What's In a Name

I had a tiny handful of WIPs unfinished in 2014 and my name tag for my guild meetings was one of them. I did manage to finish it up just in time for our January meeting!

I didn't have much of a plan in creating this. I started with a small white rectangle of Kona white, apx 3.5x5, and just added my favorite scraps until I was happy with how they looked. I moved the whole mess onto a piece of scrap batting and backing. I free motion quilted the little scraps in place starting with those closest to the back. There was a little deconstructing and reconstructing involved with that. I free motion embroidered my name to the dark teal solid with a piece of stabilizer behind it and then attached it to the top of all the other scraps using the special stitch, which reminds me of bird footsteps, along the bottom and straight stitch around the top and sides. That was my second attempt at my name... the first attempt had a better R at the end but messier is other places. Hope its legible! Or close enough! I mean really, its the fun colors and prints that matters the most isn't it!?

And look, there's that design wall I was yacking about awhile back. Seems like a good place to hang it up so I don't forget to take it along... we'll see if that works anyways! Sort of brightens up the space too!

I don't think the Kona white was entirely necessary but it forced me to stay within my limitations otherwise I would have just making it bigger and bigger - I had lots of other 'favorite' scraps waiting in the wings. As it is I'm already going to need a bigger chest to display this beauty! I didn't think to measure that...

I backed it with more little birds and attached a scrap piece of teal binding... always love a teal binding!

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January Guild Meeting

Last month I joined my local modern quilt guild and have two sewing projects in progress for the upcoming January meeting this week. The first is our January block for block lotto. I'm not exactly sure how block lotto goes but I gather we bring blocks (or a block) using a specified quilt block and color palette. A winner is selected and then the person gets to keep all the blocks to make something. Sounds like fun! This month we kept the block simple doing HSTs in red, aqua and tan with white. I'm not too sure how many we are to bring so I just did a few until I got bored...

Pretty! I had not thought of bringing in tan with red and aqua before. Learning already!

Some time ago (last year?) the guild did name badges. The group was 'warned' to wear them to upcoming meetings - I hope the warning meant something good is going to happen! Since I'm new I didn't make one with the group but figured I better go ahead and have one... plus no one knows my name so probably a good idea.

Mine is kind of an eclectic mix of my favorites. Lots of cute fabric scraps in solids, polka dots, birds and whimsy prints from some of my favorite designers like Dear Stella and Art Gallery, plus others. Mustard, teal and pink of course! I even broke out the fancy stitches using my Pfaff, haven't put that on a quilt before! Pow!

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Quilty Christmas Haul and Finishes

Whew Christmas is over - we survived again! Although it was a busy time I did have some sewing time that allowed me to finish three quilts, two minis and another dog quilt!

This little pup was an orphan block from a past dog quilt; it's been on my design wall long enough so I just bound it in Dear Stella peony confetti dot and did tiny loopy loo quilting. In all honesty I wanted to practice the tiny loopy loos on this block before using it for the dog quilt I finished this week. The backing of the mini has teal polka dot bursts on white.

I'm calling this a throw back version as I have made this quilt using these exact fabrics earlier this year. Well almost, this time I used Kona Bone instead of a bright white on white print for the background fabric. I think it softened up the look a little. The rest of the fabrics were all from Coquette by Chez Moi from Moda. I'm nearly out of these great fabrics - I will miss them when they are gone. Over Christmas we had nothing but cloudy days and rain, no snow for Christmas... hardly ever happens in Wisconsin, we always have snow! The rain and clouds are no good for picture taking.

I also turned the little heart balloon block into a mini quilt- another orphan. I love this tiny quilt, I did put it in my etsy shop but I might have to keep it all for me! The backing is hot pink with great big white polka dots. Heart was appliqued and free motion embroidered. I love this technique and hope to do it again soon.

Aside from these finishes this week I also have a couple of WIPs that have my attention, my mini for the rainbow mini swap on IG and my wonky pinwheel quilt in navy and teal. As if that wasn't enough to work on my hubby gave me several quilty gifts this Christmas that are really tugging at my attention!

Pretty threads and much wanted Swoon patterns in mini and full size! Yay! These really aren't the best gifts of all; he also made me a thread holder. It's so amazing and it's deserving of its own post... another day, after it gets put up in my sewing room!

