Spelling Bee Quilt: Butterfly Block {Quilt Along}

"Without change their would be no butterflies..."

Today is Spelling Bee Saturday and I'm introducing another block from the Spelling Bee book!!

The Spelling Bee Book is by Lori Holt of Bee in my Bonnet and features complete instructions for 100 letter, number, punctuation and picture blocks in two sizes plus 18 quilt projects!

This week, I chose a bundle of Paperie by Art Gallery Fabrics from the Fat Quarter Shop.

 I couldn't just make a lonely block.  I had to make a Butterfly throw pillow!!

I actually used the Paperie fabric with another bundle I had of Dear Stella Fabric to make a full patchwork quilt for my uncle's wife.  Stay tuned for that full quilt soon!  

I had a few leftover pieces to make a mini patchwork design for the rectangular pillow.

Many seem to know my "go to" quilting on my domestic machine is matchstick quilting!

I had some old navy corduroy fabric I used for the pillow backing and some Dear Stella for the binding.

Quilt Stats:

Measures: 12x20"

Pattern: Butterfly block from Spelling Bee Book by Lori Holt

Fabric: Paperie by Art Gallery Fabrics 

Quilted: Matchstick quilting on Babylock Symphony

I really love how it turned out!  

Stay tuned for a companion pillow I made to go with my butterfly at the end of December!!!

Spiced Chai Quilts {Quilt Showcase Scrapbook}

Spiced Chai Tea is usually made up of Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves, Ginger and Black peppercorns.   What a perfect name for a Autumn quilt pattern, right?

I was intrigued when Katie at  Swim Bike Quilt  was going to do a Spiced Chai Quilt Along using the pattern from her partnered book Vintage Quilt Revival.

I pulled out this bundle I had picked up at a booth at Quiltcon. I had no real plan for it and had thought it would make a good "boy" quilt one day, but the oranges and greens witht he blues made me think of looking up through fall trees at the sky.  This bundle is Succulent by Heather Givens at Crimson Tate. 

And decided I really wanted to use Essex Linen for the background fabric.

And just like that...once again...I couldn't help myself when I realized there was enough to make a really large one, or make two.

Instead of making exact copies...

I decided to do a mirror image the pattern to shake it up. 

When it came to the quilting, a free motion woodgrain just felt right for the leaf patterns and the linen. 

The one mistake I often make is that I don't buy a coordinated backing and binding from the line I am using. But it always seems to work out for me.

I called Crimson Tate to see if they still had any fabrics from the line and they no longer had any, but were happy to find a coordinating solid teal for me that would work well.

I found some very traditional orange plaid backings to in crease the idea that the quilts were for fall. I can't say I exactly remember from where?

I finished them just in time Thanksgiving for everyone to gather. 

All crinkly now after a couple of washings and dryings....

Quilt Stats:

Measures: 60" x 60"

Pattern: Spiced Chai Quilt by Katie Clark Blakesley from Vintage Quilt Revival Book

Fabrics: Succulents from Crimson Tate

Quilted: Freemotion Organic Woodgrain on HQ Avante Longarm

And all the falls and Thanksgivings in the future!

Lancer Spirit {Auction Quilt}

"Go, Fight, Win, Stand Up and YELL!!!"

If you have followed me long enough, it has become a habit of mine to find and make what I call School Spirit or Pride quilts.  I love to donate a quilt to each of my sons' auctions in their school colors.

Part of the fun is finding new patterns to use and I lucked out when I stumbled upon this pretty simple pattern at Riley Blake's School Spirit Quilt HERE.

I tried to use most of my stash, but it was getting a "muddy" feeling that felt forced, so I made a quick run to Joann's Fabrics.

 This is where I'm supposed to tell everyone that hubby picked out some of the important fabrics.  Insert rolling eyes emoji and saying "oh yeah...like I wouldn't have found them myself....."

This year, I finally braved the school logo for the first time and made a layered applique.

I will admit here and now that the embroidery was intense to design and execute with my multi-positional hoop.  The love-hate relationship with my machine and software saga still continues.

When I bought the fabric, I really wasn't sure what binding I would end up choosing.
 I had to use both the blue and green dotted fabrics to cover the entire perimeter.

I've learned through the years that it isn't always prudent to overdo the quilting.

To get a nice texture without spending hours, I did a free-motion quilting straight line quilting.
I'm not sure what to call it, but you can see it is almost like giant horizontal oval bubbles, of a sort.

I had to add a printed label to the minky quilt backing.  I can't help myself.

