Maggie's Quilt

I finally finished a quilt this year... feels like it took forever.

I used the Summer In The Park tutorial by Missouri Quilt Company.

It was really quick, and easy. My favorite part is the scrappy binding, that will definitely be happening again!

In fact, I'm thinking it would look great in brights & low volumes, or maybe even super bright jewel tones (throw in some of that radiant orchid while we're at it).

I did stippling for the quilting, not very dense at all. This may have been my fastest quilting too, did it in one afternoon!

The back is quite boring, just using up some leftover brown, and a light brown floral.

Even though these colors aren't my first choice, the lady I made it for loves it. Yay!

Well Hello January

This year came in with a 'ho-hum' in our home. Only my husband stayed up to see the ball drop. Sick and recovering kids makes for somewhat boring holidays. No worries, everyone is much better now and it seems like we've all finally got a little spunk back in our step.

Now that I'm done dealing with something that lasted for the better part of last year I finally feel like I'm back to my usual self again and it is GREAT!

Three posts in one week, holy smokes!

On to the goods though, I'm going to join up with the Lovely Year Of Finishes thing going on over at Fiber of All Sorts again this year. Yea, I tapered off around July last year, just couldn't hang anymore with everything else going on. It happens that way sometimes.

I have this lovely stack of quilts (up there ^ ) that only one of them actually got quilted and bound last year (the Bargello), so my January goal is to quilt the scrappy one in the pile AND bind it. Oh yea, done and done it shall be! Here is it, but I did add two wide stripes to the top and bottom (left and right in photo) - sorry for the basement photo with toys included, but that's the way we roll.

This year has got to be more awesome than last year. I mean, there were a lot of totally rockin times last year, I just want to figure out how to do that more days than not this year. Wish me luck!

What are your project goals for this month?

Disappearing 4-Patch Tutorial - Attack Your Scraps

I'm not gonna lie, I've been in a funk for quite some time now, months really. You would think that spending so much time with family over all the holidays would've helped pull me out of it. I have been so very blessed to spend a lot of time with family lately!!

Truth be told, I was simply on a medication to help manage nerve pain and it turned me into a Zombie. I'm thinking I'll just have an advantage when the Zombie Apocalypse comes. Hahaha....

Today was the very first time I've woken up at 5am and gotten out of bed (for something other than just to pee) since about August. When you have 5 kids that's usually one of the only times you have to sew: when the little people sleep.

I wanted to play with something simply, but that would also have an awesome end product. I think I hit the nail on the head!

This is simply a version of a disappearing 4-patch:

Being lazy, uhh I mean being productive to use leftover 5 inch charm squares, I ended up with an 8 inch block.

I love how it turned out!

Want to make some?? It's super super easy, I mean 5 am easy.

Start with a 4 patch, or two if you're going for super scrappy:

Using your ruler, cut 1 inch from the center 4 times. After I cut the first time, I just turned my mat (or ruler) and cut the next one, etc. It was very very helpful to have a small mat to cut on & rotate. Like so:

Swap around the parts however you like. For example:

Before swap:

After swap:

I picked up the triangle parts in the middle of the sides and swapped those between the 2 blocks. Then I grabbed the center piece, turned it 180 degrees, and swapped it between blocks also. (I love love how they turned out.)

Then sew and press and ta-da!

See, SUPER easy!! And, you can start with any size squares for the 4 patch, you'll just end up with a different size finished block. Can we say pre-cut AND scrap friendly! Oh Yea!

One of the reasons I find scrappy quilts so cool is the juxtaposition of modern prints next to vintage-y florals and such, like that green log print next to the brown floral. I just love it!

Edited to add:  I would LOVE to see any blocks/projects you create with this tutorial! Feel free to join & share in my Flickr group: Your Lyanna Jean Designs.

Double Sized Bargello - FINISHED!

This beauty has been mostly done for a little while now, but since it was a gift I just had to wait to post about it. I absolutely love giving a homemade gift!!

I followed the Bargello pattern in the book 'Stash-Buster Quilts' by Lynne Edwards, but did some adjusting. I doubled the width and length of each piece/row in the quilt, so ended up with less blocks and a different final dimension. For my first bargello, I quite like it!

This book is pretty cool, I originally bought it just for the Japanese Folded Patchwork Bag pattern, it's an amazing looking bag (still need to make one).

The top for this was put together when I was on the retreat back in September. It was done in 2 days! A new record! And who doesn't love a good scrappy stripe through the back??

Also, I did the quilting with both red and grey thread, doing the red on the prints with red and the grey on the prints with white/black. I really really like how it turned out, I'm definitely doing it again!

