Wednesday, February 18, 2015

More winter's work


While at the quilt shop picking up my Simple Whatnots kits of the month, I naturally keep finding other projects that call my name. Lately I've been drawn to reds and creams and there were some store samples using these colors that I couldn't resist.

The first was from a pattern called Little Bites Tidbits by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. 18" x 21".


The shop sample used 2 mini charm squares, a cream pin dot, and a stripe from Moda Petite Prints by French General with reds, creams, tans and browns. In my mind's eye I remembered the striped fabric as the border. It was difficult to tell which of the 3 pattern designs was used for the sample but I thought it was the one with the inner and outer borders. There were equal amounts of the pin dot and striped fabrics in the kit, so I made the inner border with the pin dot and the outer with the stripe. It looked ok, but just not quite right..


Next time I was in the shop I checked out the sample and saw they had used only one border and it was the cream pin dot fabric. The stripe was used for the binding, and that is what had caught my eye. Unfortunately I hadn't thought to take a picture of it the first time I saw it.

Since I had already cut and stitched the pin dot for the inner border, there wasn't enough of it left to make the complete wide border. I decided to cut what I had and sew it on to the existing narrow border.  I'm much happier with it now and can't wait to get it quilted so I can add the striped binding. Hopefully the quilting will somewhat hide that extra seam in the border.

 
 
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Another sample I saw at the shop was Waiting for Spring from Fit to Frame Set 9 by Lori Smith. The quilts are pretty, but I don't think I would have noticed the pattern were it not for the sample of the one on the upper left done in reds and creams instead of blues.
 

 
Here's my finished quilt, 11" x 14", using fabrics from my stash. The blocks are so small, 2" x 2", that it didn't even begin to make a dent in said stash. Oh well.
 
 


 
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I always love working on some sort of northwoods pattern, in the midst of all the reproduction designs, so I hauled out this kit purchased on a trip to Maine last fall. It's called There's a Moose in the Woods from Sewing by the Sea in Trenton, ME. I've been to Maine many times and have never seen a moose there in spite of all the 'watch for moose' signs.  I think I'll have to be content with a fabric moose.

This one is 14" x 33". The moose is appliqued and the trees are paper pieced. I don't like paper piecing but thought I'd do it...for the sake of the moose. I like the quilt but still don't like paper piecing. :)




Winter's work


This cold, snowy winter has been a great time to stay in and work on some of my many wips, both old and new.

Last summer I signed up for the Kim Diehl Simple Whatnots club at my local quilt shop. Each month a kit is available which uses her Vintage Farmhouse fabric line. These small quilts  have been a good study in piecing. I discovered the truth to needing to be REALLY accurate in cutting and stitching blocks that are only 3 or 4 inches in size. Seams that are only a fraction off can cause all sorts of problems. They can't be eased in like they can on large blocks, so my seam ripper has been getting a good work out.

This one is called Sunday Supper. It's 13 1/2" x 16 1/2", with blocks that are 4" x 4". It's pinned and ready for quilting.

 

This is Laundry Day, 20 1/2" x 20 1/2", with 3" x 3" blocks. I added in some fabrics from my own stash as is suggested in the kit. Leftover scraps from the blocks are used to make the randomly pieced binding. I liked that idea a lot and think it adds  the perfect finishing touch to this quilt.

 
 
Idaho Lily is one that is actually all done and hanging on the wall in my living room. It wasn't until I finished it in December that I realized it would be just right to hang at Christmas time. I don't have enough wall space for the many wall quilts I've done over the years, so now I have to rotate them. I quilted in the ditch around the lilies and leaves, stippled in the background and did feathers in the border. The feathers don't show very well since I used red thread. I should have used a different color, but I'm happy with the result anyway.