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Throwback Thursday #1

I’m still struggling with selecting the base for my current dog quilt… Thanks so much for all the help! I finally decided on the coral solid, cut a strip and put them up on the design wall. And then I wasn’t WOWed. I cut a string of the teal solid. I liked the teal a little better but not enough to actually attach them. Sooo more pondering and less sewing. Boo. On the plus side I now have all of the dog blocks finished! Since there isn’t much to share on my current wip I thought I’d do my first Throwback Thursday post, yay, another first! I finished this red and tan HST quilt earlier this year

I was inspired by a quilt over at cluck cluck sew. I wanted to do something similar as a gift to our friends for their upcoming wedding that my hubby and I could make together. I thought it might be best to practice first! This is the practice quilt. We used Kona Khaki for the tan and various red fabrics. It had to be red for Wisconsin Badgers of course. I started with 4.5 inch squares, drew a line down the center of the tan squares, right sides together and stitched on each side resulting in two HST blocks for each set of squares.

I realized that I had absolutely no red fabric in my stash before I started making this. That was sort of an eye opener, jeez, how did that happen?! Oh well, more shopping!! I kept the quilting simple with straight lines outlining one side going in each direction. The balloon fabric is one of my favorites in this quilt!

I loved the idea of a black and white binding along with a black and white backing. This little quilt measured 37x41 and is available in my etsy shop.

Here’s a picture of the wedding quilt that my hubby and I made for our friends. Hubby marked all of the squares, did some rotary cutting, drew the applique and snipped all of the thread from the chain piecing. Serious. I sewed, quilted and supervised!

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Two Finishes and a Viewers Choice Nod

It has been quite a day! I finished Limeade and the bonus project I made to go along with it. It's 16 inch square using a few of the bonus pieces I shared in my last post and a little butterfly from my scrap bin. It will make a good doll quilt or wall hanging for a special little girl who is set to graduate from a crib to a toddler bed!

I love how the grey blocks almost disappear; I must be thinking of my upcoming low volume quilt. I did some free motion swirling since its been awhile since I've used that pattern. I love the texture it give the mini quilt. Is it ok to say that I like the bonus project just as much as the actual quilt!?!

Gosh I love this pink polka dot binding. The fabrics are by Dear Stella from the Confetti Dots selection, the pink is really called peony. Rounded out with Confetti Dots in white, lime and stone. Whatever it will be used for it will go great with the toddler bed quilt I just finished.

Limeade 

I used a similar quilting pattern using great big swirls so the quilt wasn't overly dense. There was some serious crinkly-ness going on with this quilt after it was washed and dried. Amazing!

Lime green polka dots was the requested backing; doesn't it look awesome right up against the hot pink?!

I have made this quilt several times before and I can say for sure that it shrinks big time! Before washing it was 47.5 x 66; after washing it is just the right size for a toddler bed, 44 x 61. Whew, I always worry if I make a quilt too big it might not shrink, it did! life. is. good.

Viewer's Choice

Today the Blogger's Quilt Festival Viewers Choice selections were announced. I'm really proud to be a part of the crowd for my scattered rainbow Herringbone quilt. You can vote for your favorite at Viewer's Choice

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Limeade Chevron Quilt and Bonus Projects

What I really wanted to call this quilt was Margarita... the bright pink and lime colors, yummy! But this quilt is for a toddler soooo I think I better save that for another day! I've been working on the limeade chevron quilt since my Gumballs and Elephants post. The top is done, backing is pieced, and quilt has been basted. Just waiting for some inspiration for the quilting.

Bonus Pieces 

While I'm waiting for the inspiration arrow to strike I'll share a little more about bonus projects. This is one of of those quilts with tons and tons of leftover bonus pieces to make bonus projects. Here's how I make bonus pieces for this particular quilt:

This chevron pattern is made up of flying geese blocks using rectangles and squares. My rectangles were 6.5x3.5 and squares measured 3.5. Two squares for each rectangle. I mark the center of the square pieces as normal for this block, on the wrong side of the fabric. Then using a 1/2 inch ruler I mark a second line off to the side. If you don't have a 1/2 inch ruler, just move your ruler over half an inch and mark the second line.

Do this for all of your square pieces.  

Align your square and rectangles, right sides together. Stitch on the center line as usual to make your flying geese block. Chain piecing is a big help here! Once you've finished with your chain, remove the entire chain and feed it through again this time stitching on the second line you drew. You don't need to snip in between pieces until both lines have been stitched. 

