Observations that are going to take the place of a real post:
1) It’s easy to look like you’re finishing a whole bunch of stuff when you’re a blog slacker (slacking as in reading and posting). Ta-da! All the finishes! When really, I’m just not getting it together to post real WIP posts (which I invariably find more interesting to read, even if they are harder to write).
2) I’m a lazy quilt namer. This thing is in a box on the way to Texas right now–a gift for a dear friend–and I didn’t even think about naming it until I sat down to lazy-blog it. Ta-da! Fabric line + pattern = name!
3) I have the best, most helpful husband, who helped me photograph this quilt with NO complaining, even as the wind tried to grab the quilt right out of his hands. Marry a good person, quilters, one who doesn’t gripe about fabric expenditures or goofy quilt photo shoots. Bonus points for tallness.
4) Free-motion quilting really does get easier and more fun the more you do it. Things that help: Aurifil, and the correct FMQ foot. Finally I threw away my broken FMQ foot and questioned whether the $60 replacement my dealer sold me was correct, bought a generic FMQ foot for $14 on Amazon, and now quilting is going awesome. I’d never heard “try a different FMQ foot” in the list of FMQ troubleshooting advice you always hear, so here it is: try a different FMQ foot if you’re struggling with skipped stitches and thread breakage. Worst case is you’re out $14.
5) The most fun projects are the ones that possess you. In the middle of all kinds of deadline-chore-gift sewing, I HAD to make the blocks for this quilt using the tutorial Molli Sparkles posted. Had to. Immediately. Five in a day. I had to put the project down to finish all my obligation sewing, but then the blocks went easily and quickly once I was able to turn back to the project. The fabric? A stack of Leah Duncan’s latest line for Art Gallery Fabrics, Tule. (Had to get it used so I can have an excuse to buy Meadow in February.)
6) and the last: Back a quilt in Art Gallery Fabric, at least once before you die. The feel is like the crispest, softest, most-expensive luxury bedding you’ve ever felt. (Peg of Sew Fresh Fabrics, who sold me this backing, says it’s “like buttah.”) (AGF should make sheets. I’d spend a fortune.) And it crinkles perfectly in the wash. Amazing stuff.
this quilt is about 56” x 66”: a good throw size.
little and lots 
It turned out lovely, it is such a great gift! I’ve broken one fmq foot simply from use, so I know not all feet will work all the time. I’m glad you stuck it out and tried a new foot, and that it worked, yay!
Really pretty. It almost has a Navajo blanket vibe to it, in an updated, modern way. Great job!
1. Even your lazy blog posts are awesome posts.
2. Awesome quilt. Your friend is super lucky.
3. I am showing the part about your husband not complaining about the quilt shoot to my husband (who complained about holding up a quilt in our backyard, which is like 10×10 so basically still in the house. But… He never never complains or questions my fabric buying tendencies, so I guess that more than makes up for it and so I guess I won’t show him that part afterall.)
4. I am a lazy commenter. 🙂
Oh my word!!! I LOVE IT. Sooo freakin’ gorgeous. I got to get on the FMQ bandwagon. I am kinda itchin’ to try it…
It’s absolutely beauteous! I love it! Art Gallery all the way (though I have to say I currently love backing with flannel). Where did you get the block tutorial from? Who is the quilt going to?
Gorgeous! I like it a lot!
I enjoyed reading your observations.
I absolutely love it! And I am definitely going to try backing a quilt in Art Gallery. Preferably for myself!
Bonus points for being tall made me laugh. 🙂
That is beautiful! And I love the pics. That’s interesting about the FMQ foot.
That looks wonderful! I love Art Gallery fabrics the feel is amazing. I too am a lazy namer and most of quilts are names after the pattern/fabric. Rarely doesn’t a creative name come to me.
Wow, this is really beautiful! I love it!
Looks fabulous, Laura!! Lucky recipient!
I am no good at naming quilts either! It is usually the obvious. So question I take it you used your FQ bundle so how many FQs were used in this quilt? Just for future reference 😉 I love the look of this quilt!!! Well done.
Love it!!!! Yay to all of it!
Gorgeous quilt! I agree with the husband advice – Mine’s tall, loves quilts (so puts up with purchases) and actually suggests going outside and holding up quilts for pictures. 😀 I kind of hit the lottery on that one.
Excuse me while I go buy Tule…after seeing this, I REALLY need some.
Oh that’s purdy! Looks like it was fun to make too. I like how the dark values pop here and there.
Lovely quilt. I especially like the way you handled values. I like the mix of blocks where the background blends with the figure against the ones where there is contrast.
This looks freakin’ fantabulous! Wishin’ it got sent my way!
What a beauty. This is one of those quilts that I liked when I first saw the picture, but every time I look back at it I like even a little more.
