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.

Perfect Pillowcases

With Christmas around the corner, I realized I hadn't made anything for my boys. These pillowcases were the perfect quick project to fit into my holiday to do list. 

I followed the pattern from School of Sewing. The pattern is really well written and features a self-lined border, optional flange, and all French seams. I'm confident they will withstanding frequent washings because all the raw edges are enclosed and all the seams reinforced.

I found the fun Star Wars print at my local fabric store, Modern Makers (there is still some available, local peeps!), and I paired it with a dot and text print from my stash.

I know my boys are going to love finding these in their stockings. If you've got part of an afternoon or evening free, you've still got time to make a couple for someone on your list.

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.

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.

Board Shorts Quilt

I'm excited to share some photos of a quilt of mine that appears in Stitch magazine. You can find the pattern for Board Shorts in the summer issue. It's a very simple quilt pattern, quick to piece, and perfect for beginners.

This twin sized quilt (70" x 87.5") was inspired by the striped board shorts surfers wear.  The Boys of Summer section of the magazine has some nice beachy, masculine projects including mine. 

I love the summery color palette.  All Kona cottons, I found all the colors I needed at Marmalade fabrics.  Thanks again to Tammy for letting me come over and try out a zillion combinations.  I love how she labels the Kona color names. So handy!

The quilting was done by Tia Curtis in an all over design.

The quilt is perfect for a twin bed, dorm room, or picnic blanket.  It is available now in my etsy shop.

 

Waves Quilt, Sunrise Colorway

I finished up another Waves Quilt in sunrise colors.  This design makes a bold, modern statement, while it's clean lines are simple enough to work well with a variety of nursery themes.  Gender neutral colors likes these warm solids makes the quilt is even more versatile.

I backed the quilt in a diamond print from the Simply Color line, and I picked a contrasting aqua binding.  I don't know why I resisted the orange and aqua combination for so long.  They are made for each other!

 

As with my first Waves Quilt, I created a different free motion quilting design in each color with matching thread.

The quilt is listed in my etsy shop.  Also, I am writing a pattern for those of you who would like to make your own Waves Quilt. The PDF pattern is available for instant download here.

Chance of Showers

It isn't often I make a quilt from a pattern, but I was searching for a good use for a towering stack of 2 1/2"  square scraps.  The Roller Rink Quilt by Elizabeth Hartman in Modern Patchwork: 12 Quilts to Take You Beyond the Basics struck me as a fun way to use the squares and play around with the value.  You can find an explanation of how she made a baby version on her blog Oh Fransson.

This 36" x 48" quilt uses 189 squares, sashed in two colors to create a really striking, intricate look.  It's a great option for boys, too, given its graphic geometric feel.  I experimented with value by creating a color progression from light aqua to black in each block. It reminds me of ocean water, from shallow to deep. Alternating the placement of the dark and light ends from block to block creates some interesting movement.
The blocks sashed in grey made me think of rainy days, while those sashed in white feel like clear, blue skies.

The backing is a small scale black and white print, and the binding is a black and white pin dot.

The quilt is available in my etsy shop.

Busy City Baby Quilt

I just finished up this Busy City baby quilt.  I made it to be a shop sample. With just five bocks, it really is very quick to make.  You can customize the quilt by choosing which five, of the 35 total blocks, you want to use.

I experimented with using small scale, tone on tone prints, instead of all solids.  I like the texture the grass print adds to the quilt.  And look at the cute little star on the police car!

I had some fun with the quilting, which I did free motion. The negative space in this pattern gives you some room to play.

I'm seeing Busy City patterns pop up in more and more shops.  You can now find it at and i don't do dishes on etsy and coming soon to Marmalade and Shop Cucire.  It is still available at Pink Chalk, Hyggeligt and our local stores Bernina on Metcalf and Sarah's in Lawrence.  Feel free to ask for Empty Bobbin patterns at your local quilt shop, if they don't already carry them.

Update: Busy City is now available as a digital download.  Purchase the PDF from Empty Bobbin here.

Busy City Wall Hanging

I finally finished the Busy City wall hanging for my younger son.  He is pretty excited to have it in his room.

You may have guessed his favorite part: the garbage truck on its way to collect the trash from the bins at the house around the corner.

The wall hanging finishes at 32" x 32" and uses any nine blocks of your choice from the Busy City Quilt pattern.  You can download a free construction diagram of this wall hanging with finished measurements for each piece.  Of course, you will need a copy of the Busy City pattern for the paper pieced blocks. 

Update: Busy City is now available as a digital download. Purchase the PDF from Empty Bobbin here.

As always, I would love to see what you make!  You can add your pictures to the Flickr Group or hash tag them #busycityquilt on Instagram.  Or, email me, and I may share your quilt here on the blog.

New Neighbors

My little neighborhood from the Busy City Quit pattern has gone up pretty quickly.  The wall hanging pattern I am going to share soon uses just nine blocks of your choice.

My son requested these blocks from the 35 blocks in the pattern.  You see he was sure to include a garbage truck to pick up the trash from the bins I already created.

I'm looking forward to sewing these together and sharing the free wall hanging pattern soon.  In the meantime, I'd love to see your blocks.  Tag #busycityquilt on Instagram or add them to the Flickr group.

Update: Busy City is now available as a digital download.  Purchase the PDF from Empty Bobbin here.