Inherited Crow Quilt

I promised I'd do a little more about this one, because I'm so in love with how it turned out.

I inherited these finished blocks from another quilter, along with some coordinating pieces that were probably intended for additional blocks. Without any directions, and with very little desire to make something like this rather country sampler, I used the scraps to finish the top and make a back.

Then it sat and waited a very long time. Mostly because I hate pinning the pieces together, but also because I had no idea what to do with it once it was ready to quilt.

Then in January of 2018, I realized I had something like 22 unfinished quilts in some level of progress, and decided to push myself to reduce that total number significantly.

And this was one of the first ones on my list.

I outsourced the pin basting to a friend who is good at it and doesn't seem to mind that step, then I was ready to dive in.

I started small, working one block at a time. One of the best accidents I stumbled upon was trying this arched echo (see the triangles above). It worked so well that I used it repeatedly throughout the sampler blocks -- and I can tell it's going to be a favorite for a while.

Once of the other best things I attempted is showcased above. I love the weave quilting I did on the strip blocks. I came across a similar image on pinterest and decided to try it out. The only thing I did was mark the center of the block with vanishing ink, then I free-handed the swoops (leaves or flower petals, I tend to think) and then filled in between them in that crossing echo. I love the outcome. This is another thing I'm looking for reasons to do again. It's time consuming on my domestic machine, but I love the way it turned out.

You can also see alittle of the intersecting stitches I did in the borders and sashing. Again, that's all free hand on a regular machine (with feed dogs) so it isn't as perfect as it could be on a quilting machine (or with a walking foot), but it really turned out beautifully.

I still consider myself a very beginner quilter, but this one feels like I might be approaching an intermediate level. I put a lot of work and time into it, and I'm so very pleased with the outcome. I'm very impatiently waiting for another chance to do some actual quilting to see what else I can do to really improve my skills.

This one was a great skill builder, because I honestly did not love this quilt and did not care how it turned out -- until I was part way into quilting it and realized how much I was enjoying the way it was turning out!

Progress May 2018

I haven't been updating here -- like every other blogger I know, I got sucked into the ease of instagram and abandoned the blog. I have been busy, but I am still not all caught up on projects I should have already done!

Our Bedroom Quilts (2) -- No recent work

Recent Progress: Top 1 is finished, Top 2 is finished
Yet to do: buy batting, baste, quilt, bind,

Half-Square Triangle Quilts (Muted/Brown)

Recent Progress: Top pieced, back pieced
Yet to Do: buy batting, baste, quilt, bind


Quilted Sleeping Bag -- DONE

Recent Progress: Finished and being used!


(Inherited) Scrappy Crow Quilt -- DONE! 

Recent Progress: Finished and waiting for a home. I'll do some more pictures in a separate post because it is so cool.


(Inherited) Dresden Plate Quilt -- DONE! 

Recent Progress: Finished -- although this picture is lacking binding. It is totally bound and ready to go. Except the intended recipient might not be having another baby, and it's really too small to send to an adult... even though it's totally hers....  The second picture gives you a better glimpse at the 'ghost' Dresden quilting I did on the two butterfly blocks. I LOVE that touch. This was a blast to quilt.

CGQ Dresden Plate Quilt (Jan 2017 - top complete March 2017 -- Finished March 2018)

DONE -- but no photos yet.

CQG Spiderweb Quilt (April 2017 - )

Recent Progress: This one is ready for basting, but no one has committed to working on it yet.

The Prayer Quilt (Jan 2017 - ) 

Recent Progress: Well... I'm still waiting on blocks from 3 people.
Yet to do: Wait. And wait more.

Ombre Jelly Roll Quilt (Nov 2016 - )

Recent Progress: This one actually hasn't changed much. I'm working my way through it but it's been challenging. I'm in a trim to square, sew together, trim to square again cycle. But I'm... maybe 1/4 done. Getting space to work on this size of block is challenging!

Scrap Blast (Dec 31 2016 - ) 

No change. It's ready to baste, I'm just not buying batting right now...

Tall Tales Blocks

Recent Progress: I need 4 more blocks. Then I'll start sashing.

Confetti Quilt (Spring 2017 - Feb 2018 ) -- DONE!

Recent Progress: top needs ironed and squared up, but otherwise done (I think)
Yet to do: baste and quilt

Plus Quilt (#1) -- DONE!

Recent Progress: finished in February, waiting for a home


Birthday Quilt ( May 2017 - May 2017) -- DONE 

Bear Paw 1 or 2 (group project)

Recent progress: it's being basted and I'll get it back in 2 weeks.

(inherited) Butterfly Applique Quilt -- Done!

CQG Spiderweb Quilt

We're almost ready to baste -- although I've since changed my mind about one or two things as you'll see as you read.

Summertime means spotty attendance from our local crew, so it's taken us a very long time to get from our piles of strips to a finished top -- but we've made it at last!

Because our initial math was wrong (my fault), we've added borders rather than making approximately 44 more triangles. Initially, the borders were going to be scrappy.

Then just the top and bottom would be scrappy with this on the side. (Isn't it nice!)

Then the top fought and fought laying straight, so I chopped it off and went with borders on 3 sides:

You can see where this is going... another group member is picking off the strip border and we're going to go with the other border all around. So much for all those extra strips, but it's the right thing to do.

I'm looking forward to quilting this -- once we get it basted. I've got a couple of ideas, although I'm not sure it'll fit well through my machine. I'm also tempted to send it out or rent some time at a local shop instead... We'll see.

