81 - the final stretch and a Quilt Show

The work on my hexagon quilt 81 continues and the end is in sight. The inner striped border with baskets of flowers is completely quilted now so it is on to the last bit in the light grey outer border. This corner is completely quilted. There's still quite a bit of border to go but good news is that the amount of quilting to be done is less than what I've already done so that's something!

When I get going with my doodle (or free form) quilting that fills the background it sometimes feels like I'm repeating the same motif over and over again. I have a limited repertoire so it feels like I just quilted a design even if I didn't. To help choose what to do next I keep a sketch with designs by my machine to give me inspiration and ideas. Each time I come up with something a little different I'll add it to the diagram. When quilting if I am stuck I look to my diagram for inspiration. Combining motifs is a great way to great variations. For example a large teardrop can be changed if it is outlined with circles or feathers. To make a design really pop I echo quilt around it two or three times!

For those of you who live in the Toronto area or will be visiting the area in mid-September I will be showing my quilt 81 at the Yorkshire Rose Quilt Show on September 20 &21, 2014. There will be some amazing quilts on display. For those of you who can't make it I will take pictures and we'll have a virtual quilt show!

Friday morning I'll publish Block 9 in my Value Proposition Quilt Along. We are going to do something a little different this time. I hope you'll like it!

Time for me to get back to quilting! Until I post again, happy sewing!
Karen H