My self-imposed ban on blog reading and posting is over as Lent ends tonight. I was only posting finishes on my blog, since this is my way of keeping track of what I've done and, more importantly, when. I missed reading about everyone's quilting adventures, but it was good for me to stop for a bit. As with most of us, the mask making continues. In between making masks, I worked on this scrappy quilt using 2 1/2" squares. As those who follow me know, I do not enjoy making scrappy quilts and am not a huge fan of how they look, either. This quilt has been fun to make, though. I kind of used it as a leader/ender with the masks, but then just began sewing the blocks so it could move along. When cleaning my Hidey Hole, I found a bag of 2 1/2" squares I had cut several years ago. I dug into my hug bags of scraps and cut more, adding to the mix. Then the 16 patches were made. There are all kinds of fun things to find in this quilt... butterflies, crabs, fish, whales, flowers, basketballs, golf clubs and bags, snowmen, shells, the sun, etc. My favorite though is the fussy cut Snoopy in the photo above. :) At least two borders will be added; one of the cream and then another round of squares. I may add another round of cream after that, but we shall see. If I add another round of cream, I may use a scrappy binding. Needless to say, there are A LOT of 2 1/2" squares left. Maybe another scrappy quilt is in my future. ***Edit*** I have had several questions about the pattern for this quilt from No Reply Bloggers. I did not have a pattern for this quilt. The design just came to me as I went along making it. Now back to making masks! Happy Quilting! Be safe and be well.
UPDATED JULY 6, 2022 — CLICK HERE TO SEE MY CRUMB PIECING TUTORIAL TO LEARN HOW I SELECT FABRICS AND SEW MY CRUMB BLOCKS. INCLUDES A VIDEO TUTORIAL. A little over a week ago on February 22 I …
Tutorial on how to use scraps of fabrics to make a magic quilt that sews itself as you are making another quilt.
I taught a series of classes in Atlanta that used Kaffe Fassett fabrics. As you can imagine, we had leftovers! After about 5 workshops I dev...
There was no way I was going to make samples for the Erica Quilt without making a scrappy, rainbow version. This pattern is great for scraps in general, but it is especially good for making a scrappy rainbow. My only debate was what to do with the background fabric for this quilt. I could have used a solid, but I was t
Do you love scrap quilts? Do you wish you could create your own? Today I share time tested tips and tricks for scrap quilting success.
Mock up for new scrap quilt blogged: ivyarts.wordpress.com
The week between Christmas and New Year's I pin basted four quilts, preparing them for machine quilting. Today I am sharing the third finish of the four. I made this quilt from rectangles I found in a box of scraps from a quilt I made a number of years ago. There were a lot more rectangles than I remembered, so I started randomly placing them on my design wall and created this top. This was pure mindless sewing, which is needed on occasion! The machine quilting was purely mindless, too. I was listening to a book on Hoopla while I quilted. No measuring, no counting, so stopping and starting. Just quilt and move the fabric. It was fun making this quilt from the box of scraps. The binding is also from my box of binding scraps. I would not usually put all of these fabrics together, but it seems to work here. The backing peaking out from the bottom corner was left over from a larger quilt. This finish will go in the "to be given" pile. Happy Quilting!
The end of the year is coming fast, so I have been evaluating my Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts to determine which I want to finish and which I want to carry into next year. One of the RSC quilts I have been working on is the simple color block quilt made with 2.5" squares. For October, I made a couple brown blocks. I knew I needed some red blocks - so I went ahead and finished up three from squares that I had already cut and were in my stash. A couple of yellow blocks were needed too. At this point, I knew I was pretty close to having enough blocks to finish the quilt. When I moved the blocks from my quilting studio to my sewing room, I knew I needed more green blocks so I went ahead and made a few of them. So here is what I have so far. I still need to sew up two more blocks and adjust the layout a bit. I think I need another dark blue and maybe a pink. Hmmm.....What do you think? ********************************************* It is now your turn to share what you are making with scraps. Here are the details for linking up: This linky party is for any scrappy project - It can be in-process or a finished piece. You can link up your blog post (not your homepage please) or Instagram photo from the past week that features your use of scraps. If you are linking to a blog post, I ask that you link back to my blog somewhere in your post. So if you are writing about scraps, just get into the habit of including a link as there will be a linky party available every week! If you are using Instagram, please use the hashtag #ohscrap. This is a party so remember to socialize and comment on the posts of others. Following my blog is not necessary but it sure would be great if you do! You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter Linking Up: Love Laugh Quilt (Monday Making) Em's ScrapBag (Moving it Forward) So Scrappy for RSC19
I’m just going to celebrate how happy I am with how this turned out with lots and lots of photos! The whole enchilada. More views… I think I am definitely keeping this one for myself!
