Category: Quilting and Sewing

Phew.  I finished it.  Barely.

It’s a good thing there was a deadline of sorts on this project, or I’m not sure I would ever have finished sewing together countless rows of squares.  But the quilt top is now complete and I am very happy with it.


(The pictures are lousy.  I took them at sunset and have yet to invest time in learning how to really edit and manipulate photos.   I’ll take better ones when the quilt is finished.)

I was worried that I wouldn’t like this quilt, but it turns out there was no need for worry.


I love it.  It’s beautiful.  And it was made with fabric that’s been sitting in a drawer for too long.


I’ve become much better at straight line quilting, but have yet to learn free motion quilting.  I think this is the quilt to learn on.

If I can muster the courage…

HH

My first quilt of 2011 is finished.  I’m calling it Water and Sky.


I’ve wanted to make a quilt using this pattern for a long time, and this fabric was waiting for something wonderful.  The birthday of a dear friend was coming up, and I wanted to do something special.  She recently moved to the Pacific Northwest, a place where I lived as a missionary for 1 1/2 years.  When I think of it, I think of water and sky, all the shades of blue and green that so captured my heart while I was there.  I wanted to give her a gift of color, something bright and light during the cloudy gray winter months they get there.  Thus, the pattern and the fabric came together in the perfect quilt.


It’s my first quilt made using all solid fabrics.  I was a bit nervous about it, but I really love it.


I quilted it in wavy lines going horizontally across the quilt.  I think it added to the overall feeling of water, clouds, and ocean waves while softening the more geometric piecing.


For a binding I chose a dark gray with polka dots.  It’s from the Summertime collection by Barbara Jones.


I’m still working on machine binding.  The back still needs some work for me to be fully satisfied, but I love how the front turned out.  Instead of sewing in the ditch between binding and quilt top, I’ve begun sewing on the very edge of the binding.  I was also more disciplined this time and paused to pin each side, stitching on the slowest setting for my machine.  This quilt is definitely my best yet where machine binding is concerned.  Honestly, I love the hand sewn binding best but I simply cannot do it right now.  My elbow hurts too much when I try, and finding the time to sit and do it isn’t the wisest use of my time at this point.  So I’m going to perfect this… eventually.


I pieced part of the backing as well.  I’m pleased with how it turned out.  In fact,  I like the back as much as the front.  This quilt was a lot of fun to make.  It came together fairly quickly but was a great creative experience for me.  I loved working with the solids.  Because I added a wave of gray and some green from my stash, I have enough fat quarters from the same bundle to make a second quilt.  I’ve got the pieces cut and waiting for some time to piece it all together.


I feel grateful to have squeezed in time to finish this project.  It’s now in its new home, and I hope it can at least be useful.  Happy Birthday, Jana!


Jennifer

For the postage stamp quilt along….


One block done, forty seven left to go.

Question to self:  “You thought you had time for this project because…..?”
Answer to self:  “I know, I know.  But this year we’re going to finish all our projects, remember?  So we’re committed.”

I’m not sure why these strips of fabric are intimidating me.  It’s very easy sewing, but it takes time.  I think I’m looking at that stack, looking at the clock, looking at the calendar, and wondering when I’ll fit it in.  A few at a time, that’s where.

Now this is where this post (and the inner workings of my brain) will get even more confusing.  I started a second one.  Now that makes sense, doesn’t it?!  It’s the Bloggers Block-A-Palooza quilt along.  The first block was available yesterday and there will be two blocks each week, each block designed by a different blogger.  I’m intrigued to try it, partly to see what kinds of blocks are involved, partly to see if I learn something new.

So I sat down for a few minutes this afternoon and put together the first block.  I’m all caught up and it should be rather easy to keep it that way if I give it 20 minutes twice a week.


It’s a twelve inch block.  Instead of going with the fabric collection that the quilt along is using, I chose one that appeals to me a little bit more.  Since the entire quilt design hasn’t been unveiled, it’s kind of a stab in the dark to choose fabrics for each block but I decided to go for a quilt that will have its own look to it instead of making the exact same one that so many others are making.  I hope it turns out well in the end.  I love the fabrics, so I really want to love the quilt.

I’m using the Delilah fabrics by Tanya Whelan and will supplement from my stash if needed.  I am NOT buying fabric for either of these projects.

Off to get the children to bed…

Hopeful Homemaker