Regatta

Are you ready for another stop on the Stash Statement blog hop?  This week features the Regatta quilt, and the background is full of soothing blue and aqua, with just a touch of teal to depict ocean water.

The variation in the shades of blue add amazing depth and movement to the water, and provide the perfect setting for the Kona Red and Corn Yellow racing sailboats.  I quilted this one with a very dense stipple with Aurifil 50 wt. White, and the crinkly texture also adds some great movement to the quilt.

For the back of this quilt, I pulled this soothing blue print from my stash, along with Kona Navy and more Corn Yellow.  This shade of denim blue is really perfect for this quilt, and the little print adds just enough interest.

I used plenty of my leftover blue strip scraps for a scrappy binding, and it disappears right into the quilt, which really is cool.

One of the great things about the quilts in Stash Statement is how easy it is to work on them as a longer term project if you prefer.  I generally like get down to business and sew my improv pieces together in a couple of days, but I have known quilters who prefer to sew a few blocks together here and there, pulling a handful of scraps out between projects.  

You can work on these quilts the same way some quilters put together string blocks or postage stamp blocks- but there is one BIG difference.  You don't have to do any additional cutting beforehand for improv blocks!  You can just grab a handful of scraps and start sewing!  I promise, it's easier than it looks, and the book walks you through the process with step-by-step instructions and three easy methods.  Everyone can do this!

Debbie at A Quilter's Table and Susan at Quilt Fabrication are sharing their own gorgeous versions of the Regatta quilt today, so head over there to check them out!

Ready to start turning your scraps into unique quilts, filled with amazing texture and interest?  You can get a signed copy of Stash Statement from my Etsy shop HERE.  The book is also available from Amazon, Connecting Threads, ShopMartingale.com, or ask about it at your local quilt shop.

Here's the full blog tour lineup!

4/16- Grand Bazaar    Shelley @ Cora's Quilts

                                      Connie @ Freemotion by the River

4/23- Louvered  Lindsey @ Primrose Cottage Quilts 

                            Diann @ Little Penguin Quilts

4/30- Precarious  Jess @ Quilty Habit                       

                              Myra @ Busy Hands Quilts

                                                            

5/7- Beach Retreat  Sarah @ Sarah Goer Quilts                               

                                  Liz @ Savor Every Stitch 

                                                           

5/14- Fire Pit   Alison @ Little Bunny Quilts                                          

                         Preeti @ Sew Preeti Quilts

                                                            

5/21- Detour    Laura @ Slice of Pi Quilts                         

                         Shelley @ The Carpenter's Daughter Who Quilts

                                                            

5/28- Murrina    Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl             

                            Leanne @ Devoted Quilter

                                                            

6/4- Scattered    Jayne @ Twiggy and Opal                      

                           Christine @ Triangles and Squares 

                                                            

6/11- Bloom Chicka Boom   Chris @ made by ChrissieD            

                                               Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty

                                                            

6/18- Regatta   Susan @ Quilt Fabrication                             

                          Debbie @ A Quilter's Table    

                                                            

6/25- Catch a Falling Star  Cynthia @ Quilting is More Fun Than Housework        

                                              Anja @ Anja Quilts

                                                            

7/2- College Prep   Hilary @ by Hilary Jordan                 

                                Lori @ Crossquilt

                                                            

7/9- Take Flight (free bonus pattern)  Kelli @ Seriously, I Think It Needs Stitches 

                                                             Paula @ The Sassy Quilter

 

Kite Festival and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday!  This week, I've finished up this cute little baby quilt.  My April CMM blocks also got done, but I'll save those for the post on Sunday.

I love the simplicity of the half square triangle, and the layout options are practically endless.  I opted for a random layout on this quilt, and I think the layout, along with the happy colors, gives the look of lots of kites flying.  So, I'm calling this one Kite Festival.

The backing of this quilt is an example of what happens when quilt math goes wrong.  In a hurry to get started, I determined that I needed 64 blocks for this quilt, and promptly started cutting four squares from each of my 16 prints.  Of course, since each pair of squares yields four HST, I realized too late that I was actually cutting double the number of squares that I actually needed.  Well, waste not, want not!  All of the extras just went on the back, and lesson learned-  even for a simple quilt, don't do quilt math in a rush.

I finished it off with a binding in Kona Candy Blue, and now this one is all ready for baby boy snuggles!

Okay then!  Let's get to the highlights from last week's party!  Look at this adorable Sea Otter quilt by Jess at Quilty Habit-

I'm loving the colors in this quilt by Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting-

And this sunny Flying Geese quilt by The Lilac Cat makes me wish for warm, sunshiny days!

What are you working on this week?  I can't wait to see.  It's time to link up!

1. You 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!  :)

Will's Wings and NTT

I finished my latest quilt, made with my Take Flight pattern, and I am SO proud of the way it turned out.

