Geese on the Beach Mini Quilt.

It's the end of the month again and I'm just squeezing in my Project Quilting Focus Through the Prism mini quilt. This month was so awesome, it was flying geese!  My absolute favorite quilt block!  Of course I was going to have fun and do a mix of paper piecing and regular piecing. 

Since I just finished up a top using batik fabrics I decided to keep with the batik trend. All the fabrics, besides the Cherrywood fabrics, are batiks. I love the creamy background batiks.  You might be able to see I even pieced some geese with just the background batiks, which gave me one of my ideas for a name as Hide and Goose Seek. But Geese on the Beach works well, too. The colors give me a beachy feel. 

I wanted something different for the quilting and I struggled with what to do. I thought hand work, but the quilt told me no. Then I thought pebbling and echoing, but both weren't right either. Then I saw a feathery loopy thing and said yes that's it!  In just over an hour I had my mini totally quilted. The quilting really shows on the back. 

I decided to use the Cheerywood to bind my mini quilt. I feel it frames it nicely. 

I can't believe we already have 5 mini quilts already done for this challenge. I love seeing this collection grow. Thanks Kim (at Persimmon Dreams) for this awesome challenge!  

And of course I have to share a Maggie picture.  She was helping carry my top after I took some pictures the other day. 

(Mc) Swirly Twirly Pinwheel

This month seemed to get away from me but I finished my Project Quilting off season Focus Through the Prism challenge just in time. This months block, pinwheels, through me for a loop. And I used a color for them that is not a normal  one for me, green. But in the ending love it!  And thanks to Trisha for helping with the name.  

I used a 3d pinwheel pattern and made them in 2 sizes. For some reason I really like tiny blocks. There are lots of different polka dots in this mini, too. I really wanted to bind with more Cheerywood green, but only had a tiny piece left so I went with a batik polka dot. 

The quilting is swirly like the pinwheels are blowing in the wind. Overall this was a fun quilt to make, once I decided on what I was doing that is. And I was able to piece some of my pinwheels on my new to my 1948 featherweight. She sewed right through the bulky centers. 

I'm so ready for next month! 

Cabin on the Water Mini Quilt

Another month is almost over and I have my Project Quilting mini quilt for our Focus Through the Prism off season challenge complete.

This months block was the log cabin. I'll be honest that I didn't start it until just 5 days before the end of the month. I mean, it is Project Quilting so why start early?  

I chose the blue this month since I would love a cabin on the water. I chose to go a scrappy route, having the cherrywood fabric spiral out.

I added strips of blues and a couple text prints until it was more than large enough. I decided to quilt it with lines meeting in the center where the heart of the home is. 

I added in some hand stitching to accent the quilting. I had a great supervisor while  I was working outside, Spooky kitty. 

Once I was ready I chose to bind it by matching the last strips around the quilt so it didn't break up the pattern. 

I seriously love the quilting on the back!

And of course Maggie had to check it out while I was taking pictures. She is such a quilt dog. I think she was contemplating grabbing it and running in this picture.  

It is called Cabin on the Water since I would love to have a cabin on the water one day.

Can't wait for next months challenge!  Maybe I will even start it earlier, haha!

A (Friendship) Star is Born

Last months Project Quilting off season block was the friendship star. I wasn't sure what color to use or what I planned to do at all until the last 2 weeks of the month. Honestly, I barely sewed anything in June. Since sitting at my machine for any length of time wasn't an option I decided that this needed to be a mostly hand stitched project. 

I decided to base my design on the star forming, coming together piece by piece.  I drew out my design and just started building the idea. Once the top was together I started the hand work. I followed the lines of some of the star sections and stitched in the outline of the missing star parts and 2 whole stars. 

 

I filled in the entire background with stitching. 

 I loved how the back looked as it was coming together. 

I was able to complete my mini quilt and post it on time, thankfully. 

There is almost an entire roll of verigated pearl cotton in this mini. 

And here it is with my May mini. Two totally different quilts. May is more my normal style of quilt, but I love June's.  wonder how July will turn out. 

I love these off season mini challenges with Cherrywood fabrics! 

