I haven’t blogged in a really long time, but I just finished this quilt, which I’ve been working on slowly for a while. Each (of the 225!) colored squares is one inch. I picked the size because it was so easy to translate from my graph paper sketch. I made the sketch quickly–just coloring squares without a whole lot of thought and ended up with a surprising sort-of hidden pattern that reminded me a little of fair isle knitting. I wasn’t sure how the sketch would translate to a quilt, but I followed it almost exactly. The top is made of 25 blocks with 9  colored squares each. I first thought about making long strips, but breaking the design into blocks really helped keep the grid neat.

Here are some close-ups where the pattern disappears.

Fair isle grid–finished July 2016

I finished this modern version of a double wedding ring quilt just in time for my parents’ 50th anniversary. As much as I love making gifts for my family and friends, I always find it a little worrying. With the exception of baby knits, which can’t fail to charm if you are a halfway decent knitter, I worry that the gift will be a burden or somehow attention hogging–look what I made! Despite my worries, my parents seemed genuinely to like the quilt, and I was really pleased with how it turned out.

The quilt is a throw-size (60×60), which was about the maximum size my little Janome Gem can handle with ease. Then, like “The Gift of the Magi” but much happier, my parents gave me a wonderful new (full-size, super fantastic) sewing machine for Christmas, one week after their anniversary. Truly, the most amazing gift! Especially, since I never would have bought a new machine myself.

I am a classic late-adopter and tend to be resistant to products intended to make life easier. (Yes, I ran a marathon in an old cotton t-shirt despite a preponderance of evidence that microfibers are much better for this sort of activity. I finally broke down and bought some “real” running gear during a New York City heatwave, and had to admit that, hey, product designers might know a thing or two. So nice not to run in a giant, sodden garment!)

All this to say, when my sewing friends gently suggested that trying to run a quilting business using what is essentially a pocket-sized machine was perhaps a little foolish, I protested that my little Janome was just perfect. While I adore my trusty old machine, this new machine (a Juki TL2010Q) is a revelation. I can’t believe how precisely and quickly it sews. How was I to know that a machine could make such a difference? (Hmm, perhaps by listening to people?) I think the heaviness of all the parts and the machine itself must keep everything steady. I feel so professional, and I have already completed three quilts–a new one for my shop and two custom quilts. But, I have to say, my little machine did a pretty good job on my parents’ quilt–some of the curves don’t quite meet up but the overall effect is pretty pleasing.

The Quilted Adventure Online Retreat has officially started. The first project–from my lovely friend Vanessa Vargas Wilson, the Crafty Gemini–is a super cute baby quilt made with zero fabric waste. Since I rarely use my scraps (insert guilty feelings here), I love this aspect of her project.

It’s not too late to sign up! The community is just getting started and you will have access to all the released content for the full year. If you haven’t experienced Vanessa’s bubbly, accessible teaching style you are in for a treat!

Here is the link to register for the entire 12-month retreat: http://www.onlineartretreats.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=17