Blackford's Beauty, Glenna's quilt

Today I got the blackford's beauty quilt off the frame. From here on out I will be calling it Glenna's quilt. When I first met Bonnie Anderson and asked if she would piece some quilts for me, I left it up to her what pattern she would make. This is the first top that she sent me, after the french braid that started our "relationship". Didn't even know what a "blackford's beauty" quilt was, as a matter of fact, referred to it with the wrong name for a while. Anyway, right out of the box, this looked like my sister in law, Glenna. Well not like her, but like it would fit her style. Then I spent way too long, trying to figure out how to quilt it. Finally after looking over Lisa Calle's "Never ending Quilt" decided that I really needed to step it up a bit. This is the first time that I used the circle templates as well as the straight line template. I had tried before to use them, but I am notoriously uncoordinated and just couldn't get it. Decided I had better get it figured out. I am pleased with the result. An area that might be of interest to some of you, each pattern stitch that I used can be done with a shorter arm machine, like the Brother 1500, or Pfaff Grandquilter, or Juki 98e. Hope that inspires some of you.

Those of you that aren't in my immediate yelling range, probably don't know but I have decided that I need to work toward showing my quilts. Now that I have such a good piecer to rely on, I can just concentrate on my quilting. You will notice that I have included a pic of the back. As with everything I do, it seems I can't get it all right at the same time. Well the thread that I used for the bobbin was supposed to be medium green. Certainly looked like that, but on the dark green background, just reads as light or white. Not my intention. And to make matters worse, it seemed while the quilt was on the frame, that the greenish thread in the bobbin was showing through to the top. Now that it is off the frame, not so much but definitely showing through on the frame. The questions that I am asking myself is why? Maybe because I have the quilt pretty taunt on the frame, that it shows, I don't know. If you know let me know. These are the "little" things that I know will be detrimental in judging, but if I don't have to worry about it, I would like to not worry.

There are several other concerns that I have, not the least of which is why does it not show up well in my pics. I usually do pretty well. Another area to work on. Well that is the reason we are all here.

This is the beginning

Well, I have finally made the plunge and have decided to join the world of bloggers. Maybe in this format, I can help others or they can help me with the crazy number of questions that I have about machine quilting. I have followed some of my fav's and they have helped me so thought what the heck, maybe I can pass it on.

About me: I have been quilting for more than 35 years. I bought my first machine quilter in 2001 and have been 'upgrading' ever since. I have strived to challenge myself with each quilt and to date have been pretty successful. A few years ago I made 15 quilts for most of my grandchildren. This was at a time when my machine was not stitch regulated. Getting the stitches regular was a challenge but worth it and worked out pretty well.

Then the next year acquired the stitch regulator. Well life got in the way, doesn't that happen to all of us? Just when we think we are on a roll something happens and it all goes sideways. Anyway it took a couple of years to get back into it, but I did. Then decided that there was no way that I could concentrate on piecing and quilting so bought some quilt tops off of Ebay. All done by piecers that were not going to be able to finish them. Felt that was good, cause quilts should be cuddled under and let the love flow through them. Almost all of these quilt tops were challenges. Bubbling, uneven, some were hand stitched, didn't lay flat, points didn't meet. Most of them, my Mom and Husband suggested, I throw away cause "wasting" my time. I didn't and finished 10 quilts for my children for this past Christmas. They all turned out beautifully and I was very pleased. I will add photos of these shortly.

Well again decided I had to step it up a bit and found an extraordinary woman to piece quilts for me, her name is Bonnie Anderson and lives in Kelso, WA. If you email me, I will put you in contact with her. I am working on a quilt called Blackburn's Beauty. This brings me to the point of this blog. It is my sincere wish to get better with each quilt. Well, even though most of the people I know are brutally honest, for some reason don't think they are being as honest with me as my quilting deserves, so i am going to be posting the work I am doing with the hope that all you out there will give me appropriate feedback. I honestly want to do my work the best I can and realize that I have a ways to go. So I will be posting photos and more information soon, with the wish that I hear from others with some constructive criticism. Thanks for allowing me to take a few minutes of your time. Sincerely. Sandy Wilkinson, Roy, Washing