Hands2Help Quilts...Finished

Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

is hosting her annual

Hands2Help event again this year.

I participated for the first time last year

and am happy to help again this year.

As mentioned in a previous blog post,

I'm sending my quilts to
Jack's Basket.

This is an organization that sends love baskets

to parents of newborns with Down syndrome.

I was able to make two quilts for Jack's Basket.

This quilt was made using the "Moda Love Quilt" pattern.

I had a charm pack that was waiting to be used

and it worked so well with this pattern.

The second quilt is done and ready to be mailed.

This one was made from a pattern called 

"Speedy Baby 2"

and went together in a snap.

The fabric for the middle is just gorgeous.

The photo just doesn't do it justice.

I didn't use the outer border because the quilt

would have been too big for what Jack's Basket wants.

I had fun quilting water in the middle of this one.

The same fabric was used for the backing

and looks like a huge aquarium.

This shows the fun quilting I did in the different borders.

These two quilts will be mailed off to Jack's Basket soon.

Happy Quilting!

Project Bags

Since I've cleared a few piles of things from my cutting table,

I allowed myself to play with a new project.

I have seen the pattern for these project bags before

and finally decided it was time to make some.

I used this pattern and decided to use just one fabric for the entire bag.

The fabric I used has several different "areas", so it looks like I used

several fabrics.

Once I read through the pattern several times,

I began to cut the fabric and vinyl.

The vinyl was a bit of a challenge to sew,

but the bags went together pretty easily.

This is the largest bag...

16x16"

The largest bag is on the right

with the next in size on the left.

The left bag is 13x13".

 

The way the pattern designer installs the zipper

is really easy and you end up with a very nice finish on the inside.

There are two more sizes on the pattern that I plan to make at some point.

For now I'll enjoy using these bags.

Happy Quilting!

Playing With Scrap Strips

Last year I cut a million 1 1/2" strips to make the quilt below:

This quilt has recently been sent off to be quilted....FINALLY!!

In the meantime,

I have a box with so many scrappy strips left

and didn't know what to do with them.

The other night I was cruising the internet

and found this pattern that uses 1 1/2" scrappy strips

and it was calling my name!

The pattern is called

"Piece-full Days"

by Ruth Ann Sheffield.

(image taken from the equilters website at the link above.)

Since these are reproduction prints,

(not my favorite!)

I just had to use Maisie, 

my new to me featherweight sewing machine,

to sew the blocks together.

The sewing began and I'm gathering a stack of fun blocks.

When I started making these blocks,

I thought I would just put them all together to make a quilt

and not use the outer border or HST sashing around the blocks in the pattern.

 

After putting the blocks on my wall,

they DEFINITELY need a border to stop the madness.

I'm not sure that I'll use the HST borders,

but will remain open to the possibility.

 

It's nice to just pick strips and sew and then trim to size.

 

I had a bunch of "bits" after sewing a number of blocks

and decided to use them all in a block.

I should have several of these since I have to trim all of the blocks

once they are sewn.

This will be a project that I'll work on from time to time.

There's no rush to get this one finished

and the scrappy strips aren't going anywhere!

Happy Quilting!

 

Hands2Help Quilt

Last year I particpated in Sarah's wonderful

Hands2Help

for the first time.

Hands2Help is a way for quilters to

connect with and donate quilts to various

organizations that Sarah supports

or we can send quilts to an organization of our own choosing.

Sarah organizes everything and does a wonderful job.

This year one of the organizations receiving quilts is

Jack's Basket.

 

This organization supports parents of newborns with Down syndrome.

This charity hits near and dear to my heart

since my older daughter has Down syndrome. 

To receive this basket of love and support must be

like a huge hug to the parents of these precious little ones.

I have the top finished for one of the quilts I will be sending to

Jack's Basket.

You know me....

I do not make your typical baby quilts.

I had the fabrics for the outer square border,

but needed a focus fabric for the inside block

When I saw this awesome ocean print,

I knew I had found what I wanted.

