Scrappy Triangle Quilt

It seems fitting to finish this quilt in time for spring. (Well, technically it is spring, although we're expecting a bit of snow tomorrow.) The bright colors of the Anna Maria Horner fabrics are undeniably cheerful and full of life, just like the season, and the low volume prints set them off nicely.

I used 50 weight white, Aurifil thread to quilt the top in a free motion figure eight design, which I  recommend if you are new to free motion quilting or have a largish quilt to handle on a home machine. The design offers lots of places to stop and adjust your quilt without interrupting the flow of the shapes. It can also be modified to fill pieced shapes, like these triangles.

The binding is another Anna Maria Horner favorite, and the backing is a soft, white flannel.

I'm sending the quilt to my grandmother. It will drape over the back of her couch where she will see it everyday. At 54 x 71 it is also a good size to fold over her lap on chilly days. She may not remember that I made it for her, but I'll feel better knowing it's there with her although I can't be.

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.

A Rainbow of Leftovers

When I trimmed the strip sets in my improv scrappy rainbow table runner, I created some leftover half square triangle blocks. Scraps from a scrap project are the sweetest kind!  I started playing with them on my design wall and came up with a symmetrical layout. It is probably a traditional block (although I don't know the name of the block, do you?).

I love the way the colors flow across the block, and the little pieced sections in the triangles add such quirky details. Each square finished at 1 3/4 inches. I added a scrappy border and binding. Even the backing and batting are scraps.

I played around with some point to point free motion quilting. It is very rough, but I'm always amazed how the uneven curves and wonky lines form into something beautiful when taken as a whole.

This 19 inch square mini quilt will be a nice addition to my sewing space. I am enjoying spring, but wishing for the pollen to die down.