Monster Bash {Quilt}

 My first 2017 finish....a Halloween quilt....am I early or late is the question?

To continue with the 2016 Theme of Sewing my Stash, this past October, I rummaged through my precut bookcase and found one remaining Halloween charm pack.  It was Monster Bash by Moda Fabrics I had bought to use as a backup option for quilt I made a client called Trick or Treat Quilt. However, I eventually found the original charm square pack she had requested like the original I had made.

I also pulled some stash for background, Essex Linen in Natural, and added a few leftover Riley Blake Lost & Found layer cake cuts from my Halloween Checkmate Quilts.

 This block is suuuuper easy to make using Material Girl's tutorial HERE.

Even Button became interested and very involved.  He loved "flipping" the pieces.

And he was so determined that we finish the quilt, he helped me with the piecing on the machine since he was determined to have it finished by the end of the weekend. We both agreed we liked the thin black with wider linen borders to make it larger.

I didn't have a good amount of yardage I liked for the backing, so I did purchase some fabric from Joann's.  We chose this Witches on Brooms on a gray background.

I was skeptical when I brought it home because I realized there weren't any gray blocks on the front, but went with it because I have no plans as of this moment to make another Halloween quilt since we currently have five.  I then changed direction from the original orange/brown dot fabric for the binding and pulled this black and white dot from my stash.

I have to say that I actually liked the gray background now. The white and black spiderweb blocks read that same tone.

I REALLY enjoyed quilting on the linen. In the past, I've been a bit frustrated that my quilting hasn't "shown" up and sorta blends in.  But the Essex linen played nicely.

I origianlly had intended to do spiderweb blocks and only did one small corner and changed direction with the more floral center.  The border is a wavy triangle all around.

I love that it will blend right in our more formal room, we jokingly call The Library.

Halloween 2016

I think it will bring in some color for Halloween?  

Don't you?

Quilt Stats:

Measures: 50" square

Pattern: Disappearing Four Patch (Tutorial at Material Girl's)

Fabrics: Moda Monster Bash, Riley Blake Lost & Found, Robert Kaufman Kona Black, Robert Kaufman Essex linen, Joann Fabrics Witch and Black and White Dot

Quilted: Freemotion on Handiquilter Avante

The best part?  When I finished the binding and presented it to Button? 

His response was "WE made that mom!  Great job team!" with a double high five.

He makes my day in an instant!

Barn Bats {Quilted Throw Pillows}

 When I made my Checkmate quilts, I wanted to cover the long rectangular pillows that belong on each chair.  Since they are a teal blue, they don't really match much?

I really wanted to use up every bit of the leftover Lost and Found fabric.  I remembered that the Barn Bat pillow I made before, didn't really use up much fabric.  Instead of a bunch of rows, I knew I wanted to make a single row with black background.

My original intention was to use the variegated thread, 

that I still have leftover from my Spiders and Web Quilt in 2011.

But then I realized that I didn't want it to be read as much purple/pink as I originally thought and spread out the color over the pink.

I started to add black to add some depth to it.

And then a dark (not shown) and light gray like above.

When I felt like I had enough of the lighter color, I filled the rest in with black again.  Excuse the lint!  I tried everything to remove it and finally figured out my handheld vacuum with the roller brush did the trick!!!

You can see above that funky dot I used for the backing of the quilted front, and the googly eyes for the hidden zipper backs.  Both are scraps from leftover backing and binding from a commissioned Trick or Treat Quilt.  Black zippers I had on hand and then I had some more of that lovely black and white stripe from the Lost and Found collection.

I love that I used a bunch of scrap and stash to make these two coordinating pillows happen!

  I'm loving this years plan of using all the bits and pieces of a precut until the last drop!!!

Checkmate {Quilt}

Introducing, the Checkmate Quilt by Fat Quarter Shop!

How beautiful is the flannel version by Fat Quarter Shop? 

 And how different are mine?!?!?!?! 

I chose Riley Blake's Lost & Found Halloween line.
 I liked that it had some darker colors and the lighter/low volume selections.

Just like the pattern, I split (3) Riley Blake 10" stackers into light and dark:

(note: Riley Blake's layer cakes have 21 prints, 
the original pattern calls for 24 dark and 24 light layer cakes.)

I cut my Lost & Found Halloween Black Spider Web yardage for borders and prepped the Lost & Found Halloween Black Stripe yardage for binding.

I started laying out my darker blocks....and quickly had a change of mind. 

I wanted two quilts.  Twin quilts for the two chairs in my family room.

To make that happen, I then had to change course and change the layout.  Instead of a 6x8 rectangle layout?  I chose a 5x5 square layout.  It meant I had to cut some more borders and binding out from the yardage.

The pattern came together very quickly and I had two quilt tops!

Next came the backing.  I ADORED the Halloween Cream Newsprint for backing.
Because of my decision to make two, I had to quickly come up with a pieced backing plan.

Confession:  My edges are wavy because my binding is pinned to the back...I was running out of photo daylight!  Binding is officially complete now!

And if anyone knows me by now?  I avoid pieced backings at all cost.  They were probably the most time consuming part of the entire quilt. Scraps from some remaining yardage and layer cakes mixed in with a black and white ticking and solid black from my stash.

Excuse the missing binding......I promise, they both are finished now!!!

 After I loaded each up on Ole Betsy Longarm, I knew I had to keep the quilting pretty tame since the fabrics were so busy, but I wasn't really feeling like I wanted to do a pantograph pattern.  I chose Superior Threads Omni Medium Gray for the quilting since the backing was cream and black and the front fabrics seemed to hide it well.

For the border, I did a squiggly line that just didn't show up in the photos.  But I'm okay with it.  I know the texture will arrive after they are both washed.

Because of that, I wanted to do some fun things in the bigger blocks.

Spider webs.

Pumpkins.

Bats.

 For the low volume four patch squares, I simply did a curved square quilting. 

The binding didn't pop out as much as I had pictured it against the spider web,
but I still loved them together.

I'm just super excited to have to matching Halloween quilts and Button agrees. He was determined to be in the photoshoot this time!

Layer Cake Checkmate Quilt Kit

I think that the original in the blue is fantastic for a masculine quilt, but the pattern is versatile enough to handle the fun novelty fabrics.  Especially the holiday ones!

Quilt Stats:
Measure: 61" x 61" 

Pattern: Checkmate by Fat Quartershop

Fabrics: Riley Blake Lost & Found Halloween 

Batting: Warm & Natural

Thread: Superior Threads Omni Medium Gray

Quilted on: Handiquilter Avante 18"

Check out all the other quilter's versions that joined in the fun!

Peta from She Quilts a Lot

Melanie from Mostly Crafty

Connie from Freemotion by the River

Melissa from Happy Quilting

Heidi from Buttons & Butterflies

Amanda from Jedi Craft Girl

Tina from Emily Ann's Kloset

Sherri M. from A Quilting Life

Andy from A Bright Corner

Anorina from Samelia's Mum

Sherri F. from This & That Patterns

Brooke from Silly Mama Quilts