Today is quilting day – our quilts were quilted here at Country Threads by our employees and I always thought I knew how each was quilted. After looking at these two quilts very carefully I realize I did NOT know.
I made several different quilts but can only find these two. (When we closed, we sold quilts right and left, never thinking we’d ever want or need them again. Now I wish we hadn’t done that.)
Here’s the original Bullseye made with a fat quarter pack all those years ago.
The print on the back is very busy and the thread matches well – I’m going to remember this because my quilting will not be perfect.
Each block was quilted with a spiral, starting and stopping with each pieced circle. I’ve used my Apple Pencil to try to follow the line of quilting.
At the intersection where four blocks met another spiral was quilted. Hope you can see this.
When she came to the border she led that line into stippling.
This next Bullseye was quilted in a continuous stitch. Follow the stitching down the middle seam of the block and out again. The point with this quilt it to NOT stitch over the raw edges so that after washing it will ruffle up. I can’t do my straight line quilting on this one so I’m going to have to be very brave.
This quilt happens to be set with sashing, something we won’t have to worry about but it’s something you may want to do on your next Bullseye quilt.
Follow my pencil line to see where the quilter traveled along a seam. She stippled the sashing and the area outside the circle. Wow – can I do that?
This will be a real test for me – I’m sewing rows together now – here’s my Big A– Bullseye on the wall.
I hate making big quilts! This will be the last one I ever make!!!
If I haven’t made this clear, ask me in the comments and I will try to answer – remember I’m not really a long arm quilter- just a quilter who owns a long arm and quilts for herself ONLY. Haha!
++++++++++++++++++++++ On another subject.
Here are some photos of my Moses in a Basket plants.
And here’s a closeup of a basket – these dry up and I pull them off so the plant will make more.
I left the picture big so you could see the basket better.
UPS just delivered 2 more cases of books so Connie and I will be signing books and sending out books the rest of the day and tomorrow. If you have not received your book, it’s coming. You probably ordered in mid-January and did not get in on the first shipment. The book is Beyond The Battlefield available for $31 to address on home page.
And what I really want to do is look at these 3 books that I ordered awhile ago but have not really studied yet.
And Millie helped.
More on these books after I’ve studied them.
Yesterday Reed was here to do chores and work on his log cabin quilt. We took a short video in the barn of Mama and the 6 chicks. I’m hoping it will post but I may have to make a separate post – I won’t know until I hit “publish ” so bear with me. It’s worth a try!
Please let me know if you can play this short video – a whole other world of posting might be in my future if it plays!
Good luck with quilting your Bullseye – I’ll check in with you next Tuesday.
I don’t see anything to click on to play the video. I quilted my first Bull’s Eye like the original one of yours is quilted. I will probably do this one the same way. Wow! Yours is going to be huge! But it is going to be wonderful! I don’t like making big quilts anymore either. Ice is suppose to be coming to southern Iowa this afternoon. We have a quilting group at church, and this is the fourth week we have had to cancel. Quite a winter this year.
Hi Jeanine
Where do you live? I live on a farm outside of Ottumwa. It’s almost 3 PM and we’ve had freezing rain for about an hour. Our Quilt Guild meeting is canceled for tonight. I’m planning on quilting! Enjoy your evening.
Do not see a video to play☹️.
No video. Gorgeous quilt!
-Jean ❤
What a beautiful quilt!!! I think I will try one of these with my granddaughter.
Thanks for sharing Mary!!!
I love the sashing in that one quilt. I’m going to have to try that on my next Bullseye. Didn’t see a video. I’m with you about the BIG quilts. I’m pretty much past that and leaning toward smaller ones from now on.
No video here either, but great quilt and kitty’s whiskers.
I received my autographed copy of Beyond of the Battlefield yesterday and spent last night going through the book. Can’t decide which one I will make first – have it down to 2 patterns. They are all so beautiful. I loved reading the stories.
Thanks so much for showing the quilting on your quilts. It was very helpful. Millie looks like she is ready to help pick projects!
Our mail comes very late in the afternoon. My husband came back with it yesterday and said…looks like you got a book or something. I grabbed it and sure enough, it was Beyond the Battlefield. Well, I had to start dinner, etc. I saved it until I went to bed and looked and read every page, not reading my novel at all. I loved all the sidebar stories about women of that period. The quilts are to die for. You and Connie have a winner for sure. And, mine is autographed. Thank you so much.
