So Sophie Fat Quarter Quilt

When Jana and I were in Utah helping The Quilted Fish with her Delighted launch party (October 2011), we had the opportunity to visit Cindy and Jina at Riley Blake headquarters.  I believe the day we were at RB headquarters, was the day that So Sophie made its debut, therefore Jana and I were gifted some So Sophie.  I had honestly been waiting for the perfect quilt, to use my So Sophie, and in my eyes a quilt for Kia's sweet Grandma fit the bill.

Just like the Parson Gray World Tour quilt for Kia's Dad, time was extremely tight, so I opted to make a quick fat quarter friendly quilt (Fantastic-O Fat Quarter Quilt, by my friend Gina Halladay). The front is pieced using 12 fat quarters, and quilted with big bubbly flowers, in a rose colored thread.

The back is simple, as I used the small yellow flower print, and used the linear polka dot print for the binding.  Kia's Grandma was over the moon when she opened the quilt, which is reason enough for why I create and sew for others.  :)

Parson Gray World Tour Fat Quarter Quilt

To say that I busy with Christmas sewing this past December, was an understatement.  I'll have to do a couple of blog posts to recap everything I made, but here is a quick breakdown:

2 Lap Quilts

5 Pillowcases

22 Quilted Holiday Pillows (with zippers!)

The first lap quilt I made was for Kia's Dad.  I had planned on making him a quilt for his birthday, as he mentioned that he was interested in a quilt of his own, but during a weak moment, I convinced myself that I could whip one up for him in time for Christmas.

 

Time was tight, so I opted to make a quick fat quarter friendly quilt (Fantastic-O Fat Quarter Quilt, by my friend Gina Halladay).  It's really become my go to quick quilt in a day pattern.  The fabric is World Tour by Parson Gray, which I love as it is very manly, and even has a Persian touch to it.

Needless to say, Kia's dad was stoked when he opened up his quilt, which brought a huge smile to my face.  I love to sew for others, as the recipient's joy always warms my heart!

Belated Wedding Quilt

My sweet friend Alia from college, married her finance Ryan in Portland, in August 2012.  I really wanted to be in attendance at the wedding, but unfortunately I wasn't able to be there to celebrate their big day.  I had grand plans of making a quilt for Alia and Ryan for their wedding, I fervently pieced the quilt top, had it quilted, and then it as time for the binding, which is when I was quickly reminded HOW MUCH I hated hand stitching binding (I know its a horrible excuse, but its the only excuse I have).  

I hate to admit, but the quilt sat quilted, but not binded, in my sewing studio for +/- 14 months after the wedding.  Thankfully I found the time and  motivation to hand stitch the binding before Christmas.

 

The quilt front is pieced using Jeni Baker's Modern Plus Quilt Tutorial.  Fabrics are from the Bold and Beautiful collection by Michelle D'Amore for Bernatex.

I added leftover strips from the quilt front to the back, which makes the back pop in my opinion.  This beauty of a quilt made its way up to Portland, and is being enjoyed by Alia and Ryan!  :)

Five Custom Pillows + One Quilt

Hello Friends!  I have been sewing like a MAD woman, and wanted to share the finished goods with you!  A little over a month a go I went fabric shopping with my boyfriend (no worries, we left still a couple!).  :)  The mission at hand was to pick "manly" fabrics for new custom pillows for his couches.  I found Betz White's Stitch Organic print and used that as the base for all of the pillows.  We methodically selected a handful of fabrics that coordinated with the Stitch Organic print and were soon enough on our merry way!  I made a total of five pillows, with only two using the same pattern.  All pillows are 18" square, and I machine quilted each pillow on my BabyLock.

I made another Tallahassee paper pieced pillow, just like I did for the Pillow Talk Swap!  This time I used the same fabric for the background and flower middles, and really like how it turned out!

I used the Stitch Organic print for the backing of each pillow, and hid the zipper with a coordinating print.

For this pillow, I modified the Coming Home quilt pattern in Camille Roskelley's Simplify book, to make an 18" square pillow.

