Independence Dresden {Quilt}

“Independence is loyalty to one’s best self and principles.” ~Mark Twain

Meet my latest finish!!!

A very good friend sent me these vintage placemats she picked up at an antique store awhile back. I went back and forth on using them as placemats or making them into a quilt. 

After rediscovering them reorganizing the studio, I realized I have had them for about six years. I decided to just finish it and make it a quilt!

I found some leftover Navy Essex Linen to use as a background and plenty of the blue Simply Color fabric.  The blue had been designated for a winter quilt project that I abandoned earlier this year. 

It didn't take very long to applique the dresden plates after spending what seemed for ever planning the layout and pinning to the linen! The linen was about 44' wide and not my typically favorite size, but I knew going in that it would be more of a display quilt than a cuddle quilt.

 It definitely was a nice movie watching project along with some Needlepoint projects.

I decided to do some freemotion quilting on my longarm. 

Meandering seemed best for the linen background and I didn't want to take away from the original handquilting on the dresden plates, so I did some curved stitching on the insides.

I was so pleased that the backing colors and how they married with the original fabrics at the front. 

Because of the longarm, I did have to add a strip of scraps at the back to make a pieced backing strip. I can't express how important it is to have the extra fabric on the sides while quilting. 

My advice is to always upcycle old things into something more functional for you.

Quilt Stats:

Measures: 44" x 62”

Pattern: Placemats are Vintage Dresden Placemats appliqued.

Fabrics: Vintage for the Dresdens, Navy Essex Linen Background

Quilted: Freemotion Meandering and curves on HQ Avante Longarm

Because of the colors, this quilt will definitely get pulled out for the patriotic holidays and not live in a bin anymore. I am so happy with how it turned out!

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!

Naughty Nines {Quilt}

This year was filled with quilts that just didn't seem to fit MY "modern quilt" sensibilities or were not in my possession anymore for entering the Quiltcon 2017 show.  It was bothering me that I didn't  have a quilt to submit to a show I will be attending in Febrary.  I could see the future Me upset as I walked around the show thinking "Why didn't I even try?!?"

Which still left me with the fact that I didn't have any quilts to submit. With that in mind, I went to check out the "Challenge " categories.  I found that I was the most interested in the American Patchwork Modern Nine Patch Challenge.  It meant I could use any fabric I had on hand and make any nine patch pattern I wanted that I would be happy to have laying around my house!

For some reason, I could not get out of my head that I still had leftover scraps from the auction quilt, Sweet Silhouettes, hanging around.  I also really loved the idea of exploring improv since I made the Rainbow Remix quilt this year.  I knew could apply my fairly new improv skills on a simple block.

My plan from the beginning was that I wanted it to have two elements. A traditional patchwork feel with a giant nine patch that popped. I played around with solids and offset layouts, but landed on this design which definitely fits the Modern Traditionalism category I tend to gravitate to the most. 

I knew exactly where it was going to live in my house and be a lap quilt, so I knew I wanted to use a beige and gray background.  I played around with some of my solid stash.  

Then I played around with some solid and low volumes together, but finally landed on using just low volumes as my background blocks.

Despite the fact that each block is wonky, I wanted to have a traditional grid so all the blocks were cut down to 10" squares. 

For the backing, I grabbed a bunch of old stash to create a giant nine patch. The colors mimicking the solid nine patch blocks. 

When I loaded it on my longarm, I tried my best to center it so I didn't lose the nine patch when quilting. I had to take this quick picture because I love when the light shines through and gives a stain glass feeling. 

I had played around with a charity quilt for our local modern quilt guild recently and knew this quilt was begging to have this fun back and forth linear quilting in Sandstone in the background and coordinating thread colors in the solid blocks. 

I've had some taupe fabric hanging around in my stash and was perfect for the binding. 