Through the Monkey Wrench

So excited for the off season challenges of Project Quilting.  This year is Focus Through the Prism for the off season using Cherrywood fabrics. 

The May challenge was the monkey wrench block.  Choosing one color, we were to create a 20" mini quilt using the monkey wrench (churn dash) block.  I had a little bit of a slow start, not knowing what color I wanted to use or how I wanted my little quilt to look, but once I started it just came together so quickly. 

I chose to use the violet for this challenge.  I started with a few tiny blocks that finished at 1.5" and went up from there.  The little blocks are framed out with the larger monkey wrench block.  I added a few flying geese for fun.

The quilting is swirls, to resemble the swirls on some of the background fabrics.

The quilting is only on the background fabrics, I wanted the violet to pop.

I think it fit well in my garden next to my flower ball.  Stands out in all the green.

Maggie was helping me take pictures in the yard so I wanted one with her.  She is not as small as she looks in this photo, haha.  

Through the Monkey Wrench

20" x 20"

Cherrywood Violet fabric with assorted others from my stash

Check out the other Project Quilting quilts here.

Stash Bee 2014 Hive 4

Last year for Stash Bee I asked my hive mates to make me circle blocks.  I let them use any method that wanted with a low volume and texty print background and a fun selection of colors for the circles.  I asked for some patchwork in the background or circles.  And the blocks could be any size between 8" - 16".  I received such a great variety of blocks.  Over the past year I made a few more here and there to add to the quilt to make is a good size.  Since I am on a UFO kick, I decided this was a great time to cross this top off my list.

It took a few layouts to find the perfect fit for the blocks and lots of piecing in to fill int he gaps.  I have to say how lucky I am that my friend Peggy (from Stitchin with Peg)had recently given me a great stack of texty prints that fit perfectly with this top.  (I can't thank you enough Peggy!!!)

The layout of the hive blocks and a few of mine

Over a few days I worked on putting the circles together, adding in filler sections and extra circle blocks where I felt it needed it.  I am so excited to have the top together.  Now to figure out a backing and how to quilt it.  

Circle quilt top is 54" x 60"

And just for fun, Maggie was jumping and playing in the sun while I was taking pictures.  

Project Quilting Challenge 5 - My Favorite Fabric

This week was another week for Project Quilting.  I have managed to create something each and every challenge so far this year (I have to still blog about a couple) and I am trying to keep that trend going.

This week the challenge was My Favorite Fabric.  We had to figure out out favorite fabric and use it this week.  You have no idea how hard it is to choose my favorite fabric.  I love text prints and colors and novelty and well... every piece of fabric that I have.  I really have to love fabric to buy it.  My favorite changes daily or depending on what project I am working on.  I love text prints, but then again I love batiks.  Ya, a totally confusing time trying to choose, haha.  So I went to my sewing room and stood looking at my current favorite favorites, which live on a shelf next to my sewing machine until I decide to switch it up.

On the shelf was a bag with pieces of some of my favorite batiks.  These batiks are special, sold only here on the Jersey Shore.  This line has one printed every year and once it is gone, it is gone.  I love it and that is why I hoard each and every scrap of it.  You know if you get something with this batik fabric in it that I truly care, haha.  I used these fabrics in a quilt for my dad, All Framed Up on the Jersey Shore, in the past and I have used them in little bits along the way.  They were screaming to be used.

I knew they needed a new pattern so I sat down and drew out a new flying geese (Seagulls?) paper piecing pattern.  I pressed all the pieces and added a couple more that had the same shore vibe.  Once the pieces were together I decided they needed to be a small table runner.  I did super close quilting, following the curve of the geese.  I bound it in a blue batik, keeping it skinny to just frame the table runner.  It is backed in a pretty fern print batik.

I love this table runner and decided that it needs to be with someone else that I love.  My godmother, Aunt Carol, has a birthday next week.  She loves all things beach and shore related.  I think this is the perfect gift for her and I think that she will love it, too.  Maybe when the rebuilding is done it will live in their house in Lavalette.

Flying Seagulls Table Runner
Favorite fabrics: Assorted Jersey Shore batiks
12" x 23"

And just for fun, a photo of my "helper" as I took pictures of the table runner. She really loves the snow.