Finished the Mystery Top

After having this quilt top as my 'Lovely Year of Finishes' goal for the last 3 months, I am SO happy to say that it's done!!!

There was a border in the pattern, but I really like how it looks now.

I had debated doing a quilt-as-you-go (QAYG) type method and quilting each block before putting them together. Ha! What was I even thinking?! That would've taken this project to the next level of UFO. I mean, seriously??

On the other hand, I would've been able to do a lot more detailed quilting if I did do QAYG. Oh well, I'm sure it will still turn out nicely.

Quilting and binding will be October's goal, I think.

Still gotta figure out this month's goal. I have a couple gifts that need to be made, and my first quilt retreat (AHHH! So excited!). In other words, I'm not sure I'll get to a UFO this month.

What projects do you have lined up for this month?

'A Hero is Born'

One of my little brothers is having his first son! AHHH, so exciting!!

I LOVE BABIES!!

Naturally, he would just need a quilt from yours truly *huge grin*.

Thus, 'A Hero is Born' was made!

I liked the block design of the pattern 'At the Crossroads' in April 2010 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine, so I just changed up the sashing and border a bit. I've never made a quilt from a magazine before, but it was pretty fun.

This is summer guys, there is not much designing going on in these parts with quilting, so I was relying on a good, easy, and quick pattern. This one came through for sure!

Here's the back.

I actually bought the print fabric like 4 years ago because it just screamed to me that I needed to make something for this brother out of it (it has fire trucks, helicopters, ambulances, and police cars).

You see, he is a volunteer fire fighter & EMT and I am a very proud big sister! He just so happened to get mixed up with another crazy fire fighter & EMT and fell in love!! (Again, so proud)

Since they are both All-American Heroes in my eyes, I am just going on a hunch here that yet another hero will be born.

His name is Mason. *huge grin, with tears*

Of course, he needed a matching bib!

Through this experience I realized that I LOVE making baby quilts for people!!!

Oh July...

... you are so awesome!

Happy Fourth Everyone!!

Yes, today is the 4th of July so bring on the hot dogs and fireworks!

We've already been swimming today, and my dear husband has taken all the 'big' kids to see Despicable Me 2 at the 'movie fee-ater'. Bless him!

So, what am I doing you ask?? (Besides keeping the tv remotes and batteries away from the baby of course).

Well, I've finished doing the prep work for dinner, and now I'm off to work on my Lovely Year of Finishes goal for this month.

This month I am determined to finish piecing the top for my mystery quilt I started last summer with my guild.

Right now I'm calling it my mint chocolate chip quilt. I know there's some pink in there, but every time I see it I think of that flavor ice cream (and sadly I don't even really like that flavor. oh well).

Early this morning I pressed those 96 half square triangle blocks. Yes, 96. I got through them 12 at a time, baby steps, baby steps.

Aside from this goal I have another baby shower the end of this month that I need to whip something really awesome up for! I'm gonna be an aunt again!! I'm so excited for my baby brother to be having his first boy!

What are you working on now?? Anything for a special little baby?

And, it's a Plus Sign Quilt

That snippet I showed you the other day was a little preview of this beauty:

It was a gift for a good friend back home who is having her first child.

I think I am still in a little shock that I got it done in about 4 weeks, yea that's right 4 weeks!

The backing is super cute, it's Michael Miller's Giraffe Love Grey.

I even had time to hand stitch the info onto it, wash it and everything. I think I was the queen of having to hand stitch the binding on in the car on the way to whatever shower I was going to, and this would only work if my husband was making the trip with me. lol.

But no, this one got wrapped in a box and everything!

Of course, I had to take a few shots of my baby with it. Maybe I need to make him one now too.

So, even though I only got one of my goals done for May, I feel like I kicked sewing in the butt last month!!


Edited to add:

Quilt Stats:
Size: 56" square
Quilting: about 2" grid offset 1/4" of seams
Total time from start to finish: about 3 weeks
100% cotton fabric, thread, & batting

It's really been three weeks

I think I figured out why I couldn't decide what to pick for my goals this month because no matter what I was going to pick it would all get completely throw out the window.

Even as I type I have a one year old attacking my face for kisses, which also contributes to why I can hardly write anymore. Glad for that distraction though!!

Grand sewing plans, yea right.

A project for a cute little bundle of joy on its way had a drastic deadline change, so instead of just chugging along with it it got pushed to the front burner.

I mean, everything came off the design wall and put into a pile. Everything.

Though, I did finish up one of the items on my list of goals for this month (I did have to wait for the backing to ship for the urgent one).

I quilted the tie-died quilt that was made by my friend's daughter. It was her first quilt, and I think she did an awesome job!

