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Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Riptide and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  By pure coincidence, my finish this week is in the same color way as the Waverunner quilt that I shared last week.  It's strange that it worked out like that, especially since I actually made the Waverunner quilt almost two months ago.  So, I hope you're in the mood for more blues, teals, and aquas, because today's scrappy finish has plenty!


This quilt used up every bit of my blue, teal, and aqua scraps and I just love how it turned out.  The arrow shape in the herringbone pattern (along with the colors) makes me think of ocean currents, so I am naming this one Riptide.


To reinforce the rippling water effect, I quilted this one with fairly dense wavy lines.  I find long wavy lines running the entire length of the quilt kind of tedious, so instead, the lines on this quilt are actually quilted in the same way I quilt woodgrain, in small sections.  The only difference is that this motif is missing the spiral shapes that are included in the woodgrain pattern.


I quilted this with 50 wt. Aurifil White, and I especially love how the rippling lines show up against the back of this quilt.  I chose a cobalt blue fabric but kept white thread in the bobbin, and the contrast creates really awesome texture.


As it turns out, I had quite a few more teal/aqua scraps than blue ones, so when my blues ran out, I just kept improv sewing the teals/aquas until they were gone and added them to the back.  I was really scrimping to have enough to get a good sized strip, but it all worked out, and I finished it off with a scrappy binding.


It makes me SO happy to clear out my scrap jars, especially when I love the result as much as I love this quilt.  Sewing this way really is lots of fun and stress-free.

If you're looking to bust through your own scraps, check out my book Stash Statement.  It includes detailed guidelines for sorting your scraps, three methods for improv sewing (with lots of pictures!), and twelve full quilt patterns that are sure to help you make a quilt that is truly unique.  You can find it in my Etsy shop HERE, or on Amazon, Connecting Threads, Shop Martingale, or you can ask about it at your local quilt shop.

The book is specifically written to make the structured improvisation technique accessible to even improv newbies.  It really is fun, and SO much easier than you think.  Best of all, once you learn the technique, the method can be applied to practically any quilt pattern, like the humble HST in this quilt.  I hope you'll check it out!


These past few days, I've moved onto two more jars.  It's time for purples and pinks!  I'm almost finished with my scrap sewing for this quilt, and then I have a great plan in mind for these panels, so stay tuned.

Last week's party really was fantastic, with lots of inspiration.  This Cotton Candy quilt is by Laura at Slice of Pi Quilts.  Such a clever use of minky fabric!


This fresh and springy quilt, called Cheerio, is by Sandra at mmm! quilts.


This lovely Meadowland quilt was shared by Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting-


Linda at kokaquilts linked up this sweet sawtooth star quilt.  I love the scrappy low volume background.


Anja Quilts linked up her finished Classic Meets Modern BOM quilt, and I LOVE it!


This rainbow quilt by Julie's Quilts and Costumes is a stunner!


And finally, these fun rainbow hexes are by Jayne at Twiggy and Opal.  In her post, Jayne also includes some great tips for fixing bleeding fabrics!


With all of this awesomeness, there was just no way for me to stick to just three highlights this week. It's a good thing that I make the rules here and don't have to.  ;)  Y'all are fantastic.  Let's keep on keeping on, my friends!

1You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!
2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.
3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link.  
4. Spread the comment love far and wide!
5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)




15 comments:

  1. Kelly that is a gorgeous quilt, thank you for sharing your quilting path. I too don't enjoy quilting long lines so this was a great find!! I might have to give it a go soon as I try to whip through some UFO's!

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  2. Loving your 'riptide' quilt! I always love a blue quilt (it's my go-to colour), and your quilting really seems to make it all flow! And thanks so much for including my quilt in your highlights this week :)

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  3. I don't think I could get tired of aqua/blues...ever! I've found myself working with one color combination more often than I intended. Your quilting on this is so good...as is the quilt!

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  4. Kelly, the Riptide quilt is stunning! The colors, the quilting--wonderful! I am trying to use up my scraps, and your book is just what I need.

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  5. Looks beautiful! Such sparkle!

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  6. I love that quilting!! I'd get bored quilting wavy lines the whole length of the quilt, too, but those shorter style ones are amazing. I'll have to remember that. And the white thread on the dark blue backing is perfect :)

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  7. Oh my! I love, love, love this quilt! The colors, the quilting, the back...I can't decide which is my favorite. I love them all!

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  8. Wow! thank you so much for the feature Kelly! I love that I 'know' everyone but Julie (just a little) on the list! Lots of eye candy, and for sure on the your blog your rules. :-)

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    1. Oops, hit send too fast, and I thought wait, did she not have NTT this week? Because ya, same colour palette (my FAVE!)...love the way you quilted it too!

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  9. I really like the quilting pattern you used for Riptide. I'm working on a quilt now that could use something along those lines for the quilting. Have fun with your purples and pinks. I've been pulling similar colors for an idea I'm considering but won't get to it anytime soon.

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  10. Your quilting is just as good as my computerized longarm does that design. :) YEAH!!

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  11. WELL, now that your teal and aqua scraps are all used up, you're going to need to change your profile photo to match the color of the next scrap bin... :-). Another beauty!

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  12. Teal and aqua...so pretty. Thanks for the shout out. Just wish I had actually finished it for the link up waaaaaaaaaay back when. LOL

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Thanks so much for your comment and for visiting! I read and appreciate every single comment, and I reply to each one as soon as I can. If you don't hear back from me, you might be a no-reply blogger. :)

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