I have a Finish

Well it sure has been a while since I've had a quilty finish.  We won't even go into how long since I've written a blog post.

There has been a lot of house stuff and furniture stuff happening. I'll write more on that later.  Today it's all about a finished quilt.

I was commissioned to make this quilt, which is probably why I have a finish.  It had a deadline. :)

The guide lines were: Angels, Butterflies, and scripture.  Favorite colors of the recipient are blue and purple.

I had used the angel fabric with the words for Amazing grace before, a few years back and was really glad to find some again on the internet (got to love the internet) the rest of the fabric came from my stash, local quilt shop and more internet shopping.

I looked through books and magazines looking for a pattern that could showcase the Angels, Butterflies and Scripture.  I found just the pattern in a older McCall's Quilting magazine. May/June 2013. It's called "Boho Girl" by Amy Smart.  Because the customer request lap size I left off a row on the side and bottom.  It still came out to a good size quilt.

I love how the centers of the flowers in the borders glow.  Like angel light, or fireflies.

I'm just happy to have a finish and know that the recipient like the quilt too.

I'm linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict for this Friday Finish.

Last Friday Finish 2014

I sure hope everyone had a nice Christmas and is ready to take on the New Year.

I really didn't just finish these quilts but they are with their new owners so I can post them now.

First up is a 25 patch Christmas quilt.  This came about after my Halloween quilt.  I wanted one for Christmas and of course I wanted it quick so I used 2.5 in strips and squares for variety..

[caption id="attachment_2862" align="aligncenter" width="296"] Christmas 2014[/caption]

I'm also in love with the back of this one too.

[caption id="attachment_2863" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Christmas 2014 Back[/caption]

 

Then quilts for two nephews.  One lives on the east coast and one in the middle of the country.  I chose sashing and borders to reflect the area they live in. I used Bonnie Hunter's Dancing Nine Patch pattern.  I added a row on one quilt for my older, taller nephew.  I like this pattern and can see using it again.

[caption id="attachment_2867" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Coastal Blue Waters[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2868" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Coastal Blue Waters[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2865" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Blue Prairie Skies[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2866" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Blue Prairie Skies[/caption]

 

Then for my niece I went just a tad on the wild side.

[caption id="attachment_2864" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Wild Child[/caption]

 

I'm thrill with how each one turned out and hope each and every one of them will feel the love when they use them.

I'm whooping it up big time today as I spend the day cleaning up the sewing room and getting it ready for the New Year.

Linking up with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

 

 

 

This week has been brought to you by the 2.5in square

This week in my effort to see progress in the sewing room and on my blog I looked to that wonderful two and a half inch square.

What's not to love about the 2.5in square.  They are easy and simple yet demanding and complex.

I chose three projects for summer that would help me cut up my scraps, yet I have been stalled.

One project uses 1.5 in squares, the second uses 2in squares and the third uses 2.5 in squares.

I was trying to cut them all at the same time and ended up with a mess on my cutting table.

This week I decided to focus on the 2.5in squares.  I'm so glad that I did too.

For the quilt I need 281 sets of 5 matching 2.5in squares, 31 sets of 4 matching 2.5in squares and 31 single 2.5in squares.  Makes a total of 1560 2.5in squares. Of course I'm making it a bit harder by making them all unique sets.  That's a lot of double checking. :0)

When I started cutting on Tuesday afternoon I needed 160 more sets of 5.  All 31 sets of 4 and all 31 singles squares.

[caption id="attachment_2805" align="aligncenter" width="300"] cutting 2.5 in squares[/caption]

This morning I have 240 sets of 5 (need 41), 2 sets of 12 (need 19) and 0 single squares (need 31).

[caption id="attachment_2806" align="aligncenter" width="300"] counting sets[/caption]

I'm very very glad that I focused on just one size this week.  I'm able to see real progress on my summer projects this way.

That's why I'm Whooping it up today and linking with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric addict.

P.S.  Yes I need to clean off my work table, my working space is down to the size of a fat quarter. But we all know how much you can do with a fat quarter.

First Finish of 2014

Yes I'm thrilled to have a first finish in the first month of the year.

