Spider Web table topper finished!

My little Spider Web table topper is all quilted, bound, and ready for Halloween!  Unfortunately that's still a couple of months away. 

It's not that I'm a huge Halloween fan or anything.  It's just that here in southeast Alabama, school is starting back and it seems like summer should be ending.  However, around here summer is like that friend that doesn't know when it's time to leave and overstays it's welcome.  Summer would be nice if it wasn't quite so hot and humid and only lasted 3 months, but that's not the case here.  When I get to actually put this little guy out for a seasonal decoration I'll probably still be wearing short and tank tops or short sleeves, just like I am today. *sigh*

Can you tell that I'm ready for fall?

Spider Web table topper

When I made the Spiders and Webs quilt I had some triangles left over.  The original pattern said to use the leftover pieces to make a web to use on the back of the quilt, but I didn't want to use mine there.  I decided that I could add a strip of black fabric to the top and bottom and make it into a neat little (well, about 19 inches) square.  As it turns out, it is just the perfect size for the top of my living room end tables, so it will ultimately be a cat napping spot I'm sure. LOL!

My plan is to quilt it as a trial run for deciding if I want to quilt the quilt myself or have it long arm quilted.

Snowflake candle mat

I finally finished the little candle mat/wall hanging/mini-project from back in August.  I'm not exactly sure when I finished it.  I didn't make a label for it, like I normally do, because it was such a small project.  Then, I forgot to take a picture of it right way too.  I know that I have already shown it at both my quilt guild and my Moda group, so I finished it in either late January or early February.  So here it is, belated, but finally posted.

August Moda Mini Project

Today I sewed together the top for this month's mini project.  It finishes 15 inches square.  The original pattern was done in red and white, but it was called "Flurry" and to me it looks like a snowflake, so I decided to go with blue and white instead.  I think it turned out really cute.  It will make a nice little table topper or candle mat for wintertime.

I plan to machine quilt it, but I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to go about that just yet.  A decision for another day.

Gray-scale mini

I decided to try my hand at something that was more legitimately a miniature quilt.  It measures 7-1/2 inches by 9-1/4 inches, unfinished.  It is made with black fabric and gray ombre fabric, to get the gradation effect.  I still need to quilt it and bind it.  I'm thinking about framing it when it's done.

Bubble Gum and Penny Candy

I finished this little quilt a couple of weeks ago, but somehow I forgot to post a picture of it.  This is the finished quilt from the 30s Playtime fabric.  It is machine quilted and hand bound.  The quilting follows the stitching line, but continues on into the border and through the sashings, to make an all-over grid pattern.

I decided to name it "Bubble Gum and Penny Candy" because of the bubble gum pink border and sashings and the fact that it was made from a Moda candy.

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.

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.

Cyndi Mini

This is another shop sample that I'm piecing for Melanie at the Front Porch Quilt Shoppe.  It's hard to tell from the picture, because there is nothing to show scale, but this is a miniature version of the Squares for Cyndi quilt.  It is made with Moda candies (pre-cut 2 1/2 inch squares) and about 1/8 yard of solid color fabric.  This sample is made with an April Showers (by bonnie and camille for moda) candy and Snow Bella Solids by moda fabric.  It finished at just over 13 inches square. 

Pineapples in the Pumpkin Patch - finished!

I finally finished my pumpkin wall hanging quilt that I started last fall.  The first block is featured in this post from November 15.  And it is actually a do-over from the original block posted on October 18.  But at least I got it finished in time for fall (and the County Fair).

The quilt finished 24 inches square.  It is machine pieced, with both traditional piecing and paper piecing, and hand quilted (mostly quilting "in the ditch").  I quilted it in a hoop because it was small.  This was challenging for me, simply because I'm not accustomed to using a hoop, but it was also much more comfortable than sitting at a frame.  I'm very happy with how it turned out.

I added a hanging sleeve to it, which I haven't done with a quilt in a long time.  I also made a decorative label for the back.  A cute little pumpkin, unlike any of the ones on the front, but using some of the same fabric.  The backing is a pretty autumn, pumpkin themed fabric.

Valentine

This is the valentine that I made for my husband for Valentine's Day. I designed it myself. I'm a little disappointed in how the binding turned out. It didn't fully cover the 1/4 inch that it was supposed to, so the hearts ended up a little misshapen in places. But my hubby was happy with it. He was actually quite surprised.

The finished size was about 4x6. It is machine pieced, using paper piecing, and machine quilted. I also made the envelope, which is the red fabric that the card is laying on in the picture.

My First Fabric Postcard

This year I decided to try to entry a quilt in the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show in Sisters, Oregon. I noticed that at the quilt show they also have a postcard auction and sale for charity. Anyone can donate fabric postcards to the sale, so I thought I would try my hand at making one to possibly donate. Yesterday morning I sat down and made this little postcard. It was fun and I think it turned out pretty good for a first attempt at postcard making. I got the directions from Red Shoe Ramblings. The directions were easy to follow and had great picture illustrations.

Patriotic Mini Quilt

This is a little patriotic mini quilt that I finished a couple of days ago. I gave it the very unimaginative name of "54-40 or fight". But it seemed appropriate because it is, of course, the name of the block that it is made from, and that was an old presidential campaign slogan back in the day so it seemed patriotic. It is yet another UFO that I've brought out of storage to finish lately. It is a 54-40 or fight block that I added a couple of borders to and quilted. It is machine pieced and hand quilted. It's finished size is about 20 inches square.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

This is my finished mini quilt for the Spring Blooms Mini Quilt Swap. (The color in the photo doesn't seem quite true, but it was the best I could get.)

The quilting was somewhat improvisational (my husband calls it "jazz quilting"). I couldn't decide on a quilting pattern ahead of time so I just put it in the frame and started quilting. First I quilted the diagonal lines from corner to corner. Then I decided to quilt the center cross. Then I quilted around the inside and outside of the blue inner border. Next I thought that the green strips needed some quilting so I quilted the outside of the strips. Then I thought that the inside needed quilting, too. Then I just kind of echoed the lines of the quilting into the border of the quilt. I think it worked out pretty well.

I hope my partner likes it.

Finished Mini Quilt Top

I have my quilt top finished for the Spring Blooms Mini Quilt Swap, but I haven't decided how I want to quilt it yet. I'm a hand quilter, so I need to decide soon so I'll have time to get it done by the June 21st deadline.

A long over-due window cover

At my husband's office he has a long narrow window in this door that he wanted to cover up. A few years ago I started making this fall themed hanging to cover the window, but never could decide how I wanted to quilt it, so I just set it aside.

I finally finished it, back on March 10th, we took it to his office and hung it on the door. I even took a picture of it hanging on the door, but then I forgot to post it here. Yesterday was my middle son's birthday (and of course Mother's Day) so I was going through my camera to make some room for new pictures when I saw the picture in the camera.

So anyway, the long over-due window cover, that was long over-due in the making and in the posting, is finally made and finally posted.

A Wedding Gift

This is a small quilted wall hanging (15 inches square) with foundation pieced hearts set in an alternating pattern with simple 9-patch blocks and surrounded by 3 borders. It is machine pieced and hand quilted. I made it as a wedding gift for a friend of mine from college who is getting married next weekend. It is a Renaissance wedding. My mom and I are currently working on a costume for me to wear to the wedding; it should be fun. I'll post a pic of the dress when it is all finished too.

Cathedral Window - finished!!

Click on the image for a close up view.

It is small (only 18 inches square), but I'm pleased with it. It was my first attempt at doing Cathedral Windows and I was just figuring it out from some directions I found on-line. It took some trial and error, but I think it worked out okay.