Friday, August 29, 2014

FMQ Potholder Set Completed



Front
back























I like to practice free-motion quilting, so I decided to have a little fun and create a set of  potholders. I might as well make something useful while practicing. I used two layers of batting, the bottom layer of Insul-Bright and a top layer of Warm & Natural. The thread was a variegated King-Tut, Aurifil 50wt bobbin and Aurifil Invisible thread for the binding.


The quilted designs were just free-form feathers with a lot of echos. Then I just trimmed each one to 9"x 9". Lucky for me, I had just enough leftover binding from another project to go around each one.
I didn't have enough binding to make traditional potholder loops, so I just stitched on a bit of gold ribbon. I think it works.
I think I might have to make up several sets for Christmas presents.

For today though, I'm linking up with TGIFF, Link-A-Finish Friday, Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop and Finish It Up Friday


Color Me Quilty!

Pat 

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

A Little of This, A Little of That...WIP Wednesday

August is sometimes a hard month for me to focus on my quilting. Summer is so short here. But, I did accomplish a few things this week.

I was recently talking to a cousin about making potholders to practice free motion quilting. I realized that I hadn't made any in quite a while and I would love something to play with a little FMQ. Here's one I whipped up last night. I even found some left over binding to use.  I used Insul-Bright and Warm & Natural batting. I trimmed it to 9" x 9".

Front

Back
This is similar to some I made a few years back (click here).

I also started and finished a new purse for myself. I designed it around some cool buttons I got from Joyful Adornments. Click here to see my post on this purse.



I still have a list a mile long, but fall is coming! 

I'm linking up with  Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday!





Here are this week's stats:
In-process: (6)
Express Your Love
Humphrey's New Bed
Mod Ovals Quilt
Pantone Quilt 2014
IMQG Block Swap
VFW Scrap Fabric Quilt
 
New projects: (1) 
FMQ Potholders

Finished (1)
Quilty Purse


Color Me Quilty!
Pat

Thursday, August 21, 2014

All Buttoned and Zipped Up!

My old purse is looking a little shabby. Not surprising really, I made it a year and a half ago. So I decided it was time to make a new one. I have a pattern by Lazy Girl Designs called the City Bag. I have made it a few time (here, here and here), I really like this pattern.


















One of the best parts of this bag are the buttons and zipper pull, aren't they WONDERFUL! They are handmade out of glass. My friend Bonnie Scott of Joyful Adornments makes them. You really should check out her website, she has so much more than just buttons.




A Spool Pull, how great is that!

 The inside of the bag has lots of pockets and there is a covered base (a piece of balsa wood cut to size) and sewn in to the bottom.



I chose this bag because it is quite large, perfect to take to a conference I have coming up in September.

I'm linking up with TGIFF, Link-A-Finish Friday, Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop and Finish It Up Friday


Color Me Quilty!

Pat 

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Hand Block Printed Fabric From India....Hand Delivered!

I happen to have the most amazing family and I even mean my extended family - you know cousins and such. My cousin Cera, recently returned from India, where she had been teaching for the past three years.  Look what she brought back for me! Hand printed fabric!



























The fabric is quite thin (it's hot in India). The colors are wonderful. I think I will need to pair it will some voile or lawn fabric. Maybe use some silk batting, I will need something very light and soft.

I will need to take some time to ponder what I will make, but what fun that will be. Thanks Cera, you are pretty wonderful to remember me.

I'm linking up today with A Quilt Story for Fabric Tuesday and Free Motion by the River for Linky Tuesday.

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

Friday, August 15, 2014

A Modern Scottish Baby Quilt Finish

I did have fun designing and making this quilt for a very special cousin. My family is of Scottish descent and  my cousin's husband is also. As a matter of fact, my cousin's husband and family recently visited Scotland. So my goal in making this quilt was to incorporate a Scottish theme. That is easier said than done with a baby quilt. Thistles and plaid made it to the top of my list to use.