Postage StampBeautifully scrappy! The quilting is perfect... Love the border! Full Post: Postage Stamp
This is the ENGLISH version of the pattern. Paintbox is a great pattern to use up all your scraps! The pattern includes 2 different sizes and instructions for 2 ways to sew this quilt: a random scrappy look or a color gradient version. Of course I also included planning aids, colouring sheets and many design example ideas. Difficulty level: confident beginner and of course advanced quilters. It´s the perfect project to make a big dent in your piles of scraps! The instructions do not include basting, quilting and binding steps. After purchase you receive a link for the digital download of the pattern via email. Please save a copy for your personal use straight away. The amount of downloads possible is 5, the download link ist valid for 3 months. Please respect our copyright rules, you can find the under 'Terms & Conditions'.
Get started with this beginner's guide to crumb quilting. Explore the materials, techniques, and tips for completing a beautiful quilt!
Do you have some unused denim fabric that you want to turn into a quilt? Here are some denim quilt patterns you can try.
Overwhelming fabric scraps. I thought this was such a fun topic to discuss. so here I am. Do you love or hate working with fabric scraps? Do you sometimes get overwhelmed with your piles of fabric …
📷 Holy cow, I like this one from Pinterest (Russian sewist). Do you save photos of quilts you'd like to try? This one would be great for reducing my scrap bin overflow. 95% of my scraps are 2.5" wide strips. Smaller strips I give to my friend Jerry, the rug guy. This Russian artist's quilt I like the variety of color and pattern, "fits me to a T". (Where did that expression come from, I'd like to know). The Light and dark cornerstones are deliberate--and that is something that peaks my interest. I especially like the skinny sashing, even though its medium to light value is almost LOST. 📷 Above, is one of my quilts. Simple, fun to make. Designing quilts on the fly . . . my design idea here was to join Four (10.5") scrappy strip blocks with a light color sashing and orange corner stone. I couldn't decided in the first place if I wanted orange corner stones or turquoise corner stones . . . . so I framed the quadrant block in a dark blue small paisley print accented with turquoise corner stones. Other Bits: A couple years ago I was waiting, waiting, waiting, for Anita Solomon Grossman to come out with her simple cuts technique for "her Wonky Star" block, but it never materialized online. I experimented on my own to build her wonky star block (trying to think it through like Anita would). That experiment resulted in 8 wonky star blocks sitting in my scrap bin, (4) red stars on a teal background and (4) teal stars on a red background. Having no better use for them, I threw them into this quilt for interest.
Scrappy String quilt by Emily of Quilty Love. See how Emily sewed together this fun and easy string quilt using her scrap stash.
I am including Improvisational Quilt, no. 4 in this year's challenge. It was sewn during Hurricane Harvey in the late summer 2017 but it was the quilt that started this movement to sew and document these quilts. I like the quilt backings to be interestingly different from the fronts. In this quilt's case, it is backed with a very soft 1970s vintage sheet. I sew these as intuitively as I can. I generally have a pile of fabrics I think work well together and then I just start sewing. Sometimes one area will make a decision for another area of the quilt's surface.
The vortex quilt project was a great scrap buster. I got 2 quilts out of that project. But for some reason, after all the mess all over my sewing room, and working several months on those vortex quilts, I still had a huge pile of scraps!! They just seemed to multiply!!! So I decided to try scrap strips instead to see if I could lesson my scrap mountain. I put my scraps into piles strips that were about the same length. I had 6 or 7 piles of different lengths. I pulled two from the first pile (let's say they were 5 inch strips), and sewed them together, then without cutting strings, I sewed 2 together from the next pile (lets say they were 7 inch strips), and on down through all the piles. When I had sewn 2 together from each pile, I started back at the top. I picked one from the 5 inch pile and sewed that to the existing 5 inch strip, without cutting strings. I kept my nice big scissors near by, there was a lot of chopping at the machine. This was a donation quilt. So, I used a sheet for the back, and wrapped it around for the binding. I was careful to start and stop my quilting just 1 time because when you're carrying the backing around to the front, you can't just go running off the edge when you're quilting. Do you have a good way to get rid of scraps? I'd love to hear your ideas.
