36-Patch Quilt Top Completed

I actually expanded my design wall to accomodate this massive project - 36-patch blocks made out of Denyse Schmidt fabrics.  I haven't done a lot of "progress" blog posts on this because I wasn't sure how I felt about this project and I couldn't decide whether I even liked it.  I was inspired by our guild's challenge to use precious fabrics that we've been reluctant to cut into.  I used up the last of some of my KJR, FMF, and Hope Valley - I'll admit it was a little painful!

 

Sewing the 30 blocks together had to be done quickly- I snagged the opportunity on a Saturday morning when my husband was still gone on a campout and Charlotte was having her morning nap.  I cleared some space on our living room floor and got to work!

 

 

I did enjoy pulling fabric combinations together - I strived for high contrast and competing values within the pairs of fabrics rather than going for real "matchy-matchy."  I knew I didn't want to sash the blocks and that if I planned to put them close together, side by side, they better be able to stand on their own.

I couldn't get a great picture of it and Nick wouldn't agree to go on the roof, as he has done before to help me showcase large quilt tops.  It measures 90 x 108.  Not all of the points match up - there are 1,080 3" squares after all and I am no perfectionist.  Once I have this quilted and bound - I am sure I will know better whether I really like this quilt.  Sometimes - when I work on something for a while, I get really sick of it and it's hard to know if I feel it was really worth it.

WIP Wednesday

Even though I haven't finished any of the hexagon projects I started a few years ago, I decided to start a new one using Little Apples and coordinates from my stash.  Making these rosettes is so therapeutic during this cold winter.  I especially love the 1.5" size and I don't mind basting or sewing them together.  I am going to make the quilt on the cover of Hexa-go-go- the pattern is a combination of appliqued hexagon rosettes and string blocks. 

I am also working on a monster project that I don't know if I love or hate - details to come soon.

Madrona Road Challenge

I have been waiting for two slow online orders to arrive in order to continue my work on some recent wips.  In the meantime, I did something that I don't usually do: tackle a project way before the deadline. 

 

I made my project for the BMQG Madrona Road challenge.  Michael Miller fabrics generously sent our guild two yards of 7 different Madrona Road prints - they were divided among 14 guild members who signed up.  We were allowed to make anything we wanted so long as we didn't add any other prints.  I love the "Manhattan Purse" pattern - I think I have used it at least 7 times now - examples are here, here, and here.

 A good friend had asked me to make her the same purse with the fabrics she had purchased.  I don't often agree to sew other's peoples projects for them - but she is such a sweetheart and I knew it wouldn't take me too long to do - so I agreed:

Here they are together, with their matching "pocket clutches" that I couldn't resist making:

I also went ahead and finally organized my scraps.  Previously, I had stored them at my parent's house (long story short: we are quickly growing out of our apartment with the addition of the baby - an issue we hope to remedy soon!) but found that I always needed them for something.  It's such a pain to cut a chunk out of yardage when you only need a little piece for a project....  now they are sorted by color in tupperware-like containers arranged in the changing table (you've got to be creative when space is limited - beforehand, those shelves were mostly empty with a outgrown outfits lying on them.)

p.s. I know you were all planning to rush to the newsstands to get the newest issue of Quilty to see my project therein - well, I only recently learned my first project that was supposed to be in the January is slated for a later issue.  I will keep you posted!

2012 Wrap Up

Free time has been really limited lately, so please forgive the tardiness of this 2012 wrap-up post.  Pictured above is a snapshot of the ornaments I received from the ornament swap I had organized.  Thanks to all those who participated - it was a lot of fun and I really love all of them. 

In 2012, there were many highlights.  Instead of a statistical breakdown, here are a few highlights from my family life and sewing adventures:

• I had a baby girl!  Our leap-day princess has made life so much more sweet.
• I finished 15 quilts but seemed to focus more so on non-quilty items like baby things, a little home dec, and gifts.
• The Boston Modern Quilt Guild hosted an amazing quilt show at the Lowell Quilt Festival.  It was a fabulous opportunity and our guild really came through in collaborating to put on a great show.
• I had the opportunity to design a quilt for one of my most favorite fabric designers: Anne Kelle of Robert Kaufman fabrics.  It was no small feat to complete the Christmas Trees quilt when I had a newborn, but I did it and it was worth it!
• They aren't coming out till this year (2013) but I submitted some work to Quilty and two quilts were accepted and will be published in the Jan/Feb and May/June issues.

For 2013, I would like to set some goals other than the typical "use up my stash" and "finish UFOs."  Here are my ideas:

• Always have a hand-sewing project going.
• Don't be afraid of the color black - use it dominantly in at least one quilt.
• Make something with a zipper.
• Use up some of my "precious fabrics" including Liberty Lifestyle, City Weekend, and Flower Sugar.
• Make a quilt out of some of my fabrics from Uganda.
• Make some couch pillows - using the "boppy" at an odd angle to rest my head in the living room is getting old!
• Be generous in making things for others - I used to shy away from this because of a bad experience when someone completely ignored a handmade baby gift I had sent them.  It's time to get over that and use my talents to help others!

I hope everyone has a great year.  Thanks for subscribing.

Lizzy House Rainbow Quilt Completed!

When I first discovered fun, modern fabrics - I knew I liked the fabrics by Lizzy House.   Her designs are so whimsical and especially appropriate for children - girls and boys.  I also ADORE the pearl bracelet print and I am thrilled they are now available in so many colors!  Anyway, these fabrics have been sitting for too long - I combined prints from the Red Letter Day, Castle Peeps, 1001 Peeps, Hello Pilgrim - and there are even a few Outfoxed and Lizzy Dish prints in there!

 I cut 4" x 7" rectangles from my fat quarter pieces - it is a size that creates very little waste for this type of design.  This quilt actually gave me more trouble than I would like to admit - let's just say that squaring it up may have been more of an adventure than I truly cared for.  I was working on this during a very sleep-deprived couple of weeks thanks to a baby with a cold and a preschooler who finally discovered how to climb out of his bed.

 A while ago, I picked up several yards of this castle print (on sale of course), which I used for backing and I bound the whole quilt in a Hello Pilgrim stripe.  I did a simple, hurried stipple over the whole quilt using my home machine.

I have lots of leftovers of these fabrics- not sure what to do with them but they will probably be helpful in making some baby quilts in the future. 

Happy New Year!

Just a quick post to share what I have been working on: a rainbow Lizzy House quilt for my children.  Gregory's enthusiasm for it so far has just been adorable!  One of my goals this year is to sew with the children's fabrics that I own - I don't want a pile of Ed Emberley or Children at Play to be languishing in my stash when my kids are teenagers!