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I am still determined to learn to free motion quilt, but I'm just not nervy enough I guess, and I surely do not practice enough! Anyway, I did FM around the map (Texas has miles of rivers for borders!) and the flags in the stars and also around the bluebonnets. They puffed up pretty well, even though I can't get the lighting right to show it very well. I knew I had to do some quilting in the map block, more than just the borders, and finally decided to mark from each corner to the county line where I live. Then I marked lines evenly dividing three times the "frame" of the map on each side, again up to the county line, and quilted the two lines into V's to highlight my county. Again, it doesn't show well in the picture, but in person, I'm very pleased with the outcome. Maybe you can see some of the stitching.
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I'm sure there are lots of better arranged Texas quilts out there, but no doubt you know how bad I am about striking out on my own into the wild blue yonder! Again, I think I lucked out. At least, I can live with it. How better, from my crazy mind, could I have better expressed "This Then Is Texas!" ???
After hanging the quilt, it was time to get out to the yard work while we had a couple of days near 70 degrees. I needed to absorb some Vitamin D after all the cold cloudy days! (Yes, I know it hasn't been nearly as bad as the northern states, but remember, this is Texas; it normally is not dreary that long!) So I pruned the rose garden to get ready for Spring.
On Wednesday two church friends spent the day here trying to design our next church quilt, and we were fairly pleased with the plan. Hope we can start on it soon.
Some of us are making plans to attend the quilt show and shop hop in Waco February 28.
Don't know what will come next from the stash! I'll be thinking while pruning roses and crepe myrtles this week.
Have a fun week with your quilting.
---"Love"
It looks wonderful! And I think it was a great idea to highlight your county with the lines leading to it. I'm going to miss the bluebonnets this year, that's for sure! I suppose they have wild flowers here in OR too, so I'll have to be on the look out for them. The crocuses and daffodils are starting to bloom here, but we could still get some freezing weather.
ReplyDeleteYour Texas quilt is lovely and you did a very nice job with the quilting. I love the idea of the lines radiating out from your county. It really is a special quilt!
ReplyDeleteI think your Texas quilt is the best because it is what you created and it is personal.
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time without any pattern to start with. So I applaud you. Glad you found the perfect place to hang it.
That's a very fine Texas quilt and must look so hanging in your sun room. I do like crepe myrtles and have one in my garden - a gift from a friend. It bloomed so well after the rain.
ReplyDeleteYou need to learn that your quilts are beautiful. They are not poorly arranged or badly quilted - they are wonderful. And they are YOUR creations. I love that you make up a pattern for yourself - do you know how few quilters actually do that? (You see blogs - how many of them copycat a pattern exactly?) And your quilting is just fine. If you nit-picked over even the best quilter's work like you do for your own, you're bound to find mistakes. Take a step back and see the whole quilt and you'll realize those little things disappear. What you do is amazing. And not just the quilting - all you share here with gardening and decorating and party-throwing is amazing. You're the kind of gal young ladies should want to be when they grow up!
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