Thanks Lois. I didn't know that about Gyleen, I hope she is feeling better. RSI's are no fun. I have had tennis elbow and it was just awful not being able to use my hands at all. I think I got it from hand quilting! That reminds me I must get back to hand quilting the wool quilt.

Rita, I love your quilt. The colours look so regal. Seeing it, and reading about how you've quilted it makes me want to get on to the business of quilting mine. Your daughters friend will be thrilled. I am sure the spirit of care and fun in which you made it will speed her recovery. It is beautiful.

On another note, Gylean has not popped in on this conversation for a while. I subscribe to her newsletter and its not been posted in a while either. I know she was having difficulty with her shoulder. I think it put her out of comission sewing-wise for awhile. But the last she posted, I thought she said she was getting better. I believe she said that the shoulder thing was a repetitive injury from packing up all the orders to her webcite that came in after her episode on TQS. I was wondering how she managed everything she does. I imagine her day job is rather demanding. I am hoping she is well. I miss hearing from her. Does anyone have more information? Lois

Thanks Karen. I have to loosen the thread tension to about 2 to use the invisible thread and for some reason it worked perfectly on this quilt.

Rita, Your quilt turned out gorgous. It is so interesting to see the variations in fabric we all keep in our stash. We are all different. I love the yellows that give such vibrance to the quilt. I don't know how you free motion with invisible thread since I find it difficult to sew with and only use it when I have to. Great job!

Okay here's mine. It still has to be washed so I thought I better take a photo now in case all the colours run together and it is ruined :shock: The finished size is 163cm x 143cm(64.2" x 56.3"). I stitched in the ditch around each block for stability first. Then I did a free motion pattern of leaves and a flower which I adjusted from a bought stencil. I did some straight stitching in the yellow border and then I did a free motion diamond pattern in the outer border which I made up. I used invisible thread on the blocks so that you wouldn't be able to see how shaky my stitching is! And I used a Superior Rainbows thread in the border. I had actually done the blocks in the Rainbows thread but it just looked like I had scribbled all over the quilt so I unpicked it all and started again with the invisible thread. The border fabric is a tie-died fabric but I didn't think about the positioning of the circles until it was too late. It is also the reverse of the fabric as the RS of the fabric was just too much - it had a gold and silver pattern which was just too much for my taste.

Lois -

I really love your quilt! It really glows and has incredible movement! Thanks so much for sharing!

Nancy

I was so totally amazed by that quilt that the fact it was made by "Joyce" just blew right through my brain and didn't get attatched anywhere. I think it's the ADD. Or perhaps, the brain has just had a few too many birthdays! But your right I can easily find the important stuff like quilt shops, more fabric and chocolate. Lois

Lois, it's the one Margo gave us the link to that you mentioned earlier in this blog. Here's the link again so that you can have another look at the border.

http://quiltsbyjoyce.wordpress.com/2012 ... completed/

But I am sure you can find the important things like your sewing room, your fabrics, threads, needles, machine feet, cookies, chocolate ...you know?

Rita, I missed Joyce's quilt with the seminole border. I looked in show and tell. I scanned this topic and couldn't find it, but then I am the one who has trouble finding anything. Lois

Lois your quilt is gorgeous! Isn't it fun how many different ways you can do these pineapples? I went for even more scrappiness - what Gyleen calls 'the full mosaic' and I love it too. But even as I was putting the squares together I was thinking about the next one and what form it will take. I just put the binding on mine tonight and will post photos hopefully tomorrow when I can take a photo in good daylight. That is if we get any good daylight, today we had nothing but rain, rain and more rain.

I had been very worried about the bias edges but I found that starching the 8 1/2" blocks made a huge different to sewing them together. I pressed them carefully and they didn't distort at all. It meant that the little corner triangles didn't shrink back into the seams and the blocks stayed together much more easily too. I pinned each corner just to be sure and put one pin in the centre but that was all. And once I had starched them I didn't really need the stiletto that much or even the starty-stopy.

I am looking forward to seeing what kind of a border you put on yours. The seminole border on Joyce's quilt is really lovely. Someday.....

Loise,
I am speechless by how attractive your pineapple quilt is. Part of what attracts me to it is the dark green parts that seem to give movement and definition to the overall scrappiness of the quilt. Very nicely done! That IS inspiring!
Renata

QuilterLynn wrote:
I am so, so happy you are doing that. I know you've been wanting to have one. I have been finished with my pineapple patches for almost a week now and I so missed the drifts of "colourful" little triangles all over my sewing room floor. LOL. I know I will soon have to start another one. The trash is not gone yet! I know you will have fun with these blocks. Lois

Wow Lois, I am impressed! That is a LOT of pineapples. And, very pretty, too! I love the scrappiness (is that even a word?) of it! I have never made an intricate quilt THAT big! You go, girl!

Dawn
In beautiful Northwest Montana

Reetzbobeetz wrote:
I had this same problem. I solved it by started the seam about and inch inside the block. Then I sew to the end and turned the block around and started on top of the beginning stitches and then sewed off the end. I think I would like to try the starching and ironing but I am very much afraid of stretching the bias edges. How do you prevent distortions using that method. I pressed my seam open and did not try to match every seam, only corners match. Lois