Scrappy Triangle Quilt Top

I've finished assembling my scrappy triangle quilt top. I mentioned earlier how I started this quilt to use up some of my favorite Anna Maria Horner scraps, but I thought the triangles were so lovely I broke into my stash make the quilt larger. I'm so glad I did. It is 55 x 73, which makes a nice lap quilt. For those who have asked, I used a Tri Recs ruler to cut the triangles to just over 6" high (affiliate link).

My kitchen floor got a good cleaning, so I could baste the quilt layers. Never bad thing. The backing you can't see here is a white flannel. This is going to be such a bright, cozy quilt. I'm going to give it to someone who needs comfort this winter.

Winter WIPs

Bone chilling cold has settled over the Midwest, leaving me starved for color and warmth indoors. I started this project as a way to use my favorite Anna Maria Horner scraps, but I soon realized I wanted a larger quilt than my scrap stash would allow. I pulled out the good stuff, and I'm resolving to cut it up. It's silly to leave it on the shelf. The riot of color and pattern is somewhat calmed by the alternating low volume prints, another stash category that needs thinning.

For a hand sewing project on the go, I'm creating something more austere. I've never worked with this English paper piecing shape before. I suppose it's really just an elongated hexagon. I'm not sure where this doodle is going yet, but not knowing is half the fun.

Tiny Icecream Dress and Top

I have the world's cutest, funniest, little niece (and nephew for that matter, but this gift isn't for him). I was to spend some time with her this summer, and I could see my window quickly closing to make things for her to wear before her opinions may overrule. So, I made this sweet Icecream Dress in a tiny size 2T, pattern by Oliver and S, using shot cotton and an Anna Maria Horner print.

The pattern is so well written. I haven't done any garment sewing since high school (a long time ago folks!), but the instructions were easy to follow. I love the sweet little details like the notched pocked and the button closure, but my favorite aspect of this pattern is the clever construction. There are no exposed seams and no raw edges if you use French seams. I feel great knowing it will stand up in the wash, because my niece is a very busy girl. She will be getting all sorts of things on this dress.

I also made a top from the same pattern. This was even quicker to make. The bunny print from Cotton and Steel is so adorable.

Back to quilting soon.

Table Runner Times Two

These improv, striped table runners were inspired by Laura's hand knit sweater (which she tells me was inspired by the pattern sample for Tanis Fiber Arts' Lifesavers sweater pattern).  I love the random color changes against the constant background of black Essex linen. I chose a variety of shot cottons from my stash, cut them into strips of random lengths and pieced them end to end.  Next, I sew the length of shot cottons into width of fabric strips of the black linen.  Then I chopped the strip sets into 14 1/2" widths.  It was all very casual and fun.  It turns out, I had enough strips to make two runners.

It's always fun to see what quilting does to differentiate two nearly identical items, as I've noted before.  So, I quilted one with straight lines and one with free motion figure eights.  I think the texture of each is so different but equally lovely. 

I chose to finish the edges with a facing, rather than binding, because I like the look of the stripes running right to the edge, with no border.  I referred to several facing tutorials.  I wanted to use a mitered corners, and I mostly followed this tutorial by Susan Brubaker, although there is a great one by Victoria Gertenbach that is even easier and does not require mitering.  It's a little more trouble than a regular double fold binging, but I'm glad I learned something new. I especially love the backing fabric I chose: four different voile prints from Anna Maria Horner's Folks line.  It was so nice to stitch.

 

 

These two 14" x 56" table runners are listed in my etsy shop. Sold out.

Voile Color Wheel Quilt

I am very excited to become an aunt for the second time soon.  My niece should arrive next month.  An added bonus: I get to sew for a girl!  My brother requested I keep the pink to a minimum, so I decided to create a color wheel.  It's not too pink, right?

I used my 22.5 degree wedge ruler and a self drafted template to piece the curves in quarters.  There are just sixteen wedges in this 40 x 40 quilt, as opposed to the 52 in the gorgeous color wheel quilt from, Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts, making this a pretty quick baby quilt.

