Charity Quilts from Karin

I have lots of quilts from Karin to share with you today.  She sent so many emails that I think I’m going to split them into two posts.  She was definitely a busy girl.

Karin writes:
“Good morning Jo!!  Have I got a show for you today! Before I get started on the finishes, I thought I would give you and your readers a sneak peek into the workings of my craziness…

Check out the detailed quilting plan I marked on this border. See the blue “chain links” I have painstakingly stenciled? All around the quilt? Took me about 20 minutes, to be truthful.

Well, wait till you see the next email…showing what happened once it got on the frame!

This quilt was sent directly to me by Debbie S, from Holland, NY.  A few weeks ago, while we were enjoying our record-breaking highs, near 90 every day, poor Debbie was enjoying a balmy 9, yes, that’s right, note a typo, a whole NINE degrees!  With SNOW, lots of snow!  She used her time wisely, though, and created 5 tops and 5 backings for me to quilt and donate.

Well, this panel was supposed to be a pieced backing, but those little birdies needed to be front and center, in my opinion, so I dug around the box and found another backing that would fit it well, so I used that, instead.

I really enjoyed the time I spent with those birds and flowers, even though my best-laid quilting plan flew straight out the window as soon as I put the needle to fabric.  Somehow, the flowers and vines just seemed to flow out and, in the end, I think they are much more suitable than chain links after all.

I cannot tell you what happened.  I honestly don’t know.  But it wasn’t any chain links, I can tell you that! Does this ever happen to you??

So here’s the substitute back I used…I think it compliments the front nicely.  This quilt finished up at 44 x 52.

So here’s a version of a…log cabin, I think, maybe half?  I don’t really know my blocks well, but I know the solid colors really accented the variety of batiks!

Debbie mentioned that her goal was to use up some scraps, and, boy, did she ever succeed. She pieced the back for me out of plaid and some more of the solid blue. Just perfect. I quilted wishbones in the solid strips and left the batiks to shine on their own.  I love batiks just as much as anyone!

The back was juuuust a wee bit shy (perhaps I turned it the wrong way??), but, fortunately, I still had some of that neutral Moda binding that Susan McC had sent from Austin, TX, and it worked just fine. This finished up at 34 x 44.

Here came some more birds! Birds on a wire, to be exact.
This quilt and the next one are fraternal twins, and you’ll see why in just a moment.  I just loved these fun little birdies. I can just imagine they were happy to wing their way south and get out of the cold and snow and join up with their brothers and sisters around our feeders.

I love how Debbie enlarged the center by building an offset border around it.  I think she used the log cabin technique, making it much more intricate and interesting than normal. I never would have thought of it, and I’m happy that she did, as it gave me a chance to do some really wide arching feathers. Practice makes perfect, right?

Remember how I stole that panel backing and turned it into a front?  Well, thanks again to Susan McC from Austin, she had sent about 3 yards of this green batik that was enough to do this AND its twin sister.  This one finished at 33 x 40.

And, here we have twin B.  Would you look at how creative Debbie was with this border???

My goodness, it adds so very much interest to the top!!  Striking, isn’t it?  And get a load off those adorable birdies, still hanging out on the wire, discussing their flight paths, I reckon. Not to mention, Debbie’s piecing was impeccably accurate, throughout each one of these stunning tops.
So, thank you, Susan, I have used every bit of that green batik you sent, and I even had to supplement a bit to finish this one out.  Using up scraps, that was the goal, right??  This quilt finished at 40 x 45.

How impressive.  All of these will be so appreciated by their recipients.  It was definitely a bird-themed post!!  Thanks so much to every who donated and as always, AMAZING work Karin.  You are a real talent.

Karin sent more quilts but I will save them for another post…