Friday, March 31, 2017

Pink and Pink {Quilt}


Shelby: "My colors are blush and bashful".
M'Lynn: "Her colors are pink and pink."
Shelby: "My colors are blush and bashful Momma."

"Pink is my signature color"
-Steel Magnolias


If you have been around here since 2013, you may recognize this quilt.  But you might be confusing it with the original, called Blush and Bashful, I made my aunt in August of that year.  She was diagnosed with cancer and has since passed away.


 My cousin, her son, had returned it to me along with some other items.  I had extra fabric and had told him at the time that I had planned on making his daughter a quilt of her very own with it.
Time went by and he mentioned that he wished he had kept it for his daughter.  He immediately felt terrible for saying it and we further talked about me still making her own.  I started cutting out the block parts knowing I really wanted to work quickly on it.  


But I just couldn't get it out of my head.  I felt guilty keeping a piece of her grandmother for myself.  This past fall I sent her the quilt back with her very own Poppy pillow.


In February, I noticed on my WIP board that it was waiting for the piecing stage and really I didn't have anything pressing to do.  The anniversary of her death had just passed and it just seemed right to start on it.


I have to admit, the first time I made the quilt, it seemed to take forever.
 This time, it flew.


 When I returned from Quiltcon, I loaded it up and decided to go a different path than the original with the quilting.


 I've been intrigued by a fellow longarmer's use of large paisley and swirls
 and thought I would give it a try.


 It certainly isn't perfect, but I had a lot of fun.  I'm ambivalent about the choice of thread I made.  I already had a light grey loaded up from a previous quilt and thought it would be okay. It certainly isn't horrible, but is probably not my first choice.


I finished up quilting, just in time, to take it on the road for Spring Break and finish the binding.


 Instead of hunting down more Moda Blush fabric, which I confess, has never been "me" but my aunt's taste.   I eyed this Raspberry backing by Riley Blake when I was a my friends home shop.  It isn't the exact match, but I liked how it gave it a little punch to suit my love for brighter colors!


 The binding is a sweet bias striped pink fabric from the Olive's Flower Market by Lella Boutique.


Quilt Stats:
Measures: 54" x 70"
Pattern: Poppy Print from Simply Fat Quarters book by Fat Quarter Shop
Fabrics: Top: Moda Blush, Robert Kaufman Pale Flesh, Backing: Riley Blake Raspberry Parlour by Sue Daly, Binding: Moda Olives Flower's Market
Quilted: Free motion paisley and swirls on HQ Avante


All finished. 


Just in time for Spring!



Wednesday, March 22, 2017

So Charming {Quilt}

 "Your prince charming will come one day.  
He may not ride a white horse or live in a big castle, 
but he will love you and only you!"


 This quilt was a quick start to finish that was solely based on the fact that I needed a break from some other quilts.


 I had pulled out some charm squares from in the Fall to use for a pincushion, but lost somehow lost all desire to make it.  I'm not a big pincushion user and not a collector either.  


 It was actually a half open pack of Pat Sloan's "Eat Your Fruits and Veggies" line for Moda Fabrics, with only 17 charms left, the others used on various swap or bee blocks in the past
.  
When I found it two weeks ago, I really contemplated tossing them in my scrap bins. But, I just really liked the play of the colors together and felt that I had to do something.  
I came up with a quick design.


I took 3 of the charm squares and cut them in four 2.5" squares each.  Then surrounded them with sashing to make 5" blocks to match the 13 blocks.  To make it a baby size quilt, I added really large borders.  I raided my stash for binding and backing.


I miscalculated when I started loading the backing and realized that I needed to add a strip to make it wider.


The borders allowed a lot of fun free motion with very large and exaggerated pebbles with feathers and paisleys sprinkled in.


I then used a ruler to play in the big squares and emphasize the tiny squares.


I loved how the quilting showed up on the back and how the orange dot strip up with one of the rows on the front.  
Completely unintentional!


I had a moment of indecisiveness to change the binding to the orange dot when I finished quilting, but told myself to stay strong.


 Definitely some texture on the front!!!


Quilt Stats:
Measures: 36" square
Pattern: Inspired by box-in-a-box blocks
Fabrics: Moda Fabrics Eat Your Fruits and Veggies (circa 2012) by Pat Sloan, Moda Fabrics Simply Color by VCo, Robert Kaufman Kona White, Dots from Joann Fabrics
Quilted: Freemotion and rulers on HQ Avante longarm


There is still one charm left that I'm saving for the quilt label or it will land in the scrap bin.  
Had to share the photo bomb.