About the quilting of Bullseye. I want to crosshatch quilt mine. I will need to go through each bullseye twice but I think it will still ravel nicely except for those 2 lines…no 4 lines through it. What do you think? I think I would be terrible at circles.
Oh…forgot to say. There was an ad (which I clicked) where the video should have been. Sorry about that.
Love your Big A__ Bullseye! It’ll look great on your bed!
No video here either.
It’s 22 degrees now and snowing. Yesterday was the first real snow we’ve had in eastern Oregon this year. Looks like it might stay around a while. Makes going anywhere a chore. Good weather for quilting!
Mary, love your bullseye quilt. So your quilting maybe perfectly imperfect and that’s ok. If your just keep quilting so it’s all imperfect it will be perfect. Lol I have a bullseye quilt that was taught to us by a fellow quild member and friend. She passed unexpectedly after that workshop. I finished the top and had a close friend of her’s quilt as she has a longarm. On the label I put picture of her as a remembrance.
Hope your day is good.
Rita S – a quilt label with her picture! So sweet!
LOVE the red polka dot diagram with the circle and stipple line — that’s going to be my plan! Your bullseye top is HUGE!!! Anxious for my copy of the new book — I’m looking forward to doing several of those projects soon 🙂
Love the BE quilt! As my little granddaughters say…Good Job! They all listen to their teachers.
Some day I will make the BE quilt. But right now I have about a dozen quilts either in the works or fabric purchased to make the rest. Such is the life of a quilter!
After our 70’s Sunday it has returned to winter in South central Kansas. Brrrr! I went outside early Monday morning in my nightgown and sandals to take out the trash. That was a rude awakening! It sure wasn’t Spring anymore!
Love the sign “Creative Minds Are Rarely Tidy” I have a sign that says “My desk may be cluttered, but my mind is EMPTY” I just sent in my check for the book on Saturday so I know it will be a while before I get it. Can’t wait, everyone so far loves it!
I think you may be following her bulls eye quilting in reverse. It’s much easier to do spirals from outside to the center than the small circle to large. Just a suggestion!
Jan Shaffer – thank you!!! See? I am not a longarmer – hope everybody reads this.
Mary, you are so correct – hope everybody reads the comments! Yesterday was SO fun with over 70 comments and that makes for more ads to CLICK too. Everything from soup to nuts for all of us who have 93 or 94 projects going!
Happy Quilting, Everyone!!!
from warm Texas
Judy
But if you do that, you will turn the raw edges under. I got mine quilted this afternoon, and I worked from the inside out and it went well. My circles I quilted are far from perfect, but I don’t want them perfect since the Bull’s Eyes are not perfect either. You will get the hang of it when you start doing it, Mary. Do it like your first one is quilted…….it worked out great. I love the quilt. I just have to bind mine, and then throw it in the wash! Be brave, Mary!
This was suppose to be in response to quilting the circles from the outside to the inside as suggested by Jan S.
No video. Love your quilt and yeah, it’s big!!!
But loved the kitty pix too and am fascinated by Moses in a Basket plant – what a delightful name!!!
Love Linda’s “Creative Minds are rarely tidy.” I worked for a man that always said his desk was “Creative disorder not static neatness.” I like to think my sewing room may fall into that category. There was no video and the ad (for some book) only came up the first time I opened your blog. That same ad comes up all the time. Now it looks like a different ad so will go back and open them.
Happy Happy 💃 Dance here! My book arrived! Of course it is SO much better in my own hands!
Mary, you are such a Dear to personally autograph!!
Yeppers- your quilt is quite LARGE! Why do we do this to ourselves…🙄
Don’t ya just LOVE these ladies-of-the-book names!
Ha ha- Mary E is first!!!!! Phoebe! Varina! Vinnie! You can imagine how many times I had to REtype those for spell check to LEAVE ME ALONE! The last one wanted to be Connie!!! 😂
Still warm weather here in Texas!
Hugs to all of you in the cold!
Judy in Texas
Thanks again for the newest news from the farm!! Love reading about everything. Not making a bulls eye quilt. Been quilting for many, many years & everybody in the family has at least one very big bed quilt plus many smaller ones. And they keep getting smaller & smaller as time goes on!! Down to potholders these days!! 😂 But keep up the good work, Mary!! Enjoy all your news!!