Now cut right down the center of your two lines. You will have your flying geese block and your HST bonus piece! Repeat with another square to complete your flying geese block. The great thing about using this method for flying geese is two bonus pieces for each block, yay!

And each quilt will make mounds of bonus pieces! All ready to go just need ironing and squaring up! These HST measured 2.5 inches after squaring up.

Bonus pieces aren't limited to flying geese blocks. You can use this method anytime that you're cutting away a corner. I use it often when making star blocks. It's easier to piece HSTs while they are still part of the square. Once you cut the corner away if you want to put the two triangles back together again you'll end up sewing on the bias which is tricky since the bias is stretchy and the corners always seem to get sucked into the sewing machine while trying to piece them.

A few projects I've made with bonus pieces when making this quilt

Chevron Doll Quilt

HST Pillow Sham

My argyle pinwheel pillow was also created using bonus pieces from a star quilt. There are about a bazillion things to do with HSTs!

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Finished Gumballs

Yay, Gumballs is all finished up!

I'm really in love with the teal on teal vine-y backing from the Birds and Berries line by Lauren and Jessi Jung for Moda. There are all these little hidden flowers and birdies in there, toooo cute! The pink polka dot binding by Dear Stella (actually called peony) was just the thing to pull it all together. A number of these fabrics were by Free Spirit which I had purchased on a fabric shopping spree with my parents earlier this summer at SR Harris in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Every single thing is half off. Seriously. They have just opened a second store on the other side of the Twin Cities. It's fair to say I went a little - ok, more than a little - crazy there. I might have even bought 30 yards. Thank goodness we needed to leave after a couple of hours to beat traffic and make it home for supper at Grandmas or who knows what else I might have found. I can't return... well I can return, but I really shouldn't be allowed. My stash went from neat and tidy, every piece has a place, to piles are creeping up all over the place. Dislike. Still, I'd totally recommend checking it out, be prepared to spend a few hours, cut your own fabric and return it to the shelves yourself. You will need a cart!

Oh yeah, Gumballs.  I decided to do all all over free motion loopy loo pattern with a few organic flowers throughout. I needed practice with those cute flowers.

There were a lot of different polka dot prints in there! Just one solid, Michael Miller Couture in Mermaid, and no white, I've really restrained myself this time and I'm happy with it. As much as I like Gumballs I've listed it in my etsy shop.

After washing it measures 36 x 39. It has some very good crinkle goodness going on after washing.

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Gumballs and Elephants

Every time I look at this quilt I immediately think of bubblegum. I was able to finish the pink and teal quilt top just in time for finish up Friday. I love that there is absolutely no white in this quilt - I'm really breaking out of my comfort zone, yay! There are some super cute fabrics in here. Several by Free Spirit, Dear Stella, the solid teal is Mermaid by Michael Miller Couture

The weather has finally turned around a little bit in Wisconsin. It had been raining from Sunday through Wednesday - no pictures when it rains so boo for rain. In any event, this weekend promises to be decent for fall. The bright red leaves are out and most are still on the trees. We were out of town last weekend so I've got a great big honey-do list for by hubby. I hope to do some re-planting, make chili and get a hefty start on my next project, a pink, green and grey chevron quilt which was commissioned after someone saw my Pink Elephant Quilt, which I have made twice now. The original was quilted with a spiral free motion pattern and is backed with black and white jungle themed fabric

 And

Lime green backing requested the second time! And again this time interestingly enough - I wish I had put that on the original. Loopy loo quilting on elephant quilt number two.

I even made curtains and matching pillow for my second client. First time ever. Seriously, how cute are these!

The pattern is Out in the Wild by Sew Emma, which makes a lap size quilt. I had bought a kit from the Fat Quarter Shop which also included fabric for a matching pillow.  The second time I made this quilt my I made it for a twin size bed. The fabrics are by Dear Stella and the pink elephants on peony were super hard to find. I bought 6 yards! I have enough to make one more quilt like this and then gone forever.

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Country Girl Improv Quilt

Whew, it's finished and just in time for finish up Friday linking! What started out a quick and simple disappearing nine patch quilt turned improv quilt (here too) is finally finished. Really, I'm super glad it's done. I ended up deciding on the white minky backing with a pale pink binding. It is smaller than I originally planned but that's to be expected since I chopped out all the feather fabrics. It still measures 27x34 so baby quilt or nursery wall hanging size.

