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An update – and a new toy!

It’s been a bit since I posted. After the Yellow Daisy Festival bonanza, I have been concentrating on commissions. But even better than that – I upgraded my quilting frame! I’m so excited. I was able to pay for it up front with nothing but funds I’d earned through quilting. This weekend I’m going to finish my current commission top and give the new frame a go.

It’s a Handiquilter Studio2 Frame. My previous one was a Little Foot 5′ frame. This new one is 12′, so I will never have to juggle around a large quilt ever again. I spent most of my quilting time just rearranging those large quilts around on that tiny frame. I’m also proud that I built this all by myself. I just love working with my hands. Any women’s construction companies around Atlanta? I’m your girl!

By the way, the older frame, the 5′ Little Foot frame, is up for sale. Message me for more info if you’re interested. It’s great if you’re wanting to start out with a mid-arm machine. It fits a HQ Simply 16. Thankfully, my machine fits the new frame beautifully.

My Little Foot 5′ frame. It’s been partially disassembled in this picture.

Here are some progression pictures with the completed frame at the end.

Last Post! Online Market Quilt Showcase 12 – Doll Quilts

The Yellow Daisy Festival Online Market ends today, Sunday, Sept 13th at 9 pm. I’ve been making some posts about the quilts I have ready to go. Each day I’ve featured two or three quilts and tell about their process and what I like most about them. These and other quilts can be found in the Quest Quilts shop on this website or in my Etsy shop.

These are the newest quilts I’ve worked on. Making doll quilts wasn’t something I’d originally seen myself doing, but I bounced the idea off of some friends one afternoon. It was well received, and I had a secret commission immediately for a colonial-themed one.

A long time ago, I made a Jane Austen inspired quilt for a dear professor who was a huge part of the teacher I am today. I had a lot of leftover diamond cuts, and they were fairly period correct. And wouldn’t you know it, Austen was born in 1775! So I took my diamonds and built a small star design. I quickly fell in love and made several more. I’ve sold three total so far, and these three have been waiting around for a doll lover to purchase. They’re meant for 18″ dolls, but they’ll also work well for teddy bears and other such lovies.

Online Market Quilt Showcase 11 – Stadium/School Colors Quilts

Second to last post! The Yellow Daisy Festival Online Market ends tomorrow, Sunday, Sept 13th at 9 pm. I’ve been making some posts about the quilts I have ready to go. Each day I’ve featured two or three quilts and tell about their process and what I like most about them. These and other quilts can be found in the Quest Quilts shop on this website or in my Etsy shop.

Brookwood High Broncos

These little 4′ x 4′ quilts have been around for a while. When I first started making ready-made quilts, I made a bunch in the colors of the local schools, especially ones where I knew my shows would be close to. They’re also conveniently the colors of college and pro teams as well. I liked the idea of school colors but with a subtle nod. I’ve sold a good many, actually, but these last five have hung around. I actually have a bib for the orange and blue, so it would make a good baby gift.

When I made these, I was thinking about people using them on those cold bleachers in the stands while watching football games or band members cuddling up with them during that 3rd quarter break. I remember freezing at many a football game, clutching my mellpphone.

I made these a smaller 4′ x 4′ size so that they could go across a single lap without dragging the ground. I don’t know for sure, but there is a part of me that also thinks they would be a good size for someone who was wheelchair bound.

They are also, conveniently, the perfect size to layout for a baby while outside. The orange and blue quilt has a matching bib, but I would also gladly make a matching bib for any of the other stadium quilts as well if someone wanted it as a baby gift.

Online Market Quilt Showcase 10 – Bookshelf Wall Hangings

The Yellow Daisy Festival Online Market begins on Tuesday, Sept 8th. In celebration of this, I’m making some posts about the quilts I have ready to go. Each day I’ll feature two or three quilts and tell about their process and what I like most about them. These and other quilts can be found in the Quest Quilts shop on this website or in my Etsy shop.

These were some fun wall hangings I made to resemble a bookshelf. I made too many “books” for a bookshelf quilt a while back, and they’d been sitting around for a while. Originally I was going to make another larger quilt, but the idea of a smaller wall hanging was too tempting.

When I made these, I had in mind that someone could take them and get them personalized with their favorite book titles. I imagined them in a classroom or even in an office or library. I went ahead and put hanging loops at the top, so a cafe rod would be perfect.

I’ve sold a third one already, and the friend who bought it did end up getting titles embroidered. It looks gorgeous!

She took it to a local shop and got all her favorite titles embroidered. I love the final look!

Online Market Quilt Showcase 9 – Science, Firefighters, and Boy Scout Quilts

These four quilts are rounding out the kids’ quilts series. The firefighter quilts come in two sizes. One is 4′ x 5′ and the other is 4′ x 4′. I always thought they would make a great set for an older sibling and a new baby. They feature firefighters and fire engines that have a sort of vintage look. Again, I rather like the non-cartoon look, especially in quilts for younger kids because I feel like they’ll outgrow them slower. Of course, these would also be good quilts for…you know…actual fire fighters. I tried hard to make these fun without being overly childish.

I actually have two of the Boy Scout quilts as well. These are neat because they have smaller details in the fabric. Look closely at some and you’ll see the Oath. My favorite fabric on these quilts is the knot fabric, but the merit badges design is a close second. They have flannel on the back, and I thought they might make a great cover while on a camp out. I played around with the mosaic design here and ended up liking the effect.