Should have added the “itty bitty” quilts of Country Threads along with potholders!!
Thank you Mary….Beyond The Battlefield arrived up here in an Idaho snowstorm! I so appreciate the sentiment and both autographs,. Am tempted with wonderful photographs; don’t know which quilt to work on first! I’m cutting for more Hexies from a sew along with Sheryl from Temecula Quilt Shop and need to cut my Bullseyes into quarters.
Pepper came in with a few snowballs clinging to her fur. She thaws in front of the wood stove! She isn’t allowed out very long, but just dives into the deep snow.
Your Apple Pen is great.
I have fond memories of a quilting class I took. We started with simple shapes: circle, square, triangle. Then when comfortable we moved to stars, trees and a house. Before you knew it we were doing continuous waves and writing our names.
I also remember getting yelled at because I was “having too much fun”! LOL
But one of my favorite quilts I did myself, was a quilt for niece #3. I quilted messages into her quilt and let her discover them for herself!
No video but you know that by now! When I made my Bullseye quilt years ago, I had it quilted exactly like the one on the cover of the Quilts from Aunt Amy book. Just love it!
Wow, Mary! That is a big quilt, I only have sixteen blocks, but I will continue working on it. It was nice to see the ones that you before to see the colors. That is a big challenge for me, most of the time.
Moses in a basket? I had always known it as Moses in the cradle, but your name is more correct. How do you get them to grow branches? The one you gave me is still alive, but is not growing any branches. Love that kitty. Did you get a lot of snow? Will get more, they say. Stay warm.
Mary I’ve never heard of Moses in a basket and like the little basket. Love all your bullseye quilts.
Mary I got Beyond The Battlefield today and I want to “thank you so much” for your sweet note and sending Hugs to my Henry. How do you keep all your fans straight? I do realize we’ve corresponded via email a few time & I shared pics of a Henry “helping me” quilt. The pic of Millie is so sweet. Cats and quilts….what’s that about??? Thank you Mary & Connie for this wonderful book and sending it onto me.
Donna/St. Paul – Connie teases me that I remember everyone’s pet! But it’s important – to you and also to me!
I got my book, too. I will be reading it during the halftime of the KU – KSU game tonight. Thanks so much for taking the time for a personal note, especially considering you were autographing 150 books with more to follow. I will always treasure the book. I hope our IOWA vs Kansas team rivalry remains friendly – 🙂 I’ll pick out one of the scrapier quilts to start on first. OK, you got me. On my Kindle the little dog on the table in the background of your Bullseye quilt looked like Hazel! Joke on me, now that I see the little statue on the laptop! Even though I ordered the Bullseye pattern, I am moving these posts with directions and tips to a separate folder for future reference when I get to sew on my quilt. I love reading all of the comments, too. I think I even noticed a comment from a fellow Kansan who lives about 10 blocks from me! I got my Good Fortune top finished but I got behind on my Blockheads 2 blocks while working on it, so I am working on them today. Two more seams and I will have the big 24-inch block finished. We get a new block tomorrow and I just have last week’s block and the new one to be caught up again. I guess I have a reputation built up where I get my hair cut. The lady who cuts my hair and I have been friends for almost 40 years. I had her children in my preschool class (our “kiddos” are in their 40s now). She was going to cosmetology school. When she graduated, I went to her to cut my LONG hair off. She was so hesitant, but I insisted, I was ready. She had a client who had her 10-year-old daughter sew a quilt. Basically she had sewn several 2-1/2 inch strips together. Linda asked if I could help her out to finish the quilt for the daughter. I talked to the mother. They didn’t check tensions and the stitches were loopy and not holding the quilt together so the mother had sewn iron-on interfacing to the back. The mother just wanted someone to square it up and finish off the sides. Well, I couldn’t stop there. I must say, I did need to buy fabric for the back because I don’t “do” batiks! But I had extra pieces of batting and did your straight line quilting and have it bound. I put a sleeve on and will suggest she could use it as a table topper or wallhanging, it’s around 18 x 24. Fun encouraging the next generation – since I have no grandchildren. I can see how you enjoy your time with Reed.
I love your big quilt – I am contemplating making another set of blocks, to make mine larger. They were so fun to make! Thank you for the quilting ideas.