It's no secret to my family and friends that I have fallen in LOVE with triangle pillows.  I made two this go around, and really thought about keeping one for myself (shhh...don't tell my boyfriend!).  :)

This is the second triangle pillow.  They both coordinate, yet they're so different.

Last but not least, I modified the A Bunch of Crosses pillow pattern from the Pillow Pop book, to fit an 18" pillow form.  You might remember that I made him a Simply Color Cross Quilt for Christmas last year; I love that this pillow echoes the same pattern.

All of the pillows lined up, and ready for their debut on his couch!

I had some leftover fabric and a little time (more fabric than time), and opted to make a quick fat quarter friendly quilt (Fantastic-O Fat Quarter Quilt, by my friend Gina Halladay).

 

 

I also added a little hand embroidery (I couldn't pass up the opportunity!).

Dr. Seuss Birthday Quilt

One month into 2013, and I have one finished quilt under my belt- not too shabby!  I love Dr. Seuss, and the fact that I read his books as a child and now my friend's kids are enjoying them.

My sweet friend Kiara's son turned one, and had a Dr. Seuss themed birthday party to celebrate!  Once I spotted the sweet Robert Kaufman Dr. Seuss fabrics on Etsy, I knew that a Dr. Seuss Birthday Quilt was in order for the big party!

I used Patchwork Plaza's One Block Two Block Red Block Blue Block quilt pattern.  Kiara and I took laid out the fabric, and then I whipped up the quilt in a day or so.  There are hardly any matching seams, thus the quick sewing!

My friend Joyce did the long arm quilting for me.  I love the circles and the choice of yellow thread. 

The quilt is backed with all of Dr. Seuss' book titles, and bound in a red and white stripe.  The quilt is so fun and colorful- perfect for a one year old!  :)

Simply Color Plus Quilt

Its so hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone!  This beauty of a quilt was a Christmas gift for a very special guy.  I've always found it hard to select fabrics for a manly quilt, let alone a Christmas present for someone special...like a boyfriend!

I went to a local quilt shop one day at lunch, looking for the perfect "manly fabric" (although I was skeptical that such even existed), when I stumbled upon a selection of Simply Color by V and Co. (only green, blue, and gray - paired with Moda Bella Solids).  I went home and thought about what I had seen at the quilt store, and while rummaging through my stash I found an unopened fat quarter bundle of Simply Color, that I had picked up at Sample Spree in Kansas City, MO (Spring 2012).  With that, the "manly quilt" was born.



I used In Color Order's Plus Quilt Tutorial for the pattern, and most definitely recommend it.  I'll be the first to admit that cutting 320 4.5" square is not something to write home about, but the end result most definitely is (wouldn't you agree?)!

I started this quilt well after Thanksgiving, with the goal of having it completed for Christmas (which I accomplished- thank.you.very.much!).  The cutting took time, sewing the quilt together was quick.  My sweet friend Joyce did the long arm quilting for me, and I took the time to hand stitch the binding (which I finished Christmas Eve morning).

Detailed view of the long arm quilting, the chevron stripe binding (my favorite) and the backing.

Another detailed view of the pieced top and long arm quilting- love!!!

Bestie Quilt Along - Details

Besties are great, aren't they!?!  Way back when, I had a brilliant idea of having identical Bestie quilts, you know so that you can snuggle "with your Bestie" wherever you are!  

Cue the music for the introduction of the Bestie Quilt Along (QAL for short!).

I, along with my quilting Besties Jana and Jackie are hosting a Bestie Quilt Along- are you interested!?!  The details are quite simple.  Select fabric and a quilt pattern with your Bestie, and make identical quilts!  For this QAL, Jana, Jackie, and I will be using Flea Market Fancy by Denyse Schmidt, and the Swoon Quilt Pattern by Camille Roskelley.  The best part, is that there isn't a rigid QAL schedule that you need to keep up with, just sew at your pace and know that others are rooting for you to finish.  

