Like last year, I wanted to try not to buy any fabric (because I have so much already), but I wanted to continue to finish more of my projects. I found a few bargains here and there (I mean, a quilter can't go cold turkey!), but I tried really hard to make sure than anything I took in I had a project in mind for...except for many of the pieces I found at garage sales. I find garage sales are great places to get lots of yardage for very little money.
Quilt 1: "Fields of Blue" - I finished this quilt for Josh's birthday. It held the honor of being the first quilt quilted this year, although I had actually finished the quilt top mid-December of last year. I love the Roman Squares design and thought that my nephew might, too. I chose all kinds of blues leftover from another project that I never did finish, as well as some blue for the sashing that I had been saving for a special project. I love the small border (I did promise more of them on future projects, didn't I?); the fabric is exactly the same as the binding and the backing - which was great because I go to use up some more fabric. You can't really tell that the back was pieced. The quilter said that it was beautiful and I totally agree with her.
Quilt #2: "Gone Fishing" - I made this for my new niece, Ella. The entire quilt was pretty much made from fabric I had leftover from other projects, so I didn't have to get anything new. I thought the leftover purple batik from Cedar's quilt made great fish fins and the green leftover from my mother-in-law's turtle quilt complimented the purple well. The blue polka dots reminded me of bubbles. And the border? Love it! Funny story about it, though: when I cut the blocks out, I had made the green blocks too big, so I had to go back and re-cut them. Luckily, they were too big and needed to be smaller, but I was left with these 1" strips that I wasn't sure what I was going to do with. Eventually, I paired them with the dark blue polka dots, which really makes the quilt pop.
Quilt #3: "Star Wars II" - Robinson finally got his Star Wars quilt! I had most of this one cut out and partially sewn, but it ended up sitting for quite a while. The pattern is exactly the same as Arthur's, but the arrangement of the fabric is different. I still have a lot of fabric left over, which turned out to be a good thing as Baby X will probably someday want a Star Wars quilt, too. (Hey, people, these are heirloom quality!) I designed the quilts so that Robinson would have more Dark Side than Light Side and the opposite for Arthur. I think little boys love playing the good guy and their daddies love being the outrageous bag guy.
Quilt #4: "Strawberry Patch" - I found this nine-patch in a quilt book and wanted to make it for Amanda who was having another baby. She opted not to find out the sex this time around, so I tried to make the colors neutral, but bright (she loves bright colors). I had made another strawberry quilt and had plenty of leftover fabric, so I figured a nine-patch would sew up pretty quickly (it did - I finished it in July) since I wanted to sew other blocks beside Roman squares, but I didn't quilt it until December (that seemed to be the trend this year). This was the first quilt I quilted in a pattern other than squares and straight lines. My little machine and I tried our luck at the clamshell pattern...and even though it took a bit of maneuvering, it turned out pretty nice. Amanda said that she thought I had gotten it done professionally.
Quilt #5: "Building Blocks" (quiltville.com) - This quilt was a baby quilt for another member of the board I serve on. She was having a little boy, so I thought I'd put all the blue scraps I'd been saving to good use. I started this quilt with a different pattern, but as I started piecing and sewing it together, I decided that I didn't like it. The blue scraps weren't bright enough a contrast with the brown and the yellow scraps I had matched with it. I pulled everything apart and left the blocks sitting in a ziplock baggie for a month or so until I found a pattern that I liked better. It sewed up rather quickly (I love quick and easy patterns - I always feel like I get something accomplished!) and the end result was rather lovely. I was much more pleased with it. Sometimes the most simple patterns are the most beautiful!
Quilt #6: "Chunky Churndashes" (quiltville.com) - My final quilt was made for one of the moms in our playgroup who had gotten married in January. I had actually finished the quilt in September, but didn't get it quilted until November. It's my biggest quilt to date - a queen-sized quilt that measured about 80" x 80". It took me forever to piece and sew it, but the end result was absolutely stunning! Seneca said that the quilt looked "like fireworks!"
I have a few other quilts in the works for next year, one of which is another large one that I must finish by March. If I don't, I'm afraid it will sit around while I fall into another new mommy coma. I also have a quilt I'm working on for myself (another large one - why, oh why am I doing this to myself?) and another Star Wars quilt for Baby X.
