These were beautiful. What patience and talent. When I grow up in the quilting arena, this is the calibre and creativity I aspire to do.

Elis' Granny B

I hadn't seen this one Patrice! I really like it. You're machine quilting is extremely good!! Did you ever get this one finished? Sorry if you already said you did. I'm in a crunch for time and only read a few responses to your beautiful pics!!

it took me much longer than i thought it would because i kept changing my mind about the design. AND i ran out of a critical fabric before it was done. had to completely rething the border and binding.

thanks very much for the compliment. i wish i could say i freemotioned the quilting, but i'm still very not-good at it. i print my outlines on paper, pin them to the quilt, then sew over them - usually with an open toe foot so i can see where i'm going. although i've done that before when quilting a fully assembled top, it's easiest to do in sections, like i did this one.

i made the mistake of trying to wash off the paper instead of taking the time to removed it all beforehand. that's the easiest way to remove it from big, simple designs but not a good idea for things like flowers and little leaves. i guess the paper swells and binds to the thread because - although the big pieces come right off - it took hours to get the little bits out of the teeny tiny nooks and crannies. :shock:

Thank you for posting the finished quilt Patrice. It's really lovely!!

I don't always free-motion either. There are so many great continuous line designs out there that are perfect for individual blocks and especially borders. I like to use either the Golden Threads Quilting Paper, which tears away pretty good, or exam room paper, which also tears away nicely...I only got to use that because it was free from a Chiropractor friend of mine LOL! I think the quilting paper is a bit pricey ($7.50 per roll at 12" wide X 20 yards long), but you can get quite a lot out of it, and it has several other applications.

I find that I get a more consistent stitch length if I'm doing free-motion than when I'm concentrating on staying on a line, but I hope to get my stitches as uniform as yours someday! :) I need to practice a lot more!

the only time my stitches are consistent is when i'm using a regular presser foot and following the lines. i did some freemotion on a recent project (not posted yet because not quite done). the stitches are everywhere between 1/gabillionth of an inch to around 1/4". luckily, it's just curly cues so i can say "it's that way on purpose". i'll have my fingers crossed behind my back ... but ... :lol:

Patrice, you just keep "wow"-ing us with your work, advice and general personality! You gotta know how much we love you here! :mrgreen:

love you all oodles, bunches and buckets, too!!!
:mrgreen:

That is a lovely quilt Patrice. The colors & design are inspiring. And thanks for the comment about doing the quilting on printed paper with an open toe foot. There is so much emphasis put on free motion - it's great to hear a "PRO" say she uses a pattern!!!

very nice blocks.....