Made from strings less than 2 inches wide. The fabric in the middle of the blocks is Habitat Dandelions by Michele D'Amore for Bernartex. The dimensions of the quilt are 72" by 90". Just added some better photos of this one to join in with Rachel's Festival of Strings at Stitched in Color: www.stitchedincolor.com/2013/05/festival-of-strings.html I finished this top in April 2013, and I'm just waiting for inspiration to hit me for the back of it! And the quilting, and the binding.... :)
To see my full range, please visit: https://shop.emmajeanjansen.com.au EJ042 Chapel Street Quilt Cushion Finished Size: 22" x 22" / 56cms x 56cms Quilt Finished Size: 66" x 66" / 170cms x 170cms Have fun using up all your novelty fabrics to make this fun, machine pieced project. This quilt makes the perfect "I Spy" quilt for children. Pattern comes with fabric requirements for both cushions and throw size, clear instructions / diagrams, and a colouring page for planning. Acrylic Templates are sold separately please visit: https://shop.emmajeanjansen.com.au This listing is for a quilt pattern - pdf file. You'll be able to download the file as soon as your payment has been confirmed. It is illegal to distribute this pattern electronically or in hard copy without my permission. Any questions please email me! info [@] emmajeanjansen.com.au See all of my quilt patterns in my Etsy Store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/EmmaJeanJansen
This Scrappy September, we want you to raid your fabric stash and sew up something beautiful with all that's left of your other projects. We knew that quilters end up with lots of leftover fabrics and that inspired us to get scrappy with our September sewing! This September, we are challenging you to make a new quilt entirely from your scrap stash. Are you up for it?
Hi friends! Today I have a really special (long) post for you! Today I want to share a quilt that took me two years and about 85 hours to complete - my Postage Stamp quilt! I got so many questions on Instagram every time I posted pictures of this project so I will try to cover all the FAQ's here. First, let me start at the beginning... THE INSPIRATION My grandmother passed away in October 2019. She was the one who taught me how to quilt and who my pattern company is named after. After she passed, my mom and aunt asked if I would finish a couple of the quilts she had been working on so we could give them to family members. This red, yellow, and green 9-Patch quilt one was one of them. I don't know the name of the pattern but I know it came from a magazine. I remember her working on this quilt over the years and I know each individual square finished at 3/4". Can you believe that!?! The quilt top was finished many years ago so I just got it longarm quilted (with a Baptist Fan pattern) and then I bound it by hand. The back was white with colorful buttons and the binding is black with red and yellow flowers on it, as you can see here. The backing fabric was hanging with the quilt top in her closet and I believe I picked out the binding fabric from her stash. This quilt went to my aunt Janet and her husband Dave. The other quilt I finished at that time (I have 2 more I still need to finish!) was this little baby quilt. I think the squares finished at 1-1/4". My aunt and I chose the back and binding fabrics from my grandmother's fabric stash and then I had it longarm quilted with the Interlocking Orange Peel panto by Karlee Porter. This quilt went to one of my cousins. So after finishing both of those quilts made by my grandmother, I was inspired. I never thought I would make a Postage Stamp quilt; too intense for me! But I got the itch around that time to make something with tiny squares and a little while later I made my first blocks. CUTTING I cut 1-1/2" squares that would finish at 1" each. I did not do all my cutting at once. I found that I liked to cut batches of squares, both bright and white, whenever I was running low or got tired of the ones I had in my pile. It was a nice way to break up all of the sewing. When I was actively working on my Postage Stamp quilt I would keep piles of squares by my machine so I could easily grab and sew. I didn't put too much thought into what fabric went where. I just tried to space out colors to create balance. When I needed a break from that project I simply put the squares in a ziplock bag. They didn't get wrinkly so it was easy to pick up where I left off the next time I was ready to work on my quilt. FABRIC I used lots of different whites, creams and low volumes for my "whites". If you look closely at some of the following pictures you'll be able to tell. From far away, everything reads as white but the quilt still has a really scrappy feel to it. Plus it was a great way to use up scraps! As far as the brights go, I used alll the colors. My only requirement was there had to be enough contrast between the brights and whites. There are several fabrics of my grandmother's in this quilt. Including a few