Newest Quilt

I haven't posted in quite awhile, I have been so busy getting ready for Christmas and of course, sewing. These are my latest creations.
   The quilt on the left is a baby quilt. The person who ordered it (my sister-in-law) wanted something non-traditional. I love making the tumbling block quilt. It is a lot of work because you have to match corners, not just sew through, however the result is so wonderful. After receiving it she said that her husband loved the colors so I thought of making one for them using the same color scheme, but in an adult pattern.
   I love to use up left over scraps from other projects to make a one of a kind quilt. I happened to have many of the fabrics left over from the baby quilt so I decided to put them together using various patterns. Making pinwheels is the easiest and it is so versitile. The other patterns were determined by the size of the pieces that I had on hand. I used a black print  to border the squares and the backing is blue.
I sent it off to Florida today so they will have it in time for Christmas.

Jelly Roll Quilt in a Day

I recently viewed a tutorial on you tube on making a quilt from a jelly roll. I tried it and found it so easy. I made this one in a few hours, start to finish. If you are interested in trying this one go to you tube and type in 'jelly roll quilt' it will be the one under the Missouri Star Quilt Company. The owner is Jenny. She is just wonderful and I love her quick and easy ideas for using precuts.

 

 

 

T-Shirt Quilts

     Last summer a friend ask me if I could turn her children's t-shirts and other favorite items into quilts. As anyone who knows me well, knows that of course I said yes.
I was given t-shirts, pillow cases, sheets, sports jerseys, sports shorts, and jackets with patches. It was a little more difficult than making a true t-shirt quilt because the items that would make up the quilt tops were all different sizes. If you have ever seen a t-shirt quilt before, the shirts are often cut into the same size to make it easier to put them together. But as is usual for me, nothing is ever that easy.
     So I began by cutting out the logos and other designs that would make up the quilt tops. I then laid them out on my living room floor to determine a design pattern and the size of the quilts.
     The girls quilt was easier because the pieces were larger and in most cases close to the same size. I also did not need to purchase any fabric for the backing because I was given a bed sheet that only needed a small amunt of fabric added to the border. Here is the finished project.

Girls Quilt

     The boys quilt was a little more challenging . The items that I used for the quilt top were all different sizes so it required more work to put them together. I also had to purchase fabric for the backing. I chose a black print so that the pieces would stand out more. On both quilts I chose to quilt in the seams except on the boys quilt where there were patches, I also quilted around them so they would lie flat. Here is the finished boys quilt.

Boys Quilt

Other projects

These are toppers I make to look like a western shirt. It is a good alternative to buying a full western shirt that you may not wear that often.  The materials are a bandana, fringe,and leather strips to hold the gold button and beads.

Wedding Ring Quilt final update

I finally finished the  quilt. Here are pictures of the pattern in the magazine and my finished project. I decided to go with the multi-print binding as the plain muslin did not enhance the quilt.

I really enjoyed making this quilt and I hope the bride and groom love it as much as I do. It has some flaws, but to me that is beautiful. I learn from every quilt that I make and I sure did learn a lot from this one. First, I had never done paper piecing before and I must admit that I rather enjoyed it. I will try another one using this method in the future. I also learned that from now on I will be pre-shrinking all my fabrics. I had to rinse this one to get the marking chaulk off and some of the prints shrunk at

different rates than others. I will also test the marking chaulk before using it. Some of the lines did not come off cleanly, as the directions said it would. It has not destroyed the look of the quilt in any way but it still bugs me.

 Magazine photo.

.My finished project. I hope you enjoyed the journey with me.

Next up, a baby quilt for a little girl due the end of November. I think I will look for a new pattern to try. I have so many that it will be a challenge to find just one!

More quilts

I have decided to post some more of my past quilts with comments. Hope you enjoy them.

This was one of my first quilts made from squares of fabrics that I received from a friend of my moms. I really loved making the simple square quilts where the fabrics create the design.

I also like to crochet and knit. This lap blanket was knitted. I made this one about 20 years ago. I had begun it in September and planned on giving it as a Christmas gift, however I liked it so much that I decided to keep it for myself.

This blanket was a baby gift and was crocheted. Again, it is a very simple design but it shows beautifully.

This is another bride doll that I made. It is a much simpler pattern but similar to the previous one that I posted.

Wedding Ring Quilt update #4

I have finally finished the quilt top. All of the pieces are sewn together and the top has been squared off. The finished quilt will measure 84" x 84".  My next step will be to cut  the backing and batting to size and layer them with the top. I will be using spray tacking and pinning to attach the three pieces together. I am planning on using a curved arc design for the quilting. The quilting will be rather loose. I am not a fan of tight quilting. I prefer to quilt just enough so the batting does not shift when washed and dried.  I then will have only to add the binding. I am currently trying to decide weither to use the 9 fabrics and make a colored binding or to use the muslin that will be the backing. I will have to see how each looks after I finish the quilting. Here is a photo of the finished top. I hope to complete the entire quilt within the next week.