Rainbow Radiance: A Finished Quilt

When my scrap buckets were overflowing I decided to make several colour-block slabs and then make one gigantic scrappy quilt using those blocks. They were a blast to make and when I found myself lacking in some of the colours (beige and lavender in particular) my quilty friends jumped into action. If you check the lavender block there is some very precious Tula Pink Parisville from my friend C. That's friendship, people.

The plan because of the size and shape was to make the quilt an outdoor quilt, designed for the many picnics and play events my eldest daughter engages in all summer long. I chose a colourful and inexpensive thicker weight (and looser weave) fabric from Ikea as the backing and used (mostly) polyester thread to make the quilting stronger. I also did machine binding instead of hand binding (which I hate because it doesn't look as good as hand binding but it would make it much more secure for heavy play).

For the binding I used up bits of leftover binding from other quilts and it worked out perfectly!

Here is Rainbow Radiance:

I am tempted to take an individual picture of each block so you could revel in the gems in each and every colour block. It is a delight for me to remember each fabric and point out "There's Lotta! There's Lizzy House!"

This is the backing. I was worried about the brown that was in this print but I find this picture reassuring because you really don't notice the brown.

This shows you the binding a little bit more. It is colourful and perfect.

Doesn't it look perfect for a summer picnic?

Here is the thicker weave that is the backing fabric.

I opted to not use batting for the first time ever. The backing is thick and heavy already so I wanted it to not get too heavy and I thought it would dry more easily when it gets damp in the grass. I feel mixed about the end result. It is already VERY heavy as a quilt but the batting would have prevented the colour of the backing from being seen through the lighter colours. It also would have kept the stitches more even.

I also opted to quilt each block with a different pattern, some free motion and some with the walking foot. The size and weight of this quilt made that a giant pain many times but I powered through. I'm happier with some blocks than others in terms of quilting. It adds an interesting texture to the quilt for sure.

I am also glad that I have another WIP off my list!

Kitties: A Finished Quilt

A former co-worker recently had a baby boy. When I asked about the colours of his nursery she let me know that she was keeping the same colours her daughter had, teal and grey. The daughter received Meow Mix from me when she was born, and so I jumped on making another teal and grey kitty quilt (they love cats at their house!)

I also had the perfect fabric on hand- a fat eighth bundle of Sarah Watt's line Cat Lady she did for Cotton + Steel. 

I used some Alison Glass feathers and some other neutrals from my stash to even out the colours, and I love this pattern for baby quilts. I think this might be my sixth (?) quilt using this pattern. 

I love this cat twisted to lick himself. So typically cat.

The back is a bunch of a Cat Lady print I had in my stash plus some other leftover bits. Love using up little pieces on the back!!

I will be sending this to the parents (and a gift for big sister too!) and I hope they find it charming. 

Hooking up with Finish It Up Friday with Crazy Mom Quilts.

Sweet Peach: A Finished Quilt

The reality seems to be that the only time I can eek out to blog is when I have a finished quilt. I will try to blog a bit more progress. For now, however, here is Sweet Peach, a sweet baby quilt for a brand new baby girl born to our lovely neighbours just last week.

I had a whole bunch of this peach owl fabric from the Les Amis line that I found on a discount table during a shop hop some time ago and this seemed like the perfect use for it. I also pulled out some coordinating fabrics from the brand new Pond line from Elizabeth Hartman. These were probably my least favourite colour-way from Pond and yet they worked so perfectly with these owls. It was made to be! 

The quilt is very simple in that these are 4" squares with alternating Kona White. I love the impact such a simple pattern has and it seems perfect for a baby quilt.

 I did simple straight line quilting echoing each seam line which creates a nice grid and isn't too fussy.

Those polkadots are a chocolate brown colour and those storks are the same colour but on a simple peachy-pink background. I also inserted some coral Art Gallery triangles that I picked up to win a bet with my friend C who said I only ever buy blues and greys. A Kona solid- I would have to check my colour card for the exact colour-rounded out the colour prints.