squares that have remnants of her embroidery! Those are my favorite! ASSEMBLY There are several ways to assemble a Postage Stamp quilt. You can strip-piece units together. But since I used scraps for all of my pieces I cut squares and sewed them together one-by-one. I didn't mind; in fact I preferred to do it that way so it would be extra scrappy! But of course, you could strip piece if you wanted. For the most part, I chain-pieced rows together to make regular, small 9-Patches (above). I made some that had brights in the corners and some that had whites in the corners. This was such mindless sewing and I quite enjoyed it! Immediate satisfaction! Then I sewed nine of those 9-Patches together to make big 9-Patches that had 81 squares in each block. I figured out it took me about 45 minutes to make a block (maybe about an hour with cutting). Towards the end of this project, I switched from making small 9-Patches to just chain piecing squares together to make a row for the big 9-Patches. I started by sewing tons of pairs of bright and white squares together. When I got bored I separated the pairs and then sewed them together to make units of 4 squares each. Once I had all those sewn together I sewed 2 of those units together plus one extra square to make a row of 9 squares. PRESSING After I made each block row, I pressed the seam allowances toward the dark/bright fabrics. After I sewed the rows together, I pressed the seams open. I pressed everything as I went. It may seem daunting but I honestly got faster the more I did it. It really wasn't too bad. I definitely recommend pressing as you go and pressing the seams open will help your quilt lay nice and flat. Quick side note here: I never pin when I piece. If you're really accurate in your cutting and piecing all of your seam allowances should be able to nest together nicely. I'm sure that saved me a lot of time while making this quilt. I have some tips saved in my Instagram highlight bubbles on precision piecing and cutting. Check it out @gigis_thimble. As I worked on this project, I found it helpful to set little goals for myself. I started by making two blocks and kept trying to double the number of blocks I had until I finished. One month I challenged myself to make 100 little 9-Patches and towards the end of this project, I challenged myself to make 1 big 9-Patch a day until I was done making all of my blocks. I always tell myself, "A little progress every day adds up to big results!" and that is definitely the case with a Postage Stamp quilt! Because there are a gazillion seams in this quilt, it is heavier than normal. The seams can start to stretch apart because of the weight and become harder to match up. So I would recommend that you make two halves of your quilt; press the row seams and then sew the 2 halves together to complete your quilt. Here I am at the halfway point: And here is the finished quilt top. An exciting moment! FINISHING I bound the quilt in this red and white gingham fabric that I had in my stash. I also had this rainbow fabric in my stash that I had bought recently for another project (that didn't turn out how I wanted so I gave it away). The fabric is 55218-20 from the fabric line Shine On by Bonnie and Camille for Moda. I used it for the back of my quilt and I love it. My friend Jen Ostler quilted it with the Scribble Hearts panto. She always hides an object in her quilting for her clients to find so this time she did a rainbow. It took me forever to find but I think it's darling. It's much easier to find from the backside of the quilt than the front! One of my Instagram followers sent me a picture of her Postage Stamp quilt that had been quilted with the Scribble Hearts panto and I thought it was sweet and fun so I decided to do the same on mine. I love the quilting community where we can all inspire and learn from each other! I've been buying custom quilt labels from Ever Emblem for the last couple of years. I get the 2" cotton fold-over, sew-in labels and I've been really happy with them. They're really inexpensive and a quick way to label your quilt. Well that's it! I think I addressed all of the FAQ's! Please let me know if I missed anything. Just to recap here is a quick breakdown of all of the details... DETAILS Finished size of individual squares: 1". Finished quilt size: 72" x 90" Total number of big 9-Patch blocks: 80 Layout: 8 x 10 blocks Total number of 1" squares: 6,480 Start date: December 27, 2019 Finish date: November 3, 2021 Longarm quilter: Jen Ostler in Highland, UT (@drycreekquilter on Intstagram) Quilt panto: Scribble Hearts Hidden object in the quilting: rainbow Backing: Rainbow 55218-20 by Bonnie + Camille for Moda Approximate time to make this quilt: 85 hours Batting: 100% cotton Machine pieced Hand-bound 1/4" seams I hope you enjoyed this post! Like I said, please let me know if you have any questions. I'd love to know what you think about this project and whether or not YOU might make a Postage Stamp quilt someday! Happy quilting!
