Needlework Tuesday - Quilting Feathers

 Welcome to my regular weekly Needlework Tuesday post where I share whatever I have been stitching during the past week. I find this a great source of encouragement as I always want to have some sort of progress to share with you. Feel free to grab the cute little mouse and add him to your needlework post, then leave a comment with a link. I'll be sure to drop by and visit.

Oh my goodness, did a week really pass by without a new post.  I guess I was wrapped up in visiting with family for the Easter weekend and bringing son home from college for a few weeks while he completes his co-op placement. 

 

For quite some time, I have been putting off the machine quilting of a little doll quilt that I pieced over a year ago.  It needed something special.  I wasn't sure whether I would applique some large flowers or rely on the quilting for that little something extra.

 

 

I borrowed the book Feather's Quilting by Judy Allen from my library, yet still I procrastinated.  Finally, I couldn't put it off any longer, I need to stop renewing this book and return it.  There are many gorgeous 'feathers' in this book and I selected two that either fit the space on the quilt or really appealed to me.

 

First I quilted four large curved feathers in the centre of the quilt.  I used the Golden paper to trace the designs and then pinned the paper on top and started sewing.  I used Poly-down batting so they would be 'puffy', but still they didn't really stand out.

 
Next step was to do a small meander between the feathers.  This did help to better define the feathers.  A tighter meander would have been better, but then it would have made the quilt so stiff, and it's only a doll quilt.

 

I did a different feather for the border.  It was a short design, so i stretched it out by adding a few more loops and then stitched it in the brightest colour from the border fabric.  It stands out rather nicely. I have yet to decide the binding.  I could use the brown spotted fabric (if I could find where it is hiding).  I don't have any more of the fabrics that are in the centre of the quilt.

 

Years ago, when I was a new quilter, my mother and I went to Paducah for the big quilt show. When I was there, i bought two quilt kits.  One for 9 patch blocks and the other for fans.  And then they sat.  I found them last week and decided to pull them out and started stitching.  Here's the first block.  They will all be the same fabrics.  Over the next few weeks, mom and I will be working on them.  I am sending her 12 of the blocks and she can add whatever machine embroidery as she wishes.  Then I will put the blocks together.  I have already started playing.  I couldn't imagine putting all 44 blocks together in one large quilt, that would bore me too much.  i decided to piece a bunch of small quilts instead. It will be fun to see how different I can make them.  Come back next week and I should have one or two variations ready to show.

Have you done a project with 9 patch blocks?  Leave a comment with a link as I'd love to view it.

Tami at Just One More Thing, is also working on some dolls quilts.  She will be sewing with her sister this weekend.  Great fabrics.