Plethora Continues - Project 3

I don't know why, perhaps it's just a fluke, but I've finished three blankets recently (see posts of plethora projects 1 and 2) and all of them are for babies, and all of them are red. What's up with that? And no, that is not an announcement in any way. Anyway, here is another finished project. I warned you there was plethora of projects coming.

After finishing my 2010 Challenge quilt, I had a lot of 7 1/2 inch squares left over in the 30's prints.  I didn't know what else I was going to do with them and didn't want to wast them, so I simply sewed them together.  Super simple + super fast + super easy = an adorable baby quilt. No pattern, just sewed them in a random order trying to mix it up a little ... you know so no two red prints are next to each other, etc.

The end quilt measures approximately 42 x 42,  a perfect crib size. Or this would make a great play mat. You know something to do the "I spy" game with since there are so many different prints.

For the backing and the binding, I used this red ducky print I got on a clearance sale.  Don't ask me where I got it, or about the store it came from.  It was was not a good experience, and I'd rather not re-live it, but I'm happy with the fabric, so I guess that outweighs the bad experience.

I made a small tag to attach to the corner. I kinda like the small and simple tag and think I might try screen printing some tags similar to this in the future. What do you think?  I will have to see how ambitious I'm feeling, I guess.

Overall, it turned out to be an adorable baby blanket.  A scrap quilt, in a way.  And... I LOVE IT!

2010 Challenge Quilt

We finally had some really nice weather and I was able to get out and take some photos of some finished projects.  (More to come, I promise!)

This is my 2010 Challenge Quilt.  Last January, my mom (love ya!) provided my sister, me, and herself with a bundle of 30's prints fat quarters.  I think there were 20 in the set, but I can't remember.  The rules :  you must make a quilt using all of the fabrics; you can add fabrics to it if you want; it has to be larger than a baby sized quilt; and must be finished by the end of 2010.

We all shared which fabrics we got since each bundle was slightly different and talked about patterns we wanted to make with our new fabrics.  Before I knew it, it was September and I still hadn't cut into the fabrics yet, let alone decided on a pattern.  I saw this All Patched Up Quilt made by Cluck Cluck Sew and knew instantly that it would be perfect for my 30's prints.  At the time, she didn't have a pattern for sale (she does now, go here to purchase it) so I decided I would just do my best without a pattern.

I used her pattern for the Raw Edge Circle quilt to get me started.  For the circles I cut the back ground fabrics in the white and the squares were cut out of the prints.  For the square centers, I cut them (I think, I can't find my notes on how I made this) around 4" square.  I sewed them on the same way I did the circles, and then cut them into four pieces and sewed them back together to get the scrappy block.  It doesn't look like that is how she did the squares in her pattern, but I wanted each of them to have the 'raw edge' look, so that is what I ended up doing.  I didn't worry about getting each square or circle exactly centered on the background blocks, which ended up perfect.  The squares and circles were no where near perfect which just adds to the character of the quilt.

I had enough scraps left over that I was able to add a scrappy border.  I think the border strips were about 2.5" wide.  I also used the leftover scraps for the binding. 

I did end up using all of the fabrics in my bundle, plus I add four that I had found in cute little shop in West Virginia.  Looking back, I wish I would have purchased enough for the backing as well.  I ended up with this purple backing, only because it was the only 30's print available at my LQS.  Nothing fancy for the back, just the print.  I quilted it in straight lines around each block, which makes for an interesting pattern on the back.

Overall, I love this quilt.  I love that it has a special meaning behind it and that my family each has a quilt of their own using the same fabrics.  The end size was round 70 x 58, which means it is our new 'go-to' lap quilt for the couch.   Oh, and yes, I did get it finished before the end of the year, December 28th to be exact!  Nothing like a good procrastination to get you motivated.

Blogger's Quilt Festival - Spring 2010

I have been looking forward to the Quilt Festival for a while now. I have been waiting to show off my newest finished quilt until this week because it is my new favorite!

I used the fabric line "Amelia" from Timeless Treasures. This fabric is a couple of years old but when I first saw it, I knew I needed it. So I bought up enough to make a quilt, although I had no idea what pattern I wanted to use it for. After a few years of going back and forth on designs, I finally settled on a simple snowball quilt. I wanted something that showed off the fabric as much as possible, and the snowball block seemed to work best.Each center block is 7.5" square with 2.5" square corner brown squares. I added a 1" brown border and a 5" leaf border to finish it off. I used the remaining scraps to bind the quilt. I love scrappy bindings! Overall it is a perfect snuggle quilt for the couch.

For the backing I used what I had left over of the prints and brown fabric. For the quilting, I did an all over stippling with loops in a teal green thread. A little different from the normal stippling which made the quilting a little more interesting. It took me a few years to finally decide what to make with this fabric but I'm so glad that I waited. I love how this turned out! It is definitely my newest favorite quilt!

