Blogger's Quilt Festival

Well, it's that time of year again!  The time when there is so much quilty eye-candy on display that it's hard to tear yourself away from the computer.  That's how it is for me anyway. Yep!  It's Blogger's Quilt Festival time over at Amy's Creative Side!

I really thought long and hard about the quilt I wanted to enter, and decided that my Bubble Bath quilt should go in the original design category.  It is definitely one of my favorites from the first part of this year, and I published the pattern for it as well.

My vision for this quilt was to have the the different sized snowball blocks float across the quilt like bubbles through the air.  It took lots of sketching and re-sketching, but I love the finished result.

I always try to use up the scraps in the backing, and this quilt was no exception.

I really loved creating this design, and it has really inspired me to dabble in more alternate grid work in my patterns.

Quilt Stats-

Name- Bubble Bath

Size- 72" x 92"

Quilting- free motion stippling by me!

Entry Category- Original Design

Be sure to head on over to Amy's Creative Side and check out all of the other awesome entries in all of the categories, and vote for your favorites on May 22nd!

Blogger's Quilt Festival!

I can't believe it's time for another Blogger's Quilt Festival!  When I was trying to decide which quilt I should enter in this one, my choice was clear.  I've decided to enter Shattered Rainbow in the ROYGBIV category.

Of all of my quilts, this is one that I feel especially proud of for a few different reasons.  This was my first rainbow quilt, and the first time I attempted to blend colors gradually around a quilt.

Another little victory with this quilt is that I planned my binding.  Each section of the quilt is bound in the corresponding color.  I love that the binding doesn't detract from the color layout of the quilt.

Most of all, it always feels wonderful to use up all of the scraps in my scrap jars, and with this quilt, I accomplished that!  The quilt measures 88" x 96," so that's a LOT of scraps!

I pieced the backing with wide rainbow stripes, bordered by a dreamy gray polkadot.  I thought it looked soft like a cloud!  All in all, this quilt is one of the finishes I have been most proud of!

Quilt Stats:

Name- Shattered Rainbow

Size- 88" x 96 in.

Quilting- Free motion meandering by me

Entry Category- ROYGBIV Quilts

*Edited 10/25- Since I've had a few people ask me, I used THIS method for my improv piecing.  The only difference is that I made 8 inch blocks instead of 12 inch, and of course I sewed one color at a time.

So, if you get the chance, pop over to Amy's Creative Side to check out all of the fabulous quilty inspiration in the ROYGBIV category, and all of the others!

A Second Entry

After thinking long and hard about which quilt to enter into the Blogger's Quilt Festival at Amy's Creative Side, I just couldn't make up my mind.  The two quilts I had in mind are completely different, and I love both of them!  So, since I can enter two, I decided, what the heck!  This is my first time to enter and I'm jumping in with both feet!

I've decided to enter Feeling Groovy in the Throw/Lap Quilt category.  It measures right at 6ox60 inches.

I fell in love with Pat Bravo's Carnaby Street fabrics as soon as I saw them and I knew that I needed a special pattern to show them off.  I opted for a X-Plus pattern, and it's a choice I'm still glad I made.  Instead of making a scrappy quilt with this pattern as I have usually seen, I decided on two shades of gray, Kona Coal, and Kona Iron for the background, to really let the Carnaby Street shine.

I love how the grays recede into the background and allow the Carnaby Street to jump out, creating an almost 3D effect.

This is also my most favorite quilt backing I've ever made.  I didn't want any of my precious scraps to go to waste, so I improv pieced them into a panel, which I think makes the backing as fun as the front!

This quilt was so much fun to make, from the fabrics right down to the chevron binding in the perfect shade of teal. 

Quilt Stats:

Name- Feeling Groovy

Size- 60 x 60 inches

Quilting- Free motion meandering by me

Entry Category- Throw Quilts

Be sure to hop over to Amy's Creative Side and check out the Blogger's Quilt Festival.  There are so many fantastic quilts linked up, and you won't want to miss it!

Blogger's Quilt Festival Time!

I am so excited to enter the Blogger's Quilt Festival at Amy's Creative Side for the very first time!  I can't wait to browse through all of the fantastic entries, make some new quilty friends, and get inspired!

I absolutely could not decide between two of my quilts, so I decided that since I'm allowed two entries, I'll just enter both!  My first entry is my scrappy quilt, Serendipity.

Making this quilt was a really special experience for me, because I was able to revisit all of the previous quilts I've made that have gone to new homes.  To make the blocks, I took every single scrap I had and just started sewing- improv style.

The quilt masures 84 x 96, so it was quite an undertaking to quilt it on my home machine, which is also another reason that I feel so proud of it.  It is quilted in a simple meander, which I think fits with the style of the improv blocks and doesn't add too much busy-ness.  It took some real muscles to manage the weight of such a big quilt with FMQ on a regular machine!

I was able to piece the rest of my improv blocks into the backing to add a little bit of interest there.  I love the how the lime green polkadots look with the explosion of color in the blocks.

With all of the scrappy color, any binding or backing color choices would have worked, but I decided to bind with Kona Purple, and I think it keeps it really bright and fun!

The name of this quilt is a reflection of the way the quilt came together.  It is a quilt whose beauty was realized from sewing with humble scraps, from sewing in a style that was completely unplanned.  The name Serendipity fits like a glove.

Quilt Stats:

Name- Serendipity

Size- 84 x 96 in.

Quilting- Free motion meandering by me

Entry Category- Scrappy Quilts

Be sure to check out all of the fabulous entries, and prepare to be inspired!