Thread Head Quilt Along Challenge Winner

Well today is my baby's birthday (14 years old!!) and also the draw date for the THQA Challenge. So my baby did the honours -

There was three beautiful entries! And the winner is -

Needled Mom!!

She made such a beautiful quilt. Congratulations! Her surprise of some of my favorite quilting things will be on its way soon (probaby not in the mail as there is a mail strike pending!).

Connie also sent me some pictures of her beautiful quilt top -

Thanks Connie! It looks fantastic.

Thank-you to all those who quilted along! It has been a blast!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!♥

This and That

I am planning on starting making blocks for the "Hop To It!" book by Edyta Sitar.

My friend Wendy (Inky Threads) has agreed to join in with me, so I thought it would be fun to invite other people to join in too.
I plan on making one block a month starting in June (can you tell I have become addicted to BOM!!). If you have the book and like myself just needed a little push to get started on it, now is the time. Or if you want to buy the book and join in, the blocks are all so beautiful -


The blocks are something I have been seeing all over the web (using all types of applique methods), the quilts other people have been making are stunning.

This is just going to be for fun, with no pressure, just encouragement to make beautiful blocks. I started a Flicker group so people will be able to post their pictures of the blocks when we get started.

June 2011 - block #12 was chosen
July 2011 - block # 9 was chosen

Now speaking of pressure!! If you plan on participating in the Thread Head Quilt Along Challenge, you have just over 2 weeks to get a picture to me!

Needled Mom sent me a picture of her beautiful finished quilt -

She did such a wonderful job! I just love the colours she chose. It was long arm quilted by Mary from Quilt Hollow.

Now there are 2 people who have a chance to win a prize of some of my favorite quilting things!!

A beautiful sunset at the edge of the clouds.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!♥

First THQA Challenge Entry

I am so thrilled to say that I received the first entry for the Thread Head Quilt Along Challenge!

This table topper and potholder are made by my sister Marie!
She was very pleased that she was able to follow the patterns (I was pleased that she could - I figured that my patterns were OK). I did not help her in any way.


She used Bali fabrics and cotton batting. She used a walking foot for the machine quilting.
Fantastic job Marie!!

I hope other people are working on finishing a project for the challenge (you have until the end of May). I am giving away a package of some of my favorite quilting things.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!♥

THQA Quilt is Finished

My Thread Head Quilt Along quilt is all finished!!! I am so thrilled!
The quilt is 102" square, the blocks are 9". Good thing there is no sound with this picture, because my DH and #1DS are standing on high stools with their hands over their heads holding this giant quilt up!!

For those who have joined the quilt along - here are some details on how I quilted it.


All the quilting was done on my home sewing machine.
To begin with I used the walking foot to quilt diagonal lines through the black squares, this stabilized the quilt and it made quilting each block easier.
I started by quilting feathers in the parts of the alternating blocks that surrounded the blocks and then quilted each block with a different design (check out some of my older posts to see some blocks as I quilted them).

This block was quilted with a feathered wreath and I think that would have been a great design for all the blocks.


The alternating blocks all ended up looking like this (a design inspired by Carla Barrett - check out her gallery for other design inspiration).

The first border (the one that finishes the diamonds and includes part of the alternating blocks) was quilted with half feather wreaths (I used a Tupperware lid size "X" to mark the center vein).


The two little black borders have swirls quilted in them - also designed by Carla Barret (shown here).
The scrappy squares border was quilted with the walking foot to mimic the the large X's through the quilt.
There are little feathered wreaths in the outer corner blocks (I used the end of the Aurifil thread to mark those).

I used Aurifil #50 for all the quilting (top and bobbin) and a #80 Microtex needle. I used black for the walking foot quilting and the little black borders, but one neutral colour for the rest of the quilting (I didn't want to keep changing thread to match - used a 1300m spool of thread!). The batting is wool (I needed a King Size).
I used my regular set-up for machine quilting and it turned out that is was easier to quilt than I thought it would be.

Here are the links for my free motion feather tutorial (the one with the video) and feathers part II (shows feathered wreaths)

Here is a link for my binding tutorial.

I had been collecting the fabric for this style of quilt for a while and the whole process of making it was much more fun because other people joined me! Thank-you!!!

You still have lots of time to participate in my challenge to finish something with the blocks, so I hope you will send in some pictures (until the end of May 2011).

Now to find a place to store my quilt - it is too big for our double bed (maybe one day we will graduate to a "grown-up" queen size bed! - we will be ready with a quilt LOL).

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!!♥

This and That

I am working on the binding of the THQA quilt, then just the label.

Last month I was a lucky winner of one of the OPAM prizes from Kris (Tag Along Teddies) and the surprise came today!!! Thanks Kris!♥

This morning we had a visitor in our yard - a cat in the tree (the snow is still so deep - normally the bird house is over our heads - but at least we can see the top of the slide now).

I never thought I would have a picture of a cat on my blog (maybe one day I will have one in my house). She was such a beautiful cat, we have never seen her before. She came right down to me (with a bit of trouble) and I helped her out of the tree (I am sure she would have made it out by herself). She followed us to the house, shaking each paw with every step - so cute, but she wouldn't come in the house to warm up.

Plus the Junkos are back - it must be spring! I love watching them peck on the ground.

Thanks to every one for the kind words and encouragement for my quilt along quilt!!! Bloggers are the best!!♥

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!!♥

I Can't Believe It!

I never thought this day would come!

The pin tins are full and there are some empty spools of thread.