If you'd like to make a snowball quilt, here is a great tutorial that can help.

If you haven't already, go check out Amy's blog and see all of the other quilts that have been entered into the quilt festival!

Break Time

Why is it that every time I start a quilt, get it all basted and ready to go, the cats immediately steak it as theirs? Sophie is so spoiled, I hardly ever kick her off, I just work on a different project. But I think it is time that this quilt was finished and ready to be used. Quilting will resume as soon as I can break it to Sophie that I need the quilt she is napping on.

Stars Quilt

The quilt has been gifted so I can officially show you all what it looks like. At first, I wasn't really liking this quilt. I had gone back and forth on patterns and finally decided on this one... which I ended up loving. I was torn between keeping this for myself and giving it away, but in the end it made it safely on a plane to it's new owner.
It is a relatively simple pattern which makes things a little more enjoyable, with the exception of the flying geese. Not that they are difficult, just that I don't enjoy making them...at all! The finished quilt measures approximately 59 x 72 - perfect for a snuggle quilt.
For the backing I used the left over fabric that I had from the stars. No particular rhyme or reason to it, but I actually kinda like it. I did an all over stippling on this quilt. Mostly because I was too lazy to do straight line quilting, and party because I really like it. The binding is the dark navy fabric and I also had time to make a tag for it.
The best part about this quilt - my dear sweet husband helped me with this. He helped in picking out the fabric, the pattern (until I changed it at the last minute), he even helped me with lining up blocks and ironing for me...and he helped with taking photos of it. If it wasn't for him, I most likely wouldn't have gotten this finished on time. What a sweetheart he is!

I hope the new owners enjoy it.

2009 Finished Projects

I can't believe that it is already 2010! It seems like just yesterday I was counting my finished projects for the year. I definitely do not have as many finished projects that were completed in 2009 as were completed in 2008, but I am pretty proud of the ones that I did get finished. It was a crazy year. Lots of things happened (several good things and several bad things), and I must admit that I am excited for a new year! I hope this year will be fantastic! One for the books!

And hopefully filled with lots of completed projects! Happy New Year!

Check Two More Off the List

I know I'm cutting it close, but I'm just proud that I got them done in 2009. I finished 6 of the 9 projects I had on my list to get completed by the end of the year. Quite an accomplishment for me, so I'm kinda proud.

I can't show you one of these yet, since it is a gift that hasn't been delivered yet. But I promise all will be revealed soon enough. Here is a sneak peak just to prove that it did in fact get finished.The second finished project for the Joy in the New Year Challenge, is a receiving blanket that I started back in...umm...May. Yes, this has been sitting around collecting dust for too long. It was about time that it got finished. I used a new edging for this one that is super simple and looks really pretty. Another bonus to this edging... you only have to do one round of it. I suppose you could do two rounds if you'd like and just leave the picot off, but I kinda like it the way it is. Fast, simple, and really pretty.
It feels great to get all these UFO's completed and out of the way. Now I don't have to feel guilty about starting another project. Thank you to Jacquie for all the inspiration and motivation to get these projects finished.

PS. Happy New Year! 2009 was kinda a hard year, but it did have its positive moments. I'm looking forward to a new year filled with new adventures. Thank you to all of you who actually read this, and for all your lovely comments. I enjoy each and every one of them.

Soiree Charm Square Quilt

I finished another quilt. This one is also a quilt that I will be keeping for me! Now I have two quilts that were made especially for me by me! I'm so spoiled, I know!
I really liked this pattern from when I made it the first time, and decided that I'd also like I quilt for me. So I used two charm square packs of Soiree by Moda and whipped this quilt out in no time. It went super fast since I already knew how big I wanted it and did a lot of chain piecing which made the process faster. The final quilt measures 58x80 approximately (I actually think it shrunk up quite a bit after washing.)

For the backing, I used a light green Kona Cotton. Plain. Very plain. I had two charm squares left over, so I threw them in the mix to add a little something. And I kinda like it!

Since I normally end by saying "I LOVE IT", I should probably confess that I didn't love this quilt. After I got the top pieced and the quilt basted, I wasn't sure if I was totally in love with it. I decided to quilt it anyway. I did a basic stippling since I just did a straight line quilting on my last quilt and wanted to mix it up a little. I got about 25% through the quilting and decided I really didn't like it at all. In fact I didn't like it! I set it aside for a few days and debated weather to become best friends with the seam ripper or just keep going. After a few more days, I decided to just finish it and at least get some use out of it. I think I decided it was the colors, they just weren't working for me. So I finished it...pouting the whole time, and I threw it in the washer and dryer. As I pulled it out of the dryer, I just started to smile because I was so very happy with what I was seeing. I laid it out on the floor and just sat and stared at it for ever. I LOVE IT!!

