Got Solids? A Solid Improv. Quilt Finish

Another finish! I really, really like this quilt. It started with a bundle of solid fabric I was given for a guild challenge. I added tons of other solids and it turned into this. 

I wanted it to be twin sized, so I added a gray border to get it up to size. By the end, I was running out of solids (and steam!) and a border seemed like the way to go. One of my big problems was squaring it up. Because of the improvisational piecing none of the sides or corners were square. I tried my, but I still don't think it is completely even.

I decided to mimic the improvisational squares and rectangles in the quilting. It is free motion quilted (vs with a walking foot) so the corners were easier to turn (because there was no turning) but it sometimes maked for some less than square lines and corners.

I decided to use a scrappy binding. It was a great way to use up some solid strips I had hanging around and fits in with the overall feel of the quilt. The binding is stitched down by machine and I decided to add to the "industrial" feel by accentuating the stitching instead of trying to hide it. I used a wide zig-zag with contrasting orange thread. It is super sturdy and pretty darn cute, in my opinion.

This quilt was going to be donated to the International Institute of St. Louis, but as they won't need it for awhile, I am going to donate it to a local women's shelter and the institute will get my next quilt. Its a super cute, super crazy quilt with lots of Denyse Schmidt fabric and color. Stay tuned and have a great weekend!

Go Big or Go Home - a therapeutic fabric challenge

This spring our guild in Iowa had a fabric challenge. I picked the fabrics for the challenge online and when they arrived I was horrified to find out that they weren't the exact colors that I thought they would be. (I have been burned way to many times ordering fabric online.) But that would just make the fabrics that much more challenging for everyone! (Spin, it's all about the spin.)

But what to make? The challenge started just when we were in the throws of getting our home ready to list and I was stressed out to the max. Doing anything that required exact math and precision was out of the question. Around the same time I saw these pictures on Instagram by @chaucycomplete and fell in love. Her pieces are tiny. So very tiny. I knew that wasn't going to happen so I channeled my inner "Carol". Carol is a member of our guild who makes everything big. No small quilts for her! So I started cutting and sewing, cutting and sewing. I would start to cut smaller pieces and then think, "No! Quilt like Carol!" and "Go Big or Go Home!" I had a blast. It was just what I needed.

Des Moines Modern Quilt Group - Solids Challenge - April 2016 - Look at all those beauties!

It was nowhere near finished when the challenge was over, but I finished it up last week. All solids. All from stash! I would like to donate it to charity but for it to be twin sized it needs to be bigger. I can't keep adding to it as I am running out of solids. What?!? I know, crazy. But I have a chunk of dark gray that I think I will use as a border. Do you remember when Kona Coal was really in as a background color? It is leftover from those days and needs to be used.

Now I just have to figure out how to square it up. There is not one single straight seam in that baby. Wish me luck! I'll check back in when it is done.

Moving Along With the Guild Challenge Quilt

Yesterday I trimmed up the blocks for my challenge quilt.   Leaving the size and piece # pinned on them really helped.  It would have mess otherwise.  Most of the blocks have both pieced and whole strips.  I really like how they look mixed together.

The mix of colors is so calming.  I am hoping it turns out as well in reality as I imagine it will.  Right now I am thinking of quilting it with a wood grain design.

In other news, I cut down a tree this week!  It was small but I am still impressed with myself.  :)  I also divided hostas and peonies, burned leaves and planted peas, lettuce, spinach and turnips.  It looks much more impressive when I write it down than when I look out at the yard at everything else that needs to get done (like cutting up said tree so it isn't laying in the middle of the yard!).  Baby steps, baby steps...  I am loving the spring weather and our beautiful flowers.  They make me happy.  I hope you have a great weekend!

Summer Quilting Priorities

 So, this summer the Des Moines Modern Quilt Guild is having a Finish-It-Up quilting challenge.  Basically, everyone picks four projects that they want to finish by our September meeting and for each one they finish they get an entry for prizes.  Here are the ones I choose.

 1.  Christmas Triangle Quilt - this was totally inspired by a quilt made by Amy Smart.  I love it and finally got together enough Christmas Retro fabric to make it happen.  I cut it out last fall, but it didn't get finished by Christmas and then it languished in a bag all this spring.  I would like to get at least the top done in time for our Christmas in July guild meeting.

 2.  The Micheal Miller Challenge Quilt - I narrowed down the provided fabric and supplemented it with other prints and solids based on the colors my sister-in-law is using in their nursery.  This will be for their new baby...if I don't get too attached to it myself.  Seriously, if it turns out at all like I am envisioning it is going to be Awesome!

 I've cut out some of the fabric to make the mini stars that will be floating in the background.  And yes, that one in the middle is tiny.  We'll see how that goes.

3.  The Diamond Stars Quilt - I started this in ... 2012? ... eek ... and haven't worked on it in awhile.  I put it away early in 2013 because I had gotten to the part where I was appliqueing the middle onto the borders and it was hard to see with the poor winter lighting.  Appliqueing black fabric onto black fabric with black thread is not for the faint in heart.  This picture is deceiving in that it looks like the sides are on.  They are really just glued and pinned in place waiting to be appliqued.  I plan on taking this on our summer vacation.  (You can't go a month without quilting, right?) I might even add some decorative stitching before I quilt it.

4.  Cogs - I don't even have a picture of this one.  It is the oldest of the bunch.  The blocks are all done - I just have to sash, quilt and bind it.

So that is it.  My summer quilting priorities.  I really want to stay focused on those projects and get them done but I have already had to stop myself from starting something else.  :)

Do you have any summer sewing plans?

Double Wedding Ring Christmas Wreath

Well, here it is.  The only Double Wedding Ring that I am ever likely to make.  :)  No, it wasn't really that bad, but it certainly is time intensive.  I threw around a few ideas for the DWR Challenge, but this is the one that stuck.  A ring in solid greens and and a red bow.

  I did a tiny stipple on the white and quilted leaves on the greens.  It was my first time doing leaves but it won't be my last.  I love how they look and they are pretty forgiving.  I am loving the flange binding too!  I want to do double bindings on everything these days.  :)

I made the back so it can work as a pillow or a wall hanging.   I am entering it in the DWR Challenge Small Category.  There are a bunch of great single rings over there, check them out!

WIP Wednesday

 This week I have been working on the Madrona Road Challenge.  I decided to make a mini quilt with ubiquitous (in modern quilting at least) wonky log cabins.   It measures 12 x 16 inches and just needs to be bound.

Earlier this week someone in blogland asked why there were never any messed up pictures on blogs.  So to fill the lack of ugly messed up pictures, here is a close up of the back of the quilt.  Arrggg!  I don't know what happened, but it is a mess in quite a few places.  Quite honestly, I will only fix it if it gets picked to be in the Micheal Miller booth - a long shot.  Otherwise it will hang happily on my wall with that mess hidden.  Because life is too short to worry about all of the behind the scenes messes.  I think we can all just assume that they are there.  People will take pictures of the prettiest blocks with the best quilting in the best light they can because we are trying to create and capture beauty in this world.

And life is beautiful.  So is this little butter ball who moments before this picture had rubbed snot all over her face.  You can't tell from this picture but she also has a double ear infection, :( was miserable last night and her sisters are running around like crazy because we are snowed in and there isn't school.  I think we can all assume, even if we don't see it on blogs, that there are points that don't line up and dishes that don't get done.  I'm just glad that there are so many things to take pretty pictures of.  :)