Filigree Quilt Pattern

I've been working on a fun new quilt pattern the past couple weeks with Fat Quarter Shop and Art Gallery Fabrics.  I didn't even get a chance to take a picture of the pretty fabric stack that made up this quilt, I cut it up too quickly.  Art Gallery Fabrics are one of my favorites...they are so soft.

Quilt kit for this quilt can be found at Fat Quarter Shop.  (My quilt looks very similar, but isn't the same.)  I used a mixture of fabrics from various Art Gallery Designers, I wanted the background to be subtle and the crosses to be bold, but I think it would look great reversed as well...so many options with this pattern.

At first glance the pattern looks a little tricky, but it's actually really simple, and the block is trimmed down to size after it's sewn together, so every block is squared up to the exact size.

I had hoped to have this quilt quilted and bound, but I injured my shoulder and can hardly use it for anything--no basting for me.  I've been resting it and hope it will heal soon.  I'm surprised by how much I do everyday that uses my shoulder, pretty much everything.  Even sleeping has been hard.

I would love to see this pattern with different fabrics.  I can envision it using an ombre effect, or making it scrappy, and even shrinking it down to baby size.  I'll add it to the list :).  Hoping to get this quilted in the next few weeks, quilting will really make the pattern pop!

Find the quilt kit here, and the pattern here.

Buffalo Plaid Quilt

 Buffalo Plaid might have been the pattern of the year for 2016, and especially around the holidays...I saw it EVERYWHERE!  I had to make it for myself.  It's pretty amazing that you can take 3 solid fabrics and create this!  I don't mind if buffalo check sticks around for the next 10 years.  I love it!

 I think this print for the backing matches the front just perfectly, with the cute animals.  This quilt would be super happy in a cabin in the woods.

Quilt stats:

Finished size: I forgot to measure before I sent it to it's new owner, it's probably about 60" x 75"

Pattern: I used this pattern from Empty Bobbin, except I cut mine at 5.5 inches (I think)

Fabric: front-Red, Maroon-ish, Black ● back-Cotton and Steel ● binding-chemistry compounds

Batting:  Warm and White

Blue

I guess the great thing about my absence on this blog over the holidays, is that I have LOTS to share. I've been working on this quilt for a while.  I started it because my blue scraps were plentiful...still are.  

I sewed it together in strips, I'd sew about 12 inches of strips together, and then square them up, to make blocks.  Once I had enough blocks, I'd sew them together to form a row. After sewing one or two rows, I decided to add in a few pops of orange.  I like how it worked out.  I love the scrappiness of this quilt.  

This is my backing...if I could change one thing about this quilt, it'd be the backing.  I like the scrappy squares (good use of fat quarters), but I wish I'd used a different color--NOT blue.  With so much blue on the front, I think a different color (yellow or orange, or even just low volume prints) would have worked better.  I'm still happy I used up stash.  

 For the binding I used this white polka dot (see here's another light binding).

 For quilting I sewed vertical and horizontal lines, randomly spaced (2-4 inches apart), and it's a winner.  The quilt is still soft, it blends into this quilt design, and it was super easy! .  I was not excited about this quilt for quite a while, I didn't love much about it, but it's funny how once it's quilted and washed, how that can change.  It's one of my favorite quilts right now. 

Quilt stats:

Finished size: 56" x 66"(after washing and drying)

Pattern: none.  (see method above)  

Fabric  

front: scraps

back: stash

binding: Country Girls by Riley Blakel

Batting:  Warm and White

Celebrate!

 It's been a while since I've shared anything on this space, I always underestimate the holidays.  I love the busy-ness that surrounds them with special activities and traditions, but I also look forward to getting back to normal life.  I have several quilts to share, starting with this one.  The pattern is called Celebrate, by Cluck Cluck Sew, and I was able to sew up the blocks quickly.  Such a simple, but happy pattern.  I think this would be so cute as a baby quilt.

I'm surprised that I have been drawn to this dark green color lately.  Reminds me of my high school days (hunter green).

 I didn't think I liked my bindings to be light (or almost white), but lately I seem to be leaning that way often.  I like that it doesn't draw my eye to it, disappearing into the quilt (almost).

 For the quilting, I went with scallops...oh boy, they are definitely imperfect, but that's okay.  Nobody really notices anyway.  Plus, they are fun to do.

Quilt stats:

Finished size:   61" x 66"(after washing and drying)

Pattern: Celebrate by Cluck Cluck Sew  

Fabric  

front: stash

back: cotton and steel 

binding: cotton and steel

Batting:  Warm and White

Coloring Book!

My kids and I love to color!  We color on road trips, we color at church, and we color at home.  We are pretty open to any coloring book, but I have to say that my favorite are color by number and mystery mosaics.  I enjoy those even more than the popular "adult coloring books".   We recently tried out a new type of coloring book called Griddles, and we loved them too!  A mixture of my favorites, with a nod to needlework and quilting... 

The author of the book started a needlecraft company years ago in the 1970's called Fingerworks.  The coloring designs in the book are actually from her needlework designs she has converted into this book! 

each page is set up as a grid (which also takes me back to high school algebra and x,y coordinates)

I love that each color is lumped into a section.  It makes me happy to start and finish a color at once.

There are two sized grids.  My kids have mostly done the smaller ones.  I will admit that my 4 year old cannot do these, she tries and gets frustrated, and it took my 6 year old a little while to figure it out, but she gets it now and loves it.

You can find Griddles here!

Scrap busting and planning

I am on a scrap busting mission.  After this quilt and this quilt, I wanted to keep going through my scraps.

 This scrappy rail fence was totally inspired by this quilt by Amanda Jean, and it is a good one.  I can see my bucket of scraps shrinking.  Each square is 3.5 x 3.5, so it uses many of the smallest scraps I keep.  I've been sewing nine 3.5 inch square into one 12.5 inch block.  It keeps me going and keeps my sewing space a little more organized.  

The scrappy rails led to this scrappy log cabin.  Each log finishes at 1 inch in width, and the finished square is 5.5 inches.  I don't love this one as much as the first, but I'm sure as it grows i'll like it better.  

Not sure how long these will take, but I have visions of using up all my scraps...haha.  I know it's wishful thinking, but I'm starting to think I want to change the way I store scraps.  Currently I have one larger bin that I keep near my cutting table, as I cut I add the leftovers to it, and as I sew I always sift through it.  When it gets full I sort it into colors and transfer to separate color bins.  

I want to eliminate the color bins.  I rarely use them, because they are put away and they are starting to bother me.  Why keep stuff if I am not using it?  So...I will keep sewing scrappy quilts until my bins are empty (fingers crossed) and then just have one big bin.  When it gets full I'll either make a quilt, or give the scraps away.  That's the plan...we will see if I stick with it.

Custom Lined Drawstring Bag

I'm pretty sure everyone has made one of Jeni Baker's lined drawstring bags.  Every bag I have made using her pattern turns out so adorable.  

My daughter had a birthday party to go to and wanted to gift smencils, so we made a bag to store them in.  This is the first time I have made a custom bag and it went really well, once we figured out the math...the tricky part is not really knowing if it will be the right size.  Lucky for us, we got it right on the first try.  

My only regret is that I wish the accent piece at top was a little longer.  I've taken notes, so next time should be better.  

I really need to be on top of things enough so that we can gift more presents in bags...It would be good for my stash, and a great way to use novelty fabric!