Blooming 9-Patch

I want to share this quilt top. This quilt started 10 years ago. One of my BFFs started it after seeing one that I had made. She and I went to Rosie's Calico Cupboard and bought all of the fabric. We modified the design to include 10 fabrics (the original had 8) and to make it into a king sized quilt. After 10 years, she brought me the top in July. It was about 3/4 done...but she just was at a place where she needed to have it done. I had been offering my help for 10 years and now was the time to make good on that offer.

So, 2 months later, I brought her back the completed quilt top:

She put it on her bed while I was there and we snapped some more pictures... But I love this one..both my kids are holding this up over the 2nd floor of my house...and I still could not get the entire thing within the picture frame.

Enjoy!

Panda -mania

While in Hawaii in May, I saw some really cool Panda fabric at one of the fabric stores. I have a friend that loves Pandas and I look for them everywhere I go... so... I asked her if she wanted green, blue, or pink background...and then I bought a yard of each!

I asked what she would like me to make, and she said napkins and place mats. So, I made some place mats and napkins...and then I used every other piece I had and made a small quilt for the tabletop...Here's the quilt:

Here's the back:

It's also fabric I bought in Hawaii...so I think that's all cool!

She's already set the table for her grandkids and they all love it!

Another success!!

Blue & Brown quilt for my cousin Doug...

My BIG FINISH this year... a double sided king side quilt for my cousin Doug! This pattern is called Baubles & Beads and it's by Snow Day Designs (published by QuiltWoman.com). I bought it in Pine River, MN last August during our stay at my cousin's resort - Four Seasons Resort. Here's the top:

Yes, it's 104 inches square and my two adult kids are on the 2nd floor holding it over the railing at our entryway for me to get a nearly full size shot... The darker brown and blue are two fabrics I also bought in Pine River. I bought all of the yardage they had...and then I read the pattern when I got home and realized, I needed double the amount. The next few months, I tried to find the same two fabrics to make the quilt...but was unable to find any of the fabric anywhere. I shopped my local shops and bought other fabrics that seemed like the would match and then I made sample blocks. My cousin came to visit in March of this year and I showed him all of the sample blocks...and we hated it all... Finally I found the lighter blue and lighter brown/dark gold fabric. The four of them together looked great and I was happy to continue on with the piecing. 

Close up of the quilting on the front of the quilt...the two complimentary fabrics...

The two original fabrics on the bottom...

So I then have all of these different blue, green, and brown fabrics... I have another pattern  called Costa Maya that I also bought in August and it was supposed to be the front...but in fall colors. I hadn't bought any fabrics for it except for a fat quarter to use as the color inspiration... Anyway, while my cousin was also here, I went to a local quilt shop and bought some locally created patterns for another cousin...and of those he liked and we could use as the backing with all of the other fabrics I had purchased. Here's the back with the other blue, green, and brown fabrics in a pattern called Intertwined by Absolutely Positively Quilt Designs from the Memory Lane Quilt Shop.

 

 Here's a close up of some of the fabrics and quilting from the back...

 Super close up of the quilting... We used a variegated brown thread and a design that looked like waves...

I'm happy to report that the quilt is now in it's new home and my cousin says he loves it. YEAH!!!! Now to get to work on the next one...

2013 status

I switched to Google chrome to see if I could embed photos...and it worked. So, here's the first of two posts I had in drafts... maybe I can get back on track with keeping my blog up to date!!!

First, I had one last quilt finish for 2013. It's a double sided quilt...well, I pieced a top that I didn't like...and then I pieced another top...and I thought I could use the two together... It's funny as I like the one side and my husband likes the side I didn't... This is the granny square quilt. here's the front:

and here's the back...

Then, this year I've only worked on two quilts so far. One is a baby quilt for a BFF's new grandson. They requested minions... so here it is... front

and back...

I bought four fat quarters from Spoonflower. Three of them were perfect for the front. The fourth was a little too large for my pattern, so I put it on the back. Really, it looks like a two sided quilt...right?

As usual for baby quilts, I bound it with satin blanket binding. I do a 1/2 inch seam on the front and then wrap to the back and hand finish... My kids loved satin bindings...so I think all kids do.

Finally working? Minion Baby Quilt

If this posts, I've solved my picture uploading problem...

Baby boy quilt made for my girlfriends' newest grandson... using minion fabric I bought on Spoonflower...