Nanette's Irish Mist Quilt with Gothic Feather Quilting + Kicking Off Maria Shell Workshop

The other day, when I was writing about the formal feather quilting designs by Donna Kleinke that I'm considering using on my FrankenWhiggish quilt, I wanted to link back to my earlier blog post showing an edge-to-edge formal feather quilting design by Kleinke that I'd used on a client's quilt.  When I searched my blog for that post and came up empty handed, I realized that I never actually DID share this one with you.  Shame on me!

Nanette's 73 x 84 Irish Mist Quilt with Gothic Feathers 2 E2E Quilting

Okay, so this gorgeous quilt is called Irish Mist and it was pieced by Nanette who blogs at Do It Right Quilter.  You can read back through all of Nanette's blog posts documenting her journey in making this quilt top here.  Nanette is a very meticulous piecer and, when she realized something was off midway through making the quilt in 2014, she ordered more fabric and started all over again.  Can you imagine that level of commitment to not only finishing a quilt that was really giving you grief, but actually starting over so you could finish it to the absolute best of your ability?  And I can assure you, the finished (second version!) quilt top she sent me for quilting was pieced to absolute perfection.

Quilting Detail, Pieced Backing of Irish Mist, MagnaGlide 60 Thread in Hawaiian Blue

Irish Mist is the cover quilt for the book Six Halves Make a Whole Lot More by The Quilt Branch, and you can find both new and used copies of this book on Amazon here if you'd like to make one of your own (this post contains affiliate links).  

I suggested the Gothic Feathers 2 design for this quilt because it reminds me of Waterford crystal and Irish lace curtains.  This is an incredibly detailed and slow-stitching design, but totally worth it on this quilt that has significant negative space (blue batik background fabric) where the quilting would make a very visible, dramatic impact.  I was very deliberate about lining up the central motif of the quilting design with the center of the patchwork design on the quilt for a more custom look:

Gothic Feathers 2 Quilting, So Fine 434 Misty Blue Thread, Quilters Dream Cotton Deluxe Batting

Nanette selected the thicker Quilters Dream Cotton Deluxe loft batting, one of my favorite battings that I stock by the roll, and I used So Fine thread in color 434 Misty Blue.  So Fine is a 50 weight matte polyester that looks like a very skinny cotton embroidery weight thread, but is much stronger so it can withstand high speed long arm quilting.  I love So Fine for dense quilting designs with backtracking like this one because the lighter weight thread doesn't create visible thready buildup in places that are stitched twice and it doesn't create the stiffness I'd get if I stitched the same design with a thicker cotton thread.  Photos don't do this beautiful quilt justice.

Here's what Nanette's quilt top looked like before I quilted it for her:

Nanette's Irish Mist Quilt Top Prior to Quilting

Thank you so much for choosing me to quilt for you, Nanette!  

This Week's Focus: Homework from Maria Shell Workshop

Meanwhile, no more progress has been made with the FrankenBerries because I've been working on creating my palette of solid fabrics for the Maria Shell improv workshop.  Part One of this 2-part workshop was last night from 6-9 PM (so late at night because of the time difference;  Maria Shell lives in Alaska and I'm in Florida).  I'm happy to report that I was prepared for class with all supplies, having read the book from cover to cover and cleared off my design wall and worktable, machine cleaned and oiled etc.  And I'm even prouder of myself that I was engaged and participating throughout the entire three hours, even though I was coming down with flu or COVID or something and, by the time I signed off at 9 PM, I was shivering and aching and teeth chattering and had to change into two pairs of winter pajamas layered on top of one another, plus wool blankets.  

Here's what my sewing room looked like at the end of the workshop last night with the strips of fabric I started sewing together on my ironing board.  I am SO EXCITED about how my colors are playing together!

My Sewing Room at the End of Last Night's Workshop

I have lots of homework between now and Part Two of the workshop next Monday night, so this is my one and only "To Do" goal for this week.  This workshop is outside of my comfort zone for two reasons, because I'm cutting strips of fabric with my rotary cutter but NO RULER 😱 and then resisting the urge to try to correct and straighten the wonky cuts as I piece the crooked strips together at my sewing machine.  This is uncharted territory for me, for sure!  It's definitely a nice change of pace from my FrankenWhiggish applique and Deco blocks, and I don't want it to end up as an abandoned UnFinished Object (UFO).  Thank goodness for Theraflu.  Wish me luck!

I'm linking up today's post with my favorite linky parties:

MONDAY

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts  

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs  

TUESDAY

To-Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt  

WEDNESDAY

Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

THURSDAY

Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation  

FRIDAY

Peacock Party at Wendy’s Quilts and More

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Off the Wall Friday at Nina Marie Sayre

Beauty Pageant at From Bolt to Beauty

 TGIFF Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday, rotates, schedule found here: TGIF Friday

SUNDAY

Frédérique at Quilting Patchwork Appliqué

Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework