stack-o-quilts ~

from the top down ~

Beatrix, Modern Quilts Illustrated using Sense & Sensibility fat quarter bundle
Little Leaves, Elizabeth Hartman using Tea With the Queen fat quarter bundle
Strawberry Fields aka Cabbage Patch, Material Obsession using  Phillip Jacobs cabbages
Hawaiian Postcards, Lisa Boyer using assorted Hawaiian print fabric (not the king size)
BFF, Four-Patch Frolic, fabrics purchased in Montana the weekend of my brothers wedding
Granny Squares, Blue Elephant Stitches tutorial using Amy Butler jelly roll
Modern Workshop, Oliver & S using Tea with the Queen fat quarter bundle scraps
Avalon, Material Obsession using Laura Gunn fabrics

 

One of the creative ladies in the San Diego Modern Quilt Guild posted a picture of her pile of quilts on flickr the other day. Inspired by her picture, I rummaged around my closet and there I found what I had been hiding. At first I was embarrassed, then felt a pang of guilt that I have a stack of unfinished quilts this high. I should complete these very pretty quilts that I worked so hard on. Sometimes I am not inspired to create a quilt back and decide what design to free-motion quilt to put it all together. Eventually I will, but some I think I made just to learn a new technique, some were made because of a vacation and others because of the fabric line I loved so much. So I will not be hard on myself and just leave these beauties for another day.

I am still working on the king size Hawaiian Postcard quilt that is taking up every last pin I have, a Super Secret quilt to finish, stitching up Piece by Piece this weekend and any other project that may pop up. A squirrel moment is the very thing that derails my best laid plans.

What's in your closet?

Piece by Piece ~ quilt top

Modern Quilts Illustrated ~ Piece by Piece

Super secret project ~

I have been under the weather lately. A darling daughter came home from college and shared stories and her cold. But I have been hard at work, between the snuffles, on a couple of projects. 

I am using the the other half of the Sense and Sensibility fat quarter set to construct Piece by Piece. The idea is to place each quilt (Beatrix & Piece by Piece) on twin beds in one of the bedrooms. A cosmetic remodel. It entails deconstructing bunk-beds into two twins and then placing them an each side of the window. We will get a little table for under the window. We are having carpets cleaned as we speak. Then perhaps a fresh coat of paint. I may move in!

Then the super secret project. Now I hope a certain someone doesn't happen to check/read my blog. I don't think he ever does, so I won't give many details. Can you guess what it is going to be? And yes it is hanging up on the wall for everyone to see. In fact he wanders in here probably twice a day. Not a comment has been made. It is easier to make things right under their noses. 

stay healthy 

400+ ~

Hawaiian Postcards quilt 11 x 11

stretched & taped

batting then Making Waves

400 pins to keep all three layers together

trimmed and ready to free-motion quilt

Had to move the furniture out of the dining room to make room. Because it is a rainy day here and the animals, bunnies and the dog, would not leave me nor the quilt alone, so into the dining room I went to be undisturbed. It does not look like it but this took me all day to do.

Layering, ironing and stretching, repositioning again and again till the final ironing and pinning `~

Both the top and the back of the quilt we enlarged slightly. Meaning, that each postcard is 1/2 inch larger on each side as well as the sashing and posts and the strips for the back are longer and 1/2 inch wider.

 Now to decide on a design, thread color and trim. Just in time for cooler weather! or Christmas depending on how long the quilting takes...

Happy WIP day!

Beatrix top ~

 

 

finished ~ next Piece by Piece using the same fabrics

Beatrix ~

Beatrix final layout

Modern Quilts Illustrated issue #1

I have had this fat quarter set in my closet for two Christmas' .(I am mustering up confidence to free-motion quilt the now gigantic Hawaiian Postcards quilt.) So I measured and cut. I chose Rowan shot cotton for the pink stripes and an RJR light pink for the background. I have three columns sewn together. Four more to go. 

I have enough leftover from the fat quarter set to make another quilt top from Modern Quilts Illustrated issue #4 called  Piece by Piece. My idea was to make one the top and the other the back but I think they should be separate quilts. Perhaps in the same room on different beds? We will see.

On a separate note, I only recognize one of the fabrics in this set. It is the brown one second row from bottom, 4th from the right. Amy Butler? A funny thing happens when we girls from the guild get together at a fabric store or a quilt show. We play name that designer. I am not very good being a new comer to quilting. But we laugh at how nerdy we can be.

