broken dishes retreat quilt

 A long time work in progress comes to an end...

I purchased a few charm packs of Denyse Schmidt's Hadley collection years ago as it was closing out.  I had no plan for them but was heading to a guild retreat and decided I'd turn them into 1/2 square triangles.  I like to do mindless sewing at retreats so I can chat with and listen to others.

At another retreat I decided to turn them into broken dishes blocks.  I originally was making each 4-square block color coordinated but that got too repetitious so I took them apart and just started sewing them randomly.

This week I decided to quilt it.  I didn't have the right size batting in my stash and it's sooooo cold I didn't want to go out shopping so...I pieced together a few cuts of leftover wool batting for this.  I wouldn't have tried it for a quilt I was gifting but this one is for me so why not?  It worked out really well.  I seriously can't tell where the batting seams are now that it's finished and washed...and I'm pretty picky!

I only wanted this to be lap sized so used some of the extra triangles on the back.  

And because this is the entire line of Hadley, and it's only Hadley, I added in a bit of the selvage.

With the remainder of the triangles I made a pillow.  A big one!  (I finished the pillow last spring!)

So what to you think?  Broken Dishes or a hot mess of triangles?  Either way I like it!  Lots of fun memories sewn up in here, too.

I'm off to a guild sew-in day tomorrow.  Time to start another project that doesn't take too much thinking.  Have you ever made a Scrappy Trip Around the World quilt? 

a plus quilt for Louise

When you lose a dearest friend and within 8 weeks her namesake is born, you drop everything, and make a quilt.

A plus quilt to remind us to keep thinking positive.

These cute pinks, blues, and grays are from a 2016 bundle from Stash Fabrics that was put together by Ashley from Film in the Fridge.

The backing and binding are from original Cotton and Steel collections.  Straight line quilting about an inch apart with Quilter's Dream request loft batting always makes for a  lightweight and drapey finish. 💖

This one was hard...and healing.

💔 ➜ 💝

big love

I made a Valentine quilt! 

This is Big Love by Nicole Daksiewicz at Modern Handcraft.  She just updated her free tutorial for this pattern.  You can find it here.

My scrappy heart center wasn't standing out too well so I tried to define it better with the quilting.  I started with straight lines, a presser foot apart, within the heart.  Then I outlined the full heart and quilted concentric "hearts" 1 inch apart for the remainder of the quilt.  Simple and effective.

On the back I added a row of the ever so popular Cluck Cluck Sew hearts.  Allison offers a free tutorial that now includes all different sizes of hearts.  You can fine it here.  She also offers several different patterns that use the heart blocks.  Check them out!

I used a wool/cotton blend batting that I picked up on sale at Joann's. I actually had to pick seeds out of it! I was hesitant to use it but it was all I had so went with it. Turns out it washed up beautifully and I really like the little extra poof of wool with the denser weight of cotton.  The blend is nice.  Now I'll do a little research to see who offers this in a seedless option!

Happy February!

timber quilt

 I'm happy to share my finished Timber quilt!

Pattern is by Alison Glass and available here.  I made the quilt top during a sew along with Nicole from ModernHandcraft in spring 2015!  It's been hanging in a closet waiting to be quilted ever since.  I love it and I'm not sure why it took me so long to finally check this off my WIP (works in progress) list.

The fabrics are all from Carolyn Friedlander and Alison Glass collections.  Old ones!  I posted this photo during the quilt along.  I still love making flying geese blocks with my Quilt in a Day ruler.

I saved some of the fabric and a few blocks I never used in the top and last week I finally sewed them together into a backing.  I attached my walking foot and got to quilting.  I love straight line quilting - horizontal, vertical, diagonal, or any combination of them.

The batting is a cotton wool blend from Pellon.  It made a ton of lint in the dryer after it's first washing but I love the weight and feel of it.  

Six years to complete and I still love it.  That's a win!

I hope you have a win this week, too.  

Thanks for stopping by.

bear in the woods

 I sewed something!  

Nothing like a deadline to motivate me!  Black bears are making a comeback in Northern Michigan so...

when I received this invitation to a baby shower I decided I wanted to try and replicate it - modern quilting style 😉

I started with the bear.  I purchased a pattern by Sew Fresh Quilts knowing I would need to make changes for the bear to fit my quilt. I love a challenge!  My bear is chubbier and has a shorter snout but I think he works.  I used a black Peppered Cotton for the bear and a Grunge print for the background. 

I originally made the buffalo check with a gray linen blend.  While I like the idea of three textures in the plaid - a blue Kona solid, the linen blend, and Peppered Cotton - I decided it was just too dark for a baby quilt.  So at the last minute I changed it up and used the light Grunge print.  I still like that dark plaid though and plan to make more strips and a whole quilt of it...someday!

I used Amy Smart's tutorial for the improv trees.  They're made with Essex linen in Pickle. 

 I used that Pickle on the binding as well.  I like the pop of color and with a single fold binding it's not too thick. The backing is a print from the Frost collection by Sarah Watts.  Love it!

I hope you're enjoying summer.  Watch out for bears! 

summer sampler 2020

I was late to join the Summer Sampler 2020 quilt along and I'm late to finish but...finished it is!

I used an ombré bundle from V Christenson that had been sitting in my stash since 2017.  I purchased it after participating in the Summer Sampler quilt along that year and being inspired by Faith's finish.

I was determined to use only one color in each block.  These ombré fabrics challenged me and I spent a lot of time with each block pattern deciding how to cut the fabric to get the most impact.  I shared them on Instagram and by far the favorite was this Brae block by Devon Iott. It's unique for sure.  It took me two attempts to sort out the ombré and get the curves to work out.  

I'd love to hear in the comments which is your favorite block!

I veered away from the quilt along's suggested lay-out and put my blocks on point.  Those gray setting triangles were scary to cut but I love the effect of the ombré.  (You can see the suggested lay-out and purchase the patterns for the blocks here.)

I used the same gray for the binding.  I needed a half yard and that's exactly what I had left. Phew!  Can you see that the binding ombré is matched side to side and top to bottom?  That's not a happy accident - but it didn't take me too long to figure out. 😉

The beautiful birds on this backing fabric by Tula Pink are a perfect match to the colorful blocks on the front.  A wonderful find!

I used my walking foot to quilt an X that crosses in the center of the quilt.  Then I quilted V's on each side, top, and bottom.  I used a guide to space the lines an inch apart.  I love the texture and balance of the diagonal lines.

This might be the most beautiful quilt I've made to date.  Shortly after I started it last summer my beautiful niece became engaged.  Her happiness was on my heart often as I worked on this project.  It's only fitting that it should be hers.  

Last weekend was her wedding shower and I gifted it then. 

Love is patient, love is kind. 

Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. 

Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. 

It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  

Love never ends.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 CSB

Thanks for stopping by.  Happy spring!

cargo duffle 2

My first finish of 2021 is a Cargo Duffle.

Pattern by Anna Graham and available for free on the Robert Kaufman website.

This is my second time making this pattern.  You can see the first one here.

I sewed from my stash for this.  I had just enough of these Laura Gunn butterflies for a front and back, and even eked out a small zip pouch!

The arrows are an original Cotton and Steel print by Melody Miller.  When the selvage reads this good, I use it!  Leap and the net will appear.  

Look closely, can you spot the Hello Kitty I found for a zipper pull?  

I made this for my granddaughter who just turned 5.  (Those are the planets and sun on her cake.)  

Now she's all set for sleepovers with Nonna! 💖

Happy New Year!