Quilt stats:

Measures: 45" square

Pattern: Improv wonky nine patch

Fabric: Scrap/stash

Quilted: Free motion on Handiquilter Avante Longarm

Quiltcon Description:  

"In my mind, nine-patch quilts evoke traditional patchwork, therefore, I was determined from the beginning for the quilt to have an allover patchwork feel, but with a subtle modern twist. Each block, whether low volume or solid, are all improv pieced nine-patches using wonky strip pieces. The blocks were then trimmed to make a traditional grid so that the solid blocks made their own dominant large scale linear nine patch in the center. The quilting is a linear moving free motion with the low volumes in neutral and solids in their coordinating colors to further emphasize the large scale nine patch."

Did it sting when I received the letter that it was not going to be hanging in Savannah in February? 

Oh yes.  Despite what people may think, it is an utterly vulnerable moment when I share any of my quilts on social media.  When I submit my quilts to Quiltcon?  I'm so exposed that the best way to describe it is that I've ripped off my skin and am showing the deepest parts of me.  And not just sharing it. But asking for it to be judged.  Yes. Quilts aren't "just a craft" to me.

Then you receive a letter that says "We regret to inform you...."

I would be lying if it didn't feel like a jab at the heart. 

 But, honestly? It's okay. I'm okay. And one of the first things I said to my husband when I told him the news was "I'm just glad I tried again this year". There are worse things that have happened in my life and this is really nothing. And. I love this quilt.  I really, really do.  I am more than happy to keep it around the house since I love it so much!

And did I mention I have the "opposite" blocks all ready to go to make a twin for the other chair?  Yup. I love it that much. 

Godsend {Quilt}

definition: (noun) a very helpful or valuable event, person, or thing.

This quilt.  It just wasn't enough.

You know you have a gem of a preschool teacher when she.....

• tells your child he is "so very brave today" on the days he feels a bit sad about going to school. Especially, when he smiles immediately and his little chest puffs up.
• helps your son write a letter to the brother that went to college, whom he misses very much.
• let him spend weeks trying out different nicknames. JP, Jim, John, Patrick, and a totally made up word he typed into a computer one day and used it phonetically and spelled it correctly for three weeks straight.
• picks him up from the extended day class to be her "helper" in the afternoon class because he wished he had gone home with mom before lunch (I swear, just two days a week...we were working separation anxiety problems)

And really?  I could go on, and on, and on, and on.......

So I made her a quilt.

Button chose the Quake pattern from the Quilt and More Spring 2016 Issue. 

I was working on another project so I handed him quite a few magazines and he chose the pattern.  I think it was the alphabet fabric that was the clincher.  Then Button chose his fabrics.

Unfortunately,  the pattern calls for all fat quarters and he had pulled quite a few fat eighths, so I hit the shelves for similar colors. I'm still in trouble for not finding a new grey....

The pattern is super fast.  SUPER fast.  I MEAN SUPER FAST.

I may start tossing magazines at Button more often to find fast patterns for me?

From the time I cut the fat quarters to having a finished top?

1 hour and 45 minutes.  Did I mention FAST?  

I skipped the pattern instructions to add two borders because I wanted to keep it a small lap size.

I used a leftover bright white minky from my stash.  I had a panic moment, but when I saw it together with the top, I knew it was meant to be.  The quilting started out as a consistent chevron pattern using my rulers on the longarm, but I soon lost interest and started playing with widths and angles to make it interesting.

A cool large dot purple was chosen for the binding "since it's Mrs. P's favorite color", according to Button.

My favorite part?  I had Button compose a thank you note on my iPad and draw a heart.  He just recently learned to draw a heart from a little girl in his class and was eager to please.  I then digitized the note and heart and designed a embroidered quilt label.

The only regret I had was not having him write her name too.  

His handwriting is just soooo adorable.

To say he was excited and proud to gift her this quilt last Friday would be an understatement.

Quilt Stats:

Measures: 52" x 54"

Pattern: Quake (see details above)

Fabrics: Random fabrics from my stash, Shannon Fabrics white minky for the backing.

Quilting: Chevron pattern on Avante Longarm Machine in Omni Bright White by Superior Threads