Bottled Rainbows

I'm waiting for a few more solids for a "Bottled Rainbows" quilt.  It's a ticker-tape style project, and the best part is how it's broken up.  I plan to take my time, and work on segments when I feel like it, with no timeline or pressure.  I made a doll sized ticker tape quilt, blogged here, and had a lot of fun with the improvisational aspects of it.  And my kid's doll really seems to like it (such a rewarding feeling).  So no new and poor photography, but stay tuned...

Round up

Our lives have been readjusted lately...my husband has a new & intense work gig, that has been taking him out of town for the whole work week at least twice a month. Luckily for us, my parents live about 3 houses away, so Susannah can go there after school.  But I definitely miss having my laundry folded for me.  I have managed to complete a few small projects and a quilt over the past month.  Once again,  I neglected to take photographs as I finished things, so some of the following were taken by other people, using iphones and the like.  A couple of these are pretty blurry, but it's all I have.  I suggest squinting.

I made a throw pillow cover for my Mom, who loves flowers and bright, clear colors.  The minute I saw this fat quarter of Jane Sassaman fabric, I had a plan.  Like the other pillows I've made recently, it's a simple envelope closure.  I really do know how to sew in a zipper, and the next pillow I make will be zippered.  The back fabric is more Jane Sassaman from an earlier collection, that I had in my stash.  The quilting is just a machine serpentine stitch, but I think it gives a bit more interest.

Next up, another banner, this time using stars.  I made this for Tausha, who admired the heart banner.  Tausha does so much volunteer work, and I thought it would be nice for her to get something for no reason at all (start squinting):

I made another pillow, this one with applique and inexpert embroidery.  This was for someone I greatly admire, and who LOVES her dogs. You probably can't see it, but I embroidered the word 'devotion' on the back. 

 Okay, one more pillow to show (better pictures, I promise).  It's another version of the dog pillow.  I like the concept so much that it was fun to play around with different fabrics.  I found My friend Erin picked the PERFECT print to use for the golden retriever silhouette.  With every fabric line they design, Basic Grey includes new shades of grunge, and I love the stuff.  It's one of those not-quite-solid prints that I just want more of, like "Painter's Canvas" prints by Laura Gunn, Moda cross-weave, and the teeny stripe in Momo's "Just Wing It!"  "Origins" by Basic Grey is a current favorite fabric collection, and I have some pre-cuts and yardage waiting patiently to be put into a quilt.

In the meantime, I cut into some of it for this:

This pillow actually went to a friend of a friend, who recently lost her beloved dog.  If you don't have pets, then you may not understand the emotional bond.  And if you do have animals in your life, then you know that some are just really, really special.  This dog was incredibly important to this woman and her son, and I felt the pain of her loss even without knowing the dog.

I finished a quilt for the little girl next door, who is not only super-cute, but deep in the throes of the dress-up, shoe loving, princess-y, pink-purple-sparkly stage of little girlhood. Far, Far Away (I & II) to the rescue:

Hey, I think that's the Wood Cutter holding up that quilt (you can't see the wood shed in this photo).












Here are the four blocks, each about 26 inches square:

 The back, along with an appliqued & embroidered shoe that someone happened to lose in the garden:

And finally, a week ago, a sign of spring after this long, long Vermont winter:

Uh huh.  It's about time.

Ticker Tape & a question for my vast horde of readers

I made this a while ago using teeny scraps. When I started quilting, I read about scrappy projects, using up scraps, scrap swaps, even selling scraps. So I saved ridiculously small pieces, without understanding that for most folks, "scraps" means anything smaller than a fat eighth. But a little ticker tape quilt can use up eensy little pieces. The first one I saw was created by Amanda Jean (tutorial here). This particular quilt is doll sized, and has been used constantly - I'd love to try a lap sized version. Wondering if anyone has made one with pinking the scraps? Does it look weird? Less fraying, less charm? Leave a comment & let me know!

Babies at Christmas are like chocolate with caramel

This Christmas, we had another family of three with us: my friend Lis, her partner Zach, and her gorgeous girl Faelen.  Faelen is now a year and half, and shares a birthday with my daughter.  The two girls adore each other, with Faelen following Susannah (when Sus isn't toting her).  Between the Christmas tree, the guinea pigs, the toys we hauled out, and the refrigerator magnets, that little girl had a very busy schedule.  But you know what her favorite thing was?  The box of corks on the butcher block shelf.  You know what my favorite thing was?  The incredibly yummy pasta dinner Lis and Zach made for us.  Still thinking about it.

I started Faelen's quilt last summer, and even had the quilt top done for her birthday.  Yup, took me another six months to finish a baby quilt.

Going to Cape Town

This little quilt is heading to a sweetie pie in Cape Town, South Africa.  I hope it gets there fast, because Miss Aryanna is super tall at 5 months old.  Wait - can a baby be tall before she can stand up?  The quilt front pattern is 'Charm Squares Baby Quilt' (a Hunky Dory charm pack) by Elizabeth at Oh, Fransson!, and I got it from the Sew Mama Sew! website.  I am a big fan of both of these websites, especially the tutorials.  I especially look forward to the publication of Elizabeth's book this fall, "The Practical Guide to Patchwork".  

