Scrappy Heart Quilt

This is a quilt top I made using some of the left over fabric from last year's Moda quilt.  I had an idea for a quilt made from a jelly roll that involves stripes and hearts.  I wanted to try out the heart block first on some scrap fabric before I started on the actual project with my jelly roll.  The project will use all of the jelly roll strips so there is really no room for trial and error there.  This isn't the same pattern as the hearts and stripes quilt, but it uses the same heart block.  Because, you know, once I had made the trial run heart block, I had to use it in something.

"Baby Blocks" Christmas Star

Here is the finished quilt top from the previous post.  I made a slightly narrower border than what the pattern called for, because it fit the width of my fabric better.  I didn't want seams in my border and the border fabric I was using was not 42-1/2 inches wide, it was only 41 inches (not including selvages).

The quilt top is 40-1/2 inches square.  Plus it will fit better onto the backing fabric as well.  I will still have a problem if I decide to have it long arm quilted, but I will probably quilt it myself, either on my regular machine or by hand.  I'm still deciding on that part.

Scrappy pot holder

I needed something to work on today, so I made this scrappy little pot holder.  It is made from cut-away corners on my Moda quilt from last year.

I saved a lot of cut off corners from that quilt.  I'm not sure what all I will end up doing with the rest of them.

Christmas Baby Quilt

I decided to make a Christmas quilt for my baby granddaughter for her first Christmas.  I saw the "Baby Blocks" quilt in the most recent issue of BLOCK magazine, from Missouri Star Quilt Company, and decided to give it a try. 

My problem with the pattern, as it is presented in both the magazine and the tutorial, is that the directions that they give don't actually produce the quilt that they show in the pictures.  The instructions say to use 4 jellyroll (2-1/2 inch) strips of fabrics to make one single strip set.  Cut 16 2-1/2 inch strips from the strip set and use them to create the four blocks that make up the center of the star.  The pictures used in the magazine and on the tutorial use way more than just 4 fabrics in the center.  That makes for a different look in the finished quilt. 

I decided to make the quilt following the actual directions given.  I used two red fabrics and two green fabrics to make the strip set, alternating the red and green in the strip set.  The pictures below show the basic options I came up with for the center of the star using the blocks that one strip set would actually create.  (I am sure there are a few others that I didn't think of.)

 Four blocks with green corners oriented toward the center.

 Four blocks with each block oriented in the same direction.

Four blocks with the red corners oriented toward the center.

I like the look of the red corners oriented toward the center, so that is the layout that I decided to go with.  I am still working on getting it sewn together, and it still needs a border, but I thought I would share these layouts in case anyone else was interested in what it would look like actually following the directions.

Layers of Charm - Moda Extra Project

This month our extra project for the Moda group was the Layers of Charm Quilt Pattern from Fat Quarter Shop.  I used a layer cake that I bought a few years ago called Healing Hearts.  I picked out a nice red to coordinate with the fabrics.  I wanted a color that was in the fabric, but would also give a good contrast to all the fabrics.  It is a super simple project.  You just add a five inch flippy corner to 36 of the fabrics in a layer cake, then sew them together in such a way as to create the diamonds.  No border or anything.  Of course you could add one if you wanted to, but the pattern doesn't call for it.  It finishes 57-1/2 inches square, a nice lap-sized quilt.

Dance of the Dragonflies fabric quilt

When I went to visit my mother-in-law in New Jersey last month, I visited a quilt shop up there.  I bought some jelly roll strips and fat quarters in the Dance of the Dragonflies fabric line.  In the past, when I buy fabric while I'm out of town, I never actually make anything with it.  So this time, I wanted to go ahead and make something out of it.  There were 12 jelly roll strips, 4 FQs, 1/2 yard of one fabric and 1 yard of another fabric.  This quilt was the result.

A few more Moda blocks

This year our project for the Moda group was the Quilter's Patch quilt by Edyta Sitar.  I did a few blocks and then decided that I really didn't like making the quilt.  The instructions were bad, the pieces were small, the flower blocks didn't really look that great, etc. etc.  So, I quit making them. 

