Kaleidoscope Scrap Pillow

I started this week with another quilt and what is going to turn into a big project. I had a few bins full of scraps I used the accuquilt to cut up from a quilt last year.  I knew there were pieces I could turn into flying geese.  Well, I liked what I was doing soo much that now it’s going to be a big project and I had to find a new one.  So that turned into me seeing a book I had on the counter by Lori Holt.  Kaleidoscope Quilt.  

     The Kaleidoscope block has 12 flying Geese, so it fits this weeks Project Quilting Challenge. I went to my scrap pack cabinet and saw a bag of old Lori Holt Fabric from 2011.  So I knew it would be perfect for this! 

I used the big block that came out as 16.5 inches.  Then added a 2.5 inch strip around.  After sewing it up and making a false binding, it comes out to fit a 20 inch pillow perfectly! 

Quilted it with a plain wavy line pattern.  Then backed it with a dot variety from the collection.  I think it’s called Daisy Cottage. 

Took the photo on my front porch where of course it’s covered in the spring pollen.  But it kinda matches the mustard in the center.  Now it has me wanting to finish using up this collection I held onto.

Project Quilting Challenges done for the year. Already can’t wait til next year!! 

Charm pack Diamonds!

It’s another Project Quilting Finish!! This weeks theme is “Mining for Diamonds”.  With little time this week, I wanted to make something quick. That mixed with my joy of making true quilts. In my quick brainstorming, I saw a post in the challenge quilt group about the chandelier quilt. This would be the perfect quilt. (Chandelier by lella boutique). 

I went thru my pile of charm packs and picked out just one. I decided to do a baby quilt, since I knew I had 2 I needed to make. Then I picked out a big piece of white scrap fabric. And off to sewing I went.

I picked out a few year old fabric collection called “Serenade” by Cyndi Walker. I loved the colors and enjoyed sewing this up.  This pattern really went together fast. 

Then I quilted it with a basic meander in a light pink. The backing a light pink and grey that I pulled from my collection. 

Then I bound it in a darker pink that matched the dark pink in the quilt. Smacked a label on the back and it was done!!! The stress of finishing a quilt in a week wasn’t that bad this round!!! On to the next project!! 

Scrappy Timber Trees

It’s another finish, just in time to enter the Persimmon dreams, monthly Scrap Quilt Challenge!! The June theme, was trees!!  This quilt is like usual, a design of  my own! 

This quilt top is made completely out of scraps!! All of the triangles are cut offs from multiple things, but mostly binding.  They are seen together using a flip and stitch method then squaring up. 

Each tree triangle section ranges from 1 inch to 3 inches high, by 3.5 to 4.5 inches wide. The trunks are honestly about the same dimensions. 

The trees each have 5 sections and each row is 5 trees wide! I kinda love the odd number in most things.  The rows are stacked from the shortest tree to the tallest tree. I then added a section to even each row out to match the tallest tree. 

The quilt seemed to need something else.  So the star was introduced. Honestly they added width to the quilt and the perfect finishing touch!! The star centers are 3. 5 inch squares. The points are also made with the flip method. 

The rows were then trimmed for all to have matching widths.  To finish it off, I added a 2 inch strip of white to the top and bottom. 

I quilted it with grass like rows across the bottom of all the trees.  Then swirls around each tree. 

The binding, is made out of leftover binding pieces from other quilts. 

Then there is this cute little tag!! It was part of my Christmas collection.  It matched perfectly!! 

Then look at this cute family of bassets!! On some if our recently cut trees! 

Sewcialites Catch Up!!!

Last year I challenged the ladies in my guild to help keep me accountable to finish this 36 week plus long quilt along.  Besides a paper piecing program, my longest ever! Well, way back in September we started, and by block 12, I was distracted. Here in April, I put myself back on the rocker! 

I was able to finish block 24, 26, 27, and 28 all in the last week.  

Now I am challenging myself to get 8 blocks done in May! That will leave me 9 blocks to catch up, with 5 weeks left in the sew along.  

So cheer me on and maybe I can get there.  I am truly trying to make this the year of finishes and scrap clean out!! 

And here’s Annie with her head stuck in the gate!! 

April Finishes

I was pretty busy this month between working on the house, work and a quilt retreat!  But, in normal fashion, I was able to get some things done!! 

I went to a quilt retreat at Lutheridge early in the month.  I walked out of the door with this pile of jeans quilt.  It’s huge! I finished it!! 

Before I left,  I quilted this quilt from a Jittery Wings pattern I did.  Then I finished the binding before leaving! 

Then last week I finished this simple but adorable Paddington Bear Quilt. 

After that I finished a few more quilt blocks for the Sewcialites quilt.  

Next month,  I already have sooo many Goals.  I finished 3 T-shirt quilt tops at my retreat.  My goal is to sandwich and quilt them this weekend,  then bind them next week.  After that, I have a star quilt to finish by the 15th.  Followed by another quilt retreat that I am praying will be an awesome finishing event!!

Goals of 2021!!——

1- House quilt- lots of pieces and few rows. Finished!!

2- Small old antique embroidery quilt- only the original blob lock and fabric pulled.  Plan to box the blocks in, maybe like a log cabin. FINISHED!!!!!

