April quilts are here!

April brought in many great quilts, let's have a look at them, shall we?

Here's an ultra traditional quilt from Anne.  The soft colors blend well together with just enough contrast to make the quilt design pop.  We finished it off with a soft and sweet quilting design that works extremely well.

Gracie made this modern quilt for her grandson. The green and blue 

are just perfect for any guy.  The modern quilting design 

was just perfect.  

How fabulous is this quilt from Jane?  Made for her son and daughter-in-law 

the quilt is just stunning!  Jane selected a lightly leafed quilting design

 with a bit of swirl.  Jane  is way ahead of the game working on her

 Christmas table runners!  Yay! Jane!

Michele kept me busy for a couple of days.  Here's two of her latest, both 

are stack n' whack quilts. It's always interesting to see all of the 

different block combinations that you can make with just one fabric. 

Can't see much of the quilting on the busy fabrics, but 

it's all good!

Here's another bright modern quilt from Pat.  I believe she used 10" squares and paired them with white for this beautiful quilt.  Using dark fabric for the cornerstones on the border and sashing works very well.  I love the quilting design, light, and modern for a beautiful finish.

This amazing quilt from Margie is a UFO that came out of the closet to be finished. The fabrics reading as solids and the two layers of batting really make the quilting pop without overpowering the simple design of the quilt.  Finished wonderfully!

Renie, Renie, Renie!!  She does some pretty amazing quilts and her next two are just a couple more examples of her exceptional work.  Renie always seems to have just the perfect fabric selection for each quilt block/design that she makes.  Her first is a scrappy 30's print matched with the white for a beautifully finished top!  I kept the quilting light and fun on this one.

WOW! WOW! WOW!  Renie's second quilt! I LOVE this one!!  How beautiful is this tulip quilt?  Using Ombre fabrics to make the tulip flower this quilt is nothing short of spectacular!  I selected a modern quilting design with slight hints of a few traditional feathers.  Did I tell you how much I LOVE this one?  

How cute are these little guys?  Sandra made this adorable little quilt for a new addition to their family.  This quilt is going to get some fabulous lovin'.  We opted for a simple meander design for the quilting.

Here's another quilt from Shirley. Scrappy and fun!  Working with two layers of batting and a very simple quilting design, this one finished perfectly!  Great scrap busting quilt!

Another gal ahead of the game, Susanne!!  What a great quilt this one 

is!  It's going to be perfect and done when the holidays roll around this

 year.  Susanne selected a whimsical design that just makes this one fun!

Well, that wraps up April, be back soon with May!!

Thanks for checking in on me,

hugs,

joanne

love to hear what you've got to say............

March was a busy month!

For the last couple of years, March has been a very, very busy 

month for me.  

This is the second year in a row I have attended a 

HandiQuilter Retreat hosted by Liz down at Bits N' Pieces Quilt Shop in 

Pelham, NH.  She calls it a "retreat" but it's three days of a hardcore intense learning experience.  She has HandiQuilter National Educators teaching and they very sweetly pound information into our brains. For me, this is better than 

MQX as the entire retreat is all about the HandiQuilters machines and products. This year I decided to upgrade a tablet on one of my machines and bring both machines and tablets up to date with the current software.  Here's one of the few things that you may not know.  These computerized machines are just like any other computer, always upgrading and needing the latest software for the best possible results. Liz does an excellent job of making the learning fun and I 

 meet lots of great HQ owners and even make a new friend or two! 

All of that happens the first weekend.  The second weekend, I'm the one

 hosting the retreat!  It's a fabulous group of gals and we get together at the 

Lake Morey Inn, Fairlee, VT.  We sew, we chat, we eat, we play games, we sew some more, eat again (and again!) and just generally have a great time.  If 

you would like to see photos, and there are always lots of photos, friend 

me on Facebook.  You can find more info on any upcoming retreat by 

clicking on the tab at the top of the page.

These two events leave me just a little time for quilting the rest of the 

month!  But it's so worth it!  Well, let's get to the quilts, shall we?

Leslie made this great quilt for her sister who loves birds.  The fabrics she selected work well together to make the perfect top. Excellent job on the paper piecing Leslie!

Here's the back of Leslie's quilt. With mostly horizontal seams it is much easier for me to work with.  Great way to add interest to the backing.

Here's Diane's latest.  String quilts turn out so pretty, and are a great way to use up all of those scraps!  Since the quilt is so busy we decided to use a simple loop for the quilting. Finished it off nicely.

Here's a quilt from Jeannie. Beautiful blues giving it the feel of the ocean.  I believe she mentioned this is a gift for a friend who lives at or near a beach.  Waves design by Anne Bright for the final ocean theme.

Loretta Jo needed a guy quilt and I think she pulled it off quite nicely with 

this wonderful group of fabrics.  Don't forget you can click on the photos

 for a closer look.  Using a geometric soft square/rectangle design was the perfect way to go for this one!

Shirley kept me busy for a couple of days with the next quilts.  Up first is an adorable quilt for her granddaughter who is moving into a big girl bed.  Super sweet pink fabrics and simple floral quilting will help make it special.  Shirley's second, a log cabin I believe she mentioned she would be keeping for herself, yay Shirley!

And how can you not just adore the traditional Log Cabin quilt? With the primary colors of red, blue, green, and yellow it certainly does make a smashing quilt.  Another great quilt, Shirley!

  

That's it for March, I'll be back soon with the quilts of April.

Thanks for checking in on me,

hugs,

joanne

love to hear what you've got to say.........