Quilt Stats:
Measures: 54" Square

Pattern: School Pride by Riley Blake

Fabrics: Joann Fabrics

Quilted: Freemotion on Handiquilter Avante

It did a little better than the School Spirit Twister Quilt and took a lot less work (other than the logo) and I hope even the smallest amount of money goes to the operation budget of a very small and wonderful school!

Spelling Bee Quilt: Letter F {Quilt Along}

 Fat Quarter shop is running a a quilt along to celebrate the Spelling Bee Book.

The Spelling Bee Book is by Lori Holt of Bee in my Bonnet and features complete instructions for 100 letter, number, punctuation and picture blocks in two sizes plus 18 quilt projects!

The Sew Along will feature 88 of the blocks from the Spelling Bee Book! Lasting 44 weeks, the Sew Along will feature 2 blocks from the book each week. I was asked to join and and have a few exciting projects from them!

Today is the seventh week and I have the capital letter F.

I will confess, I wasn't sure what I planned to do with a lonely letter F.

Until my sweet Button walked in the studio and said "F-O-X, mom!".

 If you anyone knows us well, Button is obsessed with foxes for the past year and a half!

The book has a bunch of cute options for characters like globes, butterflies, and hearts, but no foxes.

So I designed an English Paper Pieced Fox head that resembled an "O".

There isn't eyes as of yet, because he cannot decide what he wants at the moment. 

 I think sleepy eyes, but he isn't sold yet.

We did agree to make a giant pillow cover for his bed.  

We both love the linen background, Cotton + Steel basics,

and the leftover fox print form his Fox quilt!! 

He really loves it on his bed, so that is all that really matters!!!

Quilt Stats:

Measures: Block size 6', Pillow size 12x25"

Pattern: F and X from Spelling Bee Book by Lori Holt, Fox by myself

Fabrics: Cotton +Steel basics, Kona white, Essex Linen, Cloud 9 foxes

Quilted: Crosshatch on Babylock Symphony

To see another rendition of the F, visit Pam at Pam Kitty Morning!

 

Stay tuned for more letters and picture blocks from the quilt along. 

 I have one more this month and another next month!!!  There is a list of all the weeks and the contributors at the Jolly Jabber!

Patchwork QAL: Block Eleven

November is my favorite month of the year.  

It may be related to the fact that it's my birthday today?

I actually think this block is perfect since this time of the year you do feel like the holidays are approaching quickly and things are spinning so fast!!

Spinning Tops

 I might finally be getting a hang of piecing these tiny blocks now!

Seeing my tray getting so full with blocks is so exciting!!!

 I have a confession.  I think this is the first BOM quilt I haven't given up on!!!

Patchwork QAL introduction

Block One: Souvenir of Friendship
Block Two: Diamond Pane
Block Three: Box-in-a-box

Block Four: Star and Cross

Block Five: Homestead Block

Block Six: Round the Corner Block

Block Seven: Propeller 

Block Eight: Rolling Nine Patch 

Block Nine: Grandmother's Choice 

Block Ten: Country Roads

Only ONE more block to go!!!!

See everyone else's!!!!

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

Habitat {Auction Quilt}

  "An education in the fullness of humanity should be the defining feature of Catholic Schools"

~Pope Francis

I was asked to help the Kindergarten class of Button's school make their quilt for the school auction.  Since I had full control of Button's class project last year with the Sweet Silhouette Quilt, I told the kindergarten teacher to have the theme whatever she would like. I sent her a few patterns and she said she liked the auction quilt Lee at Freshly Pieced had made.

She decided to tie in the project with the Habitat unit that they were learning about.  I gave her general sizes for the artwork.  When she returned them to me, I scanned and arranged them into a yard of fabric that I had printed by Spoonflower.

I was happy to see how the fabric turned out.

Lee had used the Lemon Square pattern from Faith Jones at Fresh Lemons Quilts.

It came together rather quickly.  I chose jelly roll I had laying about. 

And other fabrics from my stash that the artwork colors evoked.

Instead of using a white frame as instructed for Block F of the pattern,
I opted for solid green and yellow fabrics to frame the kids' artwork.

I was a bit nervous about quilting over the artwork squares, 

but free motion meandering seemed to be the right choice.

Button went shopping with me and chose the green dotted flannel backing and yellow binding.

It became officially finished yesterday when I added the quilt label!

Quilt Stats:

Measures: 54"x 64"

Pattern: Lemon Squares by Faith Jones

Fabrics: Kona White, Artwork printed using Spoonflower service, all other fabrics are from stash.

Quilted: Meandering with Superior Threads Bright White on Handiquilter Avante. 

I hope it does well at the auction.  I always get a little sick to my stomach that the kids hardwork doesn't bring in the funds the school needs because I didn't showcase their work well enough!