Author Archives: kmabra@aol.com

Tis the Season for Retreats!

I am catching up on things this week as I spent last weekend at Camp Abanaki with the Champlain Valley Quilt Guild at a retreat last weekend and am headed for Rangeley Maine next Monday for a week long retreat with friends.  This is when I get to work on piecing my own projects.

It was VERY cold in the non-heated cabins over the weekend – that little ceramic heater was no match for the cold nights – I think I have finally warmed up.

The main project I worked on over the weekend was from a pattern I had seen in a 2008 Quilting Magazine and finally over the Shop Hop this spring found fabric to make it.  It is called Bohemian Charm as there are many bright and varied fabrics used.  It is comprised of 4 different sized churn dash blocks (a total of 89 churn dash blocks).

I love how colorful it is with all the Kaffe Fassett fabrics.  I plan on quilting it soon and having it on my bed as a summer quilt.

Bohemian charm quilt

Bohemian charm quilt

Antique Quilts – such a treasure!

I just finished quilting an antique quilt top of hand pieced hexagons –  would love to know the story behind all the different fabrics!

Just back from attending MQX (Machine Quilter’s Expo) last week in Manchester New Hampshire and learned an important tip when working with antique tops from Gyleen Fitzgerald the guest speaker at the banquet.  As she noted – many of these tops have fabric that is fragile –  so if you place a piece of muslin directly under the top over the batting it will provide extra stability and if one of the fabrics does wear through you will see the muslin below not have the batting pop through!  I was so glad I hadn’t quilted this top before hearing this tip – I have quilted a few other antique tops and will now always do this –  it truly provides a bit more stability.

This quilt was 79 inches by 75 inches and was filled with hexagons that were 2 inches in diameter.  I did continuous curve free-motion quilting on each and every one!

2 inch hexagons - so many different fabrics!

2 inch hexagons – so many different fabrics!

 

Happy Easter!

Easter is a bit earlier that normal this year… fortunately here in Vermont it is feeling like spring!

I wanted to share a block from my next project as it sure fits the season…  it is a group project and I will post a picture of the quilt when it is done.

Happy Easter and Happy Spring!

Springtime Quilt Block

Springtime Quilt Block

 

Now easier to find me! #BarnQuilt

I very much enjoyed the Vermont Shop Hop last weekend visiting 12 quilt shops across the state.  My fabric stash continues to grow (I call it my quilting 401k).

I had been looking at wooden barn quilts online to put over my garage door to make it easier for people to know they are at the right house when they come to drop off quilts but didn’t like the colors and most were too large for my small garage.  While on the Shop Hop I saw a metal block that was the right size but not the color or block I wanted – I looked online when I got home and found the perfect one!  It is now hanging over my garage door and I just love it!

Barn Quilt2

Bricks, Cobblestones and Pebbles

I just completed a mystery quilt that was run online via Facebook page Gyleen’s Bricks, Cobblestones and Pebbles hosted by Gyleen Fitzgerald.  It was a wonderful pattern using all scraps.  The quilt was pieced in rounds about a center area – lots of fun and everyone is posting their quilts which all look so different!  I used mostly all reproduction fabric scraps for mine.  I finished quilting and binding it over the weekend and now have it on my couch – ready to watch the Oscars tonite!

Couch Quilt

Couch Quilt

Bricks Cobblestones and Pebbles Quilt

Bricks Cobblestones and Pebbles Quilt

Vermont Modern Quilt Guild Challenge

I recently joined the Vermont Modern Quilt Guild and have very much enjoyed their meetings and meeting quilters in the group.  Modern quilts are very different in design from what I historically have worked on for my quilts so it is challenging to break some of my old habits from a design perspective.

This month the challenge was do do some “minimalist” work.  I ended up using 4 colors including the background and trying to do a simple design – it looks simple but took a while!

I quilted the sample and made it into a pillow.  I needed new pillows for my couch so also made another pillow with the same fabrics.  The challenge project is the front pillow….  can’t wait to see what the challenge is for next month!

Quilted Pillows

Quilted Pillows

 

Fun with a Modern Quilt

I am starting to see more quilts come through my studio that are modern in style.

Last week I worked on one with modern flowers – I used a combination of computerized and free-motion quilting.

Looking forward to seeing more and making some of my own!

Modern Flower quilt detail

Modern Flower quilt detail

Modern Flower quilt full
Modern Flower quilt full

Think Spring!

I just finished a customer quilt that she designed using Judy Neimeyer Blocks as elements in her quilt.  The colors were nice and bright which is fun to work on in the winter when things tend to be a bit gloomy!  I used a combination of free-motion and digitized designs for this quilt.

Judy Niemeyer Quilt Blocks

Judy Niemeyer Quilt Blocks

A mystery no more…..

I love doing the Yankee Pride Mystery quilts.  Judy Thomas the shop owner designs two mystery quilts a year (Fall and Spring).  For the latest one I used fabric purchased on my trip to Hawaii for the outer border and to accent the piecing supplemented by a green batik purchased here at Yankee Pride.  I love the way it came out… in fact I will be updating my bedroom after the reunion class and have this quilt on my bed.  I also made a wall hanging and pillows to go with it.

Yankee Pride Mystery 2015 Fall Quilt

Yankee Pride Mystery 2015 Fall Quilt

Hawaiian fabric

Hawaiian fabric

 

Recent Client Project: Lonestar Quilt

I spent the majority of quilting time this week on a client quilt that was a beautiful Lonestar quilt made with polished cotton fabrics.  She had actually pieced this quilt many years ago – so glad she will now be able to use it!

I continue to grow using my Intelliquilter for custom work – time consuming but the results are great!

Below are some detailed photos of the quilting along with the digitized design developed during the quilting process:

Lonestar triangle blockLonestar blockLonestar bordersLonestar digital design work