Did you get snow today? We did, maybe 2-3 inches and we have SO much ice under it now, it got cold so fast the water from the snow melt yesterday froze in place. Al and I went for a walk this morning and it was treacherous! We made the 2 mile walk without falling but there were many tentative and tiny steps. Sherry
Sherry Whalen – it spit some sleet but nothing else. Rick however is stranded with the truck in Mpls – heavy snow!
The Bullseye quilts are wonderful. Looking forward to seeing Beyond the Battlefield. I’ll have to check at the post office one of these days; the township snowplow knocked our mailbox off the post. The ground is so frozen I’m not sure when we will get the new box up. Jackie and Millie are beautiful cats. Right now it is sleeting. I can’t wait for spring to arrive.
Mary, I get it!! I think I will be all ok to quilt mine. It is still in squares because I started some other things at the retreat, but I am writing down your suggestions and the others, I am excited to do it. Millie eats plants just like Squeak. Thanks for all the help with the Bullseye quilt.
My book arrived today and as I had been sick all night and morning I have not read it yet but have looked at the pictures…..so fun! I love Civil War information and will enjoy when I feel well again. Thanks to you and Connie for signing it for all of us. That’s so kind. Hoping you warm up soon and this winter gets along its way!
ps I also own Preserving History book and it’s a wealth of information too. Love my history!
I had your quilters quilt my first Bulls Eye Quilt 10-15 years ago and I love it still today! It looks like your scrappy Bulls Eye. How large is your new one? Looks huge on the wall.
Karen Gaithersburg – it’s going to cover the top of the king size bed, no overhang.
I love your big quilt as the scrappiness just makes it so fun to look at. I need to make a few big quilts cause I won’t die till all my kids have a quilt from me. I make quilts for charities and my own kids need one I decided. I will either do a Christmas print like I believe Kate was doing or I will do polka dots. Just talked myself into making two more! I appreciate the quilting guidance as it’s so much needed on my end.
Thanks for your kind words on losing my MIL. Planning her memorial service now. I want to speak at it so I don’t live with a regret I didn’t pass on some cute things she said before she passed. Your mom’s passing is amazing it happened so fast.
Kathy in Western NY – you are to be admired for wanting to speak at the funeral. I played the piano for my mom’s but I would not have been able to speak!
Oh Mary…You CAN do a big quilt. I have faith in you…
JOY in icy, snowy Seattle tonight as the mailman was able to slide to the box with your book! It is gorgeous! So kind of you to write the note and autograph it. Thanks for sharing so much with us.
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No video here either . Ma ry, I am so relieved that you are not comfortable with free -motion quilting either! Since I just retired from teaching , my goal is to put a quilt on every bed in our new home in Alaska and it’s starting with this Bulls -Eye quilt !! My quilting plan is to stitch-in-the-ditch for the blocks, and attempt to meander around the circles as best I can . Waiting for my autographed book to arrive but it takes a little longer to get up here !
Christina-I am very nervous about quilting my Bullseye but I have to learn so I’m betting it won’t be a beautiful job – haha! I know your book is on its way to you because I remember autographing it and maybe a little note – can’t remember what I wrote, tho’ – old age and the memory is the first to go, right? Haha! I have a friend in Kodak – she has a little girl named Elaine and I would love to see her!
I received Beyond the Battlefield today–so exciting! It is a wonderful book and extra special, since it is autographed. All the quilts are so beautiful, it will be difficult deciding which one to make first.
The pictures were great, especially the cats. Thanks!
I bought one of your sample quilts when you closed the shop. I’m sorry that you now regret selling them. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. It is one of my favorite quilts.
Sharon – I’m so glad you like your quilt. I don’t really regret selling them but now when I go to look for one to take a picture, I realize it’s gone. But on the other hand what would we have done with all those quilts? I still have lots of quilts and nobody to leave them to when I’m gone.
I made a bullseye quilt with three other friends =, when you first published your book — ye gads! how many years ago was that?! We made the circles, cut them in fourths and each took one. With the frigid temps we had, here in mid Michigan, last week, it is on our bed — love seeing it everyday.
I am a member of a Quilts of Valor group who are active making quilts for veterans.
Please consider donating quilts to this organization. Look online for more information and sizes.
I have a new email now yahoo crashed.
New is jklink50421@gmail.com
I will look forward to your continued readings with great pleasure!!!!
Judy – you will need to subscribe and then confirm on your own new email.