Feel free to use the fabric and pattern that we're using, or come up with your own combination- the choice is totally up to you!  Need some help?  What about Simply Color by V and Co. paired with In Color Order's Plus Quilt?  Or Flutter by The Quilted Fish paired with Oh, Kaye (or Fantastic-O Fat Fun) by Threaded Pear Studio? Or Chicopee by Denyse Schmidt paired with Stitched in Color's Scrap Attack Triangle Quilt?

I'd love to hear if you're interested in joining; simply leave a comment below and I'll work on setting up a Flickr Group, so that we can share progress photos!  :)

Coming Soon - Bestie Quilt Along!!!

 

Details to follow, tomorrow morning!  :)

Reunion Twister Quilt- Finished + Sewing Tips

This quilt has been completed for some time too, however I just never got around to posting photos.  Remember the long arm quilting drama that this quilt put me through?  Long story short, the backing was not taut on the long arm machine, thus folded over onto itself creating unsightly blemishes- fail!  I could either live with it (although my perfectionist self would never allow that) or unpick two rows of perfectly quilted circles.  With the help of my mom, I chose the latter.  It took about two weeks or so until the quilt was completely unpicked (not bad, right!).  :)

The quilt was made using the Twister tool by CS Designs.  The fabric consists of a Reunion layer cake, by Sweetwater, and some yardage (refer to the free quilt pattern that comes with the Twister tool for details).

Here is the finished quilt, in all its glory (its had a rough life- see above!).  I opted to wash the quilt after I completed the binding, and all of the holes from the unpicking disappeared- magic!

Here's the back- bunting and chevron stripes, what more could a girl ask for?  :)

Here is a close up of the circles that were quilted by me on a long arm.  Between you and me, the circle pattern is my go to pattern, as I know it will never disappoint!

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If you're interested in making a quilt with the Twister tool, I have a couple of pointers/progress photos for you.

The first step is to sew the 10" squares (layer cake) together, along with the border.  Its amazing to watch the transformation from boring squares to pinwheels.  Its like presto change-o!

For all of the perfectionists out there- here is my #1 tip.  When adding the borders to the 10" block quilt top (see first photo in 'tips' section) make sure to line up the seams.  This photo is an example of what not to do.

This photo is an example of what to do!  :)

If the seams are not lined up, when you cut the pinwheels, you will end up with weird corner seams, as shown in the photo above.

When cutting around the Twister tool, make sure to not cut too far beyond the tool, as there isn't much play room.  If you do cut too far, your next block will have cut marks.  You'll get the hang of how far is 'too far' very quickly!  I also found that using the tool to cut along the fourth side (where the words are in this photo) was too difficult with the angle, etc.  I found that placing my ruler against the tool, removing the tool, and using the ruler to cut along the fourth side was much more efficient.

Once the blocks are cut, make sure you have a design wall, or somewhere to organize the blocks once they are twisted.  I opted to add a small border, although the pattern didn't call for it.  I hope that my tips help should you make your own Twister quilt!

Summer Love- Pick-a-Bunch Quilt

Well, its been well over a month since I finished this fun quilt, but I figure its never too late to share a fun summer quilt, especially with the crazy triple digit weather- right?

I originally blogged about the fabric and quilt pattern back in February.  Have I mentioned that I drag my feet when it comes to binding?  :)  Let's just say that this quilt sat for a couple of weeks (okay, months!) after I quilted it on the long arm.

This is the first time I've incorporated solids into one of my quilts, and I love the splash of color!

I normally like to add a little something special to the backing, but with such a busy front, I opted for uniform back.  I also used green polka dot fabric for the binding, oh how I LOVE polka dots!  :)

Here is a close up of the fun flowers that were quilted by me on a long arm.  I love that the flowers mimic the flowers featured in the fabric.  Its hard to tell, but I quilted with purple thread, to tie everything together.

With summer coming to an end (boo!  Or maybe its a good thing if you get to have more sewing/craft time when your little ones are at school!) what are you working on?