May 2011 Loretta's Train Quilt

During our last LDS Stake Humanitarian Day on April 21, 2011 I met Loretta for the first time.  Since we would be talking and working on quilts all day for various charitable organizations in our area I knew I would run into a lot of quilters so I threw together a quick card with my name and phone number to put in my pocket in case anyone I visited with might be interested in machine quilting.  Loretta and I struck up a conversation during the day and I learned she had just recently moved to town.  In the course of getting to know each other I told her I was starting a new business as a "longarm" quilter and she told me about the train quilt she was working on for her grandson. I gave her my card and she called me a few weeks later. She was leaving town for a business trip so she said to take my time.  We decided on a pattern and thread but when I got right down to it I didn't feel good about the thread color we had chosen (red) and I was struggling with what to do that wouldn't take attention away from the cute appliques.   I called Loretta and she said "do what you think is best. You are the professional!"  I really didn't feel like one yet so that didn't help.

I decided to stop in at the "Riley Blake" Corporate offices which are located in town hoping to catch my friend Gina who had quilted for me in the past and was now working full-time for them.  She wasn't there but I was able to show the quilt to the owner of the company and one of the designers and they suggested using the charcoal grey thread.  I was thrilled with the results and so was Loretta.  The stitching pattern we chose was Champagne by Anne Bright.  This was the second time I had used this pattern.  It is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Loretta's Train applique quilt stitched with Charcoal
grey thread with Anne Bright's "Champagne".