Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!!! It’s that time again! The time of year when we can cuddle under quilts while we check out hundreds and hundreds of talented quilters and what they have to show off! This is the most inspiring time of year. To see how other artists interpret color and design. And the very messiest time of year for my desktop! You *know* you know what I’m talking about.
You’d think that since I knew this was coming I wouldn’t be quilt number 188 to be posted, LOL!
While all the designers, authors and others involved in the quilt industry get together at quilt market to introduce their new products, Amy, over at amyscreativeside.com, hosts a virtual quilt festival. A place where anyone wanting to join in on the fun can link up to share their work! Follow the link above, over to Amy’s blog, if you’d like to seriously be inspired.
Deciding which quilt to share with literally hundreds, last year over 700, very talented people, who do the same thing you do, can be very intimidating. It was a tough decision. So many quilts, so many stories. I decided to go with Sam’s quilt, “Shoot for the Moon” which I made in the winter/spring of 2010.
It was made as a graduation quilt, for my niece. I have been fascinated with creating quilts with circles for a long time. I can’t say how many I have finished but this is one of my most recent favorites. I drew from my vast collection of batiks, only needing to buy the yellow for the backing and the deep purple for the binding. I have a love/hate relationship with creating with what I already own. I love almost every new fabric I see and I hate that I don’t own them….
Then I started cutting. I used the floor that adjoins my studio as my design *wall*. I was constantly trying different squares in different spots then cutting new ones, until I hit on the look I was going for. It was one of the messier quilts I have ever put together.
Finally with an agreeable layout, by all who walked past, I was ready for the best inner thigh and ab workout on the planet, *The pinning of the quilt*. You know what I’m talking about!
And the hand quilting begins. I *love* these colors. They talk to me.
Finished while there is still snow on the ground tells me, I’m ahead of schedule!
And the back. I used up all the extra pieces that didn’t work where I needed them to, on the front, and gave me the width I needed for the backing.
And when the finished quilt is all washed and comes out of the dryer all warm and crinkly I am always in awe that *it* worked! My plan came together and worked. My latest is always my favorite, but this one has stuck with me. Not literally, but there are invisible strings attached…
Finished and ready for gifting.
For Sam
~Shoot for the Moon~
~HS Graduation 2010
64″x 72″ machine pieced, hand quilted, with love.
Now click on that link above and see all the other goodies out there!
Sewfrench 
Stunning!! I’m breathless!
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Thank you!
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LOVE this! Soooooo perfect. You are incredibly talented.
Xxoo
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Oh…if only I could hand quilt like that…..I am doing a little square of 21 inches and it is driving me absolutely bonkers!!!!
Gorgeous!!!
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Thanks! It takes a lot of practice. And know that it does seem to get easier and better! I just hope it continues to get better, for me, too! There is always room for improvement!
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love the quilt!
Margaret
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oh my goodness – that is one amazing quilt!!! And hand-quilted – wow.
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Stunning- seriously! I’m in love with the colors of this quilt- so deep and rich. Beautiful job!
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Love the circles and the colors!
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A simply stunning quilt! I love batiks and have quite a collection myself so find your quilt very inspiring. Love the 3-D effect and the beautiful hand-quilting too. Thanks for sharing this one with us!
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wow, your curves are perfect! and i love the happy colors you used. congrats on an amazing quilt!
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Well, Ill assure you they are not perfect, in real life, but I’ll take that as a compliment, anyway!
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Gorgeous. I love the colors.
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Beautiful quilt! The design is very cool:)
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OOOOOOh, just my thing! Circles and vibarant colours – great quilt! Thanks for sharing.
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Lori, this is stunning! And your hand quilting is exquisite. Love the pieced back! Wow, thanks for sharing!
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This is mega pretty! I’m still rubbish at curves so any one that can make them look this great has my admiration!