The backing is more of this owl fabric. Aren't they sweet?

I used more owl fabric for the binding which is very unlike me but finding a colour that worked was difficult so I went with simple.

The parents loved the quilt and hopefully the baby will get lots of use out of it!

Midnight at the Museum: A Finished Quilt

I have wanted to make a triangle quilt for a very long time. I bought a 60 degree ruler for this purpose but never seemed to have the right project. Then when I did this pull for a five-year-old who is in my close group of friends, the idea of triangles seemed just right.

Now. The ruler is awesome. And the quilt is awesome. But I did not read the directions about how to assemble the rows and that bit me in the butt. EVERY SINGLE POINT was cut off when I assembled the rows. It was entirely user error. There is a tricky way to put them together so this doesn't happen but I didn't bother to check that until after all my rows were all assembled. My friend A suggested I call it an artistic choice. I voted yes! (Now WAY was I ripping out every single row!)

The end result is still adorable and the error is probably most noticeable to me. The quilting helped to fix the illusion a bit so overall I'm very happy with the end result.

Here is Midnight at the Museum:

I totally love how these prints work together. The pops of lime green really make it for me.

Though most of the prints are from Lizzy House Natural History or Pearl Bracelets, there is also the only Cookie Book print from C+S that I like, some Herringbone and a few other navys that are from my stash. Don't they play nicely together?

I used the blue Mini Pearl Bracelets that is the majority of the backing for the binding too.

I had more than enough of the mini Pearl Bracelets to do it in all one print but I so much prefer to have a pieced back. I had a strip of this beautiful print from the elephant quilt I made my new nephew and couldn't resist adding it.

Doesn't this add more interest and fun?

I did angular straight line quilting and I love how it looks on the back (and the front) where the lines intersect!

The quilt's colour scheme and overall look both delight me and I definitely want to try another triangle quilt in the future...but this time following the instructions!

Glisten: A Finished Quilt

A co-worker is expecting her first child this coming December and she is very excited. They are having a baby girl and when I inquired about the colours of the nursery Mom still hadn't decided, but all options involved grey. This lovely woman has endured many health challenges to get to this point and I'm so thrilled for her. Obviously Baby Girl needs a quilt!

I pulled the turquoise colourway of the last of my Violet Craft Brambleberry Ridge out of my stash and then hunted around for some additional prints. The gold in this fabric is subtle and classy (like the mom!) so I knew it was a good fit but I wasn't sure if anything would go with it. Ultimately I added in a sweet Lizzy House Diamond print, a Denise Schmidt print from ages ago and then two unusual greys that also have gold from Carolyn Friedlander's Carkai line that was recently released. I also pulled out a half yard of Katarina Rochelle's Imprint fabric for Art Gallery Fabrics. After a consult (Thanks C and A!) I decided that it provided that visual break that I would normally use Kona White for, so I went for it.

Here is Glisten, named because the mix of soft blues and gold remind me of a pond glistening in the early morning light with a bit of early morning fog softening everything:

Simple patchwork seemed to make sense for this project, and I'm glad I didn't overthink it.

 There is one Brambleberry Ridge print that has just a hint of pink from some roses. I think it adds a little bit of interest. I echoed that by having a mostly grey and turquoise binding with a hint of pink in the corner! (Can you see it?)

I echo straightline quilted it on the sides of each seam.

 The back was a long-ago acquired Art Gallery print that never had just the right purpose until this quilt. It was just a tiny bit too short so I added a strip of that sweet grey low volume swirl (I think it is very old Rashida Coleman Hale? Pre-Cotton+Steel?)

Feminine but not too baby-ish.

Though baby isn't due until December I knew this quilt had to be made this summer because my September-June promises to be really busy!

I hope she really loves this quilt and that the long desired and already cherished baby girl spends some tummy time enjoying Glisten!