But since I had already made three of the flower blocks (delphinium, cosmo, and daylily) and the cat block, I wanted to do something with the blocks I had already made.  I dreamed up a much smaller quilt that will use the blocks that I have already made (some of them slightly deconstructed) and a few more blocks thrown in as well. 

This month we were supposed to make 3 flower pot blocks and the segments of the watering can that go in the border.  My alternate quilt design uses 8 flower pots and the watering can as a complete block, so I made them to show at the next meeting.  We were also supposed to do part of the rake and one other flower block, but I don't need them, so I didn't do them.  The only other blocks I need are the butterfly blocks.  I don't like the ones in the book, so I plan to make different ones, but I will wait until the butterflies are assigned before I make them. 

Once I picked the book back up to make these blocks I remembered exactly why I stopped making them in the first place.  As far as I'm concerned, this is an awful book.  I will never buy another book or pattern by Edyta Sitar again.

Scrappy Mountain Majesty

Our guild project for July was the Scrappy Mountain Majesty quilt by Bonnie Hunter.  I didn't finish it in time to show at guild this month, but at least I will have it for next month.  The original was done all in scraps, as you can imagine from a Bonnie Hunter quilt, but I decided to do mine a little less scrappy.  The blue is all one fabric and the yellows and oranges are 7 different fabrics, a quarter yard of each.

On the night of the guild meeting when we were given the project, my husband and I took a walk after the meeting and there was a really beautiful sunset.  It gave me the idea to do the quilt in sunset colors.  The dark blue and the sunset colors formed a split complimentary color scheme, that I thought would work out well for a little color theory practice, as well.  I got my trusty Color Play book by Joan Wolfrom, and headed to the quilt shop to pick the fabrics.  I wanted to be as true as I could to the split complimentary color palate. I picked tone-on-tone fabrics in blue, and orange through yellow and went to work.

I originally intended to use a different layout for the blocks. My first thought was to do the layout that she calls "Mirror Image Mountains", but when I laid the blocks out in that design it seemed too busy.  I rearranged them into this layout, "Zigzag Mountains", and I liked it a lot better.  Keeping the blue fabric together seemed better to me.  It looks a little less like mountains at sunset, maybe, but I still like it better this way.  My son, the graphic designer, says that it makes him think of the sunset reflected on water ripples, like on the ocean.  Sounds good to me.

I think it turned out pretty nice.  It is not the sort of thing that I normally do, but I am happy with it none the less.  I'm not sure yet what color thread I want it quilted in or what design.  But at least the top is finished.

Patriotic bag

I know that it is after the 4th of July, but I wanted to go ahead and make this bag anyway.  I figured that I can use it until the end of July at least.  I actually got the idea for the bag around the 4th of July, and I went ahead and ordered the fabric.  I didn't want to wait about making it, because I was afraid I would forget about it by the time next summer rolled around.  I tend to do that with projects, I buy the fabric, don't work on it right away, and then either forget about it or lose interest in making it.  I didn't want that to happen this time, so here it is, my new patriotic bag!

On the Go

I finished the binding on this quilt on our trip home from New Jersey.  It is the finished product of our "Little Apples" Moda extra project from a few months back.  I decided to call it "On the Go" because of the fabric with the roads and vehicles.  I plan to donate it to my church's blanket drive this year.  We give the donated blankets to the Child Advocacy Center here in town.

Charm Square Star baby quilt

This is a quilt design that I came up with to use the rest of my charm squares from the Checkerboard and Diamonds baby quilt.  It is a very simple star-in-a-star design using half square triangles (made from charm squares) and from charm squares trimmed down to 4-1/2 inch squares.  I think it will make a nice baby quilt for a little girl.  My cat, Dusty, is photo-bombing the picture.

The pattern is available here for free.  Enjoy.

Cascades pillowcase

I made this pillowcase from the leftover fabric from my Cascades quilt. I was going through my sewing room, trying to find project boxes to put my upcoming projects in.  I found that the leftover fabric from my Cascades quilt was still boxed up and hadn't been put into the main stash yet.  I saw that I had plenty of fabric left over to make a pillowcase, and since the quilt is a twin-size bed quilt, I thought it would be nice to have a matching pillowcase.  So today, I stitched one up really quick. 

