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?

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!

Before and after.....

This is where it all began, with a boring, plain white bed. We needed to spruce things up a bit and as you can see our walls and carpets are all neutral colors. We have been inspired by the colors, designs and nature of the Hawaiian Islands. That is why, looking into the window of a little fabric store on the island of Kauai, I knew I had to have it. We waited for the shop to open, browsed around and left empty handed. I did not think I had the time nor talent to complete such an heirloom. I had my husband take a picture just for sentimental reasons.

March 2010 Kapaia Stitchery window

This quilt continued to pop into my mind.

After arriving back home I gave the shop a call to see how much it would cost to mail the kit. It turned out to be about the same price if we were to have paid sales tax. It is the Hawaiian Postcards Quilt pattern by Lisa Boyer. So I went ahead with the purchase and now look.....

Pretty!

One of the funny things is that I am always hesitant about any new project, yet I thought the postcards would be better slightly larger more true to a postcard size and then I increased the the sizes of the sashings and added a row vertically and two rows horizontally and still didn't get the quilt to completely cover our eastern king bed. Every night we tug the quilt back and forth...time for a trip?

It is backed with a beautiful batik fabric that is reminiscent of the waters of Kauai. 

It is this quilt that began my journey into sewing, quilting, baking and cooking. It is funny how making a quilt can give a person so much confidence in all areas of their life.