If you know the names or designers let me know ~

works in progress ~

 

What a mess!
This is what happens in my house when I have multiple projects going at once. Fun!

one hot summers day ~

 

 

I completed the quilt back for my enlarged Hawaiian Postcards quilt, the one that will now cover the 'whole' bed. Quilting in the summer seems a little backwards. You need light, an iron and fabrics. Sweaty!

The pattern for the back is called Making Waves and is from Modern Quilts Illustrated issue #3. I haven't measured it but it is re-sized to fit our eastern king bed. I was nervous to start cutting and then sew the curves.  I drew a line from the striped piece to the solid, then matched the marks and pinned like crazy. It came together without a hitch.

 Free-motion quilting ahead...on a cooler day

free-motion bunnies ~

Bunny poses ~ 

up close at bunnies.... 

Lady Murasaki ~ upside down 

Scrapper's Delight ~ without binding

Quilting done on my darling daughter's 1st quilt. It required tracing bunny shapes, lots of thread tension issues and fatigued arms, but I love it and more importantly so does she. What doesn't show is the quilting on the hot pink flannel. I made a random grass pattern studded with dandelions. Many apologies to the designers of Lady Murasaki, my daughter insisted that the back be oriented in this way!

Now for the interview that I have been wanting to do:

Interview with a 10 year old quilter

What did you like about quilting?

 Ironing the squares and using the lavender spray starch. Smells so good.

What was hard?

At the beginning, when I was learning how to sew, it took me 4 hours to make the first block. The more I did it the easier it became and the last 3 blocks took me only 15 minutes.

Would you recommend this project to someone your age?

I would recommend this to my friends to see what colors would choose the most.

 Do you have any upcoming projects?

Santa bunny hat for my rabbit and I would like to create a Minecraft quilt.

What's your favorite color?

Purple, I chose this color for the binding of my quilt. 

What is your favorite fabric in the quilt?

Hot pink flannel used for the back/front, depending on how you look at it.

I would like to thank my bunny Splat for the inspiration for this quilt.
C~

Now for the binding ~ more pictures to come

Lady Murasaki ~

quilt back for Scrapper's Delight ~

the bunny approves ~

We finally had time together and my darling daughter assembled the back of her quilt. I love the pink cotton candy colors and the softness of the flannel. She chose a green, yellow and pink variegated thread and now for the free-hand motion design. So many choices. My plan is to stitch a bunny design in the light pink and an all over design is the darker larger pink area. 

The end of the year school events have taken over our family. My husband kindly reminded me that I have not made a single cookie, cake, muffin or bread in quite some time. He continued that quilts don't taste good. This is reminiscent of what my darling daughter once said. She stated plainly one day that she wished she had a mom that made pastries and dresses instead of bread and quilts. I tease her about this. Don't I have a cute family?

Well, my darling husband went to the kitchen and began taking all the ingredients out of the cupboard that we would need to make chocolate chip cookies. I guess this was my clue to get up and make some cookies. He remained in the kitchen and was a great sous chef. Together we whipped up a batch of delicious cookies in no time.

Everyone's happy!

in the mail ~

a note from a darling daughter ~

inspiration in the form of fabric ~  

With 2 blocks left to complete dd #4's 'Scrapper's Delight', we were looking through my collection of quilting books and projects to decide the back of this busy quilt. The pattern from the latest issue of Modern Quilts Illustrated, 'Lady Murasaki', will be a calm contrast to the riot of colors on the front. I think it will be also nice to try new free hand motion designs on the solid back.

Happy April 1st!

fabric and more fabric ~

batiks, kona cotton and many projects ~

pincushion swap and lovely fat quarter ~

I won this in a raffle ~

I have been having fun with my girls, both big and little. I was able to take some time out and go to the SDMQG meeting where we swapped pincushions and fat quarters. So now I have a table runner from Angela and a pincushion from Sandi. It is so much to swap! And forgive me, I failed to take a picture of the flower pincushion I made but you can see in on the San Diego Modern Quilt Guild flickr page with all the other fabulous pincushions. 

I am ready to tackle the second 'Postcards Quilt'. The top is complete and awaiting a back. I have decided on a pattern in the 3rd edition of Modern Quilts Illustrated, Making Waves. And yes I am changing it slightly due to the size of the quilt. Wish me luck! It is 106 x 86 and I had to do a lot of math to figure out how many strips I would need as well as the solid fabric. It was easy once I realized it was easy.

I also wanted to make the cute bunny on Purl Bee's website, before Easter...

So many projects so little time. If only sleep and food weren't so important ~ right?