 

 

The fish in this print are awesome!

So colorful and vibrant.

 

My husband always says my baby quilts will 

certainly keep the babies awake!

This will be quilted and mailed with the

quilt I made a while ago for a little girl.

A post of both quilts will be done once I have this one quilted.

Happy Quilting!

Sunshine Pillow

Happy May Day!

I have a quick finish to share on this first day of May.

And where did April go, by the way?!?

This pillow was made from the scraps left from

"You Are My Sunshine".

Straight line quilting was all that was needed on this pillow.

It went so quickly and was done in a flash.

 

 I love this design with HST's.

Another pillow or two like this may be in my future.

The photo doesn't capture the true color of the back.

It's a brighter orange in person.

This pillow is brightening up the corner of my couch. :)

Happy Quilting!

Another Pile Gone

Over the past few weeks I have been making quilt blocks,

but not finishing the tops.

Last week one pile was sewn into a top,

which now awaits quilting.

Over the weekend another pile was sewn into a top

and was added to the "needs to be quilted" list.

Another pile is off of my cutting table!

This will be a baby quilt for my niece's 5th child, a girl, due in August.

 

My niece likes different things, which is good!

I usually like making quilts that aren't the

traditional baby quilt.

I want the quilts to be able to grow with the child.

 

This was made with two jelly rolls and was fun to put together.

With all of the yellows and oranges, I'm calling this

"You are My Sunshine!".

I'm linking to Design Wall Monday today.

Happy Quilting!

 

One Pile Gone

In my last post I mentioned how things were getting

out of control in my Hidey Hole.

I had done so well with finishing projects

before starting new ones.

And then the wheels fell off.

Well,

one pile of blocks is off of my cutting table and sewn into a top.

This was a Craftsy kit I purchased last year

after seeing a friends quilt.

 

When I pulled it out this year,

I wondered why I had liked it as much as I did last year.

 

It went together very quickly

and will be given as a graduation gift to a

dear friends' daughter.

 

The quilting shouldn't take long...

I just need to get it started!

 

One pile gone.

Several more to go!

Happy quilting!

You Are My Sunshine

In the beginning of the year,

there was a bit of a lull in the need for

Baby quilts.

I made a couple to donate to my church

and a couple to donate to another charity.

Now,

I need three baby quilts for wee ones being born

this summer.

My niece is having a girl...

her 5th child! 

I've had this roll of Kaffe fabrics for a long time

and bought a roll of white with yellow pin dots last year.

It was time to create something with these.

I sewed two sets of three strips together

and then sewed those sets together,

making a tube.

I used my triangle ruler to cut squares from the tube strips

and ended up with these squares.

I'm still playing with the placement

and will begin sewing these together soon.

In the meantime,

I wanted to play with 

Maisie!

 (She has been cleaned and oiled and sews so smoothly!)

There were scraps left over from these strip sets,

so I cut HST's from those.

Yesterday I made this on Maisie!

It's 16 1/2" square, so I think it will end up being a pillow.

 

These are all of the fabrics used in the baby quilt.

 It will be a sunshine filled quilt (and pillow), for sure!

 

I need to be careful now.

So far this year I have been able to reign in my desire to

keep starting new things without finishing what I've started.

It's beginning to get out of control again.

My cutting table is beginning to groan from the weight of the

blocks and fabrics on it.

This week I am going to sew some of these things

into tops and get a couple of piles off of my table.

Wish me luck!

I'm linking to Design Wall Monday today.

I hope everyone that celebrates Easter had a joyous day yesterday.

Happy Easter!

Happy Quilting!

Meet Maisie!

I have wanted a Featherweight sewing machine for a long time.

Every now and then I'll look on ebay or Craigslist,

but have never seen one that I was interested in enough to

inquire about it.

A dear friend of mine knows that I've wanted one for a while

and has kept her eye out as well.