I'm happy I decided to go with the white minky instead of the charcoal. I've never made an entire quilt improv style. Tons of fun, hope to do it again... hopefully not because of another quilt disaster, err, quilt learning experience.

I think there will be a little country gal somewhere that will end up enjoying these little pink pigs! I've put this little quilt in my etsy shop.

Used my good ol' loopy loo free motion quilting for this one. It's my 'standby' fmq pattern. And here is the backing

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Flippin Quilt In Progress

I've made some good progress on the disaster nine patch, err, disappearing nine patch blocks I've deconstructed and put back together. In fact, I've got the top all put together! I realized during this process that I must have a design wall - all the cool kids do. The room I've been sewing in has long been a spare bedroom; however, we've lived here for four years and we've never had all spare bedrooms full. My hubby took down the bed and we temporarily hung a flannel lined tablecloth on the wall to use as my design wall. Yay! Now the room is just a sewing room. If we ever need to we can put the bed back up. It was a little sad actually as the bed was my sons childhood bed and before that it belonged to one of my brothers growing up... now its packed away waiting for another use.  Anyhoo... my design wall. I'm thankful I don't have to lay my quilts out on the floor anymore - this should significantly reduce the amount of dog hair I'm lint-rolling at the end of each quilt. One can hope anyways! Here's my first quilt top made using a design wall

This feels much better than my initial attempt at the nine patch. I'm going to try that pattern again using more than nine fabrics - seems like a great scrap quilt to use up loose charms.  This quilt measures about 27x34 a good size for a baby quilt or even a wall hanging. I spent some time last night pulling together binding and backing fabrics and came up with the following

Since the front is so busy I'm considering something simple for the back. I'm leaning towards the charcoal minky dot with one of the grey and white fabrics for the binding. The white minky leans towards vanilla which doesn't feel right on this quilt. Color inspiration

(source)

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Fixed it!

In my last post I mentioned the troubles I was having with my latest quilt. I got some good advice
(thanks ladies!) and pondered on the issues for a couple of days. I flipped the blocks around a few more time but it wasn't happening. I considered making dog crate quilts and liked the layouts for those a lot better. But it sorta felt like giving up... letting that pattern beat me and I just couldn't let that happen! I'm glad I didn't as I'm liking the new quilt blocks so much better

I'm actually a little bit in love with the new block. Whew - I fixed it!

I turned this into an improv parti! Yep, I whacked up those disappearing nine patch blocks totally randomly removing the feather fabric along the way... see what happens when you don't behave over here, watch out! Not to worry, there will be a use for the feathers, they are safe in my scrap bins. I'm planning a low-volume postage stamp quilt in the near future so it's only goodbye for now.

Planning to spend much of my weekend sewing this bunch of scraps, strips and remnants back together. I haven't made an entire quilt improv style so this will be fun. The bright pink and navy fabrics are by Dear Stella, the green is Tarragon by Kona.

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Best,
Heather

What the Flip!?

So a couple of weeks ago I pulled together some pink, navy and green fabrics

When I first pulled the stack together there were only six fabrics, the navy's, pinks and middle two greens (solid and tree fabrics). After pulling them together I went off in search for something to do with them and saw a number of Disappearing 9 Patch quilts that were very pretty. It looked like a quick and satisfying pattern - and no HSTs! I get a little burned out after doing an entire quilt using triangles. I added the feather, circle and x fabrics to the stack so that I had nine fabrics and went along. I made 8 9-patch blocks using 5 inch squares. I put the fabrics together randomly when I laid out my 9-patches. It was a really satisfying project and I finished the ironing, cutting and sewing in one evening after work... but for the past two days I have been flipping and flipping the finished blocks around... and lots of swearing, grrr! I'm not sure if I should try another layout altogether, add some sashing or what. Happily taking suggestion on that! I seem to have two problems; first, I'm not crazy about the fabrics that I added at the end. I wish I had used a solid white or possibly one more colorway for additional variation for this pattern. Second, the same fabrics keep touching! I know, gross! Is that supposed to happen with this pattern? Oh, and the tree fabric is directional and I should have turned some of those squares in other directions when making the 9-patch blocks... Three problems then. I can't even get to the 'good enough' place where I just stop and sew them together. Not this time. What the flip?!

I might need to start another project while I ponder. Seriously if you have suggestions for saving this puppy from the 'fail bucket,' bring 'em on!

Best,
Heather