You Can Teach an Old Quilter New Tricks

So I quilted my 36 patch quilt this week. I was so happy to get it finished. It's been a long time since I finished a quilt for me. I used many of my all time favorite fabrics, and a few new favorites as well.

 You will see Lizzie House, Elizabeth Hartman, Laurie Wisbrun, Heather Ross and many more.

 Some of these fabrics are ten or more years old. Some were the final scraps, but some were larger yardage. It only takes 2 WOF  x 2 1/2 inch strips to make enough for the block.

 I used to have Dear Stella Confetti Dots in every color they made. Now they are all gone almost.

So I started quilting diagonal lines over each square. I love the way it looks, and as I know this quilt will get lots of use, this should be enough quilting to hold it together.

So now, about the new trick? It is in reference to the binding. I have been making quilts for 30 years. I learned pretty early on why double fold was better than single fold. I figured out my best way to get a mitered corner.

I learned to use my walking foot to attach the binding. The one thing I had trouble with was joining the two ends of the binding on the quilt. I couldn't wrap my head around it, so I just tucked one end inside the other and it left a small, but mostly unnoticeable gap. I did my quilts that way for years.

Then, I saw a tutorial by Amy Ellis showing how to join the two ends on the bias and make a smooth transition. You can't tell where the end is, as it just looks like all the other places you joined the binding strips. This is, for me a game changer. I have bound 3 quilts like this so far. Maybe it was seeing it done on a video. Whatever the reason, I now have a new trick in my repertoire.

I had planned to show a picture of the entire quilt, front and back at the end of the post, but I apparently cut off the bottom row of blocks. I am sorry and I will take a new picture and share it next time. Until then, Happy Quilting and enjoy your weekend.

My New 36 Patch

So, I believe I mentioned awhile back that I was going to make a new 36 patch quilt. I made one a number of years ago as a sew along with Amanda Jean of Crazy Mom Quilts. It has always been a big favorite of mine. I have long wanted to make another one. This time, I am using a bunch of my favorite fabrics by some of my most favorite designers. Here is my progress report:

 These are a couple of prints from Laurie Wisbrun. The way I assemble the block, some end up upside down, but no big deal to me.

      These are a couple of Lizzy House prints.

   These are some very sweet Heather Ross butterflies in two different color ways.

     These are two more Lizzy House prints.

 These are a couple of Sweetwater prints from my most favorite of all time Sunkissed. I know there isn't as much contrast in these two, but I love them all the same.

This is a Heather Ross print, paired with a Dear Stella Mini Confetti Dots. I used to have that dot fabric in almost every color way. I am sad it's gone.

 This is two Denyse Schmidt prints from Flea Market Fancy reprint. A bit hard on the eyes, but kinda cool.

 Two more prints from the Sweetwater Sunkissed line. I have a few more from this line to include.

 And two more prints from the Flea Market Fancy reprint. This is the last of the grey seeds that I have and I just had to include them here.

Here are two prints from Sandi Henderson. The green is from Meadowsweet collection and the red is called Henna Garden, a classic.

I am doing this quilt, not only because I love the first one, but to sort of immortalize all my favorite fabrics that I have either been hoarding or am almost out of by now. A nice way of keeping just a bit of each one.

If you want to do something like this, it only takes two 2 1/2 inch x WOF strips of two fabrics to make a block. You sew the two strips together with a 1/4 inch seam and press it. I like to press it open. Then, you cut these into 2 1/2 inch units and sew them together until you have the 36 patch block. You will have some extra pieces to use either on the back or in another project.

Once there are 36 of these blocks made, I will join them all together to make my quilt top. If you want more detailed instructions you can search Crazy Mom Quilts. I know her blog isn't active any longer, but all her tutorials are still up there.

Today I am hoping to finish the last side of the binding on my 100 blocks quilt so I can wash it and have it to show you, maybe tomorrow?
Have a lovely Friday.

Quilt for Kevin

Two posts in two days! Wow! Anyway, I started this quilt last spring sometime, in the hope that I would be able to finish it before cold weather came to Vermont, where my brother lives. My brother is a cancer patient, although after 10 years of fighting it, he seems to be finally doing pretty okay right now. For anyone who has no direct contact with cancer (lucky) we are easily chilled, even in warmer weather. So Vermont in the winter? BRRRRRR

 I wanted to keep it simple and very usable. The last quilt I made him has photo transfers of family, so he doesn't want to use it and ruin them. I get it. But he needs a warm quilt. So I chose fall colors and the pop of bright green with the cats on chairs by Laurie Wisbrun which has been languishing in my stash. Kevin has a black and white cat so this is purrfect.

 I had my hubby stand up with his arms stretched out to find the size for wrapping up, Kevin is taller, so we added on a bit. I tried to make it very random in the placement of the blocks.

 I used a different batting than I usually do. This one has a bit of polyester in it and a bit more loft.

 The best part is the backing. I used an old flannel sheet. Cozy and warm. This quilt is very warm. I know as I was working on it through the summer and into September. A plain red for the binding to tie it all together.

 Speaking of ties, that is how I quilted it, by tying it. I did do a big stitch quilting every other row just for stability and to anchor the thing. It's kinda big, you know?

 Adding to the fall theme is a leaf and rake print by Dear Stella. Reminds me of when we were kids and we used to rake leaves together. Back then, you raked them into a pile and burned them to get rid of them. Ha!

So, all folded and washed and sent off to Vermont. I know he may see this before it arrives, but as I have said before, I am impatient sometimes when it comes to sharing. I can't wait! Snuggle up Kevin and keep warm. I love you!
Sharing with Crazy Mom for Finish it Friday.