Hopefully she loves the quilting! I didn't want to compete with the boldness of her fabric, and I think I succeeded.

Here's the backing for the new project, as well as some matrishka doll fabric I've been googly eyed over for quite some time!

Since I just got this lovely bundle of fabric today, it'll be about a week till I show you the beauty that became urgent. I LOVE it! I need to make one for me too. (doesn't that always seem to happen??)

May Goals

What to do, what to do...

I've been thinking the last week or so about which goal(s) I'm going to set this month.

First, I was thinking about how this summer will most likely be insane, so moving the easier goals to June through August would probably be good.

Then, I thought about how I really wanted to stick with the projects I worked on in April so I could really eliminate some UFOs completely.

Then, thoughts of starting a whole new project have been popping up. I mean seriously, my list of quilts I want to make seems to have a few more added on each time I open my internet browser. Am I the only one that has this problem??



Geta Grama


I know that the third option really isn't sticking with the whole idea of actually finishing things, so that one should be crossed off the list. But, just look at that quilt by Geta Gramma! I bought the pattern immediately!!

Ok, back to reality... (I mean, that is paper pieced, and I currently have 5 kids ages 10 and under...)

With that off the table, I think the best thing to do would be to finish the projects I've been working on. Even though quilting the tops I've finished would be a easier project to keep up with through our summer schedule, I think I'd rather break up the quilting so I don't end up doing nothing but that for a few months straight.

Here is 'the goal' then:
- Quilt and bind my 'Double Stuffed' quilt
- Quilt tie-die quilt that is my friend's daughter's first quilt
- Quilt my first quilt (still unnamed, maybe I should call it: Took Me Forever. haha)

There it is, 'Took Me Forever', it's gonna be DONE soon!!! Yes!

Linked up with:

This Month

Ahh, these past few weeks have been pretty great.

The weather has been spot on. I even got out my clothesline! Mostly to photograph this:

But, I plan to hang some clothes out in a few days (Mondays are my big laundry conquering days). Gotta love the smell!

My goal was to finish this quilt top and the back so it would be ready for quilting, and with only 2 seams to go on the back (which I am doing later today) I would say I DID IT! WooHoo! Taking a photo of said back and blogging about it anytime soon is a completely different thing, pcht.

It always feels so good to get another UFO finished and out of the sewing area. Thanks to the Lovely Year of Finishes I have had a lot more UFOs finished than usual. Here's my goal setting and mid-month for April.

At times I feel like my sewing space feels so empty, then I remember I'm being productive and cleaning things up. Did I say it feels great yet? It really does.

There have also been quite a few beach days, oh how I love the beach!

We've been going with Oma most days and it's so great to be hanging out with my Mom more.

We frequent Rehoboth Beach, it's only about an hour for us, and we like it. My Mom introduced me to Greenman Juice Bar & Bistro the last time we went, oh it was good.

In the midst of all this I was also able to finally pull all the weeds out of my garden on the side of the house. I bought some daylilys to put among my nandinas, can't wait to plant them.

Why is it that the weeds seem to do so well in my garden on that side??

It's just not fair I tell ya.

Another thing I whipped up last week was this wreath:

I saw something similar on pinterest, but I love me some hydrangeas so they were substituted. I also added a shovel, I liked the shiny in with it all.

Hopefully there will be some realy hydrangeas to grace my front garden this year too!

Is there anything you're hoping to plant this spring?

April's UFO - Blue Yellow Green

There has been much progress in these parts when it comes to organizing, and thanks to the Lovely Year of Finishes there has also been great progress in digging out and finishing up those long lost UFOs.

It feels great to have a sort of purpose given back to those once abandoned ideas and creations. The excuses have been pushed aside, and a rehashing of sorts is taking place.

It feels good.

If I were a good writer, I would relate all of this to the springtime and the beautiful changes we are seeing all around us.

That I feel somewhat like my gardens outside, clearing out the old remnants of growth last year and getting ready for planting.

New ideas, and a sort of clean slate to start off with. Maybe I will do some type of writing challenges along with all of these projects, always room for improvement.

So, without further ado, here's my chosen UFO for the month of April:

My goal is to finish the top and backing for this quilt.

Here is one of the blocks:

This quilt came about because a good friend gave me that 9-patch block with the yellow and white. I love the print she used, the yellow flowers are surrounded by a grey leafy almost plaid.

The 9-patch stayed on my design wall for almost a year before I figured out just what I wanted to do with it. In trying to use up my scraps lately, I decided to make a version of a log cabin, starting with about an 8 in block as the center of each larger block. I love how it's turning out!

