April 27, 2022

Colleen's Sailing Quilt

By    5:04 AM // 1 comment
My client Colleen has become a very proficient piecer in a short amount of time. I always enjoy seeing what she brings me to quilt for her.  This is her bricks quilt using sailing theme fabrics.
Unfortunately it was a rainy, overcast day so I had to take the pics indoors. The colors of the fabrics in this quilt were a lot more vibrant in person.
This is the "before" picture.  You can see here how much brighter the prints were.
When I stitch any quilt, I stop after getting part way on the first pass to look and make sure the design and scale is right for the top.  Unsewing is never fun but I'd rather do it before I get too far along. The design she picked turned out to be just right.
Before long it was done and ready for her to add the binding.
The Surf's Up panto was the choice for this quilt.  It certainly has the look of waves.
This is another view of the stitching which created such lovely movement across the quilt.
Colleen brought a pretty wood look print for the backing fabric.  I just love the shade of Blue.
I don't remember who was going to be the recipient of this pretty quilt but whoever that is, they certainly are lucky to have this quilt for snuggling under.
Thank you Colleen for having me stitch your quilt.  I'm honored to quilt your lovely creations.
 

April 24, 2022

Heartfelt Quilt Along - Darling Block

By    6:34 AM // 2 comments
Last weekend we got out of Dodge for a couple of days and headed to Ocean City, NJ. It was a much needed mini break.  It was a little chilly and really windy on Easter Sunday but we still took a stroll along the beach.  We didn't write this in the sand but we did use it for a photo op. 
Before we headed out, I was able to get the next set of blocks completed for the Heartfelt Quilt Along, hosted by the Fat Quarter Shop.  This is the Darling block.
 
For this quilt along, I've been making 1 block to get the hang of the steps before I make the rest of the batch.  This was the first block completed this round.
Here are the other 4 blocks.  When it works for the pieces needed, I've been having fun diving into my huge pile of charms from the multiple Kate Spain charm swaps I hosted many years ago. 
The variety of prints and colors that I have in that charm square stack is helping me create some really interesting blocks for this quilt along.
These are the February, March and April blocks all together.  I just love all the bright color I see and I'm already getting a little anxious to start laying them out into their final placement.
The block for May will be released in a week so more sewing with pretty fabrics is on the horizon.
 

April 11, 2022

Love Wedding Quilt for Linda and Kevin

By    5:54 AM // No comments
When I received the Save the Date card for the wedding of my friends Linda and Kevin, I knew I wanted to do something special for their wedding gift. 

I found the perfect plan, a kit already in my stash that I had purchased my years before at a quilt shop in northern NJ.  The colors were just right for her decorating theme.
With big blocks and sashing between them, the whole quilt top went together very easily and quick.  Within a couple of days, it was loaded on the frame.
The stitching truly brought this simple quilt pattern to life.
I chose to use one of my favorite wedding/love theme pantos for this - Hubby Love.  Thread was Glide Sky (another favorite) on the top and So Fine Delphinium in the bobbin.
While visiting a few stores in Mass last summer, I purchased a green print for the backing but when I put it next to the quilt top, I didn't like it.  Thankfully I found a beautiful light blue batik in my stash and there was plenty.
The color worked much better than the green fabric would have and as a bonus, it showed off the quilting nicely.
The kit contained way more than needed of the print with the word LOVE on it so I had enough to make matching 20" pillows.  A simple crosshatch stitching design was all that was needed.
They have teenagers at home so I know the pillows will get used a ton.
The newlyweds were thrilled and I know it's already getting snuggled under a lot.
Giving a gift that will be so treasured warms my heart.
 

April 7, 2022

Sailing on the Wind

By    7:30 AM // 2 comments

 Sometimes you make a quilt for someone because you come across a new pattern and/or fabric line that you know instantly is perfect for someone in your life.  That's exactly what happened when I first saw The Regetta by Patchwork Studios.  

You see, my son's best friend Jon's parents, Linda and Tom, have a sailboat on a local lake where they spend practically the entire summer and they graciously invite my son to join them for multiple days at a time over many weekends each year.  They are even teaching him how to sail.  It goes without saying, that when I saw the pattern, I had to make it for them as a small thank you for their continuing generosity year after year.

 It started with these pretty fabrics, Sail Away by Northcott, and the sailboat panel. 

This was another project that was quick and easy to piece together and within a very short time it was done and loaded on the frame.

In process...the quilting really brings so much movement and life to the quilt.
Quilting was done in no time flat and now it just needed the binding.
This is the finished quilt, ready to be gifted.
 
 I really love the way it turned out.  I expect that during the long northeastern winters this quilt would remind them of their summers on the lake and all the memories made there. 
 
 I chose the Seaside panto for this quilt.  Not only was the panto name perfect but the curve reminds me of the ribbons of the wind.
On the water areas, the stitching design looks like the back and forth of the waves.
You can almost feel the breezes in your hair.   
I know I say it all the time, but the stitching just adds such pretty texture. The thread used is Glide Tar Heel on the top and Glide Light Tan on the back.
I used this great anchor print from the same fabric line for the backing.
There was a big piece of the panel left over that I didn't want to waste.  I decided to turn it into a wall hanging that actually fits perfectly on a narrow wall in Linda and Tom's house.
For the quilting, I did organic wavy lines with random spacing. 
The back was also a leftover piece from the quilt so even less bits were added to my scrap bins.
Linda and Tom were completely surprised by the quilt and so thrilled.
It felt great to be able give these quilts to our good friends and I know that during the winter, they dreamed of the day when they get to return to their boat, Without Wind. 

 

April 1, 2022

Always and Forever Table Runners

By    6:00 AM // 1 comment

One of the things that has been very satisfying over the last year and a half has been the fact that I've been able to get a bunch of UFOs finished or previously un-started projects actually made and off my To Make list.  One of the items crossed off the UFO list was the pair table runners I pieced using a charm pack of Always and Forever by Deb Strain for Moda.

The last time I showed these here on the blog was February 2014, so a whopping 8 years ago.

They were both simple piecing but I still like the way they turned out. First up s the runner for our larger table which is in the dining room. It's 14" x 56".

The Love Dance panto is what I stitched on this using Glide White thread.
The detail shows nicely on the back which is a Red tone on tone print I found at a LQS.
This is the smaller runner that is on our kitchen table.  It is 14" x 48".  I created it literally from the scraps leftover from the longer runner and winged the design.
The blocks were pieced randomly and I think I used up almost all the bits so it was a Win, Win.
The one got the Heart Fancy panto stitched onto it using the same Glide White on the front and Glide Cardinal on the back.
I finished these last year, used them this year for a few weeks around Valentine's Day and now they are packed away until next year. 
I hope to delve into the UFO pile again soon to see what else I can get finished and crossed off the list. 

 


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