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...

Hexie Sampler

The last quilt I received back a couple of weeks ago is one I'm calling Hexie Sampler. The hexie blocks are in the book Sizzlin' 60s by Heather Mulder Peterson. Her quilt patterns all use the same patterns. I wanted to try a bunch of them, so I made some of each of different styles. Here's the top of the quilt:

It took me a long time and many different layouts before I came to this one...and I love the way it turned out. Here's a close up of the middle:

Can you see the quilting? It's awesome!! Here's an even closer shot:

For the back, I took the left over jelly roll strips and tried a chevron layout I saw on the web. It was truly easy! No 1/2 square triangles - just strips cut and then laid out on point... I ended up with a long thin strip, so I cut it in 1/2, and put a white strip in the middle and then on both ends. It looks great I think. Here's a look:

I know, bit light...so here's a close up:

and even closer as it's a great shot of the quilting:

This quilt measures 48 x 64 so it's a good lap size.

All 5 of the last quilts completed will be put away for now until after the holidays...with the exception of my new Christmas quilt...that's coming out for show this holiday!!!

I have some small table topper projects to get done - at least 1 I'd like to get done as a present...so we'll see. The rest of this weekend will be spent getting ready for Thanksgiving...and that includes cleaning up the sewing space since it's also the living room!

2 more complete - Cindy Lou Who and Blue & White (Windmills?)

August 2012 - I started the Cindy Lou Who quilt with left over Countdown to Christmas (by Sweetwater) fabric. I loved the pattern - It's a Schnibble (by Carrie Nelson) pattern. Here's the finished quilt:

 

Such an awesome quilt! I can't wait to use this one this year. The back and the binding are all leftovers... Here's a close up of the quilting:

It's a swirly loopy free-form design. The quilt is 48.5 inches square.
The blue and white quilt was made from leftovers of fabric from a blue and white quilt I made in 2004-2005. I don't remember when I started it. It's a replica of a quilt my Grandma Brostrom made, and is owned by my younger sister. I drafted the block on a visit to her house years ago... I made the top and realized the blocks were about 1/2 the size and the quilt was very small. I put the top away for a few years. When going through tops to have finished. I pulled it out and decided it was a size that I've been using lately as table toppers. The quilt is 48 inches square... Here it is:

I have to find the pattern I found that says what the block is called. Here's a close up of a block and the quilting:

It's like a windmill block...I pieced it as 1/2 squares instead of geese. I'd try again as geese with the 'new' method that uses blocks and has a lot less waster. Again, I used up most of my fabric to the binding is leftovers and very scrappy...

Here's the back:

I wanted to show this as I used up some fabric that had been in my stash a long, long time! I had some fat quarters and other fabric and it was sort of easy to match the tones of blue and white.

I have one more quilt to bind. I made the binding tonight and hope to attach it. The weather has been cooler in the evening so it's nice to have some binding to do! Hopefully, next week I'll have that quilt finished and ready to post too!

2 More Finishes - Hearts and Carpenters Star quilts

I have two more finishes to share. I actually finished these at the end of October and it took me this long to take pictures... I'm so lame. I usually set my quilts on the floor/carpet and take pictures. It's pretty dark at this time of year so I was waiting for the right lighting during the weekend...which didn't happen. It occurred to me last night that I could use the awesome binding clips and clip the finished quilt to my design wall and take pictures there... My design wall is in my entry and I have a huge overhead light so I took a bunch of pictures of both quilts - both with and without flash. These are quilts I pieced in 2011 and 2012...it's nice to get them done.

String Hearts - also called Scrappy Hearts - also called Crazy Hearts. Here's a picture of the entire quilt:

All of the hearts are pieced with leftovers from various quilt projects. I then cut the heart shape out using my pinking shears on the edges and raw edge appliqued them alternating the black and white for backgrounds. A friend gave me a bunch of black and white fabrics (thanks Mary!) so I used them. The back is pieced black and white...and was a top but made a great back. Here's a picture of it when it was pieced...

The quilt is 48 inches square. I love that it only cost me the quilting cost and my time!!!

