4th Quarter Finish A-Long

Thankfully, the holidays are over, life can get back to normal and I can get back to creating and blogging.

This quilt was on my list for the 4th quarter Finish A-Long.  I started this last year and finished it about a month ago. The blocks are from one of the designer BOM's at the Fat Quarter Shop.

The blocks were not too difficult to make, although some involved a lot more cutting than I like.  I usually did the cutting and sewing on different days.  The directions were very clear and I didn't mess up too much.

The fabric is Vintage Modern. The shop also offered a finishing kit for the quilt.  I was too cheap frugal to purchase it.  I had purchased some yardage on sale when I first started with the blocks, so I just finished it my own way with some sashing and cornerstones.   I quilted with an all-over stipple.

The back was assembled with some yardage and leftover triangles from the blocks.

I really liked the aqua fabric included in this collection and used it as the binding.

The quilt is a nice kid size measuring approx. 44"x56".  I have quite a bit of leftover fabric and will probably make a nice baby quilt with it.

Joyful stitching,
jane

A Baby Finish (and a Baby)

I've been busy sewing instead of posting.  I finished this baby quilt a couple of weeks ago.  I found the pattern in the Fall 2013 issue of Quilts and More magazine.  The designer is Sarah Price of It's Sew Emma.

The pattern calls for 16 10-inch squares and some yardage.  It was extremely easy and went together quickly.  It measures approx. 39" x 41".
I used a Riley Blake fabric called "Life in the Jungle" that I purchased from Hawthorne Threads. It was the plaids in this collection that I really fell for.  The gray is a Kona.  I don't remember which one.  I initially wanted a lighter gray, but this is what I had, so I used it.  I'm pleased with the finish.

I used my walking foot and did some straight line stitching in the solid gray and a loose stipple in the rest.

The backing is just a couple pieces of yardage.  I used an orange print for the binding.  I liked the way it contrasted with the gray border.

I saved the triangle cuts and have lots of fabric left to make another baby quilt.

The best thing about this quilt is that it will stay at my house for when this little cherub comes to visit.

Eamon Joseph arrived on the 6th measuring 22 inches long and weighing 9 lbs, 9 oz. (ouch)
After a difficult spring for our family, he is more than a smidgen of joy.

Joyful stitching,
jane

Little Quilt Monday

Good things come in small packages.  I'm talking about mini charm packs. These adorable bundles of joy are difficult to resist.  

I purchased two packs of these cuties.  The collection is called The Boo Crew. 

 I wanted to make a couple of quick and inexpensive Halloween gifts and decided on candle mats.

They measure 10" x 10".  I used just 25 squares for each.  You can get 3 of these mats from just 2 mini charm packs.  They took no time to sew together.  I  added simple straight line quilting.  The backing is from a matching fat quarter. 

These are about as close to instant quilt gratification as you can get.  I see many more in my future.

Joyful stitching,
jane

4th Quarter Finish-A-Long

I'm linking up with Leanne at she can quilt.  I was 2 for 5 with my finishes last quarter. I'm probably being a little too ambitious, especially with the holidays, but I'm going for it anyway

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There are a couple of new things on my list...

This baby quilt is all basted and ready to quilt.  It shouldn't take too long.

I've also made some progress on this since the photo was taken.  The 1st snowman is almost finished.  I would like to have it in time for this winter.

I'm putting these three items back on my list.  Maybe I'll get them finished this quarter...

I've made no progress since last quarter.  It would make a nice Christmas gift...hopefully before the baby outgrows it.

I've finished 10 out of the 12 blocks on this quilt.  The remaining 2 are all cut and ready to sew. 

And on my list again is the hourglass quilt made with Summersville .  The top is complete, but I haven't even given the back a thought yet.

Wish me luck.

Joyful stitching,
jane

Finish-A-Long Q3

 

My second finish from my 3rd quarter list.   (My first finish is here.)

This has been sitting around for a couple of years.  I lost interest in the fabric.  I like it,  I just don't love it.  This line is called Charisma and it's from Moda.  It's a crappy day for photos, so I'll keep them to a minimum.

It was pretty easy to finish.  I did simple straight stitching.

I used a red print from the same collection for the binding.
I wanted to use every last bit of this, so I used some leftover blocks and the rest of the yardage on the back.

I think it came out well.  You can see the lines of the quilting on the back.  I kept it simple.
I'm happy to have it finally finished and I can see a new home in it's future, it just won't be mine.  One of my sisters really liked this fabric.

Joyful stitching,
jane

Busy Busy Busy

Things have been very busy the last two weeks.  I needed to finish up three projects in time for a baby shower on Saturday.  First on the list is this cute quilt made from a fabric called Don't be Crabby".

