I finished something!

I actually have a finish for Finish-it-up Friday! I really have a couple things to show you, but this one is actually done AND photographed!

I made a pillow top out of mini charms aaaaaaages ago, and it sat on my design wall forever while I contemplated how to quilt it. Like ages.

I found this picture of it's early stages on my Flickr. Taken in MARCH. Don't judge...

So it sat, and sat, and sat... and then divine inspiration came in the form of a blog post from Christina at A Few Scraps. She actually has a book out that is ah-may-zing, so you should get it. And she has no idea that I even exist, much less rave about her book, so you can trust my honesty!

So I saw that post, liked the design, and just sat at my machine and went to town. I didn't draw it out beforehand (maybe I should have!) but I think it turned out ok anyway. I have to say, when inspiration strikes, I don't have any patience!

I even managed to quilt it and make it into a Real Pillow on the same day! I know, right??

Doesn't she look so pretty next to her friend? Charlotte approves, though I don't have photographic proof.

I even started a little something else the other day, that I'm super stoked about. I've just hit a snag until more background fabric comes in the mail!

Officewarming!

I made a quick gift for a good friend the other day. She recently started a new fancy job, and has an office with a really great view and everything - so I made her a little something as an "officewarming" gift.

I used a mini charm pack of Horizon by Kate Spain and revisited my mini Rock Candy Quilt by Jaybird Quilts. It didn't take long at all to put this together, I feel like the longest part was deciding on how to lay out the pieces!

I first looked at a random-ish layout...

Then I used the more saturated fabrics for the inner bit and radiated out....

Then I did the opposite of that...

And we have a winner!

And here is the finished product!

I quilted it with straight lines overlapping in the center with Aurifil 3840, a really pretty variegated purple. I machine stitched the binding and it was done!

Build Me Up Buttercup

I have a finish! Whaaaat!!

Yeah, I know, I can't believe it either! I actually finished this quilt last week (maybe the week before? I just finished midterms, my brain is broken...) and I took some pictures of it right away, before I lost the light and/or the top got wrinkled.

I started this quilt intending it to be a nap-sized couch quilt (~60" square) but after it got to that size, I decided I liked it too much and wanted to make it bed-sized. It's a little small for my queen sized bed, but I have a few inches of overhang on each side so it's passable.

You can see where I planned out additional blocks after I finished the quilt top the first time... I also cut the fabric to preserve the directionality, which is a really nice effect with these beautiful prints!

This was a fun one. Super fast, instant gratification blocks. I've already started on the back, so once I figure out how I want to quilt it I'll finish the back, baste it, and get going!


Stats:
Build Me Up Buttercup
72"x84"
Fabric used is Meadow by Leah Duncan
Pieced with Aurifil 2600
On my Bernina 750 QE

Forgotten Finish!

You might not even remember when I started this project... last summer!

I love hand work, and this was no exception. I remember distinctly working on this while my grandmother was in the hospital last year, just before she passed away. Maybe that's why I put it away for so long?

I even had a moment of ineptitude where I wasn't paying attention - don't try to hand piece and watch Scandal! At least it was an easy fix.

But anyway, I actually finished this several months ago, and neglected to share it with you. But here it is!

I quilted it with straight lines radiating out from the peach ring, with Aurifil 2600 (my go-to for everything!) The back is a simple pocket with navy Pearl Bracelets.

Nifty Gifty :-)

You may have heard that Kristi from Schnitzel and Boo is super awesome and organized a mini quilt swap! You may have seen a little sneak peek of what I made here, but I didn't want to give too much away until I got it in the mail and gave it a little time to get to the recipient.

I loved making this! It took me forever to decide what to do, but I decided that I should use this opportunity to try out new patterns and techniques. I've loved the Arkansas traveler block forever, and I would like to make a bed-sized quilt one day. I used the paper piecing tutorial from Lee at Freshly Pieced.

I used fabrics from my stash, and a good number of them were scraps from this project. (Which is still a WIP...) I backed it in some good ole pearl bracelets, and for the first time ever, I did circle quilting!

That was way harder than I thought. I think I started and picked out the middle swirling at least three times. Eventually, I figured it out. I used my walking foot for most of it and then went back in and backtracked to the center with FMQ. It's a little wobbly, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out!

I forgot to put on a label, so before I finished quilting it I used one of the circles in the print as a label and wrote on it with a permanent fabric pen.

I also added some corner pockets so that she will be able to hang it with a rod if she wants to!

I put the binding on by machine, which I don't love (I much prefer hand binding!) but I'll be honest, I was a little pressed for time!

