Tumbleweed {Blogger's Quilt Festival}

No.   No need to rub your eyes.

Yes, this is another quilt for the

I had to show you my Tumbleweed Quilt, my favorite quilt so far this year. 

 The quilt for ME!

I have to admit. This is my absolute favorite quilt right now.   It is not at all my normal taste of fabric, but it was FREE!   I won it from another quilter on her blog!

I love the Houston Rodeo and really wanted to not lose the novelty of the prints so that I could have it out during the time it is in town.  However, I also wanted to have a bit of modern flair, so I tried something new with the tumbler pattern.

 End to end horizontally instead of vertically. (you can see the layout at the top photo).

But the reason this is my most favorite quilt and why I am sharing this quilt for the festival is the QUILTING!!!!

 Yeehaw!!! 

Cowboy hats!

 Horseshoes with loops

 More loops with....horseshoes.

Last but not least, boots....with spurs.
Cute no?

I had a TON of fun doing these freemotion all over the quilt on my longarm machine.  

I did not have enough of the free fabric for a backing so I chose this brown fabric.  

The flowers reminded me of Texas bluebonnets.

 I am pretending the roses are some sort of Texas rose too! 

Don't burst my bubble, okay?

I had enough of the scraps to do a binding, but I really liked this print when I saw it at the LQS.
It is Moda Grace Bias Stripe by 3 Sisters 

I had intended to just put the label in a random corner, but I just didn't like the way it was glaringly popping out on the brown fabric.

 I decided to piece some scraps at an angle and then needle-turned it to the center of the strip where I had a large expanse anyway.

Worked out brilliantly.

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Quilt Stats:

Measures: 54" x 63"

Pattern: Tumblers (end to end horizontally)

Fabric:  Various floral and cowboy motif fabrics from 

Moda and other high quality quilting fabric lines (fabrics were all scraps)

Quilt Pattern: Loops with Rodeo motifs by myself on my HQ Avante 18" 

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I have to laugh because as I was editing the pictures I noticed a stray thread from my EPP project on the left of the backing strip a few photos above!

Proof that I have already snuggled under this with Button!

Who has somehow managed to steal MY rodeo quilt and renamed it from my awesome name of Tumbleweed quilt to

Little Horsey's quilt.

Nothing is sacred in this house.

P.S.  Thanks for stopping by if you are from Blogger's Quilt Festival.
To return to the Festival, click on the image at the top!!!!!!!

WIP: Missing in Action

I have been terrible about sharing my in progress projects lately!  I have been jumping in with finishes, which isn't really what I like to do around here.  However, two separate Spring breaks spanning the month of March about dug me in a grave!  I love my boys being home.  I love a break from homework.

  But the house gets slightly VERY chaotic around here!!

Finishes (since my last visit to WIP Wednesday)

Tumbleweed Quilt

Going from recent to oldest.  I just finished my Rodeo quilt this past weekend!  

The quilt that is a nod to our Houston Rodeo that I love and adore every year.  

This quilt has been stolen from me.  You HAVE to go see by whom.

Primarily Sean's Quilt

Finished this right in time for an Easter visit from my sister and her gang!

Whether I would finish it WELL was a shaky at one point, but I am pretty darn happy with the finish and I still loved his name foundation pieced on the back HERE.

Spiders and Webs, part deux

My second go round with my Spiders and Webs tutorial.  

It is staying home.  Two of the three quilts in March are mine, mine, mine....or *cough* "ours".

Snowflake Row

 I have to admit, I was asked if I'd like to join the Winter Wonderland Round Robin when I was under the influence of pain killers in December.

When I came back to my normal lucid? 
I was thinking, "What did I sign up for?  A tutorial?  For a whole ROW!?!?? Not a block?"

But it all worked out.  It even got me to finish fixing my EPP tutorial from last November.
 I am pretty excited about finishing the other rows in the Round Robin.

  Not too late to join in!!!

In Progress

Do. Good Stitches 

Scrappy Feather Block

I'm late.  March blocks.

One down, one to go

Cat in the Hat

My other nephew's quilt is in the cutting stage. 
He is my godson, so I have to do this one perfectly this time! 