The Prayer Quilt -- Update

I'm still waiting to receive blocks back -- in fact, I'm fairly certain I will get most of them when I drive to another state for a birthday party (assuming I get the car fixed enough to do just that) -- but I have a whole pile of options ready to go. I've been making blocks like there's no tomorrow.

Honestly, I love foundation paper piecing. It's easy to interrupt. It's usually small. It's quickly rewarding -- at least with the pieces I take on. And now that I've started, I don't want to stop.

 A fox, from my husband to the niece.

 A sloth, from my kid to his cousin.

  A pig, probably from me to the niece.

A snail, not paper pieced, not perfect, but I still really want to include it.

A bird, which I thought was from the kiddo, but he chose the 'bubbles' (which based off pointing, was the sloth). So this one is unclaimed too, but sitting in the pile to see if it is needed to help balance out the top.

A penguin. Also unclaimed. But how cute!!

A semi-pirate-ical looking cat, from my cat to the niece (why not?).

A moose block (needing some hand work still) from one aunt and uncle to the niece.

I'm having a blast. Do they work with the sashing fabric? Ummm... probably not. I think I might have to add a white border around each block before the pink gingham.

Can't wait to get more. Or make more. But I'm trying to make myself work on other things instead.

Update: Turns out, even though no one has contacted me, no one else has finished at all. They are thinking they'll each be finished with their single block in time for me to give this as a Christmas gift. Are they aware that Christmas this year is happening at Thanksgiving? Who knows. But I guess I might as well shelve this one for a while. End of Update

CQG Spiderweb Quilt -- Decision time.

So, my local quilting group has been working together on a little quilt something like this:

I thought we were done making triangles. I promised the group we were.

To be a twin size, it really needs one more row and one more column.

That's about 11 more squares (or 44 triangles).

I thought I could do it myself over the last few weeks, because I'm so tired of hearing about how everyone else is tired of working on these blocks.

I haven't gotten them made. I got parts of them made, but I'm out of white fabric in large enough chunks to make the needed triangles/squares and...

I could add a border around the outside once the rest of the top is completed. It would have to be about 12-15 inches (total, not per side) to get enough total top to actually cover a person in a twin size bed -- which seems like a massive border to me. That said, it would be so much easier, and require no more fabric being purchased.

I have a few pieces of fabric big enough to do some bordering out of -- or I could make a scrappy border out of the precut strips we have left. Or some of both.

It would look better with another set of stars, but I'm with the rest of the group, I'm done with this.

I don't have to rationalize my decision, but it's also too hot to work on it at my house (it's over 90 outside, and I'm not sure it is any cooler inside -- so turning on my iron for an hour is the last thing I want to do).

I think our next group project ought to be one where we each make 1-2 big blocks and then are done.

Confetti and Blogging Behind

I'm fighting to get things onto the blog these days. Not only because my progress tends to happen one block per day or slower, but it's taking me multiple days to get the pictures from my phone to my computer (and for whatever reason, I can't blog from my phone). That's making Instagram (my latest social media join, what can I say, I'm slow to take on new things) the easier place to update. I'm not giving up on here -- I like being able to type so much, more for journal reasons than anything else -- but I'm afraid it is increasingly behind.

Here's an attempt at catching up:

I've been working on this for a few months, one and off as I'd like. Mostly not working on it. But I pulled it out again recently and thought I would get it working again. I started building blocks and thought I was happy with it.

Until I tried it on a design wall.

Not quite what I wanted at all. Interesting how the change in lighting -- and surface background -- can change how things look and feel.

I sat on it for a couple days, debating solutions and taking opinions. Most opinions suggested adding a darker border between the existing blocks. My gut said I needed to chop up the existing blocks -- that each pop of color was too big.

I took a two prong approach to solving my problem: I chopped them up and added some low volume borders -- low volume that is more 'medium' compared to the white and white-on-white I'd been using thus far.

It's hard to see the majority of the low volume additions, but I promise they are there -- and that it has made a huge difference.  Not quite every block got an addition, and some got 2 or 3, which makes it easier to begin thinking about turning my newly-small blocks back into bigger blocks.

The boldest low-volume additions include gold metalics, and two of them additions are more 'cream,' but my favorite ones are white with cream -- although they are significantly harder to see in these pictures.

I'm debating whether this will be a wall hanging in the kiddo's room, or whether it will hang on my design wall area when nothing else is. I think by the time it is put together, it will be too small for a baby quilt. I do have more low volume whites and white fabrics, so I could add a little bit of a border around the outside if it's close to baby quilt sized by the time I'm done.

Truthfully, I'm just playing, and enjoying the break from using my brain too much. Even if that sometimes leads to me needing to use my brain more. I've got a lot of work ahead of me to begin piecing these little blocks into larger and larger blocks, but that's the kind of work I love.

Welcome Baby Bridesmaid!

I told myself that this would be a small package, but truthfully, as always, it grew beyond what I was planning on.

Of course I included a quilt:

A hooded towel and coordinating bib. ( And can I gush for a moment about how perfectly these stash-pulled Ardently Austen charms worked with the coral-pink towel! Memory says this charm pack was a daily special purchase, something I picked up just because it was very on sale.)

Only three little outfits -- which shows great restraint.

Un-pictured, there are also a few toys, a book, and a couple of 'wish I'd had these' kind of additions. The big box ought to arrive this week -- and the little girl ought to arrive in about 9 more weeks.

I can't wait to see my friend as a parent. She's going to be great!