This Scrappy September, we want you to raid your fabric stash and sew up something beautiful with all that's left of your other projects. We knew that quilters end up with lots of leftover fabrics and that inspired us to get scrappy with our September sewing! This September, we are challenging you to make a new quilt entirely from your scrap stash. Are you up for it?
Hi, all! It's been a hot minute since I posted about my scrappy endeavors, but since I hadn't had much time to work on anything scrappy, I didn't have anything interest to share. But today I have a flimsy finished!! Here's what it looked like Tuesday night when I shared it with my sewing sisters at church. But it was still a hair small for what we needed. Here's a close-up shot - I took it on an angle and it looks really different here! I found a beautiful green Modernist print by Joel Dewberry in our stash at church and added those borders today - now it's all ready for quilting! Maybe I can get to it sometime this weekend.... Also, just for inspiration, aren't these stars just fabulous? I saw this on Pinterest and tucked it away in my folder for this post. I think I have the design for my next scrappy quilt! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend (if you are here in the States) and find some time to do some scrappy sewing of your own!! Hugs! Sarah
During QuiltCon 2020, I created a number of Instagram posts of quilts grouped by various topics. That process really helped me to think about how I was experiencing my first QuiltCon and the amazing wealth of quilts. But it also takes a lot more time and energy than I’ve had at QuiltCon 202
This winter I'm in a bit of a sewing slump. I've decided instead of buying more fabric--I want to use what I have on hand, but use it differently. I don't have lots of solids, but I do have lots of fabric. Research: I've been gathering photo ideas to build Modern Scrappy Quilts this year. I'm looking for random--unexpected color combinations and simple construction. Here are some quilt photos from Pinterest that caught my eye. This first one I like. Its simple, simple construction. Take an oversized square, slice it, add some skinny strips, slice it again, and more skinny strips, and then square it up with a 10.5" sq. or 12.5" sq. acrylic template. No rules, just slicing and sewing. No sashing. 📷 The quilt below is so do-able as far as construction. Random. Improv. Beyond the white-black-gray bits for contrast, I see ORANGE dotted with this and that accent colors. Going shopping out of my own stash is fun. Using up lots of sub assemblies already sewn and ready to modify and use in another quilt. I am aware "stash diving" makes a huge mess in the studio. 📷 📷 Calling all Squares . . . calling all squares . . . come in squares. Above is the perfect solution for using up a half yard of this and that. Anything goes . . . but I'm drawn to the use of green, red, and papersack colors in this one. Works for me. 📷 Certainly I've collected lots of silly themes and strange patterns fabrics like this quilt shown above. What is most interesting? Look at the use of red and white fabrics paired with those weird fabrics. Liberally repeating red and white fabrics pull it all together, making sense of all the other weird fabrics that were added. It could just as well be blue and white fabrics paired with the weird fabrics. What I like most about this scrappy quilt is its simple construction, no sashing, alternating four patch. This light airy quilt is so pretty. I think I'll try this quilt concept right away!
September is for String Quilts by Laurie (with a bonus wide border/binding tutorial) When I started reading quilt blogs ten years ago I ca...
Hello hello! I've been lucky enough to have had the chance to play with Tilda's new fabric range Harvest over the past few weeks. It's such a pretty collection of colours and prints and today's the day I get to share what I've been making as part of the Blog Hop 2 Green
Scrap Tape can be used to tame your scraps and make gorgeous quilts like this Scrappy Portland Quilt by Seamingly Kate!
Quilts! Sewing! Books! Life!
So excited to start showing you my finished scrap quilts for 2020! For a bit more background, read this post here. Basically I decided to clean out every. last. scrap. and see how many quilts it wou
Dart Modern Quilt Pattern by Amy Ellis - The simple rectangle pieces make it fun to play with color and print in each block.