3-Harvest Road Quilt- blocks cut, a few pieces sewn together 

4-Debbie row by row- omg, so much to do

5-Rooster on board- one section done.  I think this will be a retreat quilt for this year

6- Pumpkin quilt-  fabrics pulled and all in a box

7- Pineapple place mat- needs to be put together and quilted

8- Jelly roll quilt-  undid it for a race demo in class.  Sewed a few corners and now it’s sittin a box. 

9- Moma quilt- I need to make several of these, but for 2 years,  I’ve had fabric pulled for at least one and sitting in a box. 

10- Sunflower quilt- made with my friends daughters clothes for her kids top finished

11- Sunflower 2- same as above top finished 

12-Sunflower 3- yep, same top finished

13- Bow tie quilt-  I cut a bunch of scrap squared to make this and never did it. 

14- Bea Lea Jumbled Sampler-  Accuquilt quilt fit the year

15- Sewcialites- 16 blocks out of 36 blocks done

16- Ultimate beginner Sampler- FINISHED 

17- T quilt from years ago-  at least 2 blocks done.

18- Stained glass window-  lots of blocks done years old

19- animal embroidery-  needs just a few blocks. 

20- Kaffe embroidery quilt- needs borders.  Top done,  at least 2 years old

21- Yenter embroidery-  needs a few blocks finished

22- batik embroidery-  needs a few blocks finished

23- crown of thorns.  Has a few blocks cut out. Several sewn together 

24- Tree quilt- not started  sewed a few blocks 

25- Scrap log cabin quilt- not started

26- Selvedge aqua quilt-  some selvedge blocks done

27- string block quilt-  random sized string blocks 

28- pineapple sampler quilt- 3 blocks started. 

29- batik HST quilt- lesson from class

30- persimmon dreams block of the month

31- Pat Sloan star quilt

Overcoming A Challenge in Quilting

The sewing and quilting group that I am part of  did charity blocks last year.  After that, a few of us came together and sewed the blocks into tops.  

This one was sewn up by another member, who did not have time to quilt it.  Do you know me, I will just add it to the stack and try to get it done. 

Well,  I held onto it for like 2 months, why? Well, I laid it out and realized how crooked and wavy the borders were.  Then realized the entire quilt was uneven.  These items are usually the hardest to quilt and honestly a pain in the behind.  So there started the procrastination. Well, I gave myself until March 31, so I picked this up on March 30, pulled it out as much as I could and sandwiched it up.  The quilting began.  

So the lesson of this quilt,  starts with starting in the center and quilting out.  This helps to either flatten the uneven areas or to let them grow to the edges. Use a simple design like a meander or loop meander.  Doing this let’s you use the stitches to hide puckers.  

My other secret is to do a switchback in the outer boarder to make ticks.  This allows the quilt to lay flat.  Then cut off areas of the boarder that will be overly wavy. 

So, even if a quilt is not perfect and might be a pain to finish, it still can be done! Patience a s time or deadlines are what I need.  What is it for you? Took these photos in a pretty field on the way to work! Love the green and the Wisteria in the trees!! 

Free Motion Quilting Academy

At the beginning of 2020 I started a program called Free Motion Quilting academy Thru the String and Story blog.  Holly, a young quilter who I follow is the blogger.   Well, in the last year she has become very popular! She has had a big, successful program and now has a large following.  

 Me, on the other hand, I have felt less success from her program.  Mostly, because the entire COVID year of 2020 took over this nurses life.  I am a self-taught free motion quilter and a little experienced.  I took this class to improve and expand my skills.   I started off well.  Not at the pace I wanted, because it started during my project quilting time, but that did give me a jump start at completing a few quilts and modules.

Jump forward a little over a year and the worst of the COVID nightmare I hope.  Things are starting to flow for me and work is slowing down.  So I made myself a goal and project list for 2021.  I initially did not put finishing this class on it, but now, I am.  So along with one of those goals here I am.  This quilt is the Ultimate beginner quilt by fat quarter shop.  

I am going to go thru the blocks on the quilt, one by one to show what designs I did in the program and my current feeling.

This first block highlights the pattern “Ripply River” in the points and Woodgrain between. The sashing highlights continuous loops and some swirls at intersections. 

The inner block is a “swirl”, then “ribbon candy”, followed by “spiral chains”. 

This shows an entire block of “embellished squares”.  I soo like this design but need to get a Rythm, that I don’t have.. 

The center of this block was done in “Filled Swirls” and the outer in “hooked swirls”

This is another “embellished squares” with “double curves”. The sashing is a basic loop and swirls.

In this one you can see the “paisleys” down the Arrows and “pebbles” in the center and outer. 

The center is imitating ruler work, but free handed instead 

The rows in this block rotate from switch back to basic loops aka telephone cord loops. 

So this block contains the stitch I struggle most with the most, embellished continuous curves in the 4 patches.  I just can’t get my rhythm.  Then I did the loops in the triangles. 

In this block I filled it with lots and lots of hooked swirls.  I think I’m pretty decent at these. 

And for the last of 12 blocks, we have a block full of wishbones!! I sooo love how these look and honestly use them a lot!! 

I still have a lot to do and really, a lot to prefect in FMQ, but the more I do it, the better I get!! 

All of these photos were taken at Mepkin Abbey,  it’s sooo peaceful and I love the many spaces that complement quilts.