Flamingos

This quilt was a definite squirrel.  I was given a bunch of solid cotton poly blends so I took a minute or two from what were top secret pieces at the time and played.  Two tops were made that I then put away for a more appropriate quilting time.

This quilt is about 40 inches wide by 46 deep.

The quilting was also an experiment.  I practised for weeks on all available paper surfaces until I was less scared and plunged in.  My inspiration was a pattern by Threaded Quilting:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7lhVpsnBr8

It was also probably my first time quilting in a thread that was absolutely going to show.

Note to self:  Learn quilt blocking.  The quilting made it all warpy so I had to cut a bit off the last line to put it back into square.

Flamingos ended up in the "quilts for missions" category because after it was done, there was an opportunity for it to go to a little girl locally as part of a Christmas campaign through the Salvation Army.

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

The Lion Sleeps Tonight started with a graphic I saw on the internet.  It was from THIS website.

I separated all the parts and pieces and printed four full sized prints (48 x 36) to use as templates and maps.

The first map was just for the background.  Then I made a monkey.  From the start, the goal was to not use fusible or interfacing.  Instead, the bottle of starch got a workout.  It worked well.

Lots more animals followed.  Eyes, mouths and tiny pieces were the only bits that had fusible on the back.

The grass was fun.  It was cut at random and sewed down to the background at the bottom of the fringe.

Once the background was done, the whole quilt was sandwiched together and the animals were pinned to the top.  Using a walking foot and a darning foot, the animals were thoroughly quilted to the sandwich.

This is probably the most fun I've had making a quilt.  Start to finish, it was a big adventure.

Welcome to the Geek Side

Finally, a finish!  This has been something I've been working on mentally for a while, figuring out the logistics of it without having to piece or use loads of fusible or applique by hand. 

I had practice doing this quilt on another project that I can't post quite yet.  It involves lots of starch and a prepared sandwich.

First I quilted the entire sandwich.  With Star Wars quotes, don'tcha know?  I cut out pieces, folded them under a quarter inch (sometimes using a fabric glue stick) and ironed them to give me a nice crisp edge.

Then the applique pieces were layout on top, pinned ruthlessly and quilted to the sandwich using both a darning foot and a walking foot (depending on piece size).  Some of the more complicated bits were sewn together first (like the grey eye) and then sewing onto the quilt.

As the newest Star Wars movie just happened to come out, it was easy to find flannel backing that continued the geek theme.  Really, though - I would have preferred something "A New Hope" themed.  Ah well.

Little Boy Blue

This quilt was made as part of a Craftsy.com class on modern quilting.  The quilt is about 40 x 50.

The top came together quickly and was put away as I pondered quilting possibilities.  When I settled on what I wanted to do, I put the quilt away for even longer because I knew I wouldn't particularly enjoy making said design.  I'm not huge on marking . . .

I'm so glad I finally did it though.  I'm very pleased with how it turned out.  Negative space is really beginning to grow on me as is quilting with a walking foot.  There is a Craftsy class on dot to dot quilting that I think I should take next.

Table Runners for MCC

Last week I posted a quilt called "The Eighties Called".  I used blocks from my favourite mission thrift store to create a quilt that will sell for more money than the bits would individually.  It was the last of the UFOs I had borrowed.

I mentioned this tragedy to a friend.  The next day she showed up at my office with four more projects.  Here are two of them, completed.

The tops were completed, they just needed a bit of quilting and / or binding.

The next two are a little bit more complicated - full sized tops!  The first is HSTs.  That should be easy, she said naively.  The second is diamonds.  That one will be a bit more challenging.

If possible, they need to be done by the end of  May, but no pressure, my friend said.

The Eighties Called

Size:  46 x 54

Reason:  This is a quilt that I pieced together from blocks borrowed from MCC back in 2014.  I couldn't understand the layout of the blocks the original piecer was intending so many were ripped apart and resewn so that I could create something that made sense to me.

The lighter blue and the pink sashings were included with the project when it was first donated.

Fabric:  My MIL gave me a gorgeous cream sheet a while ago.  It was perfect for the back of this quilt. The leftover bits made the back fun.  The binding was bought for another project but ended up not working.  I'm pleased that it fits in so well here.

Thoughts:  I'm glad this is done.  I'm not a fan of pink and blue.  It's time to give the eighties back its colour scheme.  Other have told me they really like it so clearly it's not as bad as I think it is.

Mostly I quilted this from the back.  I wanted to mark the lines.  They showed better on the cream.  I put on my big girl panties and used a dark coloured thread that *gasp* shows.  Mistakes show up must faster when using contrasting thread.

Back to MCC it goes.  I'm not sure but this might be the last UFO that I borrowed from MCC.  I should ask for more.

I Love Scraps Mark III

This quilt happened because I had leftovers from a baby quilt I made late last year.  This layout has become somewhat of a favourite.  This is the third time that I've done a variation of it.  Since I normally consider making the same pattern twice boring, I would have to say that this one really works for me.  The first time I made it was HERE.  The second time was HERE.

I quilted this one with my walking foot as well - with three different colours of thread.  The binding is completely scrap using the same fabrics.  I still have a little bit more.  

It bunched up a bit - a little like an accordion.  I have to assume that this was my fill choice speaking.  I'm pretty sure I used a fluffy poly fill.  I should try it again with a more dense batting.

A friend told me that this kinda looked like a colouring book.  That's a much better name than I Love Scraps Mark III.

Note to self:  Research blocking

I Love Scraps Mark II

Pattern:  N/A

Size: 30 inches square

Date:  January 2016

Reason / Fabrics:  My Aunt gave me a fresh box of scraps - instead of sorting them by colour into my drawers, I immediately started using them as leaders and enders while I sewed "I'm Blue" ( to come to a blog near you soon).  It worked really well and really quickly.  It wasn't long before I had these blocks.

It is quilted with my walking foot.  It has a little blue marking pen on it still - that will come out when I wash it.

Seriously - who needs a baby quilt?  Any showers in your future?  Can I mail you one?  I'm pretty sure I have at least ten, perhaps even a dozen baby quilts hanging about my house. 

Melon Peel

Inspired by:  Craftsy Modern Quilting class

Fabrics:  The grey was a Christmas gift.  The petals were from my scrap drawers.  The back was an amazing find at MCC.

Thoughts:  This is a quilt that's been on my list for at least 6 months.  

It's one of seven projects in a modern quilt class I took on Craftsy.  Sort of.  I mean, the style (melon or orange peel) was used in the Craftsy class, but I had no wish to individually appliqué 36 petals on to individual squares then piece them all together and blah blah blah. 

Remember the hexis I did?  Click here to refresh your rememory.  It was the first time I sandwiched a top and then added the details after.  I knew I'd need to do it again,

Note to self:  Hand positioning is critical if you don't want jogs like the oopsie above.

This might just be top five for me.  I really like it.  I'm a little annoyed by the shrink.  Either I needed to wash the grey a second time or my 20p / 80c batting shrunk a bit.

There it is.  I have two more from this Craftsy class to quilt - one is by hand and it's on a frame - it will be a while.  The other is ready to go whenever I get the urge.  When it's done I'm calling this a complete (because the hand quilted one will take forever) and starting a new course.