Sunday Stash #10

I got just a couple of new things this week.  I am planning a wedding quilt for my middle daughter and she loves fall colors. I wanted to make something modern using fall colors and I am going to use mostly Kona solids, so I had to start getting some of them. Sorry the pics are not brighter, but cloudy and rainy is the order of the day here.

This is the pattern and the first of the fabrics. The pattern is Concerto by Aria Lane, a pattern company that was started by Alyssa Lichner of Pile O' Fabric. I fell in love with this quilt when I first saw it and am so happy to have a reason to make it now. I still need to work out what other fabrics I want to incorporate. The pattern and fabrics came from Christa Quilts. Colors are lipstick red 1194, orange 1265 and Canary yellow 26.
Next, I was blog reading and saw an adorable quilt by Allison of Cluck Cluck Sew using this sweet goldfish fabric by Timeless Treasures. I fell in love with it. It is actually a brighter white background.

I scoured the internet and found it at Fabric.com. They are out of it now, so I am thinking I am not the only one.  I bought a yard to use in a baby quilt. Allison has a great pattern that she used this in, but I haven't quite decided if I am going to use that pattern or another.
Here is the fabric I pulled from my stash to go with this one:

         This is the complete pull, for now. I may add or subtract. Still thinking on it.

 Some Sweetwater, Squared elements, Emily Herrick, Malka Dubrawsky and some older blues.

        Some Pearl bracelets, Denyse Schmidt, Alison Glass, and Laurie Wisbrun.

                                 These are the darker blues I chose.

And this is an older batik that I have used pieces of in many things. It is a bit hard to tell, but the dots in it range from a yellowish orange to a darker red orange. I have always loved it and it will be perfect in this.  Linking up to Sunday Stash.

Sunday Stash #7

It is getting harder to post stash pictures, since I am not buying any new fabric right now. I may come up MIA in the coming weeks, but I will be checking out everybody else's goodies and drooling over them.  Well, here we go:

 This is a collection of Sara Jane prints I have been loving. Her illustrations are beyond cute, and I have used some of her fabrics in projects. These are a bit girly, so for now, they are being saved. These are from Children at Play and Let's Pretend.

These little cuties are a Laurie Wisbrun line called Sitting Pretty. I loved her bird and chair prints, so the cats were an automatic yes for me.  Linking up with Sunday Stash this week at Mila and Cuatro.

I'm on a Roll Here

Back again with another finish to show you.  I finished this quilt top and showed it off here awhile ago, but now, here it is in all it's crinkly goodness.

 I. LOVE. THIS. QUILT.  I cannot get over how much I love the colors and the quilting and the crinkles since I washed it. The colors are so vibrant. 

 I started this quilt back in February and was just going to make it like all the others I saw on line, with 16 different color flowers. Then, I changed direction.  To a rainbow quilt. I am so glad I did.

 I had trouble deciding on the binding. I could have used almost any color. I went with an orange print from V and Co. Simply Color for the two sides of cool colors and the green raindrops from Laurie Wisbrun's Jack and Jenny line for the warm color sides.  I am pleased with this as well.

 For the back, I use a large chunk of this wonderful flower print. I bought a couple of yards of this several years ago and was debating on how to best use it. It is Honey Meadow by Michael Miller. I was just a little short, so hence, the yellow corner.

                                                Isn't it pretty?

                                                    One more look.

And the pretty binding. I think this is getting a hanging sleeve and going up on a wall in the living room. That's Mr. GQ's idea.  Then I can look at it all day long!
Talk to you soon.
Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts finish it Friday.

Cardinal Quilt Finished

I have really been sewing my little heart out over here. I am so excited about finishing up a bunch of quilts. I have finished 3 in the last 2 weeks. Here today is the Cardinal Quilt for my sister K. She isn't a computer person, so I can show it here with no worries that she will see it before I mail it to her. (heavy picture warning)

 This is where I started. I knew I wanted wonky stars, but I couldn't seem to get it to work for me.

 I tried several random arrangements and then, I gave up and came up with a more even and symmetrical plan. I thought I wouldn't like it as well, but I was wrong.

 This is the unquilted top. The color of the background is so light, it looks tan here on the deck.

 Here it is all quilted up, though and you can see the pretty pale blue.  The fabric I chose for this, was where I started before I had a design plan. My sister loves cardinals and they remind her of our hometown. She has lived on the west coast for so long now, she forgets about them. Last year she made a trip back east and kept talking about how nice it was to see them and how she missed them.

 So when I saw Laurie Wisbrun's Holiday Sweet Tweets fabric, I knew I had to get some and make her a quilt. This quilt decided it needed lots of quilting.  I started outlining the stars, but quickly saw it needed so much more. It was easy enough to follow the piecing lines to come up with the pattern

 I left the star centers unquilted and I love the way they look. All the crinkles in the background are so wonderful and lend a bit of old fashioned sweetness to this quilt.  I have never put this much quilting into such a small quilt.  I would do it again, but hopefully not too soon.

 This quilt has 17 hours of quilting in it, not including the binding. I gave the borders a softer, rounded quilting design. I used a continuous figure 8.

 The back of the quilt is a chunk of swirly blue I have had forever and some Kate Spain Terrain, along with the last of the Sweet Holiday Tweets.

 I really didn't want to buy more fabric, but I really didn't like my binding options in my stash.

 So I took the quilt to my LQS and found this wonderful stripe. I only had to get a half yard and with tax, it was only $6.  Not too bad.

 See how pretty it looks with the edges?  I think that fabric was just waiting for this quilt to bind.

And now, I just need to box it up and ship it.  Soon. Or I won't want to let it go.  I think my sister will like it.  See you soon with another finish.