Tuesday, October 3, 2017

giraffes

My dear friend is all about giraffes.  I'm not sure why but she is.  She is expecting her first grandson soon so when I saw Lorna introduce her Giraffes In A Row pattern I knew immediately what I would make the baby.
I choose solids from my stash for the giraffes and Andover chambray in black for the background. 
Reminder:  when you use a fabric where the warp and weft threads are different you need to pay attention to which way you place the fabric.  I may have had to re-do a few of those ears to keep everything going the same direction...worth it!

I adjusted the heights of my giraffes to make a long narrow crib sized quilt.  This one finishes at 39" wide by 50" tall.  Super easy to adjust this darling pattern.
I used a thin Hobbs cotton batting that I found at a sweet quilt shop when we made a quick stop while traveling through Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  Their Row by Row license plate reads I Pine to Quilt.  If you've ever traveled through the UP you'd totally get it and would probably have bought one too!
Back to the batting - it quilted beautifully and I will definitely be using it again.

 I quilted this with what I'm now calling jagged little lines.  It's time consuming but not hard and I really love the texture and look it produces.  

For the backing I used this alphabet print from the Baby Jungle collection also by Andover.  
I didn't have enough of any of the solids I used in the giraffes for the binding and couldn't find anything in my stash I liked for both sides so returned to this tutorial for a two sided binding.  Again, the extra effort was worth it.
One of my favorite finishes ever!

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16 comments:

  1. PaigeOctober 3, 2017 at 8:56 PM

    Oh, Karen, it's so cute! They are perfect on that background. I understand your pain working with cross-weaves and the direction. Your friend will be thrilled!

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  2. Vicki in MNOctober 4, 2017 at 5:14 AM

    It's just simply adorable, and I am a giraffe lover so of course I love it.

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    1. Karen @runsewfunOctober 5, 2017 at 9:06 AM

      Thank you, Vicki. I didn't realize how much I loved them till I made this! My friend is so into them even here license plate reads "giraffe"!

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  3. Lorna McMahonOctober 4, 2017 at 5:41 AM

    This is such a cute rendition of the Giraffes in a Row! I love that you modified it to suit the added length you wanted for this quilt. The jagged quilting is beautiful and the binding is lovely too. Thanks for sharing the link to the tutorial!

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    1. Karen @runsewfunOctober 5, 2017 at 9:09 AM

      Thank you, Lorna. This pattern is a winner for sure! So many ways to adjust for length and width by adding and subtracting. Well done!

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  4. KerryOctober 4, 2017 at 6:02 AM

    Lovely - and thanks for the binding tip - very handy to know. :D

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    1. Karen @runsewfunOctober 5, 2017 at 9:10 AM

      Thanks, Kerry. This is the third time I've used this method. It works perfectly. I hope you try it sometime.

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  5. FlourishingPalmsOctober 4, 2017 at 6:46 AM

    Really a cute pattern for a baby! I think it's especially nice because you used solids. They're my new favorite!

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    1. Karen @runsewfunOctober 5, 2017 at 9:15 AM

      Thanks, Linda. I find I'm using solids more and more, too. I've started marking the color names on the selvages and am wishing I'd started doing this sooner!

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  6. JennyOctober 4, 2017 at 8:16 PM

    Very nice indeed, and I'm sure your friend and the new baby will love it!!!

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    1. Karen @runsewfunOctober 5, 2017 at 9:16 AM

      Thank you, Jenny. I gifted it last weekend at the baby shower to lots of "oooo's and ahhh's"!

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  7. HeideOctober 7, 2017 at 12:50 PM

    What an adorable quilt! Love the photo with the shadow of leaves. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Karen @runsewfunOctober 8, 2017 at 11:57 AM

      Thanks, Heide. I love that shadow, too. I wish I had seen it while I was taking the photos. I would have zoomed in closer with the lens to get a clearer view. Thanks for stopping by.

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  8. tahoe34October 7, 2017 at 11:30 PM

    Just beautiful, Karen. Did you use the same color thread throughout the quilt top for the quilting?

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    1. Karen @runsewfunOctober 8, 2017 at 12:09 PM

      I did. I used Aurifil 40 wt in Dove Gray (2600). I love it and use it a lot for quilting. It blends with just about everything. The cones are pricey but they last a long time.

      Delete

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