And in the tradition of Tales of Ineptitude, there were a few hiccups (taking out quilting notwithstanding). I chain piece binding as I put it together, and when I was putting this one together, I just grabbed for the next blue strip and sewed it on without paying too much attention. Oops. At least I got a good laugh at 3am. :-)

From This Valley

I finished my Luxe in Bloom Churn Dash! I really like this quilt. I love the colors, the busy-ness, and the prints that you wouldn't think work together, but go together perfectly.

I've decided to name this quilt From This Valley, which is a song by the Civil Wars. This song is one of my favorites. It's also a very significant song for me - it was on repeat for months after my Mom died.

For this quilt I used almost all the prints from Luxe in Bloom by Sarah Watson, and it is pieced in Aurifil 2024. It finishes 80x72. The design is my own, using traditional churn dash blocks.

Long Strange Trip

I've actually got a finish! I finished the blocks for my scrappy trip quilt before I went to the beach, and the other night I finally put the blocks together!

I'm naming this one Long Strange Trip - another reference to a Grateful Dead song. (Remember Sunshine Daydream?)

I really like this quilt, it comes together so quickly, and it can use literally ANY fabric you have on hand. I used Good Fortune by Kate Spain, and I love that the fabrics are really different from each other, but still relate really well. I wasn't ready to go full-on scrappy yet ;-)

Sorry some of those pictures are so dark. I took the last two in the middle of the night, as soon as the top was done. I haven't quite figured out the best way to take pictures of finished quilts. I think I need to get used to the idea of taking them outside and laying them on the grass in the sun. Maybe I'll experiment with the fence in my back yard...

Wonky Cross Quilt

Remember the sneak peeks from last week? Well, here is the finished product! (Sorry the picture is so dark - it was very dreary outside!)

I made this quilt for a good family friend whose husband passed away recently. She and my Mom were very close, so it was important to me to do something for her.

This is the first time I've done this block, and it was really quick! I started the top on Monday, and after three sessions had the whole thing finished, quilted and bound! I did some straight line quilting, and I also did the binding by machine for the first time. I also pieced the back for the first time! I really liked that process.

I just used some of the scraps to make a big improv log cabin block for the back, and used some stash fabrics for the rest.

So this little number is done and gifted! I'll share more this week about the process!

Delicious Finish

My Honey Honey top is finished!

Sorry about the crappy picture. I finished this one at about 3:30am, and couldn't wait to post about it! Can you spot Charlotte? She was helping ;-)

I trucked through and finished the rows and borders in one sitting. It was pretty quick, except for all the pinning! I'm a little particular about my corners - remember these?

I fiddled around with the block layout for about a week or so, trying to even out the values and trying not to put prints in different color ways next to each other. That didn't work as well as I would have liked, I tend to find a print I like and buy it in every color it comes in ;-)

This baby finishes out at 71x86, and the solids are Kona white and candy green. The prints, of course, are Honey Honey by Kate Spain.

It might be a while before I will quilt is one, I forgot to order backing fabric, so that may take a hot second... Decisions, decisions...

Big Finish

You might remember this teaser from what seems like a looooong time ago. I started this wall quilt several months ago, and i actually finished the top quite a while ago. I wanted to have it finished before sharing it, because its pretty meaningful. It was a cathartic exercise for me, and it was important for me to get it finished, especially this week.

It's called Tears, and its about grief, and the spectrum of emotions that go with it. I made the blue strips in varying colors and widths, some are deep and dark, and some are bright. I free motion quilted it with trails of tears of various scale. I also put a little sliver of hope into the binding.

I hate that orange wall. Maybe one day I'll change it.

#finishit2013

I finished binding my xplusalong, Sunshine Daydream! I'm so psyched about this quilt, it's so bright and sunshiny, just in time for spring!

I bound it in Kona Azure, which is a nice contrast, and as the only solid in the quilt, it gives your eyes a rest as well. The backing is an old sheet - my favorite sheet set that I can't use anymore since I went from a double to queen bed when I bought the house. So now I get to have it in a quilt forever. Booyah.

First finish of 2013?

This quilt is my first official finish of 2013! It was kind of a big one, too. Not really, it is a smallish lap quilt, but my Mom started it for my sister before she died. I tried to finish it for Christmas, but it didn't happen, but I was able to finish it in time for my sister's birthday this past weekend.

My mom pieced the top, basted it, and started quilting it. She didn't get far with the quilting, so I finished that and then bound it. The problem with the quilting (the reason it took me longer than I expected) was because my Mom was using a template to quilt it, which I couldn't find. So I made my own. I traced some of the quilting that she had already done onto template plastic and cut it out with an exacto knife. There were lots of starts and stops. I don't like that. But it was good, a very cathartic experience.

Of course, I didn't take a picture of the finished product before I gave it to my sister, but you get the idea...