My goal is to make at least 4 quilts next year...so I guess I'd better get started.
Blessed be.
Quilt 1: "Fields of Blue" - I finished this quilt for Josh's birthday. It held the honor of being the first quilt quilted this year, although I had actually finished the quilt top mid-December of last year. I love the Roman Squares design and thought that my nephew might, too. I chose all kinds of blues leftover from another project that I never did finish, as well as some blue for the sashing that I had been saving for a special project. I love the small border (I did promise more of them on future projects, didn't I?); the fabric is exactly the same as the binding and the backing - which was great because I go to use up some more fabric. You can't really tell that the back was pieced. The quilter said that it was beautiful and I totally agree with her.
Quilt #2: "Gone Fishing" - I made this for my new niece, Ella. The entire quilt was pretty much made from fabric I had leftover from other projects, so I didn't have to get anything new. I thought the leftover purple batik from Cedar's quilt made great fish fins and the green leftover from my mother-in-law's turtle quilt complimented the purple well. The blue polka dots reminded me of bubbles. And the border? Love it! Funny story about it, though: when I cut the blocks out, I had made the green blocks too big, so I had to go back and re-cut them. Luckily, they were too big and needed to be smaller, but I was left with these 1" strips that I wasn't sure what I was going to do with. Eventually, I paired them with the dark blue polka dots, which really makes the quilt pop.
Quilt #3: "Star Wars II" - Robinson finally got his Star Wars quilt! I had most of this one cut out and partially sewn, but it ended up sitting for quite a while. The pattern is exactly the same as Arthur's, but the arrangement of the fabric is different. I still have a lot of fabric left over, which turned out to be a good thing as Baby X will probably someday want a Star Wars quilt, too. (Hey, people, these are heirloom quality!) I designed the quilts so that Robinson would have more Dark Side than Light Side and the opposite for Arthur. I think little boys love playing the good guy and their daddies love being the outrageous bag guy.
Quilt #4: "Strawberry Patch" - I found this nine-patch in a quilt book and wanted to make it for Amanda who was having another baby. She opted not to find out the sex this time around, so I tried to make the colors neutral, but bright (she loves bright colors). I had made another strawberry quilt and had plenty of leftover fabric, so I figured a nine-patch would sew up pretty quickly (it did - I finished it in July) since I wanted to sew other blocks beside Roman squares, but I didn't quilt it until December (that seemed to be the trend this year). This was the first quilt I quilted in a pattern other than squares and straight lines. My little machine and I tried our luck at the clamshell pattern...and even though it took a bit of maneuvering, it turned out pretty nice. Amanda said that she thought I had gotten it done professionally. 
Quilt #5: "Building Blocks" (quiltville.com) - This quilt was a baby quilt for another member of the board I serve on. She was having a little boy, so I thought I'd put all the blue scraps I'd been saving to good use. I started this quilt with a different pattern, but as I started piecing and sewing it together, I decided that I didn't like it. The blue scraps weren't bright enough a contrast with the brown and the yellow scraps I had matched with it. I pulled everything apart and left the blocks sitting in a ziplock baggie for a month or so until I found a pattern that I liked better. It sewed up rather quickly (I love quick and easy patterns - I always feel like I get something accomplished!) and the end result was rather lovely. I was much more pleased with it. Sometimes the most simple patterns are the most beautiful!
Quilt #6: "Chunky Churndashes" (quiltville.com) - My final quilt was made for one of the moms in our playgroup who had gotten married in January. I had actually finished the quilt in September, but didn't get it quilted until November. It's my biggest quilt to date - a queen-sized quilt that measured about 80" x 80". It took me forever to piece and sew it, but the end result was absolutely stunning! Seneca said that the quilt looked "like fireworks!"I have a few other quilts in the works for next year, one of which is another large one that I must finish by March. If I don't, I'm afraid it will sit around while I fall into another new mommy coma. I also have a quilt I'm working on for myself (another large one - why, oh why am I doing this to myself?) and another Star Wars quilt for Baby X.
My goal is to make at least 4 quilts next year...so I guess I'd better get started.
Blessed be.
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