The second quilt is a scrappy/strippy Carpenter's Star. I have always loved this pattern. I saw something similar online somewhere and decided to try and make it up ...so here's mine:

OK, I'm not a big fan of this one. It does look better in person... I did get to use up lots of scraps...and I think I'd try this pattern again...and maybe even in a smaller scale. The backing is just an off white fabric that fit for most of it...and then I pieced a little white strip in at the bottom. This quilt is 48.5 inches square.

I've got three more quilts back from my LAQ yesterday so I'll be doing some binding - and then will share them when complete. At least one of them has been sitting around for years...so it'll be fun to have that one done (as the quilting turned out awesome - as usual)! I should be back sooner than a month from now!

Doing the Twist with Bungle Jungle - 2

I loved this quilt the first time I made one...and I have another work baby that's due in November. So I found some fabric - not in the colorway I wanted - but it'll do. I used the pattern and did the border the correct way this time... and here it is:

You can't see the twists as well, but they are there...

A closer view of the quilting:

this is "hippo"...

this is "monkey"... cool, huh?

and an even closer view of "monkey"...

My handwritten label...

And a view of the entire back. I use the satin blanket binding and didn't think one package would cover...so I mixed up a lime green and a teal... I think it turned out nice and the slanted seams match the twists in the border...

So happy to have this one done! The shower is on Wednesday so now I just have to wrap it up!

Panda Cindy Lou Who

My lifelong friend sent me phone camera pictures of the quilt I made for her. Here they are:

I hope the quality is ok... Looks like it may be upside down... I'll see if I can rotate...Try this...

WOW - so much smaller too... we'll see what happens online...

Here's a closer shot of a corner of the quilt. I'm leaving the orientation on this one as it came over!

OK, last shot of the back - this was the last of the fabric I had from the two "Sweet Treat" bundles. If you're at a show and see this vendor, Pincushion Boutique, try their Sweet Treats. I bought a few of them as stash, or the beginning of a project. I had very little to add to this project - just the two borders and the binding. I had the black and white fabric from another project, so I only had to buy the additional panda fabric...Used the rest of that and the Sweet Treat leftovers for the back. Here it is...

WOW, looks like I didn't even sign this. So Sorry about that! You'll have to sign it for me K! I just use a regular Sharpie marker - hahaha - yep, nothing fancy!! I'd say I was a slacker but really I was just trying to get this one done in limited free time!!! Saved me from bringing it back home and mailing it back!

Love you K - and thanks for the photos!!!

Complete - Doing the Twist using Bungle Jungle kit

While on vacation in August, I picked up a quilt kit at Mother's Originals Quilt Shop in Pequot Lakes, MN. The kit contained the Doing the Twist pattern from Pieced Tree patterns and all of the fabrics for the top and binding based on a print of Bungle Jungle (from Moda). The kit fabrics were wonderful as the woman that owns the shop has a great eye for putting things together. She is also very generous in her fabric. I had enough extra for the backing as I typically like the blanket binding for baby quilts...

Here's the finished quilt:

Cute, huh? If you know the pattern, you know that I accidentally mixed up the placement of the blue and pattern in the border... Oh well! Once I had figured it out, I had the entire top together and I was not going to rip it out! I think it looks fine and no one will know - except those of you who read my blog!

Here's a close-up of some of the quilting:

The quilting is loops and circles...with some of the animal names quilted within the center also... If you can see it, this photo has the "phant" part of "elephant" up between the giraffe and the elephant. My LAQ is super talented!!!

Here's the back:

See? So much extra fabric I used it for the backing! I had two small sections to add to the top and bottom in yellow, but there was barely any of it left showing when complete! I don't label my quilts, but I do sign them in sharpie marker with both my name/city and the name/city of my LAQ - plus the month and year completed.

This quilt was made for a coworker's new grandson that was born a week before I finished the quilt. I brought it to work with me and she showed everyone she could think of there...and then took it to her daughter that evening. It was a hit with everyone, especially those quilted animal names!!!

I haven't finished that many quilts this year yet, and this one has me motivated to make two others - one new mom is due in November and the other mom is expecting her second child in March. I need to get started on the quilt for November... I hear it's more woodland creatures in muted green/blue/earth tones...