The fabrics are all voile by Anna Maria Horner.  I got a quick start on the project with a fat eighth rainbow bundle of voile from Westwood Acres. Since there is no white voile, to my knowledge, I searched for a solid of a similar weight.  I'm so pleased I found Art Gallery Pure Elements in Snow at my friend Elizabeth's new Etsy shop, Cucire.  This solid has a smooth, silky hand, making it a nice match for the voile.

I kept the quilting light, and backed and bound it with more voile.  This quilt is so soft and lightweight - perfect for a summer baby.

 

A Pleasant Trip

I thoroughly enjoyed my many trips around the world quilt.  You can find out more about the pattern and quilt along in my previous post.  It was a complete pleasure to make this quilt from start to finish.  I was excited to pull scrap strips in my favorite color palette of the moment.  I ended up raiding my stash as well, but it was worth it. I made 25 blocks; the quilt finishes at 60 inches square.  

The colors are moody and wintry, and the rich teals are a new obsession for me.  It is a hard color to find in fabrics.  I want it rich and saturated, without white accents that disrupt the value.  If you have a favorite dark turquoise or teal, let me know!

The Anna Maria Horner pastry voile I chose for the binding is the perfect teal.  And let me tell you, if you have not hand sewn a voile binding, you are missing out!  It was such a pleasure.  I will definitely be using it again.

I decided to try out  a new free motion quilting design.  I thought the busy quilt top would camouflage any imperfections, which thankfully seems to have been the case.  I picked the concentric circles design from Angela's first book.  The design is really quick and easy, although next time I will make the circles on a smaller scale (less than four inches across would be good I think), as the large circles were hard to keep even on my tiny machine.  I really love the texture they create, almost like raindrop ripples in a puddle.

The back is a text print from the Mama Said Sew line.  I saw it on lucyandnorman's gorgeous scrappy trip along quilt and had to have it.

You can find the throw sized quilt in my etsy shop.

Tripping

If you instagram (I'm @teaginny over there), no doubt you've seen many #scrappytripalong blocks popping up.  There is also a flickr group for this informal quilt along.  The tutorial for the block can be found on Quiltville, and it is rather ingenious.  It uses strip sets to create blocks like the ones below.

I started with my scrap bin of 2.5 inch strips and chose any fabrics in plum, teal, aqua, gray, and white.  I've wanted to work with this color scheme for a while, so it's good to finally see them all together.  It feels rich and wintry to me.

When you put the blocks together in this configuration, you get the effect of many trips around the world.  If you keep it scrappy, the "trips" are a little wonky and broken up, which makes it all the more interesting to me. It is really fun to arrange and rearrange them on my design wall.

I have 16 blocks so far with strips for another four.  Perhaps 25 would be a better size.  It's a lot of fun, so I'm not in a rush to finish.

Last Minute Handmade

I finished up some handmade Christmas gifts just in time to mail them away.  I always have requests for homemade cards.  I used fusible web to adhere tiny scraps to a piece of colored card stock to make these bunting birthday cards.  I sewed a line across the tops of the triangles and used adhesive squares to affix the card stock to the folded card. 

I used my trusty micron pen and borrowed my son's water colors to make some simple thank you cards.

I realized after making this card that I had created a water color version of Carla's quilt!  I love it so much, but it took a lo-ong time to make - too long for a set of note cards. I think I know a way to recreate it in a more automated fashion - a job for the new year.

But for now, I love giving handmade for Christmas with one last frame purse for my best friend.  The outer fabric is my favorite Liberty Bloomsbury print, and I lined it with an Anna Maria Horner voile.  Isn't that a gorgeous color!  I stuffed it with a few goodies for her too.

Tallahassee Anna Pillow



After debating about what to add to my Tallahassee Anna blocks to create a larger quilt, I decided to go with what I already had and put them together to make a big pillow.  It's a little wild and larger than life, so I thought it would be perfect for Jenny who generously shared her Bohemian scraps with me. 

I quilted it simply by outlining the neutral pieces.

I didn't have a large enough piece of Boho for the back of the pillow, so I used another Anna Maria Horner print, this one from the Innocent Crush line.  I did have a long enough strip of Boho for the zipper flap.  Thanks to Jacquie for posting a link to this great tutorial on exactly the day I was trying to decide on a closure.  Seriously, this is the easiest way to add a zipper to a pillow!