I’ll admit something about this science quilt – I thought it would have sold long before now. I just love it. All the periodic table and elements and lab equipment and formulas are so neat and quirky. I love how it could be for a small child but just as easily for a chemistry major in college. I added a matching bib as well because a cute little STEM baby is perfect. The blue flannel backing makes is extra cozy.

Online Market Quilt Showcase 8 – Rainbow Mariner’s Compass Quilt

I’m going to be honest here; this quilt is my pride and joy. It’s a technique called paper piecing, and, as you can imagine, is quite time consuming. I’d wanted to make something like this for ages and had the paper templates printed over a year ago at least. They’d sat in a box in my sewing stuff, and I’d all but forgotten about them. When Covid hit, I had the time to focus on something that would take a while to do. I’d made a couple of these before, so I knew it would be a commitment.

I’m in love with the colors and really wanted to show a gradient with the rainbow shades. I’m proud that I was able to use all fabric that I already had on hand except for the white fabric. The border was an afterthought when I realized it needed something it help bring all the colors in line. The backing was fabric I’d bought on a whim, but I was in love with it. I used the rainbow on it to adjust the colors on the front. This has to be one of the prettiest ones I’ve made; it’s certainly one of the more technically difficult. My hope is that it finds a home where someone will hang it on a wall as a central focal point.

Online Market Quilt Showcase 7 – Unicorn and Dragon quilts

The unicorn quilt began with one simple, silly goal. I wanted to make the absolute stereotypical girliest quilt ever. I included unicorn fabric, sparkly pink fabric, pinwheels, and a smooth hot pink flannel-backed satin for the backing. Even the quilting pattern was in theme as I drew hearts, stars, and flowers throughout the quilt. I have also made a matching bib for those who thought this would make a great baby shower gift. I do think this may be my most over the top quilt to date!

The dragon quilt was fun to do because the fabric itself isn’t over the top. It has a stylish East Asian design that includes a dragon motif. I like this one because it isn’t over the top and would look nice in a lot of living areas and not just in one of someone who was dragon obsessed. This quilt strikes me as great for someone who maybe likes anime but is also trying to have a more mature presence. Like the other quilt, this one was part of a run I did when I was very fascinated with flannel-backed satin. It just feels so awesome that I ended up making several quilts with that fabric on the back.

Online Market Quilt Showcase 6 – kids quilts

This evening features a Care Bears quilt, a Justice League quilt, and a Muppet quilt.

I often like to play a game where I find some fabric that is interesting, and then I see what I have at home and try to build a quilt around that fabric just from my fabric stash. These quilts are just some of the results of that little game.

I bought the Care Bears fabric from a fellow quilter who was moving, and I let myself go full 80’s nostalgia. I actually had a fair amount still left over, so I was able to use it for the backing as well. I like the colors on this because they’re gentle without being overly feminine. Part of me thinks this quilt would be awesome as a baby shower or toddler gift for a mom like me who grew up watching Care Bears. It’s a definite throwback once you realize I was also able to work in some Star Buddy fabric as well!

The Justice League quilt came about because I’d been holding on to some neat fabric and finally was able to make a quick, fun quilt with it. My favorite part of this quilt, though, is definitely the smooth backing that is flannel-backed satin. I like to think some child with a sensory issue would particularly like it as it seems to be made for rubbing between two little fingers. It does come with a reversible bib the feature comic book word splashes.

The last one in this series is a fun little Muppet quilt that features the old gang from the original Muppet Show! The feature fabric was fairly busy, so I had to try and build a quilt around it that would make the feature fabric pop without everything being overly busy. I focused on less typically feminine colors because part of me thought that a more mature Muppet fan might also like it. It does also come with a matching Muppet bib for the younger fans, though.

Online Market Quilt Showcase 5 – twin size quilts

I have two twin size quilts that are ready to go. One is a gorgeous pattern that features a rainbow-colored medallion with nature images inside. I couldn’t decide which color I wanted to bring out in the medallion, so I went for all of them. The color variations give this a neat, whimsical look. I imagine it on the bed or draped on the couch of a lady who loves to garden and spend her days outdoors. It could also be perfect for a little girl who is obsessed with rainbows and outdoors. I decided to finish this off with a leaf quilting pattern.

The train quilt was originally meant to be a lap quilt, but it was so long that I realized I could make it a twin size very easily. I really love the 3-D shadowbox effect and decided that the train panels needed to be shown off through that style. The back is blue flannel, so it’s especially warm for those cold nights. I like the train pictures on this one because they aren’t overly cartoonish. I feel like if this were purchased for a child, the child would like it for a good, long time. But I also feel like it would do well for an adult, too. It would make an awesome quilt for an easy char.

Online Market Quilt Showcase 4 – T-shirt and Memory Quilts

This evening I’m featuring my other service. A large part of my business is from t-shirt quilt commissions. I use all sorts of materials and have sewn/quilted fabric as thin as a nightie to as thick as hockey socks. Jerseys, t-shirts, uniforms, jeans – I’ve incorporated them all. I offer anywhere from lap to king size. Take a look at the T-shirt Quilts page for more information.

If you’ve never considered or don’t know where to start when it comes to t-shirt and memory quilts, here is an article I published in my community magazine on tips and what to look for when commissioning a t-shirt or memory quilt. I hope you find it useful.

This is a standard style – nothing fancy.