[caption id="attachment_2436" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Snowman Quilt[/caption]

This quilt is for a customer who wanted decorate with a snowman quilt for January.  Do you know it's not easy to find snowman fabric with out Christmas tress, but I searched and searched and found this darling snowman skier panel.

Added boarders and then machine quilted 1/4 in. on the inside borders. Did a big zig zag on the big outside border that looks like mountain peaks (at least it does to me)  and hand stitched the outline of the snowman, traced snowflakes in the corners and hand stitch that too in blue perle cotton.



I'm really happy how this turned out. It has been a really long time (like years) since I've done any hand quilting and this made me want to do more.

I'm whooping it up with my fist finish of 2014 by linking with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Richard Quilts

Memory Quilt Finished

Memory quilt is finished.  This is the one I did for a co-worker at the antique store.  The center is what was left of her Son's baby blanket.  We had been talking about this one for a least a year or more and things would just keep coming up, you know like life.



It's been a while since I've had a finish.  I've been sewing and things are close but not quite.

I'm linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict cause this is something to Whoop about!

A Friday Finish-Tote Bag

I finally have a Friday Finish, it's been a long time between finishes.



This is a very cute, very large tote bag.  I'd made one a couple of years ago and a friend asked if I'd make one for her.  Yikes! I thought.  Sure hope I can find the pattern and then remember how?  Well most of it came back to me when I read the pattern and I asked questions of the girls at quilt club that helped me last time.



It all came together and I'm thinking I'll make another just to be sure I remember for next time.

The tote bag pattern is Chubby Charmer by Penny Sturges.

I'm linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Whoop Whoop Friday.

 

Friday Finish: A Baby Quilt

Wow a Friday Finish! I haven't had one in a while.  One of my upholstery buddies is having a new granddaughter so I finished up this mini tumbler quilt for her.  I guess you could call this a UFO but I think really it was just ahead of it's time.



I made the quilt top a couple of years ago when I just starting out.  At that time I did all my quilting by check.  Heck I was just glad to figure out my sewing machine on a good day.  The thought of putting three layers under that presser foot would send me running for cover.  I'm so much better, now I just break out in a cold sweat and procrastinate as long a possible.



This time I decided to forgo the pins after the last learning experience and used the basting spray. Thank you for that advise.  I did wavy lines and then used some decorative stitches on my machine.



I'm happy with my effort and the Grandma loves it and that's what counts.

I'm linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict

A Friday Finish: Valentine

My first Friday Finish of the New Year, just in time for Valentine's Day.

I quilted this on my home sewing machine.  I am in total awe of anyone who quilts anything bigger then a placemat on their home machine.

[caption id="attachment_1806" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Peanuts Valentine[/caption]

First I had to clean off my cutting table (2 hours) Next lay out all the layers with no wrinkles (another 2 hours). Pin baste all the layers (are you kidding me) I don't have one of those stick thingies so I used the edge of my seam ripper (2 hours).  Then over to the machine I go, oh wait I have to totally clean off the sewing table to make room and..I'm suppose to get all this under that and not shift any of the layers, maybe I should have used more pins, no not going back to that.   I used was the wavy stitch on my machine with a walking foot. (another billion hours).

[caption id="attachment_1807" align="aligncenter" width="300"] pin baste[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1808" align="aligncenter" width="300"] At the machine[/caption]

 

Whew finely done!  Take it all out, shake it out and turn it around and WHAT!! the corner got folded up and quilted.  Oh my what to do.  Undo it and redo that line...I don't think so...my quit just got shorter.

[caption id="attachment_1809" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Oh Man! Really![/caption]

I'll be rethinking this quilting on my machine. I know with practice it gets easier, but I think I'll just plan my rental times on the long arm better.

[caption id="attachment_1810" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Finished[/caption]

And that's the story of my biggest attempt at quilting on my home machine. I'm so glad it's Friday and I have a finish.

This pattern is from Mary Quilts it's a great pattern for large prints that you don't want to cut up.  Except of course the part I cut off the bottom.

I'm linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Crazy Mom Quilts go there to see more (less dramatic) finishes.

I love Friday evenings after dinner when I get to cruise through all the beautiful quilt finishes in blogland