Blogger's Quilt Festival - Professionally Quilted

This is my entry into Amy's Creative Side - Blogger's Quilt Festival for the 'Professionally Quilted' quilt catagory.  This quilt was started back in 2009 when I first began quilting.  It was a QAL with an AOL group now defunct so I cannot give credit to the pattern/source.

It was a learning quilt:

1.  I don't like to make big quilts, much prefer my minis today.
2.  This was the first quilt I actually bought fabric specifically for a project - need to educate myself on different fabrics, designers, companies, etc.  And I did study that and still do to keep up with things.
3.  I don't do applique well.  Re-pieced the entire center before sending this off for quilting.  The sunflowers were changed to paper piecing (self drafted) and stem/leaves changed out for better applique.
4.  Pressing for better lay and matching.  I took a class on pressing - specific blocks, layouts, fabric types, etc..  It has made a huge difference in my quilting today.
5.  Sometimes you have to let the professional do the quilting.  I don't do large quilts on my home machine.  And the requested light backing by my quilter - really lets the 'frosting' shine.

Details:

Fabrics - top - mottled blender by Blank Industries (sunflowers scraps)

             backing - Home Front by Connecting Threads

100% Cotton batting - Quilters Dream

Glide Thread in cream

Size - 62" x 72"

Quilted by:  Valerie Smith @ Pumpkin Patch Quilter (APQS hand guided long arm machine quilter)

Started March 2009 - Complete August 2013

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon