Rugby Stripe Baby Quilt

I pulled out my bin of 2 1/2 inch scrap strips to make some Rugby Stripe Blocks on a bit of whim. These blocks are so quick and easy to put together, before I knew it I had enough for a scrappy baby quilt.

The blues, greens, and blacks make this version more masculine than the first, larger iteration of the quilt. I love how fabric choice completely changes the look and feel of a quilt.

I quilted it simply with my Bernina's serpentine stitch. You can play with the width of the wave and the stitch length and use the side of the walking foot to gauge distance between rows of stitching. These are about an inch apart.

The binding is a crisp navy and white stripe that should fit the nautical theme of my friend's nursery, and the flannel back will make this quilt a cozy on for her new little boy. At 41 x 55 it is a nice size to serve him through his preschool years too.

Paper Boat Mini

When my friend told me her nursery has a nautical theme, I was all too happy to revisit this paper boat pattern. I love the pastel fabrics for a baby's room, and it looks so sweet in the snow we got just in time for Christmas.

This mini just needed a couple of triangles on either corner to hold a small dowel rod for hanging, and it's on its way to little Lewis.

Jewel Stars Quilt

This quilt proves that it's never too late to finish a long term project. I first blogged about these jewel stars as a new English paper piecing shape back in 2011! It seems I started  joining the stars to diamonds and wrote about assembling thee quilt top in 2014. Ironically I ended the post with a joke that surely it wouldn't be another three years before I finished the quilt. Ha! Guess what time it is, folks? Yup, three years later, but it is finally done.

My favorite part of the process by far was making each little star. Finding just the right fabric combinations and fussy cutting the jewel and hexagon shapes was a delight. I spent many a gymnastics and taekwondo lesson happily cutting, gluing, and sewing those gems. What bogged me down was the assembly of the stars into the background and to each other. That was not quite as fun, and the larger it got, the more awkward it was to hand piece. I'm happy I soldiered through it though, as the final 44 x 50 quilt is a fun I-spy game and snugly cover in one. Can you spot the annoyed owl? Cute frog? Cotton candy stand? Terrified terrier in a teacup?

I backed the quilt in scraps of flannel, making it extra cozy, and continued the scrap theme with several different leftover yellow binding strips.

Hopefully I've made everyone feel between about the WIPs or UFOs languishing in your sewing areas. They may get finished one day!

Scrappy Triangles Quilt

My first finished quilt of 2017 is this Scrappy Triangles Quilt. I took my time on this one and probably enjoyed the fabric layout the most of all the steps in the process. I limited myself to triangles I had cut from my scrap bins. Creating color gradations and a pleasing overall look was quite a challenge under that limitation. 

At the same time I always love using scraps. Revisiting favorite fabrics and seeing them play with new and unexpected friends in a layout like this is energizing and enjoyable. I definitely recommend making scrap quilts. Very therapeutic.

I quilted this with a variation on a paisley but with a rounded shape rather than teardrop. I like the bubble effect it gives and the softeness of the circles against the sharp edges of the triangles.

The backing was a gift from a friend, and I like how the circles echo the quilting design. The binding is a mix from my scrap binding bin, including a piece I trimmed from the backing after basting. Use it all.

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The quilt finished at 47 x 58, a generous baby size, and I think it will be a gift for a baby coming soon to a treasured teacher and grandmother.

Rainbow Baby Quilt

 

What is it about a rainbow that is so soothing and energizing and happy all at once? Practically speaking, this quilt was born of my overflowing scrap bin of strips. Therapeutically, it is the product of a few happy hours of simple sewing.

This baby quilt is 42 x 49, and quilters will not be surprised to know that my scrap bin somehow looks just a full now as it did before I started. That proves scraps and scrap quilts are magic, right? I love revisiting so many favorite fabrics in my scrap bins.

 

I used white, Aurifil 2021 thread to free motion quilt swirls, paisleys and pebbles. I find this combination of designs compliment each other well, fit into each other's curves, and flow easily under my hands.

I've had the backing fabric for several years, and it makes me happy to find the perfect quilt in which to use it. Raindrops for a rainbow quilt. I think saturated backing prints really balance a super colorful top.

You can find this Rainbow Baby Quilt in my etsy shop.

On the Road Again Toddler Quilt

I've had this project pieced and ready to quilt since I made the first digger version this past summer.  I decided to used the succulent design from Christina Cameli's Craftsy class to make the stripe with the RV block stand out and a simple elongated stipple over the rest of the quilt. I finally finished up the quilt this weekend, enjoying the nice weather as I hand stitched the binding.

The RV block from Busy City is such a fun one to feature. I even lucked out and found a giant polka dot fabric in my stash to use for the wheels, which are appliqued with fusible web and a blanket stitch.  I enlarged the block by 200% and set it into the 40" x 56" striped quilt.

I backed the quilt with a cute camping fabric.  I'm really hoping some family who loves to travel in their RV finds this.  It is listed in my etsy shop.

No More Fussy Baby Quilt

This sweet baby quilt is from the slice and insert section of Improvising Tradition.  I pulled out some of my favorite, treasured novelty prints for this project and paired them with a cheerful aqua solid.

Novelty prints are so much fun, but they can be hard to use.  Slice and insert is wonderful technique for novelty prints and fussy cuts.  With improv there is no more cutting the tail off that puppy or having to choose between the cute little moon or star to fit a prescribed pattern size; you can tailor your fussy cut to the image you want to feature!  Just match the surrounding strip to the dimensions of your fussy cut, and you're all set to add it to your row.

I had the pleasure, last month, of seeing one of the first projects a local quilter has made from the book.  Cheryl Brady made this cute version of the quilt using a Good Night Moon print.  She even quilted stars in the center. 

Thanks for letting me share your pictures, Cheryl!  I would love to see your Improvising Tradition projects.  Email me, upload them to my flickr group, or tag them #improvisingtradition on Instagram.

The Digger Quilt

 

This little quilt was inspired by a quilt made by Alidiza which featured a single block (Preppy the Whale by Elizabeth Hartman) within a simple stripe.  I thought it was the perfect way to use a single paper pieced block, and naturally my Busy City blocks came to mind.

I enlarged one of the 4 x 6 blocks by 200% to make an 8 x 12 block.  This works particularly well with any of the more complex blocks in the pattern.  The good news is they are even easier to sew in this larger size.  Don't tell the other blocks, but this backhoe digger has always been my favorite in the set, so it was fun to feature it.

I backed the quilt with a great crosshatch by Carolyn Friedlander from her Architextures line.  The print blends really well with both the white and navy thread I used for the quilting.  I chose rounded edges and bias binding to finish the quilt.

This 40 x 56 quilt is a great size for preschoolers, and it sews up so quickly!  You can definitely make one in time for that upcoming baby shower or birthday party or to send to school with him or her for naptime.  And the great thing is that you can let your little person choose the block they like best (there are 35 total in the pattern, with plenty to appeal to girls too).

I'd love to see your Busy City projects.  Upload them to the flickr pool or tag them #busycityquilt on Instagram.  (Note, if you decide to enlarge a block, be sure to adjust the seam allowances around the edges to 1/4 inch.)  This quilt is available in my etsy shop.

Improv Wonky Cross Quilt

This 40 x 50 baby quilt is the product of my blocks from guild friends in the Whatever Bee.  I made a practice wonky cross version (a maquette, if you will) a few months ago which helped me to identify the features I liked in this sort of a slice and insert block.  Like the practice quilt, I kept the blocks the same height but varied the widths.  I also added a few half blocks and stacked them in pairs, just for fun (hint: this is a great fix for a block that may end up being slightly too small).  Improv quilting is awesome like that. Here a fun tutorial by a guild member Carla on how to make this type of block, two at a time.

This type of improv block is perfect for a bee.  It gives the quilters specific instructions while allowing them some flexibility to experiment.  My friends were all kind enough to make me two blocks, so I had some extra to use on the back of the quilt.

I am donating this quilt to one of our guild's community service projects, Birthday Blessings, a local charity.  I am also submitting it to 100 Quilts For Kids.  This annual quilt drive is great because it allows you to donate locally to a children's charity of your choosing.  Just add a link to an online photo of your quilt, and you can participate.  There are prizes!  The link is open through the end of the month, so you still have time.  The post even includes ideas for simple quilts to make.

Thanks so all my friends who contributed blocks!  I know this is going to be well used by some little guy in our community.

A Dress, a Baby, and Some Horses

This 42 x 46 baby quilt was a custom design for a friend of a friend.  The story behind the quilt is really sweet actually.  The customer sent me her bridesmaid dress and asked me to incorporate it into a simple patchwork quilt for a friend (the bride previously) who is expecting a baby.

As we discussed possible fabrics, I stumbled upon this wonderful, scrappy patchwork quilt top by Heather on instagram, which we both liked.  The horse print from Melody Miller's Mustang line for Cotton and Steel was the starting point, along with the blue solid from the dress.  I was able to pull the rest from my stash (hooray!). 

It was so fun to have free rein to choose many non traditional fabrics for a this eclectic quilt.  I especially love the ledger print from Architectures by Carolyn Friedlander, the mustard wood grain by Joel Dewberry, and the aqua print from Field Study by Anna Maria Horner.

  

The back is a fun text print and a column of scrap strips.  And I think black and white striped binding is almost always a good idea.

 

 

I hope the new mom loves the quilt as much as I do, and hopefully my customer will be pleased with it too.  The dress fabric makes this quilt a nice reminder of their friendship.