I started this project to help my 5 year old niece Emma who is going through some hard changes right now. She is going to be in kindergarten this next year and already knows her letters and is reading. I thought getting mail every week may help cheer her up and give her something to look forward too. Each week I am sending her a fabric postcard based on the alphabet and a Bible verse card that corresponds with the letter. I have several ready but these are the few that I have already sent.

A is for Apple

B is for Button

(used the cuff off an old shirt)

C is for Cat

Each postcard has a small button-hole at the top for a ring – that way she can make a flip book.

Well, I have finished the center of the wedding quilt. I have decided that if I am not done with the quilt by the wedding, they will get a card and a picture. That truly is how wedding quilts are to be given – right? As long as they have it before their first baby? So, I should have at least a year or two.

I am happy with the center. I have left some open spaces around the feathers and at this time, I am not planning on adding any fill.

The border is marked and started. I will have some pictures soon.

Here is the feather information as promised. There are so many ways to quilt feathers. This is my preferred way. They turn out for me every time and I love the openness of them. You also do not have to do much backtracking!

I make a “stencil” to make the spine shapes symmetrical and for me to know where the side spines should be placed.

I quilt the whole spine first, which takes me back to the bottom of the feather. I then quilt up one side and echo back down that side, which takes me back to the bottom of the feather. Then I quilt up the other side and echo down.

Whenever there is a “v” shape in the feather (this happens when a side shoot off the feather is created) a new teardrop is formed in the “v” and then plumes are added on either side. To help me keep the feathers from overlapping, I mark “fences” to make sure that I do not go too far. In the picture below, the dashed blue lines are my fences.

This picture compares a finished side and one side that needs the “v” part added.

I was able to quilt the second feather today. They take about 40 minutes to quilt each feather – they are quite large (16×20 inches).

Well I was able to do a little quilting Friday and then a lot more on Saturday. I probably sat at the machine too long yesterday – am feeling it today – but I usually do not quilt on Sunday so I have time to rest up. I got the very center done with the letter “D” and the fill around it. I am really liking it so far. I also got the first of the four large heart feathers done! I will post some pictures tomorrow hopefully of my feather process. I erased a small bit in the middle to see how the threads will look without the blue marks. There is also an updated picture of the back.

Hope you all are enjoying your day. Took a walk with my daughter and the dogs and now time for a quick nap.

So many people ask me how I fit the quilt top in my Bernina and have room to move around. The wedding quilt is about 60 inches square – not the biggest that I have done but still plenty to fit under the needle. What I always say is that I just push all the other fabric out of the way and only concentrate on the area right inside my hands. Maybe a picture can explain it a little better.

Here is a slightly different perspective.

Better yet, maybe a very short and somewhat boring video will help even more. =)

I have started on the letter and fill design for the center of the quilt. I will be using at least 3, if not 4 different colored threads for the quilt. It makes the back really pretty also since I match the top and bobbin threads.

That is all for today. The pebbles make my eyes so dry and tired and I have a special dinner tonight.