I have not decided yet if I want to have it quilted or quilt it myself. I am leaning towards having it quilted though, I have never had a quilt quilted for me and it feels almost exciting.

I love quilting

No really, I love quilting.

I made this today:

Ain't it purty?!?! I'm so very excited with how it turned out!

Thanks to a long nap after lunch from my now one-year-old, (can you believe it?? he's one!!) I was able to knock out the piecing. It's made up of 36 (yes, 36) 2 inch squares.

This block is the center for the last block I am making for my 'log cabin' quilt that I have been working on for quite a while. (messy, messy. I know...)

It's gonna be quite different, and I'm very excited.

Aside from the very first quilt I started and this one, every other quilt I have started or even worked on was for someone else.

To quilt is to share!

But this one, it's mine. mine.

Oh that feels nice to say.

I think it is so amazing that bits and pieces of fabric can turn into something so beautiful and useful. I'm not sure about you, but wouldn't it be great if we could do that with everything!

One of the best things about quilting for me is watching how the seems line up just so. Oh, it just makes my day!

There may just be a postage stamp quilt in my near future.

Contributing to QFO

Incase you were wondering, QFO if the abreviation for 'Quilting For Others'.

And, for some reason I decided to grab 3 (yes 3) kits to make quilt tops for the QFO in my guild at the November meeting. (Because I have nothing else to do with my time right??)

My thought was, once I get through the madness of Christmas crafting I wanted to make something that I wouldn't have to do the entire process.

Does that sound horribly lazy?

I kinda felt like it did, but the thing is I just wanted to be somewhat lazy in my crafting, or at least take the easy way for once. The kit comes with the fabric for the top and a large piece for the backing, and we are told to make the top pretty much 40 by 60. Easy peasy!

Here are 2 tops I made:

The one on the left was a bargello method that I did at a sit and sew. I've never attempted that method before, but I liked it and there is a lot you can do with it.

The one on the right was just a basic 'stair step' quilt, the blocks consist of only 2 rectangles and the placement makes the steps. This is an easy go-to type of pattern, totally adjustable to your size/fabric needs.

The last one still hasn't been started though, the fabrics in that kit were kind of blah so I'm not really inspired I guess. Do you think it would be horrible to swap out my last kit for another at the next meeting??

I could've been working on some of my UFOs, but what fun would that be?? Hahaha.

Those can be part of my next post, there's a really cool linky up thing to help people along with their UFOs I'm planning to join. Come back and see!

2+2=5? Free Quilt Pattern

I had this really cute charm pack sitting around for, oh, what felt like forever. It was the Nicey Jane charm pack by Heather Bailey. These prints cried out vintage goodness to me!


Without cutting them up too much, I whipped up this quick block.

And this quilt, for sale here.

Then this one, for sale here.

I just couldn't stop, they came together so quickly. Without further ado, here's the pattern:

2+2=5? Pattern:

For each block you need:
  2 - 5" squares (charm squares)
  1 - 2 1/2" x 5" rectangle (cut a charm square in half)
  2 - 3 3/4" x 11 1/2" rectangles

To assemble, sew the 2 1/2" x 5" rectangle in the middle of the 2 5" squares. This makes the center 'column'. Then sew one 3 3/4" x 11 1/2" rectangle to either side of the center. You will have a 11 1/2" block.

Lay out all your blocks and switch them around until you like how the second background fabric is spaced. Then sew together the blocks and your done.

To make a baby size quilt (44" square) you need a total of 16 blocks.
Materials:
  1 charm pack of 40 squares*
  1 yard background fabric
  1 FQ second background fabric
  1 1/2 yards backing fabric
  batting for 44" by 44" top

To make a twin size quilt (66" by 88") you need a total of 48 blocks.
Materials:
  3 charm packs of 40 squares each*
  3 yards background fabric
  3/4 yard second background 
  5 yards backing fabric
  twin size batting
 
*Any 5" squares will work for this, you don't have to use charm packs. I do a 5" swap with the guild I attend and those squares would work great in this too.

For the 'All Things Boy' quilt I used 5 inch I-spy blocks I've collected.

Edited to add: I would LOVE to see any blocks/projects you create with this pattern! Feel free to join & share in my Flickr group: Your Lyanna Jean Designs.

Outdoors Quilt, a Thank You

Remember that awesome gift that a friend of my Dad's gave to me?

It was a Singer Featherweight, a dream gift! (I can't believe I haven't photographed it yet!)

Well, I finally finished this baby quilt for his son as a thank you for such an amazing gift. I hope they love it!

What do you think?

I had fun using up scraps and making it off center, kinda wonky and all. It felt very good to not follow a pattern, no 'rules'.