This was an option at our Tuesday project bee in September. I experimented with a variety of machine applique stitches on these pieces. I now have a better understanding of what stitch works best for particular curves and lines.

I’ve admired String Quilts online (particularly Bonnie Hunter’s) for a long time and decided that for my first Community Quilt that is what I would do. I started the project at the Guild’s Community Quilt weekend in the Spring. I didn’t have enough of my own strings, but I received a bag full from a couple of Guild members.

I quilted the piece with straight lines in the center and a bit of a scallop in the border.

I had extra blocks so I cut them up and used them for the binding. This made the binding very thick, and I don’t think I’d do it that way again.

Some of the Guild ladies have decided to work on a group project one week a month during our Tuesday morning sewing bee. This pumpkin was one of our September options.

This is the first piece I’ve finished with my new machine. I’m happy with everything it does – the zig-zag satin stitch, the free motion quilting, and the straight line stitching.

UPDATE: This went to Kathryn

I knew that the theme for Alex’s 4^th birthday party was Pirates. I went to the book store looking for a book about pirates, and found one called Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs (see Grandma Reads). To go along with the book I made this Pirate/Dinosaur placemat.