Everything is always better with practice, and in the case of this quilt, that is definitely true.  The most difficult part of this quilt is free-motion quilting the feather pattern on the two wings.  It takes some patience and planning to make sure the two wings are even.  I was more successful this time around.  The feather quilting on the wings is more fluid on this quilt, and the two wings are as even as I think they can reasonably be.

The wings are a nice, crisp Kona White, and I quilted with Aurifil Dove Gray thread.  The Dove Gray isn't so dark that it sticks out, but it adds just enough awesome dimension.

I lucked out and found this fantastic print that pulls in all of the colors of the improv piecing, and with a stripe of Kona Chartreuse to widen it out, it is just perfect.

Even though the blue on the backing fabric is a darker shade, I opted for Kona Royal for the binding.  I thought a navy binding would be too dark against the front, and the Royal still blends really well.

I don't often make handwritten labels anymore (tutorial HERE).  Since getting my custom ribbon labels, it is just so easy to sew one of those into the binding of my quilts.  This quilt called for a special touch though, and my friend requested a particular name for the quilt.  This quilt is for a friend, and has a beautiful purpose.  My last post has the details, and you can read about it HERE.

I delivered the quilt yesterday evening, and my friend absolutely loved it.  It was an honor to make it for her!

Last week's party was amazing!  Check out this beautiful medallion quilt by The Lilac Cat-

This fun quilt is by Something Rosemarie.  Great colors and texture!

And finally, look at these amazing wonky triangles by Sarah at Quilt Moderne.  Love it!

Without further ado, let's get to it!

1. You 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!  :)

A Quilt For Remembering

Several weeks ago, when I posted my first Take Flight quilt, my friend contacted me about making a very special quilt for her in memory of her angel baby, lost suddenly to a flu-like illness at the age of two.

She requested blues, greens, and aquas/teals in the background, because he loved the cartoon Blues Clues, and these colors always remind her of him.

Though this happened many years ago (he would be a teenager today), I know that neither the love a parent feels for a child, nor the pain from this kind of loss ever leaves a momma's heart. When we talked about the quilt, my friend said "My heart needs this quilt," and I am honored to make it for her in memory of her precious boy.

*ps- you can check out more information on my Take Flight pattern HERE.

Ripples

As I mentioned in last week's NTT post, I've been working on making a baby quilt from the small scraps of my Secret Lagoon quilt.  I didn't have many scraps, so I decided to use them to make a minimal quilt, and I used improv sewing to make the most of them.

When I took the photos of this one, the sunlight really threw the seams into high relief.  Crazy, because they are practically invisible in person (and I promise that they are straight!).  I wasn't sure how I was going to layout these improv HST's, so I cut several solid squares to fill out the quilt, giving myself plenty of layout options.  If I had planned a little better, I would have used large sections of the background fabric rather than using squares, but once they were cut, I certainly wasn't wasting them.

My larger leftover chunks made a perfect backing, and I used more of the lighter shade of navy marble fabric to bind it.

I definitely have a to-do list right now, but with all of the other madness happening in my house, a little whimsical improv sewing was just what I needed to decompress.  The design of this quilt reminds me of the disturbance created when stones are tossed into a peaceful body of water, so I thought that Ripples was an apt name.

Back in Business!

Whoop, whoop!  I picked up my machine yesterday, and I am back in business, y'all!  I was without it for just under two weeks, but it felt like much longer.  As soon as I got home, I got her back in my cabinet, filled a few bobbins, and started to quilt, quilt, quilt on those projects that were waiting.  First up was this quilt for the grandson of a friend, who is due in May.

When I look at this quilt, I see classic Americana, and that's what I've decided to name this one.  My friend wanted a Double Slice pattern in these colors, and when I got the top together, I wasn't sure if I liked it, and even contemplated starting over.  I worried that since there isn't a ton of contrast in the chosen colors, that they ran together too much with such a busy pattern.

Sometimes I have a vision of a quilt in my mind, and if it doesn't turn out as I expect when it goes together, it's hard to evaluate the quilt clearly.  I ended up asking the opinion of a few friends who really liked it, and now that it's finished, I have to say that I'm happy with it too.  I think it just took a little while to get that initial vision out of my head.

I went with a denim chambray on the back, with some leftover strips for some added interest, and the bright red binding just pops against all of that blue and gray.  This quilt measures 54" square.

