Gray Gingham

Another gingham baby quilt. I made one similar to this a few years ago. A friend contacted me and put in a special order for this one. 

 This quilt comes together so fast. Like 6-7 hours fast. I used this tutorial and measurements from Empty Bobbin Sewing, which made strip piecing so easy. The whole top went from fabric on my table to a finished quilt top in three hours. Which includes interruptions from a busy toddler and a game of Chutes and Ladders with my preschooler. :)

I went back and forth with about three different bindings. I was originally drawn to stripes (of course), but I thought it competed too much with the pattern on the front so I switched to this orange solid last minute. 

In the ditch quilting. I ironed all the seams open. The pro is that all of the seams stayed nice and straight. The con is that it was much harder to keep my quilting in the ditch. 

 

Backing from JoAnn's. 

If you're looking for a budget friendly, quick beginner's quilt. This is a great one.

Quilt Stats:

Kona solids for the grays on front

Waverly for the white 

fox print is from JoAnn's

Binding is Waverly

Batting: Warm and White

36.5" x 49"

Cowboys and Indians

Another baby Pow Wow. This pattern is sooo fast. I have a few other projects I'm working on this spring, so I needed a quick finish for a baby gift. This was perfect. If you're looking for a great beginner quilt pattern, Pow Wow is awesome.

I'm not sure if this backing is super PC, but I love it anyway. Sometimes I use colors from a large print as a springboard for the front of the quilt. It takes the hard part out of picking coordinating fabric. I don't think I would usually go for this color combination, but it totally works.

 I saved 5.5" strips while I was cutting the blocks, then put them on the back.

 

Simple straight line quilting kept it very soft. I was originally going to do white for the background of the blocks, but when I saw Cotton and Steel Add it Up on Amazon Prime, I went for it. 

Off to my new nephew who will arrive next month! 

Stats:

39.5 x 43.5"

Backing: Cowboys and Indians by Alexander Henry

Sashing: Cotton + Steel Add It Up Rainy Day

Binding: Waverly from Walmart

Batting: Warm and Natural

Walk in the Woods

Once in a while I find fabric that is just so perfect for someone that I can't resist buying it and making something out of it. I was browsing on Etsy for another project when I stumbled upon this Front Yard fabric from Cotton+Steel back in December. I wasn't originally planning on making a quilt to give away for Christmas but it was so perfect for my sister in law, I just couldn't say no. She lives in the forests of the Pacific Northwest and likes all things woodsy (especially mushrooms), and so I snagged it. 

Given the weird time crunch I had put myself in (I had two other Christmas quilts on my to do list), I decided on a very simple pattern, letting the prints shine. I also wanted something cozy so I tried backing with Minky for the first time. It was super smooth, like too easy actually. I'm calling it serendipitous. After reading this blog post, I decided to leave the batting out and go fo a more drapey light lap quilt. 

I kept the quilting simple with straight lines because I didn't want to fight that backing. 

I like machine binding Minky quilts because the stitches are kind of hidden on the back. It's very forgiving.

 

 It's seriously so soft. I just cut out different lap quilt for my house and I think I'll back it in the same stuff because I love it so much. 

Off to it's new home, with the cutest mushroom ornament ever. I'm happy to report that the new owner loooooves it and sends me regular pictures of it being used and loved. :)

Stats:

Fabric: Front Yard by Cotton + Steel with some blenders thrown in

Backing: "Soft N Comfy" Minky fabric from Joann's

Binding: ? 

No batting

55x64"

Every Star is Different

I finished this one ages ago, but I'm just getting around to posting it. My sister always donates a gingerbread house to Primary Children's Festival of Trees every year in Salt Lake City, Utah. They sell everything on display (mostly trees, but some gingerbread, wreaths and quilts, etc.) and donate all the proceeds to Primary Children's Hospital. I read somewhere that over 100,000 visitors come to see and bid on everything, raising millions of dollars. Anyway, it's a great cause.

I was chatting with my sister in November and she suggested that I enter a quilt. I didn't even know they accepted quilts! I didn't have much time to plan (uh, one week), so I stuck with a pattern I already knew. Shimmer by Cluck Cluck Sew.

I used fabric I could find at my local quilt shop. It's all from the Smitten line by Bonnie and Camille. 

This backing is so luscious. It's a super light lawn, and it's so drapey and buttery. Nom. 

I did figure eight quilting because it's the new stipple, but it looks a bit more modern. 

I mailed it off to my sister and never saw it again. Haha. Hundreds of quilts are donated, and mine wasn't displayed, so they put it in the gift shop/boutique area. I asked a very nice woman working there if she had seen it (I showed her a picture) and she said, "Oh that definitely sold the first night!" So that made me feel good. 