He thinks he's sooooooo charming.
Oh well....what can a mom of boys do other than shrug?



Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Patchwork Quilt QAL: Block Three

It's the 15th of March, which means it is time for the third block of the Patchwork Quilt Along with the Fat Quarter Shop!

The Box-in-a-Box Block:


A simple geometric block that gives you 6 more blocks pretty quickly with a lot of visual impact.


Ready to go make yours?
Check out the Fat Quarter Shop's Jolly Jabber for the links to the video and block pattern instructions!

I can't believe that I have 18 blocks already!!

Block One: Friendship Block

Block Two: Diamond Panes

 Join the rest of us on this fun and super great charity journey!!!
The designers of the quilt's fabrics - Bonnie & Camille - are sewing along, too! Fun!
Amanda from Jedi Craft Girl (@jedicraftgirl)
Amy of Diary of a Quilter (@diaryofaquilter)
Andy of A Bright Corner (@abrightcorner)
*Bonnie of Cotton Way (@bonniecottonway)
*Camille of Thimble Blossoms (@thimbleblossoms)
Debbie of Happy Little Cottage (@happylittlecottage1)
Greg of Grey Dogwood Studio (@greydogwoodstudio)
Heidi of Buttons and Butterflies (@buttonsandbutterflies)
Melissa of Happy Quilting (@happyquiltingmc)
Melissa of Oh How Sweet (@ohhowsweet)
Pat Sloan of PatSloan.com (@quilterpatsloan)
Renee of Sewn with Grace (@sewnwithgrace)
Sedef of Down Grapevine Lane (@downgrapevinelane)
Sherri of A Quilting Life (@aquiltinglife)
Sondra of Out of the Blue Quilts (@sondradavison)
Taunja of Carried Away Quilting (@taunjalynn)
Tina of Emily Ann's Kloset (@emilyannskloset)
Carrie Nelson/Miss Rosie of Moda Cutting Table
 
 

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Button's Fox {Quilt}

"What does the fox say?"


This quilt is everything to Button right now.  


It all started with a trip to Target for some school supplies in August.  
He spotted this coin purse he HAD to have!


When we got home, he asked me if it was possible to make a Fox quilt.  I instantly thought of Elizabeth Hartman's Fancy Fox pattern and knew he would love it.
As soon as I showed it to him, he went shopping on my pre-cut shelves and pulled out this Fat Quarter Bundle with Moda Bella solids I had bought at Quiltcon 2015.


He then proceeded to follow me around with it.
 Even if he was at school, I would find the bundle sitting in strategic places where I would find it.
He was getting kinda creepy...so I bought the pattern.

 When I finally showed him the pattern instructions?
He started to camp out in my studio to make sure I was working on it.
I was even scolded for texting.


I worked quickly and had almost all the blocks done.  But then he wasn't happy it wasn't a "rainbow".  I would make more blocks.  Then we would go a few weeks without addressing it because he couldn't decide on more colors or less colors or the layout.
 He once told me that he "wasn't in the mood right now" like a fickle artist.

When we both finally agreed on the final layout, I got to work piecing it all together.


And then I ran out of the Essex Linen Background.  I just needed the bottom 2.5" border strip.
We were also at a standstill because he couldn't decide on a backing.  After spotting a backing fabric on Amazon suggestions while I was ordering a client's fabric selection, I made up my mind quickly to get more fabric and choose the binding for him.


Quilting decision? Simple.
He liked the wood grain free motion I had done on a clients Hazel Hedgehog quilt.


The chevron binding ended up looking like a really interesting diagonal stripe.


The Riley Blake orange played really nicely with the Cloud 9 foxes.
 

Button was so thrilled about the finish, that he was in charge of his photo shoot.

His assistant: Holding some of the weight of the camera for him.

Other than the few photos of him and a few sneaky shots of the quilt....


He decided who, what, where he was taking photos of his quilt.

Photo cred to my oldest son since I was working hard as an assistant.

He even had to give some lens time to his pal, Fox.



Quilt Stats:
Measures: 50" x 72"
Fabric: Moda Fabrics Bella Solids, Robert Kaufman Essex Linen Flax, 
Cloud 9 Foxes, Riley Blake Chevrons
Quilted: Free motion wood grain on HQ Avante




It has probably been the most exasperating and, yet, wonderful quilt journey I've been on recently since he was so enthusiastically involved.


I can't wait to see what journeys his fox friends and quilt will be going on with him in the future!





LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...