Boston Lobsters

I can't find the words to describe how much I love this quilt. LOVE. 

Isn't she perfect!? I made this quilt for my manager who is having a baby boy in about a month. She loves Lobsters, Boston, and the Red Sox. When I found this lobster print (which I'm hoping really is lobsters and NOT crawfish), it just seemed perfect. When I was looking for fabric to go with it, I came across a Reunion Jelly Roll (by Sweetwater for Moda) I had in my stash, which complements it perfectly - so many great navys and reds.

Just a simple 16-patch that I strip-pieced and then alternated with the lobster squares. In case you are interested, these are 8-inch finished blocks, so this is somewhere around a 40x40 quilt.

I just did a simple stipple for the quilting, and did machine binding.

Aren't they cute!?

Civil War Quilt Top Finish

This has been a long time coming....at least ten years worth! I participated in a $5 quilt top class a summer probably back in 2002. The idea went something like this: $5 for your first block kit and instructions. If you came back the next week with the block done, you got the next block kit for free and so on. Well, I did the blocks each week, but never put the darn thing together - I even had the sashing, border, and backing fabrics purchased!

I went back to the store the other day to show the owner. She was delighted to see that I was finishing up this one. At one point, she even went so far as to refer to this as "vintage." Not sure it qualifies just yet, but she's well on her way!

Here she is:

 

This will not be going down as my most technically well done quilt ever. Not even close. (It really is a mess!) This class, at the time, was probably a little much for me. But I'm proud of it and I'm even more proud that I went back and finished this one. 

This is also my first and only quilts using civil war fabrics. They are really growing on me. I recently purchased a set to do a second quilt top in, so be on the lookout for another civil war/muddy color top from me. 

I'm thinking since this was a sampler quilt, that I will try out some new quilting designs on each block - a quilting sampler. Hopefully it won't take me another ten years to get the quilting done =)

Happy New Year!

Aidan's Baby Quilt

It seems I always know someone pregnant. I should learn to accept that I will always be making a baby quilt or two. As a matter of fact, I have three other women in my life pregnant right now, so I'll have plenty of baby quilt posts in the upcoming weeks.

I found this cute line from Bernartex, called Mischief which I thought was just perfect for mom and dad to be. I did just an easy strip-type quilt...the fabric was just too cute to cut up!

I used the cute green on green polkadots for the backing.

In case anyone is wondering, these pictures were taken back in early September if I remember correctly. We are covered with snow right now!
 

Such cute fabric! I'm partial to the pirate dude...my son loves pirates so we have been very pirate friendly the last few years.

My First Lone Star

My quilting goal this past year has been to challenge myself (my goal next year is to actually quilt and finish all these wonderful tops I've been making!). I'm a sucker for easy and quick patterns with modern, fun fabrics. But after awhile, I was getting bored.

Here is the finished quilt top for my very first lone star quilt.

Before you become too impressed with my mad skills, this was pieced using what I describe as the "cheater method." I used a jelly roll and followed a pattern out of the Jelly Roll Quilts book:

This means I didn't have to do any of that pesky y-seam piecing shananagins. I simply sewed some strips together, then cut at an angle, sewed strips together again, and wall-lah! 8 diamond chunks to sew together for each star. I would show a picture from the book that shows this technique but that is probably illegal, so I won't. Just know it sure as heck was quicker and easier than the traditional method.

First step, selecting strips to go together for each of the four stars. Sounds easier than it was. I had plenty of brain fart moments trying to figure out which color went where to end up in the finished star how I wanted it.

Here are my four sets of strips:

First star done:

All four done, sans sashing and border:

And another shot of the final top:

The fabric used was a jelly roll of Hometown by Sweetwater for Moda. No clue how I will quilt this baby.

The Ghastlies

I just got done with another wonderful weekend at CJ's Quilt Retreats. I was able to finish three quilt tops, almost a fourth (just have a little bit of sashing left), and start one additional project. So much fun! Love quilt retreats!

Here is what very well be may be my favorite quilt of all time...not just that I've done, but ever in the history of quilts. Just love this!

I have been admiring The Ghastlies by Alexander Henry for a couple years now, but I already had a Halloween quilt in the works and just wasn't sure I should start another one until I finished the first one. But, like any good quilter, I realized how foolish I was being and went ahead and picked up some yardage a couple weeks ago. 

I didn't really have a plan, other than I had to have this fabric. Then I was flipping through some quilt books for inspiration...and it hit. Strawberry Fields from Material Obsession. This pattern is by Sarah Fielke and it is fabulous.

It had a big center piece - 10 inch squares for each main center block - that would show off the wonderful Ghastlie family, and some fun additional piecing. I wanted a bit of a challenge. I think it complements the fabrics and showcases The Ghastlies perfectly.

I can't wait to do this pattern again...maybe in something less scary next time!

How much fun are these guys!

Can't Wait!

Don't you just love the excitement of a new project with the most awesome fabrics!? I do!

I picked these up at a local quilt store the other day thinking I would use them for a sunflower quilt I am doing at my upcoming quilt retreat this fall. However, after thinking about it, I don't think these fabrics will be right for the pattern. The pattern uses an unfinished raw edge for the sunflowers, and I think these fabrics would look better in a more polished pattern. I may have found just the right pattern, but am not ready to commit yet.

For right now, I'm just going to enjoy these beautiful fabrics. I could just sit and look at them all day.

I think the large flower pattern and a couple of fat quarters are from Free Spirit, and most of the fat quarters (and pink dots) are from the Lucy's Crabshack by Sweetwater for Moda. There may be some Reunion by Sweetwater for Moda as well. I don't know. I just LOVE THEM ALL.

That green bird fabric is the only one I'm a bit unsure of. It was on the ultra-ULTRA sale rack, and I got all three yards for only $6. Couldn't pass it up. Just not 100% this is the right fabric or not to be a border for this project.

Getting Back On Track

 

I purchased this quilt kit quite awhile ago and finally got the top together. It is Cluck Cluck Sew's Off Track quilt pattern and the kit was put together by Material Girls (in South Jordan, Utah). This is a jelly roll friendly quilt pattern.

Just loved the fabrics they picked out for this!

It came together very quickly and easily once I figured out what to do (my mother can vouch that I was never great at following instructions).

I can't wait to get this one on the quilt machine. I'm thinking of just an all-over meandering pattern of some sort. Of course, I need to find a backing fabric first. Probably should have picked out my favorite fabric from the kit (which is the white and turquoise striped fabric) and gotten it at the time, but that is life.