This may be the only time I make a project with blue leopard print, so get a good look.

Stash Additions

I've ordered a lot of fabric lately for commissioned quilts.  Somehow a few pieces for my stash always sneak into those orders.  It saves on shipping, right?  These are usually new prints I love and colors I'm low on, but I have no specific plan in mind for them.
These are from several different orders, and I think it is clear my subconscious has designed a quilt. 

Aren't they great together?  I love the City Center map print, the text from Mama Said Sew (it's so hard to find a good dark gray print), some shot cottons, Kona snow, the edgy floral from Rock 'n Romance, and a Field Study print.  I may throw in the two Chicopee prints as well.

I also have fallen prey to fabric photos on Instagram.  One photo let me know this bundle was in stock over at Sew Mama Sew, and I had to have it.  These new Liberty Lifestyle prints are more economical than other Liberty fabrics, and have you seen the frame purses Kelly made with them? I need to make something with them soon.

Tallahassee Anna

It's no secret that my favorite way to piece is improv.  I love the freedom, the spontaneity, the creativity of it.  It's fun to see an idea evolve as I sew.  But sometimes I feel in need of the precision of paper piecing.  This is one of those weeks.

Jenny generously traded a huge bag of Anna Maria Horner Bohemian scraps with me.  I definitely got the better end of the trade, but she's big hearted like that.  You have to check out Jenny's amazing Bohemian quilt.  I wanted to use a small paper pieced block with this raging rock star line (I mean hot pink leopard print with paisley?!) for fun. I found this sweet block on quilter's cache.   Each block finishes at 6 inches. They are called Tallahassee blocks, and as I used to live there, they were an easy choice.

I've paired the wild prints with a demure Michael Miller Old Script in cream and brown.

I think I want to add another element in the quilt.  I'm not sure if it will be improv or more persnickety.  I guess I'll see how I'm feeling when I finish up these blocks.

Quilt Market

Wow.  Quilt market was quite an experience.  I was able to help at the DS Quilts booth from set up through opening day.  I had no idea how much went into putting together a booth, from assembling walls and laying floor tiles, to organizing marketing materials and arranging quilts and samples.  Put 800 exhibitors in a convention hall all working hard and you've got set up day.
I snapped a few pictures with my phone along the way.  Here is Denyse creating her inspiration wall - all the ephemera that helped inspire her newest line, Chicopee.  I thought that was such a creative addition to the booth.  It offered such an interesting glimpse into her creative process. Jenny posted a close up shot of part of the board.  Chicopee is so pretty.  I love the color palette.  It reminds me a little of Hope Valley, and I can see the prints working well with several of her previous lines.

Here is the completed booth.  She had most of the quilts from her most recent book and all seven of her patterns on display, and did you know there is Denyse Schmidt stationary?  I didn't, but now I definitely need some.  Betsy says Bon Bon has some locally, if you're interested.

Denyse is so gracious and warm.  She hand pieced some improv blocks during spare moments to add to the design wall.

I had a few chances to walk around market, and everyone is right when they say it is overwhelming.  Here are just a few of the booths I enjoyed.  This is Anna Maria Horner's booth.  Again, this is just an iPhone snapshot.  To see closeup, high quality photos of all the new fabrics, be sure to check out True Up for market coverage.

And I stood about ten feet from Joel Dewberry in his booth most of the day. He, like everyone I met actually, is super nice.  This booth was for his new line of patterns.

I spotted this beauty which I'm guessing from the sign underneath was created by the New York City Modern Quilt Guild.  I think it's such a unique setting for improv blocks.

And speaking of improv, have you seen this new line of cheater prints by Kona?  Yes, it's printed fabric, not piecing.

I even managed to find my Advent calendar in the Brewer booth.  They distribute patterns, including those by Empty Bobbin.

I ran into many of my guild friends. Jacquie did a book signing, and I even met a few bloggers like Jen of In Color Order, Amanda Jean from Crazy Mom Quilts, and Adrianne from Little Blue Bell. It was an amazing experience to be a part of market for the first time.  I'm so grateful to Denyse for the opportunity.