Trees!

This week I have been doing something that I have been meaning to do since I got my long arm machine back in November!  I have been playing with it!  I got out some plain fabric and set it up on the machine just to practice some free motion quilting and to have some fun scribbling on a blank canvas.  In the meantime, my Oakshott cottons arrived in the mail, which I was inspired to purchase from this post here by Lynne.  I have always had a love for shot cottons, but in past I have used ones by Kaffe Fassett which another blogger once described in agreeing with me that they are, "flimsy at best".  Well, I wasn't disappointed with the Oakshott at all.  They have been woven with care and sew very nicely.  The only complaint I might have is that they smell a little bit strange (I don't prewash my fabrics anymore).  I loved working with them and enjoyed making up the "kit".  My husband loves trees--he has planted thousands in his lifetime and I thought it would make a nice wall hanging for our living room.  So, armed with new free motion skills from playing and a new pieced quilt top, I had my first stab at free motion quilting on the long arm.  It was, I have to admit, too much fun.  I do not intend to use my machine for doing custom quilting for customers, but for myself I definitely plan to do more!!!

I am also glad that I did not read the follow-up post that was written about suggesting how Lily should plan to quilt her top (here) until after I did the quilting as I am sure it would have influenced me.  I chose to use variegated thread by King Tut, which I really like but was advised against in the post.  I like how the variegated changes the look of each block as it changes with each different color.  Also, I probably would have tried to do something like the leaf pattern suggested and I am sure I would have failed miserably at it.  My original vision was that the trees should have the wind blowing in the background to add to an autumn feel and I am glad that I stuck with it.

I wanted to finish this quilt in order to enter it in the local show in which entries are due this week.  Just in time!  I am going to enter a few other quilts too, this will be my first time entering in a show, but I'm doing it just for fun and to bulk up the quilting section in the show:)  Our shows are small around here.