“Earth Movers” Baby Quilt Finished!

What inspires you to make a quilt? A patchwork design you want to try? A seasonal motif? The need for a gift or decor item? Fabric? (Fabric designers and manufacturers are counting on the latter!)

Fabric was definitely the inspiration for the “Earth Movers” baby quilt. I acquired the central fat quarter in a pack labeled “Gray.” Gray? Well, I guess the roads are gray, but not much else reads gray in that fat quarter! I considered fussy cutting the trucks and signs to include in an “I Spy” quilt, but the vehicles are larger than my other “I Spy” patches. What to do with this “gray” fat quarter? Then, when I received a trucks and diggers with light green background in a fat quarter drawing last month at my guild, I was inspired to combine the two fabrics in a baby quilt.

After squaring up the central fat quarter, I added a gray “roadway” border and a border of red print. Alternating a light blue print with the squares and rectangles of the truck print stretched my fat quarter into an interesting border. And binding with the red print finished the quilt nicely.

I met my personal challenge of using every bit of the two “Earth Movers” fat quarters in making this fun baby boy quilt. I think I might try this design idea again with a large floral print or Disney princess print for a little girl!

By the way, “Earth Movers” was one of the 12 projects Trinity and I finished on her recent visit. Several of you guessed 12, but Karen P. was the first to respond with that number. Karen, would you like a couple of fat quarters of batik fabrics or a couple of fat quarters of Tula Pink fabric?

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Quilting Retreat for Two

About a week ago our daughter Trinity arrived with a backpack full of quilt tops she planned to complete while visiting us. The weather was chilly and rainy – the perfect incentive to stay indoors and quilt. We kept my longarm humming!

On the far left, you can see the Texas themed quilt, a raffle quilt for grandson Keith’s junior class to benefit the prom. We also finished a quilt for her son, Kaleb, who is now over six feet tall and needs a longer bed quilt. And then, there was the stack of baby quilt tops, all completed now. Did you notice the plum and blue star table runner on the top of the pile? Trinity’s visit coincided with a runner class I taught at Sew There! Quilts and More. Teamwork had Trinity longarming while I machine sewed binding on the quilt previously finished.

We’re offering a fabric and quilt pattern prize for the first person who correctly guesses how many projects we completed on our retreat for two. Write a number in your comment below.

Toward the end of her stay, we went shopping, yes, for fabric for two more quilts, and also for a suitcase. Trinity came with a backpack of tops and left with a suitcase full of completed quilts!

Holiday Mystery Quilt–Clue #2 Published

Are you joining the fun of the Holiday Mystery Quilt published by The Quilting Company? I designed the quilt with YOU in mind! Basic patchwork units combine to make a spectacular sofa quilt, perfect for gifting or for decorating your home for the holidays.

Here are my fabrics from Maywood Studio’s “Poinsettia and Pine” line. You can see that I selected a large scale print containing several colors for my theme fabric. The white tone-on-tone is for background, and then I have selected the red, black, and green prints to coordinate with the colors in the theme print. Some of the Mystery Quilt participants have posted pictures of their fabric selections on the group Facebook page: snowmen, snowy forest scenery, cardinals, as well as holiday foliage. All will work well. This design will be striking in non-holiday fabrics, too.

 

The clues are posted once a week on The Quilting Company’s blog. Last week’s post contained an introduction, fabric requirements, and Clue #1 – cutting instructions. Clue #2, hot off the press, describes a speedy way for piecing 8 Triangle Squares at a time. Check it out!

It’s not too late to begin the mystery – you will catch up quickly. The revelation of the finished quilt is 13 December. I think you’ll be pleased and surprised.

Here’s the link for Clue #2. Please join the Facebook group:  #TQCMysteryQuilt. Post pictures of your fabrics, ask questions, and encourage other participants.

Quilting Quickly Magazine Winner

Congratulations to Jennifer Johnston for winning a copy of the Nov/Dec 2018 issue of Quilting Quickly. This is the Fons & Porter magazine which features quilt projects made from pre-cuts. In fact, the magazine will change its name to Pre-cut Patchwork with the Jan/Feb 2019 issue.

If your newsstand is sold out of this awesome holiday issue, click here to link to The Quilting Company website and order a copy.

Thanks to all of you who commented with a favorite activity or game your family or group plays during the winter holidays. I’ve collected all the ideas for you to read; maybe you’ll adopt one or two for your celebrations this year.