WIP

A work in progress...what I need to finish is the binding.  My first plan isn't working, so I'm going to try a scrappy binding.  The quilt top is a pattern from Elizabeth at "Oh, Fransson!".  Look familiar?  I posted a photo of the top in May, and lots of people have done their own version of this.  This size uses 12 fat quarters, plus fabric for sashing, back, and binding.  I loved putting the colors and patterns together so much, that I'll try a larger version sometime.  The back is my own design, with the fox applique modified from a piece of clip art.  I did the wonky scrappy strip & the fox, but it felt unfinished.  Last week I hacked apart the back, adding in the two fabric strips.  I'm much happier with the finished result.

I used a combination of zigzag and straight stitches in 3 thread colors.  Why don't people use a zigzag when machine quilting?  I thought it was a nice little twist.  There's probably some huge reason why this is bad, like it will bring on the zombie apocalypse or similar. 

Lint much?  I hope the little guy cleans up all right.

An unexpected day

What choice did I have, with my family out of town and no car pool to work?  I made a quilt for my nephew Will, who is about to turn 1.  Still have to do the binding...

I bought this monkey fabric a while ago, thinking it would be great for a baby boy quilt.  Love that retro 70's print (it's from the Riley Collection by Anna Griffin, Windham fabrics).  The wavy blue is from the same collection.  I don't know what the green is, but the stripes and dots are Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane.  The back is Kona solid Charcoal.  Overall pattern is modified just a bit from a "Fun Quilts" free pattern.  The applique initials are my own design.  Simple straight line quilting made a bit wonky.

Welcome Spring quilt (design by Cherri House for Moda Bake Shop)

This pattern was a freebie from Moda Bake Shop (LOADS of free patterns there), designed by the talented Cherri House.  I used Moda's Hunky Dory fabrics by Chez Moi for the front, and the back is wide sheeting fabric I purchased from jackrabbit fabrics on Etsy.  This pattern was really fast, and I love the end result.  The snail applique is my own design, with a scrap of Anna Maria Horner Good Folks fabric.

Quilts at Rest Rock

Susannah, Isabelle, Caleb, and Morgan on the dock at Rest Rock

I spent the weekend over at my extended family's camp at Lake George, New York.  Lots of kids, good food and drink, water, and sunshine.  Since I started quilting last November, I've completed a total of six quilts, with several more in the works.  Five out of six quilts were together this weekend, along with their very cute owners.  I love that all of these are being used and loved...taken on car trips and to camp, cuddled up in for movie nights and brought outside for picnics.

The front of Susannah's quilt and Seahorse applique detail on the back of Sus's quilt
(seahorse pattern courtesy Elizabeth at Oh, Fransson!)

Susannah - my sweet girl

Isabelle on her quilt, and a look at the back. She was sad to leave the lake. I know just how she feels.

Caleb, his quilt, and his gorgeous mama LizO

 

Here is the first quilt I made, as modelled by Matt

Morgan and Rylie with Morgan's birthday quilt

This is the first quilt I did with a pieced binding. I really like the look, but don't think you can see it well here.

Morgan's nickname is Snail

Caroline's Christmas quilt, finished just in time for Easter

Yes, this quilt is indeed over 3 months late.  It's been sitting in my sewing room, complete except for hand sewing the back of the binding.  Way to procrastinate!  Geez, the poor kid waited long enough.

New Wave quilt

Oh, Fransson's New Wave quilt pattern - top is done. You can access the pattern & lots of info about it here: http://www.ohfransson.com/oh_fransson/2010/03/new-wave-quilt.html

Mom's quilt (top)

My mom's favorite colors are sunny, bright, and summery.  Lots of yellow, green, blue, red - all bright, no muddy colors.  She definitely shows her Scandinavian heritage through her color preferences.  So for this quilt, I used a lot of Heather Bailey fabrics, along with a smattering of Amy Butler and Paula Prass for Michael Miller.  I'm working on some pieced squares for the back.  I'm not sure the colors really show well in these pictures, so I may attempt another photo shoot.  The pattern is Turning Twenty, which uses 20 fat quarters.  I've read about people sewing this quilt pattern as a break from more complicated projects.  It's true that it's very easy, and it made me happy to use big pieces of these pretty fabrics.

Susannah's quilt

I have several works in progress, and at the top of the list to FINISH NOW is Susannah's quilt.  "Why are working on that other thing, Mom?  Why aren't you finishing MY quilt?"  It's the largest quilt I've done so far, so the thought of pinning the quilt sandwich is intimidating.  Plus, I wanted to do some free motion quilting on it, maybe in a wave pattern.  But...I've never done any free motion quilting.  Looks like a couple of doll quilts are in my immediate future.