The pattern is Dapper Cannon from Simply Retro. I think the fabric worked really well with the pattern.

This quilt measures approx. 40"x45".

I quilted with an all-over stipple.  The backing is a multicolored polkadot.

The binding is a yellow dot.

The 2nd project is this cute quilt made with a lovely organic fabric called Robotic.  I love the little robots and spaceships.  It's amazing how much softer and lighter the organic fabric feels than other quilting cottons.

This one was pretty simple.  I used a cheater cloth and just added some sashing around the outer edges.

I stitched in between each block.  It took no time make this.

The back is made up of 4 fat quarters and some yardage.

The binding is a cute print with little test tubes and lab equipment. 

My daughter and I were in charge of making the shower favors.  The shower had a garden theme, so here's what we came up with:

We purchased the pots and plants at IKEA.  Since all the plants were just greenery, we decided to add some color with fabric flowers.

The flowers are basically just yo-yos on a bamboo skewer.  It was a good way to use up some scraps.
We added a ribbon and a baby sticker.  They were a big hit.

I did manage to squeeze in a couple of extra finishes.

These 5 burp cloths took me under an hour to make.

I also finished these potholders for my son and his fiancee who just moved into a new place.  I used some scraps from a quilt that I had made for her a couple of years ago.

I have a few projects to finish up in the next few weeks, and then I plan on starting a couple of very ambitious projects just for moi.

Joyful stitching,
jane

Oops, I did it again.

I'm not supposed to be buying any more fabric.  I've spent a small fortune in the last couple of months on fabric.
However, this purchase was not my fault.  My two older sisters, who have been bossing me around since I was a kid, bossed me into buying it.

It's a gorgeous organic fabric called Robotic by Rebekah Ginda for Birch Fabrics.  And soft?  I'll have to keep my sewing room door closed so no one sees me rolling around on it.  The baby's parents were both science majors so I think it's perfect.
I bought it last week at a quilt show in Manchester, NH from the lovely ladies at Sew Fresh Fabrics.

They also had a few sale items in their booth.  I bought this great bundle of Simply Color.

I wasn't going to buy it, but my daughter pointed out that I had some birthday money that my mother had given me and she insisted that I should treat myself.  So, technically, this purchase was also not my fault.  I didn't want to disappoint my daughter.

I did, however, finish a project this weekend.

My daughter also had a birthday.  She does a lot of stitchy work so I made her this neat case.  I used some charms and yardage of Noteworthy along with a bit of Lucy's Crab Shack.

There's a pocket on one side to hold the hold the hooped fabric.

And there's a vinyl zippered pocket on the other to hold the threads and scissors and stuff.
The pattern is called Tag Along by This & That.  I wasn't thrilled with the directions and had to redo a few things, but it finished nicely.

So, no more fabric buying for me (except for the white Kona I need) until the next quilt show in early November.

Joyful stitching,
jane

On the Plus Side

That's what I've named this quilt.

I used the Comma fabric line and the "It's a Plus" pattern.  Both are by Zen Chic.
I wanted to have this quilt finished in time to hang at an exhibition at the Lowell Quilt Festival that the BMQG has been lucky enough to be part of.

I finished in time, but just barely.  The setup for the show was Wednesday afternoon.  I basted the quilt Saturday night and started the quilting on Sunday morning.    I liked the way the suggested quilting pattern looked and decided to go for it. What could be easier than straight line stitching, right?  Silly me.

Each square is quilted individually.  There are four continuous rows of stitching.  That means I had to turn the quilt 15 times for each square.  There are 80 squares.  Yes, I turned the quilt 1200 times.  Just ask my back and shoulders.   Did I mention this quilt is 65" x 85"?  
I timed myself and figured it took about 5 1/2 minutes for each square, depending on where the square was located on the quilt.  That comes out to about 7 1/2 hours of stitching to fit in with a full-time job.

My original intent was to use just a black print for the binding.  However, when I went to piece the binding, I realized that a couple of strips must have fallen off my table and into the trash barrel. The same barrel that had been emptied first thing in the morning and whose contents were now on a joyride in the back of the pretty blue trash truck.  I gathered some scraps trimmed from the back and added them to the black strips.  A happy accident! I like the way it looks.

The back is a mix of a fat quarter bunch that I won at retreat, some leftover blocks and a little bit of yardage.  And, on the plus side, this quilt is one of my finishes for the 3rd quarter Finish-A-Long.

Now on to some fun stuff!

I bought this cute bundle of fat quarters at the Lowell Quilt Festival.  It's called "Don't Be Crabby" for Robert Kaufman.  The pattern I plan to make is from Simply Retro by Camille Roskelley.

Joyful stitching,
jane