Words To Live By Quilt

So I have been back home from Houston for a few weeks now, but it sure has not felt like it!  I think it took me a week before I unpacked my suitcase.  Pathetic, but true.  I feel like I am still getting back in the swing of things.  Meaning just getting caught up on the house, emails…sleep.  I am just happy I did NOT wash my iPhone in the laundry like I did last year as soon as I returned home!!

My trip to Houston was a whirlwind of quilty goodness.  I promise to share some photos, but first I should share the rest of the GORGEOUS Words To Live By. 🙂  Words was the Summer Block of the Week for Primitive Gatherings this past summer, designed by Lisa Bongean.   To my delight, it hung proudly in the Moda Booth at Quilt Market.  My understanding is it will be available as a block of the month at your local quilt shop, if they order it through Moda.  Anyhoo….on with the show.

Words is a wool applique on cotton quilt.  I chose to quilt each block with its own unique design.  Threads are all So Fine from Superior and monofilament.  Batting is Dream Orient from Quilters’ Dream Batting.  All quilting is freehand.  I used my straight and curved rulers.

The center medallion was one of my favorite aspects of the quilt.  Initially, I was unsure of how I would quilt it, but I knew I wanted it to have a romantic feel.  Feathers are always my go-to. 🙂

Feathers, micro fill, curved and straight line quilting fill the space. 

I believe I have captured all of the blocks in one way or another in a photo.

 Fractured cross-hatch with micro fill.

 I followed the designs on the fabric to help create the quilting on the Love block.  I love it when the fabric can be incorporated into the quilting!

Naturally, Hospitality was a favorite with the pineapples. 🙂

 I love the Family block too!!!

As you can tell, I stitched on nearly all the writing.  In some areas I used Monofilament or So Fine.  In the areas that I used So Fine, I darkened my stitches with the black Pilot Pen that Lisa used to write the words on the quilt.  Lisa and I discussed that option before I began quilting.  I did not have any issues and the results are fantastic.  Lisa was glad to do it, but you know me…I had to have it look as perfect (to me) as possible…as soon as possible. 🙂 Obsessed much?? lol 

Straight lines and feathers filled the setting triangles.

I wanted to show a few as I was quilting photos so you get an idea of how the quilting changes the look of the area.

To this

The micro fill allows the applique to be the focus and the feathers to set the whole block off.

On the Joy block, you can see the area at the top of the block is not yet quilted.  The blocks were set on point making them just slightly too big to quilt all at once.  I did all my stitch in the ditch first and basted where needed before I did the majority of the quilting.

 Last, but not least, the back.

Hope that was enough photos!!!!

If you would like to see what I am up to and follow me via Instagram, you can find me at   hrckal_thequiltedpineapple  That is hrcka with a lower case L underscore the quilted pineapple.  Complicated enough for ya??  lol.  I normally keep my Instagram settings on private, meaning you have to send a request to follow me, but I going to change it to public for a bit, so folks can check it out. 🙂