This past week, I finished quilting a quilt destined for a family that has lost their home in the California fires in Santa Rosa. I was very happy to be a part of this project pieced by a friend, who knows the woman and her family. The quilt is a scrappy delight, with pinwheels, four-patches and solid blocks with a colorful border.
It is a lap size, so wouldn’t take long to finish quilting.
Yes, I did fold it up, because I know my friend and her piecing is precision done and the borders are always applied right. No surprise here, the fold is straight.
She chose a gold to brown variegated thread by King Tut called Sandstorm.
The batting she brought was by Pellon, a polyester batting with a higher loft than I usually use. I have to say that I did like the nice definition it gave to the quilting.
She chose a pantograph with a feather-like design called “Feelin’ Groovy” by Michelle Wyman for Heart and Soul Quilts. It has curves and swirls to soften the many angles in the piecing design.
I wanted to show you how she did her pinwheel seams, as it greatly reduced the bulk in the corners.
First of all, she pressed all the seams open.
Then she ‘spun’ the point center. Do this by picking out the few stitches to the edge and pressing the four edges down in four directions. Do you spin your seams like this? Ever press seams open?
You can see the puffiness in the quilting here from the higher loft batting. The variegated color of the thread adds a bit of fun and dimension.
Quilting completed.
I hope that the recipient enjoys it, and that her home is restored soon.
My sincerest wishes go to the families that have lost everything in the terrible fires. I hope this gift from her friend will help her healing. Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and a time to be grateful for our home, family, friends and many blessings.
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Happy Thanksgiving!!
Sharing
From My Carolina Home 
That is a lovely gift for that friend. Happy Thanksgiving to you Carole!
I often press my seams open….starting when I first started quilting even though all of my quilting friends told me I was doing it wrong :~). That pinwheel quilt is so cheerful and pretty, I’m sure the recipients will love it! Hope you have a marvelous Thanksgiving!
Hi Carole,
WOW – what a pretty quilt and it is even nicer that it is for a family who lost everything. That is so nice of you to get involved. I have just started the whole experiment with pressing seams open, and I am very happy with the results. I have not tried the spinning thing for bulky points, but I will give it a try next time. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. ~smile~ Roseanne
Whoever gets this quilt is a lucky recipient.
A lovely quilt and a wonderful gift.
I don’t like pressing seams open, but I do spin seams on pinwheel blocks and four patches. It make the blicks lie much flatter.
Happy Thanksgiving to you.
Pat
I have seen in your pictures that you never roll your quilt top, you just let it hang. Is there a reason for this? one longarmer to another…can never learn too many long arming tips…
What a treasure that quilt will be. Happy Thanksgiving!
Wonderful! Have a Happy Thanksgiving Carole!
Thank you for showing a close up of that spun centerpoint. I just started pressing my seams open rather to the side and find it works out much better for me.
It is a beautiful creation and I know the recipients will treasure it!
Thankful for all your wonderful posts. Love pictures of excursions,receipts and quilt info. Thank you so much for a wonderful year. Have a good Thanksgiving with family & friends.
from one friend to another, this is so full of love and care. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Hi Carole, what a very beautiful quilt you have made and what wonderful quilting. A generous gift which will be treasured. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Such a lovely thing for you and your friend to do – it will be most appreciated, I’m sure.
You made a great job of your friends quilt, and for such a good cause, one never knows what we have to come too. Happy Thanksgiving.
Another beautiful creation! Happy Thanksgiving Carole!
Jenna
I just started spinning the 4 patches on a Christmas block I was working with the other day. The last couple quilts I’ve made with lots of triangles ended up with really bulky seams at the joins in the blocks. I’ve experimented with pressing some of the seams open in blocks, but I have not tried the triangles! Looks like it made a big difference in this quilt, so I will definitely give it a try!
A lovely scrappy gift!
I do not like to press open and prefer pressing to the side, but I do like to spin the centres!
It won’t make up for everything, but I’m sure it will ease the pain to start in a new home with something so beautiful.
I have been spinning the centers in four patches, for the last year of so. Have not tried the spinning the center seam in a pinwheel. I will give it a try! Thanks for sharing.
A beautiful quilt, Carole, and one I’m sure will be much appreciated.