After setting up the Christmas tree, play Monopoly. English crackers/snapper favors at the beginning of the dinner. The game Left, Right, Center with money or lottery ticket prizes. Board games and Bunco. Making candy together – chocolate covered butter toffee was a favorite. Playing music at a church service. A poem with many “rights” and “lefts” as the way to pass gifts at a quilt guild party. Ring in the New Year with a month by month timeline of momentous events throughout the past year. Fireworks at midnight. 

And now for a little eye candy . . .

As you know, my quilted table runner, “Chroma Keys,” was featured in Quilting Quickly.

I also replicated the design with a package “Hearthside Holiday” of 5″ squares. Whereas the colors of “Chroma Keys” move from one end of the runner to the other, the matching fabrics of “Hearthside Holiday” work outward from the center. No matter the way you configure your rectangles and squares, I hope you’ll try this quick and easy pattern. If you do, please send me a picture! (aby.quilts@gmail.com)

The Four Point Star design that I used when making the “Jolly Holly Days” runner (also featured in the magazine) can work wonderfully as a full quilt design. My friend Judy B. made this lovely quilt.

Happy Sew/Quilting!

Holiday Mystery Quilt – Clue #1 Published

The Quilting Company conspired with me to design a Holiday Mystery Quilt, and Clue #1 is online today! Here is the link to The Quilting Company’s blog where you’ll find a clue each week. The big reveal is 13 December.

Yes, I have been working behind the scenes, keeping mum about this project. But now I can show you the beautiful fabrics I selected from Maywood Studio, “Poinsettia and Pine.”

I will give you several hints — The quilt is traditional in design, 70″ x 70″ in size. There are not millions of tiny pieces in this quilt. It is composed of basic patchwork units.

If you are clueless about what is entailed in making a mystery quilt . . . On the onset, you won’t be shown a picture of the completed quilt, but you’ll be instructed about how much fabric to purchase/glean from stash. Clue #1 of this mystery also includes cutting instructions for all the clues. Next week Clue #2 walks you, step-by-step, through making part of the quilt. And so forth through Clue #5. On December 13 Clue #6 shows the complete project and details how to use the elements sewn in Clues #2-#5 to construct the quilt.

You can do this! Please join the fun!

“Chroma Keys” and “Jolly Holly Days” Published

Have you seen the November/December 2018 issue of Quilting Quickly magazine? It contains sew many lovely projects both for Christmas decorating and gifting. And if you’ve already planned projects to keep you sewing until Christmas Eve, there are several non-holiday designs to keep you creatively creating well into the New Year.

Two of my table runners with accompanying placemats are published in the issue!

“Jolly Holly Days” was made from the “Christmas Figs” collection by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda Fabrics. I began with a package of 5″ charm squares and added a cream background with green snowflakes. The line includes springs of holly on a red background; I chose this for an outer border. And bright green sashing adds punch to the composition. The runner was so quickly made, I added four placemats to the ensemble. I hope you’ll try this festive design.

For “Chroma Keys,” I challenged myself to make a table runner with a package of “5” charm squares plus yardage for sashing strips and binding. I chose the “Grunge Hits the Spot” line by BasicGrey for Moda Fabrics because it contains every shade of the rainbow. Grunge black really helps the colors sparkle. For the rectangles, I placed cool colors on the ends of the runner and moved to warm colors in the center of the runner. I experimented with color progression and gained advice from the magazine editor, Eileen Fowler. To add interest, I reversed the line up of the colors of the squares. A happy discovery was having enough leftover charm squares to make two placemats. “Chroma Keys” would enliven the decor of your New Year’s Eve party.

I have one copy of Quilting Quickly to give away. To be in the drawing, leave a comment describing a favorite Christmas or New Year’s party game/activity. I’ll draw the winner on Monday, 12 November.

 

Jelly Roll Quilt Update

Saturday, September 15 was “National Sew a Jelly Roll Quilt Day” . . . but Hurricane Florence negated my plans to sew the hours away. Using generator power, I sewed only one block and determined to make the other 29 on Wednesday sew days at my church. You can read about the beginning of my project here.

I am happy to report that all 30 blocks are made, and I’ve begun sewing the columns together! It feels great to be on the home stretch with this project because, true to form, I’ve got several other quilt-y ideas that would be perfect to take along for Wednesday sew days!