2010 in Review

Here is the obligatory mosaic of some of my best crafty bits from 2010. I'm actually very pleased I figured out how to make one of these. 1. Raw Edge Circle Quilt top, 2. Redbud Blossoms Quilt, 3. Tickertape Doll Quilt 3, 4. Camera Case Wristlet, 5. Hexagon pillow, 6. Summer Sunshine, closeup, 7. Pure Baby Boy, 8. Summer Sorbet, 9. String Pieced Pillow, 10. Voile and Linen Sewing Machine Cover, 11. Neptune Quilt, closer view, 12. Out for a Walk #2, 13. Plume Sails, 14. Quilted French Press Cozy, 15. Be Merry mug rug, 16. tickertape doll quilt, 17. My First Bee Quilt, 18. Scrappy Squares Baby Quilt, 2, 19. Coordinating Bunting, Pillow and Quilt, 20. tickertape mini quilt, 21. Around Town, 22. Busytown Quilt, 23. Ruffled Wristlet Keychains, 24. whirligig doll quilt - close up, 25. Monogram Pillow

Thanks to each of you for visiting my little blog over the past year and for all your kind comments both online and off.

Score!

Last night was the KCMQG November meeting, and we had a holiday gift swap. Boy, did I score on two counts! But first, here is what I made for the swap - a potholder and dishcloth. I used this chance to try out gray and yellow, a combo I've been interested in for a while. I like it! Also, love this yellow fabric I found at Joanns - sort of reminscent of lemons, without being literal.

And here is what I received from Sheryl. I was last to pick in my group, and I couldn't believe no one else snapped this up. The quilting on this wine bag is lovely. What a great way to give wine as a gift too.

And look what she included!

To top it off, I was passed a note during the meeting. I don't think I've gotten a note since about 8th grade, and it was just as exciting as I remember. Jenny managed to procure a Neptune Honeybun (impossible to find!), and she let me buy it from her. Score!

All for Me - Neptune Quilt

Here's is what I've been working on for the last week or so - my Neptune quilt.

The top has been sitting in my closet for a few months now, and now that it's done I don't know why I waited so long to finish it. I love it! This is going to be my very own quilt to snuggle up on the couch with. 44 x 57 is just the right size.

Didn't quite get the back to line up the way I had hoped. Also, note to self - don't do a seriously pieced back when there are already tons of seams on the top of the quilt to deal with!

The lime green and aqua are what drew me to Neptune by Tula Pink, and I love how soft and watery they look together when pieced in this way. I did straightline quilting, more or less following a guide on my walking foot.

I made the quilt from parts of two honey buns. You can read more about the process here, here, here, and here.

Neptune Quilt - pieced top

Here is the pieced top. I decided on a new layout, and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I like the softness of the colors when they are randomly placed, as opposed to separating them. As you can see, I mostly alternated direction of the honey bun strips in the HSTs, but I wasn't a stickler about it. I think quilts are a lot more interesting if the blocks aren't completely uniform.
It turned out to be a nice lap sized quilt. I'm working on a pieced back, and I need to order the binding. I'm finding that Neptune fabrics are getting really scarce out there, so if you like them, gather the jelly rolls, etc. while ye may.

Auditioning HST Layouts

I've tried out a few ideas, but I'm open to suggestions.

Trimming HSTs

I don't feel too badly that I'm having to trim my HSTs to make them square, since Red Pepper Quilts says she always includes this step too. Goodness knows she's a much more precise piecer than me. However, holy moley this is a tedious business. Here's where I started: one down and over 100 to go.Here's my pile of trimmings halfway through the pile. This may take a while.

Using Neptune Scraps Already

If you don't have a fabric checkbook case and haven't tried Amanda Jean's tutorial, then drop everything and make one (or you could always pick up one in my etsy shop). Quick, beautiful, and useful: I've made a bunch of these, but this is my first time using patchwork. I feel good using every inch of my Neptune string piecing!

Exciting News

Kansas City is getting a Modern Quilting Guild! I'm excited to join. Thanks to Empty Bobbin for spreading the word. Can't wait to see what this group brings.

I'm going outside my box by using a neutral other than white in my Neptune quilt. Kona Ivory. Whoa. Seriously, it more unlike white than this photo shows. Lots of HSTs to go. Yup, I went ahead and ordered another honey bun.

Just Begun - Neptune Quilt

I've been itching to start in on a new project with the Neptune honey bun I got a while ago. I love the blues and greens in the line, although I'm not crazyabout the coral prints. It picked my favorites to make these blocks. Not enough variety for a rail fence, so I'm going to try pieced HST (half square triangles) perhaps in a zigzag, perhaps in a barn raising pattern. Too bad honey buns are so small. If I love it, I may need to get another one so that my quilt can be larger than baby size.A new project always brightens my day, which I need here with two small boys stuck inside because of over a foot of snow outside and sub zero temps for the highs! Here's to pretty fabric and a new project to work on.