Squares for Cyndi, with a border

I've been playing around some more with my pattern, and I came up with a few ideas for borders.  This top has a 3 inch (finished size) border around the outside of the last round.  That makes it finish at about 40 inches square.

It is made with My Sunshine fabric from Riley Blake.  Much of it was left over from the jelly roll strips from the coin baby quilts and jelly roll race baby quilt that I made earlier this year.  It took about 21 charm squares along with the left over pieces of strips.  Some of the leftover pieces are smaller than 5 inches long, but that's no big deal, really.

I also have a plan, and the fabric, to make one with a border that will set the original design on point. It will be made from Happy Tones fabric by Michael Miller.  I'm really looking forward to seeing how that works out.  It should finish at about 48 inches square.

April Moda Blocks

Here are the blocks that I made from the patterns we got on Wednesday at the Moda Friendship meeting.  Two are 6-inch blocks and one is a 12-inch block.  They were super easy to make, and it's a good thing.  After the day I had today, I'm glad I was able to get something accomplished. 

I had planned to work on my guild block today, but it just wasn't working for me.  I just couldn't decide on fabrics and nothing that I tried seemed to be quite right.  Maybe I'll have better luck with it tomorrow.

Cyndi mini all finished

Here is a picture of the miniature version of the Squares for Cyndi quilt all quilted and bound.  I think Melanie did a great job with it.  The quilted circles are such a good contrast to the squares in the pattern, and the red binding really pops.  The little mini quilt is photographed resting on the basket that the patterns are displayed in.

From the Candy left overs

This is the little project that I made from the left over fabric after I finished the March Candy Project.  The main part of the mini quilt is made mostly from the cut-aways from the flippy corners.   Four of the squares were made from the two left over candies that weren't called for in the original project.  The border, binding, and backing are all left over from their matching component in the original mini quilt.

The finished product measures about 12-1/2 inches x 14 inches.  I think it would work well as a burp cloth or lap pad for a baby.  Like the original project, it is machine pieced, machine quilted, and machine bound, with a straight stitch.  I figured anything that was designed to have a baby throw up on it didn't need any fine hand work.

A Bag for Spring

Remember that spring bag that I mentioned yesterday?  The one that I was going to make from the "Chance of Flowers" fabric I bought yesterday.  Well, here it is.  That must be some sort of land speed record for me.  I don't think I've ever picked out fabric in less than 5 minutes and then used that fabric the very next day.  Wow, that was fast.

It really is a good feeling, though.  So often I have an idea of something that I want to make, and I buy the fabric for it, but the fabric just ends up lying around in my sewing room.  It feels good to have an idea and be able to act on it almost immediately.  And finishing a project on the day that I start it is always nice, too.

March Candy Project - Finished!

Every month at our Moda Friendship meeting, we are given a pattern for a small project made with a Moda candy.  If we finish the project by the next meeting, and bring it in and show it, we get a free fat quarter.  I didn't do the ones from January or February, because I didn't really know what I would do with them if I made them.  But this past month I decided to go for it anyway.  I've been wanting to do something with the Giggles fabric line ever since I saw it, and this seemed like a good project for it (The sample was done it "Hubba Hubba" fabric, from the same designer).

The little quilt finished at 19 x 22 inches.  It is machine pieced, machine quilted, and machine bound.  I quilted in the ditch between the rows and between the piecing and the border.  I outline quilted inside the white hexagons and on both sides of the border.  The binding is sewn down with a straight stitch, nothing decorative this time. 

I thought it would make a nice little changing pad for a baby.  I don't have anyone to give it to at the moment, but baby showers will probably be in my future at some point.  I may make a little burp cloth out of the left over fabric to go with it.

A new bag - from a Moda candy!

I finished this one today.  I've been wanting to make myself a new bag that could be used on an everyday basis, not just season specific.  This one was made from a Sweet Pea candy.  It uses a half a yard of fabric in addition to the candy for the exterior of the bag, and another half yard of fabric for the lining.

When I went to the quilt shop today, I bought another candy and more yardage so that I can make another bag, this one spring themed.  It is from the "Chance of Flowers" fabric line.  I think it will be really cute.

March Moda Blocks

In March we got three blocks at our Moda Friendship meeting.  I've been busy with other projects, so just finished them a couple of days ago.  I really like the Greek Cross block.  I've made it before and it is simple but still interesting visually.

This month I didn't even try to figure out a combination for the blocks.  It might could have been done, but I was just so busy working on the shop samples that I didn't even try.

March Guild Block - Poinsettia

This is our guild block from March.  It is a pieced poinsettia block with appliqued stems and leaves.  I finished it today.  I did the piecing a couple weeks ago, but I just couldn't make myself do the applique.  I don't enjoy doing applique and I had several other projects that I wanted get finished first, as well. 

I did the applique with a machine blanket stitch.  As far as I can remember, I've never machine appliqued before.  I might have done some in high school for home ec. class, but I don't really remember doing any.  I think it turned out pretty good for a first effort.  There are a few stray stitches on the first leaf that I appliqued, because I was just getting accustomed to how the stitch worked, but all in all I think it looks nice.  But I'm also very glad that it is all finished.  However, I've already been told that this month's block will be applique as well. . .

Squares for Cyndi, sofa sized

At the request of Melanie, the shop owner at Front Porch Quilt Shoppe, I made a larger version of the Squares for Cyndi quilt.  This top measures 74 inches square. 

I've also figured the measurements for a really jumbo sized one - 100 inches square.  That should fit a king sized bed.  I've already written up the directions for the two larger sizes together in one pattern.  Once this one is quilted and photographed, I can print up the patterns for sale.