I used three shades of yellow and pieced a gingham top.
I used a tattoo design of a Celtic Thistle and used reverse applique' with dark grey fleece. I thought the fleece would be fun for baby to touch.

I found this yellow and grey fabric in my stash that fit it perfectly in both color and size.

I used Aurifil 50wt to piece it together, then tried some new types of threads for quilting. I used Aurifil invisible thread to stitch in the ditch and to stitch my faux piped binding, that worked wonderfully well. Then I used Aurifil 40wt and 28 wt to create the "plaid" with straight line stitching.

I used Quilters Dream Puff batting so that it would be soft for the baby to play on, but yet fabulously washable.

This is Jess, the mama-to-be, her grandma (my aunt) was looking on from behind.
I even took the time to sign my quilt.

The straight line stitching isn't really straight, but the quilt was made with love. Hopefully, that's what the baby and her mama feels when they touch this quilt.


Today, I'm linking up with TGIFF, Link-A-Finish Friday, Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop and Finish It Up Friday


Color Me Quilty!

Pat 

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

WIP Wednesday

It's Wednesday again, time to see if I've made any progress. Yup, I actually finished my Modern Scottish baby quilt, but I'm going to wait to show you the finished pictures until later this week. Here's a sneak peek at the finished quilt, I actually signed it.


 I also worked on "making" fabric, like I learned in Victoria Findlay Wolfe's class. It is really fun and kind of relaxing to somewhat randomly sew scraps together.

This is going to take a while if I want to actually make a king sized quilt out of this. No rush, I guess.

I'm linking up with  Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday!




Here are this week's stats:
In-process: (6)
Express Your Love
Humphrey's New Bed
Mod Ovals Quilt
Pantone Quilt 2014
IMQG Block Swap
VFW Scrap Fabric Quilt
 
New projects: (0) 


Finished (1)
Modern Scottish Baby


Color Me Quilty!
Pat

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

And the Plaid Begins

I love the look of straight line quilting, but I really don't like to do it. My lines are never straight, no matter what I do. It's probably of function of practice, I'd rather FMQ! But plaid quilting requires straight lines. Hopefully the baby that this quilt is intended for won't notice!

The quilting is going quickly, hopefully I will finish it this week.




 I also hosted the combined Ithaca and Rochester Modern Quilt Guild picnic on Sunday. What absolutely wonderful women, love them all. Here's a peek at some of there work.














 


The Ithaca group is having a swap fabric and make a block for your partner challenge. Most of us swapped fabric with 5 or 6 people. I gave each of my partners a color of the rainbow. I got my yellow and orange blocks back. I LOVE them.





I'm linking up with  Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday!



Here are this week's stats:
In-process: (7)
Express Your Love
Humphrey's New Bed
Mod Ovals Quilt
Pantone Quilt 2014
Modern Scottish Baby
IMQG Block Swap
VFW Scrap Fabric Quilt
 
New projects: (0) 


Finished (0)



Color Me Quilty!
Pat

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Quilting ALong

I'm quilting in between picnics, I'm hosting four this week - two down, two to go. But, I really want to get my Modern Scottish baby quilt done before Sunday's picnic, so that I can send it on it's way to it's new owner.

I tried something new, I used some Aurifil invisible thread to stitch in the ditch. worked great.

 It ran really well through my machine. I used a 50wt grey Aurifil thread in the bobbin, I wasn't sure if I could use the invisible thread in the bobbin. Has anyone done that?

I think it turned out fine, well the thread worked great, I could use some practice at stitching a straight line. I guess I will get the practice because I plan on quilting straight lines of different colors to make it look like plaid.


 I stitched down the thistle really well. I really made it pop!


All in all, I think it's turning out okay. Now to start the plaid quilting.

Linking up with A Quilt Story for Fabric Tuesday and Free Motion by the River for Linky Tuesday.

Color Me Quilty!

Pat