Swedish Weaving

Last year, I taught myself a new craft. I was in the craft store one day and saw this book

I really, really liked the teal blue runner on the cover and bought the book. I read through a bunch of the patterns and tried some - book marks to start. They were fun, but pretty tiny too - darn aging eyes! I bought both huck weave fabric and toweling. See the towel on the bottom left - the red one? I made those...tons of them as Christmas presents. Here's that picture bigger:

 I loved them. I decided to jump to the table runner...only make it as an afghan. Here it is...

It's made with 2 colors of yarn... I did the pattern 4 times...once on each end and then I counted a few rows up and made another set...on both sides... below is what the pattern is...

I just love the way my afghan turned out! I've started another one. Different book, different author, same publisher. I've only got the center done so far, but it's looking really good...a lighter teal and a red that's a little different but goes well with the light teal.

I'm going to make more and some as gifts. They'll be coming along a lot slower than the towels did...but they are a fun project for me to learn. If you're interested, drop me an email, I'll send you some patterns to choose from. Tell me the pattern and colors to use...and someday, I'll send you a completed afghan!

And yes, the fabric is cotton and very warm!

Last of 2014...and the beginning of 2015

I had one quilt finish from 2014 that I didn't share. Last summer, my sister sent me a picture of a quilt she liked. It's the Jelly Roll Quilt by Sweetwater. I'd seen the quilt before and loved it...and I love a lot of the Sweetwater products - fabrics, designs, etc. So, I ordered the pattern (pdf downloads are the BEST!). Then, I ordered 2 of the same jelly rolls as one of the things my sister loved is the actual fabrics.

The quilt pattern was very easy to follow - simple enough for a 1st timer even. The quilt turned out to be even better in person. Here it is:

I played with a bunch of the different stitching patterns on my sewing machine - that was fun!

And I truly loved the fabrics - colors and patterns. I sent this over to my sister before the end of the year. Hopefully, they are loving it! I'd make another one in a heartbeat - it really is an easy pattern to follow and quilt to make!

I've finished of 2014 and started 2015 working on the same project. Back in 2013, my cousin picked out a pattern and gave me some color hints to make him a king sized quilt for his bed. The pattern is called Costa Maya by Snow Day Designs. I bought the pattern in MN. I finished the top a week or so ago:

The picture is not the best as the top is HUGE and my two kids are holding it up on the 2nd floor landing so that I can get most of it in the picture... I should have just put it on my bed, but it was getting dark... I love the top. I'm working on the back...should have just bought yardage and been done with it...but I have so many pieced left that I'm trying to make them into the backing. It's been fun putting left over blocks together and then trying some other concepts with all of the left overs...I have alot of strips that are cut at 1.5 inches so doing some "improv" piecing... we'll see how it goes! At any rate, I'm happy to have the top done... after finishing the back, I'll have to figure out where to have it quilted...

I also have been teaching myself Swedish Weaving / Huck Weaving. It's relaxing and I can do it while watching FOOTBALL! It's also a great hobby for rainy days like today. I did some towels for Christmas gifts and am working on my first afghan. I'll take pictures when it's finished...I'm almost 1/2 done - sigh.

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...