Rhonda Bracey: At Random

This was a pretty quilt! I loved the mix of colours — soft blues, aquas, and creams. And with the type of batting used, it was quite ‘fluffy’ too. So I knew I’d have to either use a design to emphasise the fluffiness, or something to subdue it. I opted for both 😉

In one set of the diamonds I quilted big bubbles/pebbles, and in the other I stitched the diagonal pieces down with up/down stitching about 1/4″ apart (no I didn’t use a ruler and didn’t measure or mark it — just let it flow). That dense stitching really puffed up the centre squares, so I did a spiral in them. I repeated that in the setting triangles.

For the borders, I left the cream border, did the up/down stitching in the small blue border, and some BIG bubbles/pebbles in the wide border.

I quite like how it turned out, and was impressed with the ‘texture’ the quilting created on the back.

(Click on a photo to view it larger)

Back:

Threads used:

• Top: Robison-Anton ‘Maize’ (rayon, 40 wt, colour #2264
• Bottom: Bobbinfil (white)

This was an odd quilt. Not something I would have made, but I don’t get a choice in the quilts I get given to quilt 😉 And they aren’t for me anyway.

How to quilt it? I decided to start with the centre diamonds, and stitched a wavy matrix/cross-hatch in each. Then I did an open headband motif for the rest of the top, and some small clam shells in the border (using my Handi Quilter 2″ clam shell ruler).

I used the same light cream/yellow thread for all the stitching on the main top, with a variegated pink/red in the border.

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Back:

Threads used

• Top: Main top: Robison-Anton ‘Maize’ (40 wt, rayon, colour #2264); Border: Superior King Tut ‘Red Sea’ (cotton, 40 wt, colour #926)
• Bottom: Bobbinfil (white)

For one of the first Community Quilts I ever quilted, I actually quilted the back, following the outlines of the flower pattern in the fabric (see https://rhondabracey.com/2012/06/26/community-quilts-1-and-2/). And so for this one. The backing fabric was quite pretty and had some lovely big flowers on it, so I decided to turn it over, put the thread I would normally have had in the top into the bobbin, and put the thread for the back into the top.

By doing that, I was able to use a 12 wt cotton thread that I had — I’ve tried it through the needle and it’s flaky at best, so putting it in the bobbin was a great idea… except that this smallish quilt took about 6 bobbins as so little of the 12 wt thread could be wound on before filling the bobbin. No matter.

I outlined stitched the flowers on the back and the pattern that created came through onto the top. As the top’s fabrics were very busy, you can’t really see the quilting motif, but you can definitely feel the texture.

If this quilt looks similar to the others I’ve done recently, that’s ‘cos it is. I was given a batch of quilts that had used the same block designs and sizes, though all were done in different fabrics, thus creating different effects.

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This is the back — I followed the outlines of the flowers with the King Tut thread:

And this is how it looks on the front, with the thick bobbin thread as the ‘top’ thread:

Threads used

• Top: Superior King Tut ‘Red Sea’ (cotton, 40 wt, colour #926)
• Bottom: Wonderfil Fruitti (Egyptian cotton, 12 wt, colour FT 12)

This quilt was made from the same block pattern as the previous one.

First, I stitched in the ditch around the main diamond blocks, then decided to do a floral style open headband motif for quilting the main design.

For the borders I just did some large clam shells using one of my Handi Quilter rulers, then added a single flame motif between each one to add a bit of interest. I stayed with the deep pink variegated thread throughout and quite liked the effect of the pink on the deep green background.

(Click on a photo to view it larger)

Back:

Threads used

• Top: Superior King Tut ‘Red Sea’ (cotton, 40 wt, colour #926)
• Bottom: Wonderfil Deco Bob in a soft pink (80 wt, colour DB 205)

This was a pretty little quilt, but oh, those joins! Some were OK and nice a flat shwoing that the quilt maker had butted them up correctly, but the others weren’t, meaning that some 8+ layers of fabric were jammed into one spot. I had to go around them to avoid breaking my needle and damaging my machine.

One of the fabrics in the centre and the outside border fabric was a muted poinsettia, so I used that as the inspiration for the pointed flower motifs in each block. The second border fabric was a nice muted check, so I stitched along its lines and then stitch cathedral/castle window shapes into the big border to hold it down.

I used one of my favourite threads — ‘Driftwood’ (a Fil-Tec Harmony thread) — which has a lovely variegated mix of grey, tan, beige, and other lovely colours.

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This join was nice and flat

This join was just a mess of fabric all bunched in together

Back:

Threads used

• Top: Fil-Tec Harmony ‘Driftwood’ (cotton, 40 wt, colour #14069)
• Bottom: Wonderfil Deco Bob in a soft pink (80 wt, colour DB 205)

Driftwood thread

Another pinkish quilt — this time of hearts.

I stitched in the ditch around each heart and the sashing borders, then did a continuous line meandering hearts and loops motif in the centre of the quilt, echo stitching  around each heart as I came to it.

For the border, I free stitched (no markings, no rulers/templates) a heart in each corner and half way along each side, then just did a large simple meandering stipple between these hearts.

(Click on a photo to view it larger)

Back:

Threads used

• Top: Robison-Anton (rayon, 40 wt, colour – soft pink (the label has fallen off!))
• Bottom: Wonderfil Deco Bob in a soft pink (80 wt, colour DB 205)

This was a pretty pink floral quilt! So there really wasn’t much to think about as far as thread colours and design motif went — pink for the thread, and fulsome feathers for the blocks 😉

I didn’t quilt the sashing strips to add a bit of ‘puff’ to the texture of the quilt, and only outlined the pink and purple flowers in the border fabric, just to hold them down. Prior to quilting, I ditch-stitched around all the pink sashing and border strips.

The back:

Threads used

• Top: Robison-Anton (rayon, 40 wt, colour – soft pink (the label has fallen off!))
• Bottom: Wonderfil Deco Bob in a soft pink (80 wt, colour DB 205)