I'm working to finish up my other projects in waiting (including my Liberty quilt!) before my parents come in town for a visit this weekend.    I've been missing my machine so much lately, that I don't see a problem with quilting at all hours to make that happen!

ps- NTT is still on for this evening, but since I have three giveaway winners to announce in that post, plus highlights from last week, I decided to make two separate posts to keep the party post a reasonable length.  See you this evening!  :)

Themed But Not Themed, and NTT

I'm guilty of a blogging no-no this week.  That is, I finished this entire little baby quilt without taking a single process photo, or even mentioning it in a post at all.  I didn't mean for it to happen that way; it's just that after finishing my huge Interference quilt, I was ready to work on something small, and I jumped right into this one.  It went together so quickly, I didn't even think about the fact that I had not shared it until I was already halfway through the quilting.  Oops!

My aunt is hosting a shower for a friend's daughter, and the nursery is decorated with a nautical theme.  My aunt asked for a quilt that had the soothing colors of the sea, with a few nautical fabrics thrown in; but she did not want a quilt that was overly themed- which was totally fine with me.  I'm just not a theme-quilt person (with a few exceptions).  I prefer to make baby quilts that will grow with the child and be useful for many years, rather than quilts that are so babyish and kitschy that they may not get used after a year or two.

The only overtly nautical fabric in the quilt is the little whale print.  The whales really are adorable, and add the perfect touch of whimsy.  There is also a tiny, very soft blue and gray print that looks a little like waves (top middle-ish), one of the navy prints gives the impression of a chain or a fishing net (on the right side of the backing), and a darker tonal blue that looks like bubbles (top left corner).  Even the two chevron fabrics look like a choppy sea.  

I chose a very modern pattern to give a little bit of balance to the cutesy.  I made quarter log cabin blocks, and varied the width of the strips, so the asymmetry would add a lot of cool movement.

Aside from the whale print, I would use any one of these fabrics in a non-themed quilt (and I have used several of them in the past).  So, even though I didn't fill the quilt with lots of novelty fabrics, I was intentional in choosing fabrics that were not only the right colors, but would add to the overall feel I was trying to achieve, and together, I think they really get the job done.

I know that some quilters love using novelty fabrics, and I have definitely seen some super adorable quilts made with them.  A themed quilt that is a bit more subtle fits my personal style a little better though, and I'm so pleased with the way it turned out.

I'm not going to make the same mistake twice, so before we party, here's a peek at the bundle that I'm about to cut into.  These fabrics are so delectable, and I am SO excited about the quilt I'm making next!

 Okay then, let's check out the highlights from last week's party, and boy, there were lots of beauties shared!  Like this sweet Star Cakes quilt from That Crafty Cara-

This bright bear paw quilt from Empress Charlotte looks awesome against that dark background!

and this On the Bright Side quilt is from Made by Chrissie D, and it is so much fun!

I've noticed that there have been several new friends sharing at NTT lately, and I am so thrilled to welcome you to the party!

1.  You 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!  :)

Smoky Mountain Hike

Bigger blocks rock, y'all.  I have always loved the Road to Tennessee pattern, but I've shied away from making one because traditionally the blocks are pretty small, and sometimes I'm just a little bit lazy.  It's okay. I admit it.  When I got the woodland themed fabrics for this baby quilt though, and saw that the animal prints were fairly large, I figured they would work well to size up the traditional RTT block.  I love how it turned out, and how quickly it went together!

I used just nine different fabrics, with four 8.5" squares cut from each one. The white corner squares were cut 4.5." The blocks finish at 8 inches, making the entire quilt 48" square.  I think this is a great use of bigger prints, or even a small bundle of fabric that may be difficult to mix with others.

When I took this photo, I intended to just give a close up of the stippling and a few of the prints, and I only realized later that this pic actually shows all nine fabrics.  I think they all play so well together, considering that they are mixed from my stash, and not from a single collection.

The backing is pieced with wide stripes, using up most of my leftovers, and that darkest navy blue just begged to be used in the binding.

The slate blues and smoky grays in this quilt, along with the woodland animal prints, inspired the name, Smoky Mountain Hike, and it is going to look amazing as the focal point in the nursery.  With Thanksgiving approaching at breakneck speed, I am so glad I was able to check this one off my list!

Little Boy Blue

As I mentioned in my post a couple of weeks ago, this little quilt top was an antique shop find for only ten dollars!  It was well made, and in very good condition with no rips or stains, and all it needed was a little TLC to finish it up.

The top was only 32 inches square, so I decided to add a border to it, which makes it 38 inches finished.  The Kona Navy really is perfect with it.  How could it not be with all of those shades of blue?

I was able to pull the Kona Navy, and all of the backing and binding fabrics from stash as well to finish it off.  I love when I can finish a quilt without buying more fabric.  That's always a little victory for me!

This binding fabric has to be one of my favorite parts of the quilt.  The print is a tiny snowball and nine patch pattern in shades of blue, and the shade is pretty darn close to the star point chambray fabric- perfect!

It was such an honor to be able to finish this treasure from the past, and it will be a perfect quilt to donate to a preemie little boy!