I totally feel you on naming quilts … I’m the worst namer ever. Of my completed projects none have names, unless you count naming it “So-and-so’s Quilt”.
bonus for him being tall. YES. yes yes yes. that made me giggle. so true. you’ve sold me on the backing fabric. remind me when i forget…. love this, love this. now i’m definitely prepping my mountain blocks this weekend! don’t know when i’ll get around the sewing, but you’ve sold me on the pattern! LOVE.
Looks good – I think I can safely say my hubby asses all the requirements listed in point 3. Love your reasoning why you had to use up that fabric too – ready for the next line they bring out.
1. posting about WIPs is fun to read, but I understand that it takes time away from actually MAKING. That’s one of the reasons I am giving up blogging this year (maybe I’ll start again when I have more time).
2. I’m pretty hopeless at naming quilts, I normally just use a descriptive working title, but I like to come up with something a little more fun for the finished quilt. I would probably call yours “Blast from the Past” if you have known your friend a LONG time (because the blocks look like blasts to me), or perhaps Mountain Reflection, because the blocks also look like mountains reflected in water.
3. Having a tall hubby is a plus 🙂 My husband is pretty good about all this quilting and blogging stuff.
4. I’ve only ever done straight-line quilting. Free motion quilting looks fun. Maybe I should try it someday.
5. I sometimes have those projects that just keep calling my name while I’m working on something else. I’m a big procrastinator, though, so maybe that’s just the procrastination at work.
6. Art Gallery Fabric, Art Gallery Fabric, Art Gallery Fabric… just trying to get it stuck in my head so I don’t forget. That’s a pretty high praise you gave it, so it must be good 🙂
it is a gorgeous quilt. And unfortunately my husband isn’t tall, but thankfully my son is going to be so it works itself out!!
I posted a link to this in the Quilt Club Australia Facebook page since Mishi Kichi is a member there (she’d never be so bold) so you might see some extra hits from a group of Aussies! haha … The quilt is fab, and of course has made me want to make my own version this year. This could even be a Notting Hill adventure!
Hahahaha molli…evrythings a notting hill adventure to you!
This made my eyes water it’s so lovely. The Tule is making me drool…oh dear…I’m sorry, I’ll get my coat! (I think maybe I’m crying just a little at the fact I never invested in more of the stuff). And what is Meadow? I can’t keep up with this!!
Beautiful stuff, as always.
Love this beauty – that first shot of all those quilty crinkles shining in the sun is just gorgeous!
This quilt is gorgeous!
Absolutely stunning! Perfect pattern for the fabric line. And i’m with you one hundred percent on AGF, delicious! I’m backing my Indian Summer in all AGF’s and i can’t wait! And as for naming quilts… i’m the worst! Um do we remember 23 RTT, and i named one Constellations Queen (obviously LH Constellations was used and it was a queen size) How’s that for original?!!
Beautiful quilt. You know I have the same generic quilting foot for my machine. I never bought the brand name so I don’t have anything to compare it with, but I does work really well with our machine. I’m glad you found what was causing the problem with FMQ.
Gorgeousness!!! This is one of my favorite lines and I love how you used it! I haven’t backed anything in art gallery but can only imagine it would feel heavenly.
for shame, you English major, on the name fail. ha! whatever, laura. it actually has a name, which is not requisite, but sometimes handy. that’s enough. besides, Tule Mountain sounds cool enough. =) you’re putting your creative energies to use in other avenues. so what? and while I love your posting, I need to take a page out of your book and talk/visit less, make more since my time has suddenly become extremely limited. A+ all around, my friend!
I’ve yet to make an entire backing from AGF, but I agree about their feel. heaven!
Amazing quilt. I appreciate your saying that FMQ gets easier with practice. I am banking on that!
Laura, I always love and relate to your posts (I too have been a bit of a comment slacker lately, even though I have been reading so I have to say it’s nice to “talk” to you again!) okay, let me clarify- I have had trouble fitting in comments other than the ones for links to Needle and Thread Thursday. School has been crazy, and NTT has gotten so many links lately (96 this week) that I’m finding it tough to have time to do many other comments. It is a good predicament to have though and no excuses for neglecting to comment more on my other friends’ posts.
Your quilt photos are great, and even though wind makes it harder to get good shots, I think when you do, the movement of the quilt makes them special- are those deer in the background? awesome! and I must agree about the AG fabrics. They are so luxurious! This really is a gorgeous quilt!
🙂 Kelly
Hi Laura – this blog stalker is missing your posts, they don’t have to be big and long. Just a photo or two, with an update on books, knitting, fabric love would be awesome. I don’t gave instagram, so can’t keep up with you there. Hope all is well.