My Heidi

This is my first complete project to be quilted on my brand new Bernina Q20 longarm machine!

After much deliberation this year I bought myself a Bernina Q20 longarm machine and studio frame (with an extension ready for when I want to go big!) instead of taking a planned trip to Europe this year for my 50th birthday, which I had spent a few years saving up for. 

You can read about it's arrival here!

 I started with using the straight ruler to make the triangles in the white squares, and then used the curved ruler to create the loopy 'cross' inside the blue and purple plus blocks - being my first project with the Q20, it's all a bit wonky but I'm quite happy with how it improved as I went along!

I also decided to free-motion the side-to-side lines inside some of the triangles.

This photo shows up the quilting really well...I alternated the direction of the triangles on each row, so some are 'up' and some are 'down'.

The pattern for this lap quilt was based on a Quilty Love pattern 'Simple Plus quilt', and I made it a square quilt of 45"sq, which was just the right size to fit on the studio frame for my Q20.

The top was made with leftovers from this Irish Chain quilt, and from the leftover vintage cotton sheet that I had used for that project as well.

The backing is from stash fabric and leftovers.

As my Q20 is nicknamed Heidi, it also felt like the best name for this quilt, which I will be keeping for myself. And of course, a polka dot binding to set it all off.

Here are some shots from when I was doing the quilting:

It is so cool to have the quilt all stretched out, and the movement all takes place with the needle/machine, rather than wrestling the quilt through the space and trying to keep it flat and taut while sewing.

With the studio frame only being 5 feet wide, I can tell it won't be long until I am asking Jenny and Pauline to come back and add on the extension so I can do wider quilts!

Now, I must get away to the sewing room and whip up some more quilt tops so I can quilt them on Heidi! Our school summer holidays have just started, so that will give me tonnes of free time in my happy place...

30+ lap quilt

 

This is a 40" x 42" lap quilt that I made at the start of 2022 with leftovers from this quilt (I am finally catching up on some blogging/scrapbooking!)

Called 30+ due to having 30 plus blocks that needed used.

Have straight line echoed inside the plus blocks, with a free-motioned orange peel motif in the white sections; done using my Elna 200 domestic machine.

The backing is a cool rabbit print that was in my stash and had just the right hint of orange.

Not sure who the eventual owner will be, but they will turn up at some stage!

Positivity Plus

This is a single bed quilt for my cousin’s son, Mitchell McNally, 

which was finally delivered to him a couple of weeks ago by his Nana, Sue. 

I created the quilt back in the summer holidays but our Covid-19 Level Four lockdown 

thwarted my plans to drive up to the Ida Valley for a visit to deliver it.

Here it is on the design wall back in January...

The quilt measures 61” x 63” and is based on the Jeni Baker ‘Artithmetic’ pattern, but I adapted it to have the crosses looking more scattered across the quilt.

The backing is made from minky that was also in my stash and I kept the quilting simple, 

using stitch in the ditch and diagonal lines. 

I called it ‘Positivity Plus’ because Mitchell received a major health diagnosis at the start of the year and he had quickly adjusted to it and taken on a really positive attitude towards managing his health. 

Here's To 60 Plus lap quilt

Sorry, inside night lighting photos as I didn't get home until dark, and it's pretty much still dark when I go to work...and I needed to gift it today!

I made this large lap quilt for my favourite netball buddy and world's most awesome office manager, Broni Tumataroa, to celebrate her significant birthday earlier this month. She was in Oz for her birthday, and it was school holidays, so today at work we had a surprise morning tea for her.

I used fat quarters from a bundle of Blueberry Front Yard (by Sandra Clemons for Michael Miller Fabrics) that has been in my stash for a few years, and the pattern is 'Pinwheel Plus' by Cheryl Brickey from her book 'Modern Plus Sign Quilts'.

I quilted it with a free-motion double loop design (as used by the sample in the pattern book).

It measures 58" x 56" and is backed with a deep blue minky, and has a binding of a navy/while spot.

I love the little rabbits that pop up in a couple of the fabrics!

This is one of my 2018 Finish Along third quarter goals...DONE!

A big New Zealand hello to any visitors via Sarah's TGIFF linky party - kia ora!