I think that in the future I will try to remember to always buy enough fabric to make a matching pillowcase or two when I am making a bed quilt.  I think it looks really nice to have matching pillowcases on top of the quilt.  The trick will be remembering...

Jellyroll heart block

My latest quilt design idea involves jellyroll strips and heart blocks.  I wanted to test out my heart block design and sewing instructions on some scrap fabric before I cut into my jellyroll, so I made this sample.  I think it turned out really well.  The piecing went together quickly and easily, so I think the project is a go.

Moda Quilt Matching Pillowcase

I made a pillowcase to match my 2016 Moda quilt, Finding Mickey.  Ironically, I guess, the pillowcase doesn't have a Mickey Mouse to find.  It is made from the same fabrics as the backing and both borders, none of which was Mickey Mouse fabric.  I guess I should have used the Mickey Mouse fabric for the accent piece or the outer band, but I don't know if I had enough fabric for that anyway.  Oh well, it is a matching pillowcase, none the less.

Moda Extra Project - Latin Lady

Our extra project for our Moda class this month was the Latin Lady quilt by Villa Rosa Designs.  (It is also our guild project for next month.) I decided to do mine in Kansas Troubles fabrics.  It uses the majority of two charm packs.  I used two different charm packs - Favorites and Aunt Purdy's Parlor.  The yardage was from a different Kansas Troubles collection, but I don't even know which one.

I plan to piece the backing from 9 different Kansas Troubles fabrics and then quilt it myself on my home sewing machine.  I plan to use this quilt as an everyday sofa quilt to cuddle under.  I think it will be a good size for that at 51 x 64 inches.

Checkerboard and Diamonds

This is my latest design creations.  I am currently calling it "checkerboard and diamonds" because the center is like a checkerboard and it is surrounded by diamond-esque squares on point.  The center is made from a Moda candy (or mini-charm pack) of 2-1/2 inch squares alternated with white 2-1/2 inch squares.  The squares on point are charm squares, set on point with white half-square triangles.  The border is from yardage.  All the print fabric is from the Colette line by Chez Moi.

New quilted bag

I made this bag from fabric that I had in my stash.  It uses the same pattern as my Not Quite Giant Jellyroll Bag, except this time it is not giant and it doesn't even use 2-1/2 inch strips.  I also added a flap and button closure to make it more like a purse, which is my intended use for it.  I have to stop making bags with this pattern.  It really isn't fun.  I'm not sure why I decided to do it again.  Oh well, at least I have a new purse!

Pot holder swap

For our May meeting, my quilt quilt is having a pot holder swap.  Everyone is supposed to bring a homemade pot holder, and we are going to have some sort of creative way to swap them, not sure what that is going to entail.  I made mine out of an orphan block I had laying around.  It has a layer of regular quilt batting and a layer or Insul-bright inside to make it heat proof.

One of my quilting friends found a cute little picture on pinterest that says that there are no mistakes in quilting - only pot holders.  I think that is good idea!

Finding Mickey - 2016 Moda Quilt

Here is my finished Moda 2016 quilt.  I decided to call it "Finding Mickey" because Mickey Mouse is hiding in every row of the quilt.  It is pictured on my queen-size bed, but it is intended for a twin-size bed.  I finally finished the binding on it while I was waiting at the hospital for the birth of my first grandchild.  She was born a week ago, but I just got a day at home.  This quilt is a little more "boy-friendly" (I avoided using flower prints and pink) than my little granddaughter may want, but I also have a "girl-friendly" floral twin-size quilt that she can use if she prefers.

Moda Extra Project

I worked on this one Tuesday and Wednesday.  It is the extra project for our Moda class this month, Aneela Hoey's "Little Apples".  Well, technically it is a variation on our Moda extra project.  The original was larger (51" x 59-1/2"), used a whole layer cake, and didn't have a border.  I had half of a layer cake left over from a previous project and decided to use it (This one turned out to be 43" x 51-1/2").  I was planning to put the border on the whole time, but it really looked busy without it.  I think adding the border helped.  It isn't beautiful or anything, but I think it would make a good "dragging around blanket" as my dad call them.  Plus, since I wasn't going to do all the blocks for this month, I thought maybe I should at least do the extra project.