2011 Probably Final Finish

This will probably be the last finish of 2011 unless I happen to run across something else that needs only a little bit of work.

This is Ted E. Baer, Napping. This little quilt is just 24 inches square.

It's a single block that I made about 30 years ago to try out an idea for a red and brown quilted wall hanging that I later entered in the Smoky Mountain Guild show.

I ran across this block yesterday and decided it would be a great doll-quilt for my great niece.  My nephew assures me she plays with dolls only about 90% of the day.

 The border quilt is a Hoffman print from the early 90's that I used in another quilt. The rest of the fabrics are those that were available to us back in the 80's.

 I quilted snoring hearts before I worked on the block and the border.

 I free-motion quilt and seldom mark anything before I quilt.

 I like to maintain a certain character in the quilting designs, but I want them to have little variations rather than consistently repeating the same design.

 On this quilt, that meant there were variations on each border and in each corner.

This one is machine-bound, with the binding applied to the back, then turned to the front and sewn down with Fil-Tec Glide in a small zigzag that steps on and off the quilt binding. Years ago even doll quilts had hand stitched bindings, but those days seem to be far behind me. The patchwork block was hand pieced and hand appliqued and embroidered as a carry-along project, and is now quilted mostly with a Madeira embroidery thread, a thread that my other machines didn't like, but which works fine in the vintage Necchi I'm treadling.  The border was quilted in Fil-Tec Glide in a light lavender.

Now I want to get back to Audrey's little brother's John Deere quilt.  His preference for tractors runs second to trains, but I don't think I have any train fabric at all right now. I started piecing his quilt months ago.

I have a larger napping-sized quilt pieced for Audrey but I haven't decided if it really suits her, so for the time being she'll have a doll quilt. Since she's tiny, she may manage to nap under the doll quilt anyway.

I wish all my family and friends a very joyous and prosperous 2012.

Happy quiltmaking.....