Category: Quilting and Sewing

This is the last of the quilts I made for my kids last year.   I had a special wish in my heart with this quilt.  It belongs to my now 17-year-old son and I knew it might be the last quilt I make for him before he leaves home.  I wanted it to be big enough for his six foot frame but I also had very little time to put it together.


The other challenge I had was choosing a color scheme and fabrics for a kid who generally avoids a lot of color or pattern.  I realized there was one area in his life, however, where color doesn’t bother him, and it’s in his snowboarding gear.  I took a cue from the colors he’s got in his gear and decided to make another scrappy trip quilt.  This one looks completely different from the one I made earlier in 2013!
I used three different colors of metro rings fabric – lime green, orange, and turquoise, and a ton of black and gray fat quarters for all the other strips.


It’s backed with a plain black minky fabric and quilted on a 9-patch grid.  I remember basting this quilt on the kitchen floor on December 23rd as the children lay around the Christmas tree for our annual tradition of sleeping beneath the tree.  I was totally out of time and we had company staying with us but it worked out! {Translation: I got very little sleep.}


The binding is a large black and white text print and I love how graphic it looks.  It totally suits his style (and his art).  The blocks are set in a chevron style which isn’t overpowering because half of the blocks have no color.  It was a lot of fun to sew, and I think I met my goal.  He likes it, it’s big and cozy, and it got finished in time for Christmas 2013.  A year later, it’s still on his bed and seeing plenty of use.

These two giant star quilts were made using Jeni Baker’s tutorial . They were among the gifts I gave my children for Christmas in 2013.  These two particular quilts were for my then 9 and 11 year old daughters, who share a room.  I wanted them to have something similar that was also personalized.  Each of them chose the fabrics for their quilts, so they enjoyed opening them on Christmas morning.


The biggest difference between the two is my choice in background fabric.  One was pieced with a solid white and the other with the IKEA Britten Nummer fabric.  I like them both.


My favorite element in both quilts is the quilting.  Again, I did straight line quilting.  My lines are unevenly spaced but all form a V moving from the edge of the quilt with the point towards the center.  I like the way it enhanced the quilt pattern and helps provide beautiful texture after washing.


Again, the quilts feature a simple minky backing to guarantee the approval of my girls.


They were a hit and have been much loved over the past year.  I can’t believe that 2014 has come and gone so quickly, as it doesn’t seem so long ago that I finished these quilts with a smile and a sigh of relief.  A good reminder that 2015 will likely come and go in like manner.