When I started cutting, I started to get concerned about the massive EXCESSIVE amounts of fabric I had ordered. (pssst..do not order fabric under the influence either, okay?) I was a bit intimidated at the thought of making a bunch of Dr. Seuss quilts for my Etsy shop.  I REALLY didn't want to do that many quilts with this fabric.  Luckily, a good friend has given me an idea...but it is top secret since my sister already knows about the quilt.  Some things must remain sacred around here!

Blush Quilt

I have finally had some time to dive in on the quilt I am making for my aunt that was diagnosed with breast cancer this past summer.  She is still fighting, so I want to send this too her ASAP.

I have made my block fabric choices and am still auditioning background fabrics.

 From Left to Right:  Stone, Pale Flesh (ewww for the name, right?), Snow
 Getting ready to cut out.  Which one do you like?

Stars and Stripes

This hexie quilt is clipping along at a decent pace.  I have almost all of my blue/white rows sewn together.  Not only the rows themselves, but rows together.  Just three more left to make the rectangle. 

Layout phase

I have had to take out the cardstock as I have been working because it was getting so large and difficult to take along with me.

Action shot.  Watching a movie.  My lap is fully covered!

  I am also getting excited because I now have a plan on what I am going to do with it and now can go back to the original design with the borders from the pattern (I was leaving them out before).  

New Project

Look what came in the mail two weeks ago.  

Hex on the Beach with Tula Pink!

Can you say?
Mmmmmmmmm..... 

However, I have laid down the law.  I am not allowed to start basting those sweet little hexies until Stars and Stripes is done.  There.  I said it.  It's in writing.  

Linking up with Lee

Did I tire you out after this post? 

I tired myself out!

Tumbleweed Quilt

My first April finish (because I am secretly hoping for more this month)

My rodeo quilt!!

I have to admit.  

I had reservations if I could make this into a quilt I love.  I am am still not exactly over the moon about all the fabric.  But free fabric?  FREE fabric?

It'll do!  

I think I mentioned it before, but I won a bundle of cowboy/cowboy inspired fabric last year on Carla's blog, Lollyquiltz.  I guessed her least favorite color!  Magenta

I am really happy with the tumbler pattern layout. It really showcases the more novelty prints.

 Yeehaw!!! 

Cowboy hats!

 Horseshoes with loops

 More loops with....horseshoes.

Last but not least, boots....with spurs.  Cute no?

All of the above quilting was freehand by tracing pencil on paper, over and over, the images I pulled from the internet.

Except for the boots.  

 I needed a little guide for the first few to get a rhythm. 

 The toe/shoe angle was tough for me to get right on my own.

My trick?  I moved my laser for pantographs to the front and traced the boot off to the side.  You might have noticed I ran over loops in the image above because I was busy trying to race the pattern the first time!  But I finally got the hang of it and didn't need it anymore.

 Side note: I love the pattern so much that it is on my wish list for the next batch of pantographs I plan to buy soon!  I am sure that I will need it for a few Texas clients!

I did not have enough of the free fabric for a backing so I chose this brown fabric.  

The flowers reminded me of Texas bluebonnets.

 I am pretending the roses are some sort of Texas rose too! 

Don't burst my bubble, okay?

I had enough of the scraps to do a binding, but I really liked this print when I saw it at the LQS. 

I definitely used it to bring interest to the backing.

I had intended to just put the label in a random corner, but I just didn't like the way it was glaringly popping out.

 I decided to piece some scraps at an angle and then needle-turned it to the center of the strip where I had a large expanse anyway.

Worked out brilliantly.

------------------

Quilt Stats:

Measures: 54" x 63"

Pattern: Tumblers (end to end horizontally)

Fabric:  Various floral and cowboy motif fabrics from 

Moda and other high quality quilting fabric lines

Quilt Pattern: Loops with Rodeo motifs by myself.

 -------------------

 

I have to laugh because as I was editing the pictures I noticed a stray thread from my EPP project on the left of the backing strip a few photos above!

 

Proof that I have already snuggled under this with Button!

Who has somehow managed to steal MY rodeo quilt and renamed it from my awesome name of Tumbleweed quilt to

Little Horsey's quilt.

Nothing is sacred in this house.