I want to enter another one again next year, when I have a bit more time to plan.

Stats:

42" square

Fabric: Smitten by Bonnie and Camille

Batting: Warm and Natural

Backing: Creamy Rosy Lawn, from Smitten

Binding: Vintage Holiday Cotton Red and Pink Dot by Bonnie and Camille

Star Crossed Baby Quilt

I've had this quilt in my mind for a while now. There's always a baby being born on my side of the family, so I was happy to have the excuse to whip it up. The design of it took much more time time than the actual construction (by far). I was inspired but this quilt on pinterest. I wanted to do something similar but play with color. 

So I went to Pattern Jam. It is an awesome little website where you can design your own quilts. It was a perfect way to swap colors and decide a design before I started cutting. I went through a ton of different versions:

But I landed on this one.

I love it. And it's almost exactly like I planned.

These horses from Sarah Jane are everything. I made my girls easter dresses with it a few years ago and I'm still not tired of it.

I tried to get crazy and do something other than striped binding, but I couldn't. It was too perfect. I love this binding in particular because it's all different colored stripes in the same piece of fabric. 

I wanted the eye to move diagonally so I emphasized that with the straight line quilting. I like soft minimal stitching for babies. 

My favorite block, Marching Cats from Tiger Lily by Heather Ross.

I mailed this just in time for my sweet niece to be born. Her mom fought pre-term labor her entire pregnancy and managed to keep her cooking long enough for her to be born perfectly healthy, 4.5 weeks early. Good job mom (and family!). I'm so happy for them.

Quilt Stats:

38x43"

Blocks finish at 4.5"

Fabric: Mostly solids from Waverly at Walmart, some Cotton and Steel basics, and a little Tiger Lily

Backing: Summer Ride in Melon from Wee Wander by Sarah Jane

Batting: Warm and Natural

Flying Over the Rainbow

I kind of forgot that I never posted this one! I bought a set of Bloc Loc rulers a few months ago and was itching to try them out. So this rainbow quilt was born.

Funny story. I cut all the blocks out, then after I had done it, I realized I did it backwards. I meant to make the triangles rainbow and the blocks low volume. I was super mad at myself for about a day, but then I just decided to go with it and not tell anyone. Shhh. The blocks are 3x6" finished. I think it made 198 total... 

Backing from Walmart. I know, I know.

I did a little free motion loopy quilting. I just followed the lines of the blocks.

I decided to pin baste this one and it took for. ev. er. 

But it didn't shift, so that's cool. I've converted to spray basting since this, although I still can't decide which I like better.

I submitted this to my little local county fair. It won the lap quilts division (don't get too excited, they are very small divisions). The judges comments said, "commendable attempt at somewhat difficult construction". Haha. I'll take it! I like putting quilts into the fair because it pushes my construction a bit and makes me try harder than I usually do. I think this is my eighth year entering.

This was gifted to my Sister in Law for her 40th birthday. I've been meaning to make her a quilt for ages. I'm glad I finally had an excuse!

quilt stats:

198 flying geese (3x6" finished blocks)

54x66"

fabric: from my stash, mostly all scraps

backing and binding: Walmart

batting: warm and natural

Shimmer

I've had this quilt in the works for a few weeks now. I got an invitation for a friend's baby shower last week, and I knew it was meant to go to her. My friend has been praying and hoping for a baby and they were recently blessed through adoption. I'm soooo happy for them. This one just feels extra special, you know?

Anyway, the pattern is Shimmer from Cluck Cluck Sew. I love her stuff and three cheers for no Y seams! I timed myself and I could whip out a block in about 30 minutes.

I went back and forth on backing for ages, but settled in my comfort zone. Polka dots are always easy. I matched the pattern and hid the seam. You can't even tell (patting myself on the back for that one).

 I threw it way back and stippled this quilt. I haven't stippled in...6-7 years? I forget how fast it is! It only took me 25 minutes to finish the entire thing. 

 I did the Elmer Glue basting and machine bound it. I usually like to hand bind, but I was pushed for time this week. Baby showers act as great deadlines. :)

 Isn't this dolly the sweetest? My mom gifted it to my daughter for her first birthday and I love her so much. I'm forcing it on my baby as a comfort item because I think it's so darling. 

Stats: 42" square

Fabric: mostly Sweet Marion by April Rosenthal, Navy blue anchors from Sarah Jane, and the light blue mushrooms are from Fantasia by Sara Lawson

Batting: Warm and Natural

Backing: left over Riley Blake 108" Wide Medium Dot Navy Reversed