x 110" so I hand tied it. I did that SITD on one queen size quilt and it was so hard to get the quilt through the little opening there in the machine.

What a beautiful quilt. You must really love your SIL.

I think you did an awesome job. Your perseverance paid off! Love the kitty peeking too!

I'm sending you a PM.
Marilyn

Marilyn,
you are doing a lovely job with your work. I too can't machine quilt large quilts but you have you considered learning how to do a quilt as you go projects. Although I prefer to hand quilt, I do use a variation of the techniques in this book and she offers several techniques to follow. I found it at http://www.nancysnotions.com
but know you can find it at other quilting sites. I've been shopping with Nancys Notions for years as it was the best source of sewing supplies I had available way back when in small town IL. Although I no longer need this book, I purchased it recently so I can show the ladies in my quilt chapter how to do it as several are amazed that I can hand quilt my quilts in panels and how well and neatly it works. They want to do the quilting on machine so the technique required is different from what I use. Also, some of the techniques shown on this board look very interesting to me as well.

However, you are happy doing what you doing, your work is gorgeous so continue as you are. I'm in awe of your work but it is something you may want to consider. I agree totally that quilting a full sized quilt is a huge challenge on a regular sewing machine which is why I say follow your heart and instincts but while doing so, open up the mind a bit and see what you can learn and may one day want to try. Should the time come when I may not be able to quilt, tying may become a solution for me and we're lucky to have options. I just know that there is no way I could afford to hire many quilts professionally quilted due to the cost.

How awesome!!! I want to get that book now. (Or at least when I can afford it!) I would much rather machine quilt them if I can figure out how. Thank you so much for the information!
Marilyn

Thank you for not minding my sharing about the book. You do such beautifuly work and are so talented and brilliant with your designs that I'd love to see you enter into the world of machine quilting. You will have seams on the back but that doesn't bother me. I've hand sewn the seams and machine sewn them. Since my technique is a variation that works for a hand quilter, my seams are machine quilted but that puts way too much quilt on the machine to machine quilt, in my opinion. I've looked for the book at JoAnn's and never found but read about it in Nancy's catalogue which is the add that I attached. You might be able to get a better price on Amazon.com or some other location on line. I'm skitterish about where I give out my credit card info and try to stick with reputable businesses that I know won't be a problem. The book is worth the money as she has options so you can find what you are comfortable to do. In the meantime, do a seach on this board and read what's talked about there. There have been two techniques recently covered on other areas that I've found interesting as I'm entering into the world of machine quilting too but at this point prefer to continue doing the detail quilt embellisments by hand but oh it would be so much faster to machine quilt the whole quilt and then add like I recently did with my butterfly throw.

It's beautiful, and I see that it has properly been "cat-tested" All mine are cat-tested too!

LOve those colors

I want to thank you all again for all the compliments and interest in my quilts! Thank You!!!

Wow!! Green's not my favorite color, but I just might change my mind after seeing this quilt!! Great job hanging there to get it done for your SIL!!!

I loved the first one the best, but it is just beautiful. Penny

Very pretty, I like the finished layout

Wow, I love your quilt, thanks for taking the time to show us different ways. Beautiful!

Are you going to make curtains or more pillows to match your quilt???

I made Janet one pillow and she said that was plenty. She didn't want anymore. I hadn't thought about making her curtains. Maybe for her birthday next month. Thanks for the idea!
Marilyn

Love the illusion of shamrocks. Great job.

Thank you very much marla!