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

Quilting ADD...

So apparently I can't finish one thing before starting another... I've had a plan for my FQ stack of Sunnyside for aaaaages... I just haven't had a chance to work on it! But since working on my Meadow quilt (which is finished - more on that later this week!) I've gotten a fire lit under me for piecing. So I decided to make a "sample" block... which turned into 6, which turned into cutting out the whole quilt. And I've even gotten the backing already! (I am SO BAD about making tops and then procrastinating on the backs forever!)

So here is what I have so far - I'm using Tula Pink's Treasure Hunt pattern, which she released for Acacia.

I'm still working on this pretty steadily, so I'm sure I'll have some more to share soon!

Something Sunny :-)

Remember this picture?

I really love Meadow by Leah Duncan. I made enough blocks for a little quilt. (I'm also actually hoarding a half-yard bundle of Tule, just waiting for the right moment...)

I liked it so much, in fact, that I decided to make more blocks.

Then I decided I wanted to put it on my bed, so I made even more.

These blocks are done now, so I just have to put them together and finish the top!

I made something!

Do me a favor and reach back into your Ancient History archives and recall this pull:

Yeah. That sat on my sewing table for aaaaaages. Once the semester (or two...) got out and I had more than one day off, I finally cut into it. You might remember this from the other day:

Well after finally playing with that fabric, I put it all together and quilted it with NOT gray(!!)...

It became this!! Since I got my drop-in sewing table in late February, I've still been using the cover that came with the machine. But since the machine is recessed now, the old cover is way too big. So I upgraded Bridget's duds!

I quilted it with blue and yellow variegated Aurifil and the fabrics are some of my Very Favorites, so I'm super stoked to be able to look at this every day instead of the plain boring old one. Yay!

(Way) late to the party...

So there are a few informal quiltalongs that make the rounds on Instagram... I caught the bug on the xplusalong earlier this year, and I'm loving the results from that one. Soooo... I know I'm way late on this one, but the quilt I started the other day is a scrappy trip around the world!

I've seen these all over the internet, and they are all so fun. Katy has made like 20 already this year!

It took me a while to catch on to this one because I just didn't know what fabrics I wanted to use. I knew that I wanted the fabrics to at least sort of coordinate, and not be too dark. I decided to cut into a big ol' stack of FQs that I've been hoarding, and just go for it.

I'm liking this.

These blocks come together SO FAST!!! It's unbelievable. I've worked on this quilt twice total, and have 15 blocks done. And those two sessions included pressing and cutting all the fabric!

I've still got a while to go - I'm going to do 48 I think. I've even got an idea for the scraps for the back.

So yummy!

Not taking my own advice...

I know, after saying I was trying to finish this quilt before starting a new one the other day, I promptly went back on my word.

I cut into a FQ stack of Good Fortune that I've been hoarding for a year and a half. I don't know what got into me, I have three other quilts that I've had planned for a while, and that I have all the fabric pulls ready for. I also have this quilt that desperately needs to be finished quilting. That has been a WIP for waaaaay too long.

I guess I just needed a change of scenery?

It is a pretty view...

From Instagram: a fresh jar of selvages and 48 empty plates = a new quilt about to start!

Everything laid out, getting ready to fill those plates!

Here they are, all ready for stitching!

I love it when things go well...

There is nothing more gratifying than points that come out like this... Especially in the middle if the night!

When piecing turns out like this it helps combat the almost-done-with-this-quilt-but-I'm-kinda-done-with-the-repetition doldrums.

Quilt Fatigue

Do you guys ever get that? When you've been working on a piece that you really like, and you're really excited about it being finished, but you just don't want to work on it? I guess that's why we all tend to have piles of WIPs, I suppose.

As an aside: this is the 100th post!! Whaaaaat??

I love this quilt. I'm *soclose* to finishing it. But it's gotten a little tedious. I know what I'm going to start next, and there are a couple other things things that I could (should?) be working on as well. But I'm in one of those moods where I need to "finish what I start... in that order(ish)".

I think that's why I've been doing pouches and whatnot and quick little one-sitting projects (I'll share more of those later this week!). It makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something.

I have six blocks left on this quilt. Yes, that's all. I need to just hunker down and get them done. And I will. I guess I just feel like griping about it in the meantime...

See, it's all ready to go. No excuses!!

Empty plates mean progress, at least!

MAQS - Part II

Here are the rest of my Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show photos! Enjoy!

There were a couple Baltimore Album-type quilts that were very traditional in style, but were updated using really bright modern fabrics. So niiice :-)

This one used Kaffe prints fuzzy cut for the applique. And I love the non-white backgrounds!

This one had some incredible quilting.

The quilter used scale as a design element to create shadow and depth within the negative space.

This one looks a little trippy from far away - those little colored blocks were only about 3/4 of an inch tall I think!

The blurb on this one said that the artist used only thread scraps and strings intended for the trash to do this entire piece. I like that idea :-)

This one's quilting was really incredible - I had to do a double take...

The quilter used the negative space to create a scene out of the quilting - if you look closely, you can see a pond and reeds behind the bird. And a jumping fish! Such great details.

This is a small wall hanging, though that is hard to see with no size reference. Those background feathers were tiny!

This quilt won first place in the Innovative category. I was pretty much in awe of the quilting here. Yeah. That's all I can say.

The texture of the girl's hair is created just with quilting. Amazeballs.

The quilting in the sky is pretty much what I aspire to with free-form, improvisational free motion quilting. If I can do anything that is remotely marginally similar, I will die happy.

The tree here was done as a wholecloth - the artist painted the tree on, but then went over everything with thread painting. So intricate.

Another desert scene. I love the depth of this one, I feel like there is a story here waiting to be told...

These portraits were part of an exhibition about mental health. The whole exhibition was really amazing. I love when there are pieces that are beautiful and meaningful at the same time.

This one was about brain chemistry and mental health treatment. I love how the artist used three dimentional elements. The pictures really don't do it justice.

The "damaged brain cells" were made of broken glass, rusty nails, old coins, can tabs, and stuff that looks like it came out of the trash. As a nurse, this quilt really spoke to me because.... it's just true, and illustrates the reality of mental illness beautifully.

This one struck me with it's simplicity. It's about the journey towards healing. I like it a lot.

This one is pretty cool, too. The artist wrote in the caption about how her meds reminded her of candy.

Beautiful detail.

Well, that's it for this year! I'm looking forward to next year, of course. And hopefully in 2015 I will be able to go to Quiltcon, too!