Ready to take on our next trip

I recently helped my good friend, Kathi, pick out new linens for her guest room and bath. It was fun to match the lovely shams she had already picked out with new window treatments and towels/shower curtain/rugs.
I asked if she would like me to make a full quilt for the bed but since they live in Arizona, Kathi thought a bed runner would be more appropriate. We went to the local quilt fabric store and picked 3 coordinating fabrics. When I got home, I went to work designing two squares that repeated the flowers in the shams and the art work in the room. The project turned out to be just the right size to hand quilt on our next cruise. Progress to be updated soon . . .

Busy Hand Quilting

I have finished quilting the medallions on my Mary Mannakee and am now working on the grid. The boarder will be last. I thank Janet at Quiltsalot for challenging me to do this quilt. It has been such a learning experience.



When I started the grid, I wasn't excited to use pencil for the markings but I think it was the best choice. I have researched how to remove them in the end. A soft eraser takes most of it off but sometimes I missed the mark and I had to draw again, making them either darker or have an extra line. Do you have any suggestions for treating the marks before washing?

"SURF'S UP"

My daughter-in-law's mother shared this pattern with me after she made it for our grandson.
Click to enlarge.

My grandnephew, Jack, lives at the beach and his father is an avid surfer making this the perfect quilt for him.

Paper piecing is my least favorite quilt technique but I hunkered down and went to work. Going through my stash, I found most of the prints, only buying the beach flip-flops for the border. I'll warn you that the piecing has 12 cuts, making it a bit tedious but the results are spectacular.



I used flannel for the back and machine quilted it myself, outlining the surfboards and edging the sashing.