Fruit of Her Hands

This blog entry is going to be about one of my first projects I did on my longarm. I found this panel at a local craft re-use store in Kansas City called ScrapsKC. This store is an excellent resource for used craft supplies and they do great work in community outreach for the homeless community in Kansas City which I’ll get into later in this post, but first I want to talk a little bit about this quilt.

Fruit of Her Hands Panel

The text written on the scrolls says “The fruit of the righteous is the tree of life” and “Give her the fruit of her hands and let her works praise her” which, some would probably know better than me, are quotes from the bible. I’m not a particularly religious person, but the style and symbolism of this panel was very appealing to me and I knew I wanted to make something with it, but I wasn’t sure what, so it was sitting in my closet for a couple years waiting for the right project.

Then came along my sweet baby longarm and I knew this panel would be perfect for practicing some freehand work!

I knew I wanted to incorporate lots of swirls, feathers and other common fillers to give this panel a more “elegant” and traditional look. I also incorporated a little bit of ruler work to get comfortable with that. To be honest, half the time I was almost in a panic mode not knowing what in the world I was doing, feeling like I was chasing the machine more than controlling it myself, but it turned out ok! I’m still learning to judge my quilting on the overall finished project rather than stressing over every little section being perfect. Most of the time the little mistakes are barely noticeable and sometimes even adds some great character to the overall piece once it’s all done. All in all, I’m pretty proud of this quilt, especially being one of my first experiences in longarm free hand quilting. Let her works praise her, indeed!

Now, a little bit about where I got this panel, ScrapsKC, that I had mentioned earlier. This is a real gem in Kansas City for anyone who loves to craft or for teachers needing to find supplies at a low cost. This place sells gently used crafting supplies at a super low cost. In addition, they are very involved with community outreach and offer positions to the homeless as well as offering hot meals and survival kits to those in need. They also offer classes, workshops, and rent out space for craft parties!

ScrapsKC

I think this might be one of my favorite places in the city. I can’t count the amount of amazing deals I’ve gotten from this place. My favorite thing so far being this Mini Double Wedding Ring template I got for $2.00!

If you’re in the Kansas City area, or planning to be here in the future, make sure to make a stop by ScrapsKC! You’re sure to find something useful and you’ll be supporting a wonderful cause. Thanks for reading!