Neutral

I was in the mood for a change in the family room, so the nautical style painting that usually rests on the sideboard was retired to the basement for the holidays, and in it’s place I lugged up a very large vintage window that I’ve had for years but haven’t used.


I’m thinking this makes a nice neutral foundation for holiday decorating.  I kind of miss the color on that wall, but the restful neutrals will soon be layered with Christmas beauty.  I’m thinking a wreath would look pretty hanging on the window, or maybe a chalkboard with a favorite quote.   Hmmm.  It will probably take some trial and error to get it right.  What do you think?

It’s snowing outside as I type this.  Snow is so beautiful, but it always makes me feel anxious unless my whole family is home and we don’t have to go anywhere.  That seems to be the only way for me to look outside at winter and feel ok about it.  I also find it’s harder to move through my housekeeping when the skies are gray and the house feels dark.  I’d love to work on a quilt or read a book, but I have two different social events at my house tomorrow so cleaning it is.  My little girls seem bent on mischief today.  Let’s hope I can get this place cleaned up!

Have a great weekend, Hopeful Homemaker

Turquoise Star Quilt



This quilt is just so… happy.  The colors are bright and cheerful and it makes me smile.  I finished it weeks ago but my computer has been unhappy and I wasn’t able to get the pictures off my camera until now.


I love the patchwork star and I’m glad I tried hand quilting.  It wasn’t overwhelming since I only hand quilted the turquoise background and it was a great project to learn on.  I’m sure I’ll be doing more of it, especially after I saw how many lovely colors the Finca Perle Cotton is available in!


For the back I pieced together many scraps and used more turquoise solid.  I always love the way quilting lines look on the back of quilts.


The quilt is bound in a cheerful stripe from the Tweet collection, of which this quilt is made.


This is my 8th finished quilt for 2012.  I still have several I hope to complete before the year ends.


Stats:

size:  60″ x 60″ finished fabric:  Tweet by Timeless Treasures (released early 2012), solid is from my stash, not sure of color or manufacturer (it doesn’t match anything on my Kona card) pattern:  made with the Made in Cherry Quilt Along perle cotton:  I used the Finca brand, size 8, and purchased it from Yarn Bazaar .
hand quilting:  See Anna Maria’s excellent tutorial on hand quilting Have a great day!
Jennifer

Vintage Holiday Quilt Finished!



I did it.  An on time finish.  And I love the way this quilt turned out.


Made entirely from scraps/stash, it came together well.  I really enjoyed working with this pattern.  Unlike some Christmas quilts, you really don’t need “Christmas” fabric to end up with a traditionally themed Christmas quilt.  I like that.  I like the simplicity and the clean look of the quilt as well.  I’m very happy to have purchased this pattern.


I quilted with straight lines, keeping it minimal around the ornaments but adding additional lines in the sashing.


My favorite spot is where the quilt lines intersect to make nine tiny squares.  So cute!


The backing also came from my stash.  I started with a pretty red and white houndstooth flannel and added two other prints.  I always like seeing the quilting lines on the backs of quilts.


The binding is a nice bright green, a great contrast to all the red and it also accents the rich greens in the quilt top.   I tried a new method of finishing the binding on  my machine and it turned out great.


It feels so good to have some Christmas sewing completed this early!  I’m grateful to Heidi at Fabric Mutt for hosting this quilt along or I’m sure I never would have started, let alone finished, this project.  I do have another quilt in entirely different colors dancing in my head, so I will certainly be re-visting the pattern.  If you want to see the quilts that everyone else made, including Heidi’s lovely quilt made using her Denyse Schmidt stash, then head over here!
Thanks for visiting!
Jennifer

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