Quiltingboard Forums - Hearts Abloom quilted & matching vest

Talk about finishing UFO's! Well, this one was started 11/2007 & I put the final stitch in it today. I wanted to make a Baltimore Album quilt & I wanted to do it in black, but didn't want to use the standard patterns, so I designed this one. I worked on it in whatever time I had when I was driving my big rig, as it's all hand appliqued. Had to ask other quilters for some advice along the way to help me with my quilting skills to get it all together, then stuck it away for awhile til my skills met my design. It's always been slated as a show quilt, but didn't know how to quilt it, or who would quilt it. Then I was forced into retirement & got my longarm. Through the last year of trials & tribulations, I gained a lot of skill. Or enough to tackle this one! So, I took a lot of deep breathes, sat down & designed the quilting & went for it. The vest was a result of testing theories & techniques. She's all ready for our local show next month. Hope everyone enjoys this as much as I do, & hope the judge does too!