![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yzDIiGKEZwO0N3OBEjwARAQoQjsckmPmzMgIlL0xNh_gWcYrCWo6kLmXDfDeV3P4A72KJlGT48kQXTw_aEUfOVRTSSM30n207TSQjOXJs2ctXFfWsJWG0gYiF_EUgL6e43bBcu2J8cQ/s640/IMG_9109.JPG)
I finished Tish's quilt the other day and gave it to her during our quilt guild meeting on Thursday.
She loved it and I do too!! She wanted this one custom quilted and asked for a few specifications.
She wanted gold thread.
She wanted a crane quilted at the top.
She wanted bubbles quilted at the bottom.
I took it outside to take photos of it like I normally do for my quilts, but I couldn't get the quilting to show up like I wanted. This is a photo of the crane outside.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfb53l6H78Ugc4APPFSnWt6hVqaZH7WVCcl5gLaa-qyZ21PsHMYag8rYxOulm-dLQSRcDOIXaXX-XPJjhrWS9Zv41fd3t2QUslZYVqiAavm4DXLeGBhUxqDpIox7abPqJnFHYomAa_TM/s640/Bird-01.JPG)
At first I was intimidated by Tish's request of a crane.
She said if I couldn't do it don't worry about it.
But she had given me a challenge and I wasn't about to give up on it.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ePgxCucPnPTuMIgeu4Oy731bRuzcI59Jrlamx_e53xkciQQrqK0ieuUgP5ofNu9oIVBaiC-RabDbE2M_UKyV-JUb0klWMxaJtWZwlsLVOIghYxo1WDwViSTbrx9SHj5-yGlMp18WwaQ/s640/Bird-02.JPG)
This is the inside photo. The blue fabric color is not depicted right in this photo, but you can see more of the gold thread.
I'll admit I spent more time staring at this quilt than quilting it. I was worried about not being able to draw with thread what I saw in my mind. Finally with the deadline looming I quit worrying and just did it. I started out with the anticipation of ripping lots of threads, but it turned out great the first time! Probably from all my practice on those small fabric postcards. I have made hundreds of tiny thread painted images, this time I just had to increased the size. So I suppose the old adage is true, "practice makes perfect" - well maybe not perfect, but pretty darn good. :)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzRHXRE43djq0NEGRzmXdIEehg8X5VCCoEGIsJ8O-5kYK3FruUio6TUrqBeWzs5YqxuOurt46GiQZAuZlg5WfUAu9Hr2MWsOItEQCWFqz2varEECsu2IraoOahctXemGiBVOLEEKSmI4/s640/Fish-01.JPG)
At the bottom I added a fish to go with the bubbles Tish wanted.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7gVa-OxkXS5zchjSJJ9NH1QkKMWLrlEnuEsYC8X9kthQ7b_v0OHvHWgaYHdYsHdhGiGVp_eam3epWxdzWPt1imuLeASpEtlxtguDEWoXWtMgXi2vrv2P7awOVY3Hy24IE_Pr7HgTtx4/s640/IMG_9138.JPG)
It is hard to see the quilting here, I traced around all the images of the panel in gold thread.
When Tish said she wanted gold thread my first thought was,"Oy Vey!"
I had worked with gold thread before and it wasn't pretty. I don't even want to repeat what was coming out of my mouth. This time around though I decided to use a better quality (more expensive) thread hoping it would improve my results. I bought a 1000 yard spool of Sulky gold metallic. It was priced at $16, but I had a 50% off coupon! Yay! Love those JoAnns coupons.
I also opted for a Top Stitch needle instead of a metallic or regular 90/14. The better thread combined with the top stitch needle made quilting with gold metallic thread a breeze. I can't wait to have another project that needs gold thread. It is so beautiful in this project.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXZWs90C9cGhj7kxPvzdSy6uQz9HhZHkW-lA7wPAP5DJzyTgXxG0pG0fkWsgprBBjDYj3wgiNGpCEmeaBWi6oBUZStmNsYAoWHyP8w2OGTZV3LJvplEpX7ljhojCyX0kyP6Lz4fML39s/s640/IMG_9147.JPG)
Full view inside on the design board.
I never knew my design board could hold up a completed finished quilt all by itself!!
I love my board even more!!
I really love this fish!!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXTx1lywNzg3nMs3mexAFNT4icY3gWgwose4qo4EtqZ_n5H00kfeCnNzxZnSrV61U9j3pfAcaY5jIpDk_rfefStj3FlbUtwMafUUGxWA2S7AiyS6prxNds3XNkvsAskr6qQmcHjhn83w/s640/fish-03.JPG)
Close up of the tail.
=^..^=