Spring Row by Row

I designed and completed this quilt somewhere around 2001-2004.  It was the second one in my set of row quilts.  The quilting in it has a neat story.  My good friend and longarm operator, Hazel McMullin, was quilting it for me when her husband suddenly had to have emergency surgery.  I was in a HUGE hurry to complete it because I was planning to show it along with my other row quilts and patterns at a spring guild meeting in St. George.  Hazel had completed the top border with a beautiful Chantily Lace pattern and the house row.  She allowed me to use her machine to finish the quilt, and I did some outline stitching and the "Sunbonnet Sue Row".  This was my first ever experience to touch a longarm and as we all know, that takes some time to master.  Anyway, I didn't do a very good job (her longarm did not have a regulated stitch on it to boot).  Sharon Schamber, a famous quilter who has won many awards, happened to be teaching a local quilt class.  I was basically hosting/feeding her, and she offered to finish the quilting.  I pulled it off Hazel's frames and Sharon performed her magic.  She quilted raindrops in the umberella blocks and beautiful birds and bees in the birdhouse row.  My wonderful friend, Linda Johnson, helped me bind it.  Many years later Hazel asked to borrow my quilt.  It was returned to me with the beautiful Chantily Lace pattern completed in the other borders.

Below are some closeups.