Well,

to make a long story short,

this dear friend happened to be talking about this to a woman

who is an acquaintance and this woman said

she had a featherweight and would love to give it to me!

How kind is she??!!

We didn't have any information on it...

what kind of shape it was in,

did it work properly, etc.

She told my friend that it had worked the last time she used it.

Here is Maisie!

She's been loved and used and is in need of a good cleaning,

but in pretty good shape!

She was born on November 7, 1949 in Scotland! 

Since she's Scottish, she needed a Scottish name.

:)

  

She came with a tray full of parts and pieces and a case

that has seen better days.

I'm going to try to refurbish the case

and, at least, get it smelling less musty.

I don't know what this piece is called,

but it's beautiful.

She was dropped off at the machine repair shop this morning

and I've already gotten a call about her.

She just needs a good cleaning and a tune up!

We will be good to go soon.

I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with Maisie

and creating some wonderful quilts.

Thank you, Lynn!

Happy Quilting!

Graduation Quilt

A dear friend has a daughter who will be graduating from

high school this year.

Two years ago her sister graduated and I made a quilt for the occasion.

Time to make a quilt for this graduate.

Last year I bought this kit on Craftsy for a deal

and it's been sitting in my cabinet,

waiting for its turn to come out and play.

After making the Escher quilt,

I needed something mindless and easy.

No seam rippers were involved in the creating of these blocks!

There are two small blocks that make up the big blocks for this design.

 If I were to make this quilt again,

I would add more fabrics to the mix.

Actually, what I would do is have a solid fabric in place of the

light fabrics in these blocks.

It's been a challenge to arrange the blocks so that

like fabrics aren't together.

Finally, I said it's done.

There are patches of the same flowers

together in nature,

so I can have like fabrics together in my quilts.

 Hopefully this will be a completed top by the end of the week

and then will go in the

"to be quilted" pile.

(I did just move the block closest to us

so those green pieces aren't lined up together.)

**Edit**

 

This is the 12 1/2" unfinished block that makes up this quilt.

I'm linking to Design Wall Monday today.

Happy Quilting!

Finished Escher Top

Yesterday, while I should have been outside power washing my deck,

I finished the Escher quilt top.

Some things just can't wait.

However, after several hours of power washing this morning,

I have a nice clean deck on which to display the finished top!

 

This quilt was a challenge,

but so much fun to make.

 

It looks so different depending on which way it's displayed.

 

I think it looks cool no matter what, though.

I'm fighting with myself to not start another one.

Maybe later. There are other things that need to be made.

 

 

The quilt in this photo is upside down to me,

but still has the "Escher" feel.

Flipping the photo shows the top the way I like it.

Now to get it quilted!

 I'm linking to Design Wall Monday today.

Happy Quilting!

"Escher"

I have always been a fan of M.C. Escher's work.

It's fascinating to me to try and figure out

his optical illusions

and to see how he starts with one object

and ends up with something completely different.

His Geometries are even more intriguing to me.

When I saw this pattern

AND

saw it made from Kaffe fabrics,

it was a win/win for me. 

Cutting all of the pieces took some time.

The fabrics had to be organized into

light/medium/dark sets and then cut into strips.

The strips were subcut into parallelogram shaped pieces.

And the sewing began.

And the ripping came shortly there after.

After much sewing and not as much ripping (thank goodness!),

the blocks are finished!

Two different blocks were needed to complete the design...

a left facing triangle and a right facing triangle.

 Once all of the triangles are made,

the pattern gives very good directions on placing them

in the right order so you end up with this!

I could never design something like this,

but I can follow directions!

Blocks will be cut in half to fill in the top and bottom areas.

These blocks aren't sewn into rows yet.

It's going to be a slow process, too,

to make sure they stay in the right order.

This is one of the coolest patterns I've used.

The link to the pattern has one made in black, white and red, too.

I might have to make another one at some point,

but need to finish this one first.

Happy Quilting!