My conclusion - the best part of quilting-- the crinkle goodness! It can change a quilt!

Quilts at the North Carolina State Fair

Last weekend, Dustin and I went to the North Carolina State Fair. It was quite the event! So much to see and do. Of course, the first thing I did was find my way to the quilt entries. They had the quilts set up on racks that turned but they had a fair worker that had to sit there and flip through all the quilts. One at a time...very slowly... while me and some other ladies sat and took photos. They were pretty far away so you couldn't really see much of the details on the quilts or the quilting, but at least you could see them. I must say I was kind of disappointed that you couldn't see all of them lined up, but I understand why they had it set up the way they did. I don't know if I'd like that many people touching a quilt I worked hard on. I think I sat there for thirty minutes while the lady flipped through all the quilts.

These are just a few of my favorites. To see more, check out my flickr page. I know they are not the best pictures in the world but they are the best I could do with the crowd, the lighting, and my little point and shoot camera.

I think this cathedral window quilt was my absolute favorite. Can you imagine how long this took? I definitely do not have that much patience. It was stunning. The lady that made this, also made the eyes for all the fishes. Super cute. And close up you can see that each fish is really detailed with seams that look like gills. Very impressive and another favorite of mine.

I just loved this one! Super cute.

One day....one day, I will learn how to make one of these. They are so amazing!

Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme

My mom made this quilt for a friend who is having a baby but sent it to me to quilt it for her. This is the second one that I have quilted for her, and I must say, I feel so honored that she would even consider me good enough to quilt them for her. Thanks mom for letting me do this, I really had fun with it. Of course, I did warn her that I am not a professional at all and if she doesn't like it she would have to unpick all of it. She just wanted a simple stippling for it, but I decided to try something new. I stuck with the stippling but I added some loops to it. I must say this might be a new favorite of mine. Super easy and fun! I think it turned out super cute! And the best part, she chose flannel for the backing! I just love flannel! And it was a super cute gingham - a favorite of my moms!

Blogger's Fall Quilt Festival

I participated in this quilt festival last April when Amy organized it. I had so much fun looking through all the blogs of everyone who had also participated. Seriously, there is so much inspiration out there. So many talented quilters! Go here to see all the great quilts for this years festival.

Park City Girl has organized another quilt festival. My favorite quilt is a new one. So new, that I just finished it! I have been working on this for a while and finally got it all put together. I am totally and head over heels in love with Moda's fabric line "nest". I originally made a quilt for my sister-in-law's wedding with this fabric. I loved it so much, that I purchased more to make a quilt for me.

(*just a side note-- one of the sponsors of the Quilt Festival is Wish Upon a Quilt, a local quilt shop here in Raleigh. This store is fantastic! I love it! This is also the place that I purchased all the fabric for this quilt. And it was all on sale! How great is that? If you are ever in Raleigh, NC you must stop by this shop. The ladies are super friendly, the fabric is fantastic, and prices are competitive.)

Inspiration for this pattern came from many different quilters. I have seen this pattern several times on Flickr and knew that I would eventually make one for me because I just loved it. This fabric was perfect for this pattern.
For the construction of the quilt, I used three charm square packs and about four yards of white fabric. I made them into half-square triangles and then placed them into the pattern. I even took the time to pin them so that the points would match up perfectly (most of them did, others not so well) and I must say it was worth the extra time that it took to make sure they matched up. I also added a five inch border around the edge to tie it all together (and to use up the rest of the white fabric. Let's just say, this white fabric is not my favorite and I didn't want any scraps left over.)

For the backing I used the paisley pattern from the fabric line. I added the remaining blocks that I didn't use for the front. What else was I going to use them for? Plus it makes the back a little more interesting.
To quilt it, I did a 1/4 straight quilting along the edges of each diamond (colors and white). On the border, I did a free motion quilting pattern with loops. (Sorry, no close up pictures of that).The binding is a teal green print from the line, also a favorite. After I finished it, I immediately curled up on the couch with it and watched a movie. It is perfect! Final measurements are about 65x80. Perfect for snuggling! I LOVE this quilt.

The best part -- I finally have a quilt made by me just for me!

Quilting Will Resume...

after nap time is done!I am getting close though! If only I could keep the cats off it long enough to get finished.

Progress...

Same fabric... new quilt (in a different pattern than last time). And this time, I'm keeping it all for ME!!! I'm so excited, I'm loving it already. I just can't get enough of this fabric. Seriously, isn't it just lovely!?