By the way I tried to reply your comment but you up came up as a no reply blogger 😦
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Yeah, that no reply thing is not something I knew about when I started out as a WordPress blogger… It forces you to come to my blog, which is good in some ways, but not in others….
Curves take practice or relaxation along with a glass of wine, your choice. Thanks for the compliment!
My daughter and I are still talking about our quilt!
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Greetings from Hungary. I love the pattern .. absztrak Staple the beautiful. I love drunk man steps to block.
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Love this quilt and love the hand quilting! I can’t believe how perfect it is. I have yet to try hand quilting! Check out the ‘college quilt’ on my blog to see the one I sent off to college with my son this year. And given the name of your blog, you might enjoy my paris posts as well. I also love you studio. I’m lucky enough to have a room to myself too-but it’s not as nice as yours! Lily.
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Your quilt is lovely! All the color is so inviting, and you hand quilted it too? Wow – you are a superstar!
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How lovely! I have wanted to make a circle quilt for a while, but lacked the courage. Perhaps now I’ll get busy!
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Thank you!
And I say go for it! Circle quilts are very rewarding and I still have my hair. Most of it anyway!
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oh wow – that is just beautiful – your hand stitching is perfect – how i wish!!!
thank you for visiting my blog and leaving a comment.
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Your quilt is beautiful, so full of hand quilted love it’s an amazing gift!!!
; )
I do love to quilt by hand myself, but must be careful not to provoke a sore shoulder. If not, I would do it a lot more…
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Thank you, Marit.
Hand quilting ruined my MIL’s hip or rather the way she sat when she hand quilting…. It’s all about the posture. Take care of that shoulder!
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Really stunning – I know your niece was thrilled. Love your selection of fabrics. How did you mark your quilting circles – great choice!!
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Karen, I used a circle template, like this http://www.createforless.com/Wrights/EZ+Acrylic+Template+Easy+Circle+Cut/pid113926.aspx?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=cse
to cut plastic templates of assorted sizes then traced around them with one of those blue pens that wash away. I couldn’t use the actual acrylic template, because my pen wouldn’t fit in the lines…. It was tricky with so much blue in the quilt! I think I actually used chalk pencils to trace with, on the blues. Chalk dusts away quickly so only a few circles being marked at a time…. Doing a similar one right now, I should photograph that process.
Thank you for the compliments, I hope you see this!
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What a lovely quilt! I love all the fresh colors and the quilting circles are amazing. I can never get my echo quilting so beautiful and even!
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Fun! Love the colors and I think the circles are so gorgeous. Great job on the quilting too =)
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Being a hand quilter, this is one of my favorites. I love the way you have put these beautiful fabrics together.
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Thank you, Julie, but did machine piece it and I know you wouldn’t do that! Though with all the curves hand piecing might have been easier!
Thank you!
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What an inspiration! I like the name of the quilt – how clever for being a graduation quilt. I am also in awe of your hand quilting. Those curves are something else!
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absolutely stunning!
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Beautiful colors, and the pattern is my favorite. You did a wonderful job! Could I change my name to Sam?
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Stunning quilt! All that hand quilting too!
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Absolutely gorgeous! I love those wonderful colors and the circular pattern keeps the eye moving around the quilt. Great job!
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I clicked post too quickly LOL! I was going to ask about your method of hand quilting. Are you hand quilting without a hoop? If so, could you tell us about your basting methods?
Thanks!
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Thank you, Linda! I do not use a hoop, I quilt in my lap, stretching it out with my feet, if it’s big enough! I just safety pin baste and usually not too close together, maybe 6-8″ apart?. I just smooth, stretch and feel on the backside as I go, making sure things are smooth from pin to pin. I was self taught. My Grandma used a card table frame for hand quilting. I prefer to lounge with my feet up. I may not be getting 10 stitches to the inch, but that’s not why I hand quilt. I do it for the satisfaction, not the perfection. Though I like perfection… LOL!
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What a beautiful, colorful quilt…thanks for sharing it with us.
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