I finished quilting my quilt!!
I have been machine quilting (on my DSM) like a woman possessed for 6 days and I am so pleased that it is finished! It is 102" square now - started as 105".
Just the binding and label left.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!!♥

Update - here is the free motion feather video

Still Quilting

I finished quilting all the center blocks (40) of the THQA quilt.

I also finished quilting the three outer borders.

I decided to use the walking foot to quilt the scrappy squares, the design mimics the "X" created in the black squares.

The only marking that I did on the quilt was the circles for the feathered wreaths (in some of the centers of the blocks). My favorite marking pen is this white Clover pen. It shows up on all kinds of colours. When you first use it, it takes a few seconds for the line to show up, but under the light of the sewing machine it is very visible. I traced around all kinds of circular objects for the different size wreaths. The line comes out with the heat of an iron.

I just have the first border (the one that completes the diamonds) to quilt.

There will be 20 of these half wreaths.

I tried a Hera marker for the first time. It just sort of flattens the fabric, leaving an indentation - no marks to remove after.

It has been snowing almost all day, but the sun finally made an appearance.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!!♥

9 Left

More machine quilting today.

I have finished quilting 31 blocks, so 9 left to go!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!!♥

Still Quilting

I am still machine quilting the Thread Head Quilt Along quilt.

I tend to keep the quilt really "bunched" around the sewing machine and I haven't been having a problem with the quilting. The stay stitching through the black squares really helped stabilize the quilt.

I am trying out all kinds of quilting designs in the blocks, some I really like , some not so much. I am trying to not be too critical and I hope it will all look fine in the end - it is all a learning experience.
I have quilted 18 blocks and one border so far, so 22 blocks and 3 borders left.

Finally saw a rabbit today - I was wondering where they have been, I guess they finally have lots to eat.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!!♥

Machine Quilting

I started machine quilting the Thread Head Quilt Along quilt.

I started by quilting with the walking-foot through all the black squares, using black Aurifil thread.

Then on to free motion quilting the blocks with a gold coloured Aurifil thread. I am using a #80 Microtex needle. So far I have quilted 5 blocks (I mean the blocks created by the diamonds of the alternating blocks), so 35 blocks left to quilt. I plan on taking my time - the large quilt is a bit of a brute to wrestle with!

I am using wool batting - notice all the different measurements on the label -

3½"

3"

4"!!??

I had quite a lot of interest in the GO!

When I cut out the shapes I rotary cut strips the right size before cutting out the shapes. For the apple core I need strips 5+3/4" wide (on the lengthwise grain). This red fabric is folded to 7½"sections (6 layers thick) - these measurements are smaller than on the die package.

I press down on the fabric to make sure it covers the die blades - you can feel where the blades are and I don't think there is any danger of cutting yourself.

After cutting there is very little waste - there is always a certain amount of waste with unusual shaped blocks.

I cut out all the apple core blocks with the fabric I had. Except for the red, I had ½ meter lengths of fabric (about 21" - 22"), and I was able to cut 21 apple cores from each fabric - 3 apple cores in each length and 7 across the width. The package says that you can cut 24 apple cores from 1 yard of fabric, but I think you could cut 35.

I added a couple of rows of apple cores. I have no idea how big this quilt will be, but it sure is nice to sew. This is definitely a shape I would never have tried without the GO!.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!!♥

Finished Pinning

Today I pinned the THQA quilt.

It is such a big quilt (105" square), that I had no large spot to lay it out - the picture is the last third being pinned (I was scrounging all over the house for enough pins!).

I also sewed a few rows of tumbler blocks together. I cut out over 550 blocks with the 3" GO! Tumbler die, and if my calculations are correct the quilt should be 50"x69" (24 blocks per row, and 23 rows). The blocks all go together so perfectly!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!!♥

Thread Head Quilt Along Challenge

This week I am putting out a challenge for the Thread Head Quilt Along Participants!! To finish a project made with the quilt blocks.

My quilt top, binding and backing are all ready to go - I am just waiting for wool batting that I ordered from the Quilter's Den to come in (I had to order the wide stuff).

You will have until the end of May (should be enough time) to finish something (quilt, table runner, wall hanging....) using the blocks of the quilt along (they are all found here if you are new).
When you are finished (pieced, quilted, bound - and labeled if that is your thing) email me a picture (joannethreadhead(at)gmail(dot)com - low resolution is great)and I will post it on the THQA Page (so you don't need to be a blogger).
On June 1st, 2011 I will use a random number generator to determine a winner from all the completed projects.

Now for the prize!
I was going to announce it, but I have decided to keep it as a surprise. My youngest son always hopes to receive a surprise in the mail, and since June 1st is his birthday, the winner will receive a surprise in the mail!
I recently won February's OPAM draw from Kris, and I am waiting for a surprise to come all the way from Australia - very exciting - and another reason I thought a surprise would be a good idea.

So please get sewing and send in some pictures - it will be so wonderful to see what people have been up to!♥

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!!♥

Friday Night Sew-In

Tonight for the Friday Night Sew In I am working on the Thread Head Quilt Along quilt.

I am stitching on the third border, just a small border to go! I hope to have the whole quilt top finished this evening.
Thanks for hosting this evening Heidi!

Have a great time sewing and thanks for stopping by!!♥

Update - I have finished the quilt top!!!

The last border is stitched on -

with just enough thread!
Off to press the whole top.♥

Update -

I had a hard time finding somewhere to lay the quilt out - it is the biggest quilt I have made (a King size).

I really like how the borders turned out.♥