2012 Scrap Quilt Challenge !! finished size about 60 x 84 inches or so ( didn't measure since I only got it done 1 day before the deadline !!! ) all made from different scraps ; jelly roll strips were left over from some other project or 2 ! I Quilting was done by Michaela on her longarm . phewwwww ; made it !!
Someone's turning twenty and you have no idea what to give yet. We've curated the best turning twenty quilting patterns to follow for your project.
This winter I'm in a bit of a sewing slump. I've decided instead of buying more fabric--I want to use what I have on hand, but use it differently. I don't have lots of solids, but I do have lots of fabric. Research: I've been gathering photo ideas to build Modern Scrappy Quilts this year. I'm looking for random--unexpected color combinations and simple construction. Here are some quilt photos from Pinterest that caught my eye. This first one I like. Its simple, simple construction. Take an oversized square, slice it, add some skinny strips, slice it again, and more skinny strips, and then square it up with a 10.5" sq. or 12.5" sq. acrylic template. No rules, just slicing and sewing. No sashing. 📷 The quilt below is so do-able as far as construction. Random. Improv. Beyond the white-black-gray bits for contrast, I see ORANGE dotted with this and that accent colors. Going shopping out of my own stash is fun. Using up lots of sub assemblies already sewn and ready to modify and use in another quilt. I am aware "stash diving" makes a huge mess in the studio. 📷 📷 Calling all Squares . . . calling all squares . . . come in squares. Above is the perfect solution for using up a half yard of this and that. Anything goes . . . but I'm drawn to the use of green, red, and papersack colors in this one. Works for me. 📷 Certainly I've collected lots of silly themes and strange patterns fabrics like this quilt shown above. What is most interesting? Look at the use of red and white fabrics paired with those weird fabrics. Liberally repeating red and white fabrics pull it all together, making sense of all the other weird fabrics that were added. It could just as well be blue and white fabrics paired with the weird fabrics. What I like most about this scrappy quilt is its simple construction, no sashing, alternating four patch. This light airy quilt is so pretty. I think I'll try this quilt concept right away!
Isn’t this fabulous! and even better it’s a raffle fundraising quilt by the Cut-Ups, a Houston based Quilting bee. So if you are in Houston (2016) you can purchase your tickets and po…
I am finally feeling not so overwhelmed and that means I am usually more productive. I have finished another quilt that has been in the block stage for months. That make me feel so good! I started these blocks at the beginning of 2022 as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilt. I had recently released my Chaser Block pattern (One of my Scrap Mixology patterns) and had the idea to add the flip corners to the block so a pinwheel appears where the block connects. The little flip corners are not part of the pattern. I just constantly have ideas that I want to try. Which is why I haven't released Module #5 yet....I am too busy going back and playing with the first four modules. There are just so many quilts to make! I really enjoyed making these blocks every month. I just used whatever width of scrap I found in the right color. Not a whole lot of cutting was required! I found a red and pink print that I really liked in my stash but it wasn't quite big enough. So I found a dark red piece to run down the back vertically. The swirl quilting really shows up on it. I will hold onto this one for a while. I love how bright it is and it will make a great class sample if I choose to teach this class. This quilt represents what Scrap Mixology is all about - making small changes to block to get a whole new look! Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Follow Me on Bloglovin' Follow Me on Feedly Linking Up: My Quilt Infatuation (Needle & Thread) From Bolt to Beauty (Brag about your Beauties) Alycia Quilts (Finished or not Friday) So Scrappy for RSC22
I remember seeing a quilt by Kaffe Fassett where the sunlight shines through the fabric to give it a stained glass effect.
Join the Sew Much Moore Quilt Block Club Swap and connect with quilters worldwide in a creative, community-driven exchange
This scrappy quilt pattern is the perfect quilt project to make using those leftover 2 1/2″ strips such as jelly rolls, or even leftover fabric scraps.
This Scrappy September, we want you to raid your fabric stash and sew up something beautiful with all that's left of your other projects. We knew that quilters end up with lots of leftover fabrics and that inspired us to get scrappy with our September sewing! This September, we are challenging you to make a new quilt entirely from your scrap stash. Are you up for it?
Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends! This week, my wild thing is on Spring Break, and so he and I decided to take a trip down to Baton Rouge to visit my family for a few days. We left the hubs and the dog at home, so the trip was a little different from the usual, but it was a really fun way to kick off Spring Break. I finished up this quilt before we left, but since we just got back yesterday afternoon, I'm just getting around to sharing! From the very beginning, the bright improv scraps paired with the black and white sketch reminded me of distorted screen images when a TV signal is messed up; and I think the oversized chevron layout just adds to that effect, so I decided to name this quilt Distortion. I really had a tough time deciding on the backing for this one though. Sometimes, when a quilt has so many colors, the choices are just too many. I finally settled on this large floral print, and I love that it picks up the reds and yellows in the quilt. It is a Koko Lee print that I found on the designer aisle at my JoAnn, and it is really soft. I decided on a Kona Chartreuse binding for this quilt, and I think the color is just funky enough to match the feel of all of those improv bits. This quilt was FUN from start to finish, and I can't wait to start teaching this class. In fact, I'm going to be teaching it in June at my favorite quilt shop in Baton Rouge, Red Stick Quilt Shop. With a great variety in scraps, background fabric, and layout, I can't wait to see all of the lovely variations of this one! I also realized that I never shared this little mini with you here. I snapped a quick Instagram photo, but I wanted to be sure that my blog friends get to see it as well. My guild president had the fantastic idea to organize a Thoroughly Modern Mini Swap with all of the MQG chapters in Tennessee (we have four- Memphis Area, Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Music City/Nashville). It is such a fun way to connect across our state! I decided to dive into my aqua scraps, and make a structured improv argyle mini for my partner. The finished mini is 18 inches square. I can't wait to mail it to her! We have one last piece of business to attend to before we link up, and that is to choose the winner of the fun fat quarter bundle from Fat Quarter Shop! Comment number 78, delaineelliot, is the lucky winner. Congratulations! I'll be contacting you by email soon so I can get your shipping address! Okay then! Time to check out some of the beauties that were linked up last week. I had the privilege of seeing this oh-so-gorgeous Wavelength quilt in person at our guild sew-in, made by my friend Lori at Crossquilt. This Lone Starburst quilt by QuiltFabrication is such a neat version of a Lone Star quilt! and I would be remiss if I didn't include this stunning Anna Maria Horner Epic Medallion finish by Quilty Habit. Just WOW! Y'all keep me inspired each and every week, and I can't wait to see what you share this week. Let's party! 1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing! 2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others. 3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link. 4. Spread the comment love far and wide! 5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated! *If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop" when selecting your thumbnail photo. For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work! :)
I have this big plastic jug that originally held big pretzels. It's the Costco size pretzel jug. At one point I started putting 2 1/2" squares in this jug and at the beginning of the isolation it was full. It was time to do something with these squares. I had no idea where this quilt would go, but I started sewing them into 16 patch blocks. It was fun...put a 16 patch block together and sew. Do another and sew. It was the mindless sewing I needed at the beginning of this isolation time. I had made a bunch of the blocks and decided it was time to move them to the next step. Onto the design wall they went. At first I was going to use just white 2 1/2" strips for sashing, but then this idea came to me to use 9 patch cornerstones and rows of 2 1/2" squares in between white strips. (This way I would use up more 2 1/2" squares!) The top was coming together! I figured the border would be a solid piece of fabric and call it done. However, the 2 1/2" squares said "Not so fast!" I made more nine patches and sewed those together to make the borders. The top was completed. Then it languished. Finally, last week I pulled it out to quilt. Grid quilting was the final decision. Here is the finished quilt. I am not one to design my own quilts, for the most part, but it was fun to see where this one would lead. There are so many fun fabrics in these blocks. For the binding, I pulled out my binding scrap box and used some darker red pieces. My sewing machine was giving me fits while I was quilting it, but I finally got it finished. I may have to start filling that jug again! Isn't this backing fabric awesome?!? I was going to piece a backing from scraps, but that is my least favorite part of quilting. Wide backing it is! This quilt is going to a special couple. Hopefully it will be delivered this week. Happy Quilting!