Linking up with Finish It Up Friday with Crazy Mom Quilts.

WIP Wednesday: Soaking Up Summer

I am starting an exciting new job in September and I anticipate having exactly zero time to sew and quilt. I will try to make a point to make a bit of time but I'm not hopeful. With that in mind, I have been knocking out some quilts that need to get done this year and that I don't think I can do come September.

First up is a very sweet, soft baby girl quilt for a co-worker who is expecting in December. I hope she loves these prints. This simple little patchwork quilt is so sweet!

Scrappy binding from my binding leftovers. They worked perfectly with this quilt!

I also cut up all the prints for a Banners Quilt using Star Wars fabric. This is for one of two quilts I need to make to finish off making a quilt for all the children in my one group of friends.

Star Wars!

I couldn't get any further with Star Wars because I need 3 yards of Kona Titanium as the background fabric. What to do? Start cutting the other quilt for that group! This one is another little boy (Star Wars is for an 11-year-old and this blue/green quilt is for a five-year-old).

I have been hemming and hawing as to which pattern to use and decided to break out my 60 degree equilateral triangle ruler that I bought ages ago.

This ruler makes things a breeze! I opted for 6" triangles.

I am SO SO pleased with the results. I want to keep looking at it. I love all the Lizzy House Pearl Bracelets (regular and mini) mixed with lots of Lizzy House Natural History plus some other prints from my stash that work perfectly with this navy and lime colour scheme.

I think it is totally awesome. I'm thinking of keeping it.

So that makes four quilts on the go right now, but I am making excellent progress with all of them!

On a side note, I am participating on Instagram (@lynnfilliter) with the #ilovemystash challenge from @sewinlove. One of the prompts was a floral print and I pulled out this Art Gallery fabric that I don't even remember ever acquiring. One of my closest friends commented how much she loved it and that I couldn't get out of my head how right it would be for her. And so I went through my stash and curated a bundle to go with it!

Unusual colours? Yes. Perfect for my friend? Also yes!

So the bundle has been put aside to eventually make her a quilt with it (she already has First Snow so I think she can wait a bit!). I'm not going to tell her though...then there is no deadline!

Looking pretty.

And that is my WIP Wednesday!

Pink Castle Fabrics

My husband is absolutely amazing. So amazing that when we discussed going away for a weekend, just the two of us, he was the one that suggested Ann Arbour, MI because he knows that my absolute favourite online source of fabrics is Pink Castle Fabrics.

What, was I going to say no?

So, along with trips to multiple breweries, the downtown core and one of the best restaurants I have EVER eaten in (Frita Batidos), I got to make a trip to Pink Castle in person!

It looks deceptively unassuming on the outside.

So much goodness on the inside!

Fabric everywhere you look! And all modern and to my taste!

Molly worked with me at first getting together orders for quilty friends A and C.

And then I started roaming the store and making stacks. These are both my stacks. I gave myself a very healthy $300 budget and still managed to stay significantly under that, despite finishing 5 bolts (and receiving a 20% discount for doing so!).

I just grabbed everything my heart desired and got her to start cutting!

And after close to two hours in the shop, here is my final haul (noting that the Finding Nemo fabric, lion flannel and the 505 Spray are actually from Jo Ann's. I also got an Ott light! It was on super discount and at least $30 cheaper than the equivalent in Canada!)

Not too shabby. Of course I have NOWHERE to put them, I've found. Oops! Better start sewing! Those Halloween prints are for treat bags for Halloween for my daughters. The mini pearl bracelets in the dark blue are the backing for an upcoming quilt. The rest? I just wanted them!

Here is quilt friend C's haul:

Everyone needs a Kona colour card! Plus a bundle of Abacus by Allison Glass.

And A wanted some of this sweet Christmas fabric for her nieces to make pillowcases...and some for herself too!

A was delighted with this bundle. I love when she geeks out on fabric like C and I do ALL. THE. TIME.