"Nest" Quilt

My sister-in-law, Karianne, just got married this past weekend. (see all of the wedding photos I took at her wedding here) And of course, I couldn't help but make her a quilt for her wedding present. When I first saw the moda line Nest, I fell in love. I absolutely love this fabric! I had a couple of charm packs that I decided to make into a charm square quilt (inspiration taken from Don't Call Me Becky). What a great way to show off all of these lovely fabrics.I used three inch sashings to set off each charm square. I did a simple stippling for the quilting, mostly because I was short on time, and partially because I just like it.The backing was done in the paisley print... my favorite of the line. For the binding I used the teal green. And thanks to my mom, the binding got done in time for the wedding. The final quilt measured approximatley 70X80. A perfect snuggle quilt. Overall, I absolutely love love love this quilt. I know I say that about every single one I make but I love this quilt so much, I went and bought more of this fabric so that I can make one for me.

PS. How adorable is my husband!? He was nice enough to help me get a few photos of the quilt before we gave it away.

Something Crafty!!!

Finally I've had some time to work on something crafty.... and so far I'm loving it! Fabric is from this line.

North Carolina Quilt Show

This past weekend I went to the North Carolina Quilt Show and I must say it was so very inspiring! I can't even imagine becoming half of the quilter that these ladies are. They are all so very talented and their work is practically flawless.

These are just a few of the amazing quilts that were in the show, and these pictures don't even begin to do them justice.

This quilt was probably my favorite one in the show. A Baby Jane quilt. I have always wanted to make one of these, but lets be realistic, I'm sure that will never happen. This quilt was made by Holly Sweet and measures 81 x 81. It was truly a site to see.
I can't remember what the name of this quilt was called or who made it but it was breathtaking. All of the blocks were pieced like this. Does anyone know what type of quilting this is? How to do it? I can't remember who made this one either, but it was one of my favorites. I love how the white offsets the red pinwheels.
At our family quilt retreat, we learned how to make these. I, of course was not able to go that time and didn't get to learn. That doesn't mean I don't love looking at them. This one is made by Jan Struble and is called Eileen's Star. This one is called scrappy carpenters wheel and was made by Kim Zebrowski. The quilting on this was outstanding. There was so much of it and it was just stunning. I really loved this one. Probably my second favorite. Another one that I can't remember the name of but I loved loved loved this one. All of those tiny log cabin blocks... just amazing.
I was so glad that I found out about this quilt show, even though it was last minute. It was so worth it and so very inspiring. Hopefully it will get me back into the swing of things.

*Just a note, I can't remember all of the names of who made these quilts so if I misquoted any of them, I'm terribly sorry.

Blogger's Quilt Festival 2009

Amy (Park City Girl) is hosting a Blogger's Quilt Festival and I wanted to take part in it. There are lots of talented quilters out there who have all made lots of beautiful quilts.

All of my quilts are my "favs" (I never finish the ones I don't like, they stay in my works to finish pile and never quite make it to the finished pile) but if I had to choose just one, it would be my double take quilt.

This quilt was super easy to make and I love the way it turned out. I want to make one again, but bigger. Maybe lap size or twin size. It is definitely on my to-make list and one day I'm sure I will get around to it.
Other favorites include the Dutch Pinwheel Quilt, Zig Zag Quilt, and the Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme Quilt.

What one is your favorite?

King Size? I must be crazy!

Remember when I started this quilt?  Well, plans changed and we found out we were moving.  So, I packed it up knowing that it would have to wait ...  until this weekend, that is!

I spent all day Saturday with my mom and sister just sewing.  We were like mad sewing ladies on a mission.  It was quite a scary site!   

I got all of the blocks pieced together (all of the 144 blocks it takes to make this quilt!) and now I just need to sew them into rows.  I am surprised that I was able to get so much progress made on this quilt and I’m hoping it will be done sooner rather than later.

New Quilt

I’ve started another quilt (shocker, I know).  So far, all of the pieces have been cut out and I’m now ready to start sewing. This project might take me awhile since it is going to be the biggest quilt I have ever made : a King size, perfect for our new bed!

Moda Fabric

I’ve had several questions regarding the fabric that I used on the Double Take Quilt. Rather than trying to answer so many emails, I decided to just post it here. Hope that is okay.

All of the fabrics are from Moda. These are the numbers that were on the selvedge.

Solid Orange Fabric : Pumpkins Gone Wild Solid Pumpkin - #7521-282

Solid Brown Fabric: Pumpkins Gone Wild Solid Walnut - #7521-287

Orange Floral Print: Pumpkins Gone Wild Pumpkin - #17378-12

Brown Floral Print: Pumpkins Gone Wild Walnut - #17378-19

Good luck! I hope this is somewhat helpful. If anyone makes one of these, I’d love to see it!