It was such a positive experience. There was so much goodness in one place and I shopped without reservation knowing it is unlikely I will be there in person again for many years.

Which of my goodies are your favourites?

Little Eye: A Finished Quilt

Be warned: this is a very picture-heavy post!

For years I have wanted to make a modern I-Spy quilt, influenced mostly by this quilt by From the Blue Chair.

I finally made that wish come true with this quilt, Little Eye (as in, I spy with my little eye...) for my youngest daughter. It was meant to be a second birthday present (she has a January birthday) but it was not meant to be.

None the less, here is Little Eye, all finished (and already in very heavy rotation):

I really liked the mix of colours and totally random sizing and placement of the fussy cut pieces in the inspiration quilt. I think I was able to capture that pretty well.

The sashing is Kona White (obviously) but the other Konas (I am listing these especially for Jenn at A Quarter Inch from the Edge) are: Pomegranate, Cypress, Kumquat, Celestial, Punch, Black, Wasabi, Jade Green, Kale, Salmon, School Bus, Capri, Magenta, Tulip, Ash, Shale, Ultra Marine, Willow, Prussian, Berry, Windsor and Glacier. There is also an Art Gallery solid in there (Yarrow?) and two colours I'm not sure about but could check now that I have a brand new 303 colour card!

The back is a Heather Ross print from her Tiger Lily line that I adore and pre-ordered as soon as I saw it. My daughter loves cats (her first word was kitty) and these are kitten and a Mama cat playing and walking around.

Here's where the post is going to get a bit nuts...I wanted to take a picture of each block so I have a record of each fussy cut fabric. Feel free to stop reading now. :)

Castle Peeps by Lizzy House

Penguins by Kokka

Far Far Away by Heather Ross

The Lovely Hunt by Lizzy House

Hedgehogs from the OOP Outfoxed line by Lizzy House

Natural History by Lizzy House

Kitten fabric from Tiger Lily by Heather Ross

 Not only is my daughter loving it (we play actual I-Spy with it...she calls it "Play quilt") by my cats are on it whenever it is out.

Thanks, Marlowe.

Honeymoon from Cotton+Steel

Whale fabric- anyone know what line or designer this is? Also, you can see my daughter's name in FMQ in this block. I did this in three different blocks, in different directions, to add some personalization to the quilting.

Wee Wander

This pig fabric is from Andover, but not sure of the line.

This handsome llama is from Laurie Wisbrun's etsy shop Scarlet Fig.

Photo bomb: Marlowe. Fabric: Brambleberry Ridge by Violet Craft

I know this is Sarah Jane as the designer, for Michael Miller, but I'm not sure which line.

Matryoshkas by Riley Blake

Nursery Versery by Heather Ross

Zephr I think? Cotton+Steel

More Wee Wander

One wee Cotton+Steel tiger

These delightful clouds are from the Zephr line for C+S

This is a Spoonflower print I bought in the first few months I started sewing.

This block is special. It is not a fabric; this is embroidery from a pillowcase that was made by my grandmother, whom I never met. The pillowcase was aged and no longer usable but the embroidery held up beautifully so I rescued it to put it in this quilt.

Ballerina from Tiger Lily by Heather Ross. Paw is by Marlowe.

Fox and the Houndstooth

Rare OOP Heather Ross fish fabric. I special ordered a little scrap bag of Heather Ross prints particularly because I love this one print so much.

Lizzy House Natural History

A charming sloth from the Honeymoon line of fabric by Sarah Watts for Cotton+Steel

Another rare OOP Heather Ross

Wee Wander

This is from the Tokyo Train Ride line by C+S

I think that is all of them!

I did a meandering stipple throughout using white Aurafil. The binding is Kona Steel with a strip of Ultra Marine for fun.

I'm so glad I made a quilt that is actually staying at our house and that my youngest already adores!

Which is your favourite block?

Linking Up with Crazy Mom Quilts Finish It Up Friday!