A Lovely Year of Finishes, February

It is that time again to link up the finished project for A Lovely Year of Finishes.  I have to say, I know I need to do this project all month  but somehow it gets pushed off and I always finish just in the nick of time.  This month I chose to finish a baby quilt that has been sitting around for quite a while.  It started out as being part of a queen size quilt in January 2012 that I wanted to make for myself, but then I changed my mind.  Part of it was made into a fun tote bag and another part is sitting in pieces in a box for another project.  This larger piece I decided to make into a baby quilt.

I saw this clamshell like freemotion pattern on another blog recently, maybe about a month or 2 ago, and I can't seem to remember where (if anyone knows so I can post a link I would love the info!)

I thought the quilting matched well with the fabrics that I chose.  I have to say, though, that I was using my old machine and we were having some words during the quilting.  I have never ripped out so much quilting before!

But I love the outcome!  So happy to have this done.

Starburst QAL

I have been participating in the Starburst QAL at Happy Quilting.  I am loving this because to be honest, this is the first real pattern for a quilt that I have made.  I usually just make it up as I go along without following measurements or anything like that.  I know, you probably think it is crazy.

This past week I finished my quilt top. I took my half square triangles I had left over from making the goose in the corner blocks and made a cornerstone block for the center.  I wanted to put them on the outside corners too, but I lost two of them in my sewing mess room.  Luckily, though, I just found them as I was cleaning off the bed in the spare room for an awesome guest to visit. (Yay!)  So I might just add them now that they are found.

Oh and Mom has been sewing along with me on this fun QAL.  She has made a great looking starburst quilt.  It is so warm with the colors that she has chosen.  Since they are away on vacation now, I only got a text of the finished top.  Yup, she brought her machine with her on vacation to FL.  And has proceeded to drag my Dad to the fabric store twice since they have been there, haha.

I am linking up to Freemotion by the River's Linky Party.   Love to see all the projects that are linked up each week.

A few days off...

Hi all!  I know I have been absent this past week.  I was down and out for a few days with a wonderful virus.

Before I was sick I went out to dinner with my sister at one of our favorite spots in Point Pleasant, 709.  I love my sister weekends, so glad that she lives so close and we can spend time together.  Too bad the weekend was cut short because I got sick.

Now that I am feeling better I did a little sewing.  Kim, that awesome creator of Project Quilting, asked for some blocks to make a quilt for her daughter, A Future Quilter.  She asked it we could put a message on the block or in a note.  My message was to <3 color.  I pieced a salvage piece that said color into the block with some heart fabric.

 The block finishes at 6.5" square.  My little boater chick is ironed onto the corner of the block as my signature.  I had fun playing with my little pieces and making a fun block for her.

 A little note for the birthday girl.  I added in a few fun fabrics for her to play with, too.

It went off to its new home today.  I hope she likes it and that it fits in with the rest of the blocks.

Now, I better get to  working on my project for A Lovely Year of Finishes.  We are halfway through the month and I haven't touched it.  And I am cleaning up my sewing room because it is also my spare room and  I am having a guest come and well, I doubt she wants to sleep on a pile of fabrics.

Project Quilting Challenge 3

This week was Project Quilting challenge 3.  In this challenge you had to get your idea from Anne Young's art.  I went through her work a few times and kept coming back to her pictures of Peace, Love, and Happiness.  There was something about the colors and the lines.

So I pulled out my batik scrap boxes and then pulled every strip and string from the boxes.  I pieced and pieced and then added some more and had no idea what I was making with it.  Then I realized how nice a quilted batik pillow case would look with my Tetris quilt when I flipped it over.  So I added in a few more strips one way and then some to make it a little longer and it was ready to be quilted.

Perfect with Tetris quilt back

Random squiggly lines

Just a few squiggly lines here and there with no rhyme or reason because it is so random I felt it would be too much to make it have a pattern now.

Back of pillow case

The back is a colorful batik that reminds me of water.  I have had this in my stash for over 10 years and love it as much today as I did when I bought it.

Project Quilting Bonus Challenge

I am sure that you all know that I participate in Project Quilting over at Persimon Dreams since I post about it every other week.  I won a bundle of fabric for my Pink Spinning Stars quilt (yay!) and can't wait to dig into it.

My new bundle for theh bonus challenge!

So Kim, the creator of Project Quilting, is here to visit and has a little message for everyone...

Hello everyone! This is Kim from Persimon Dreams, www.PersimonDreams.com, and I’m so happy to be here sharing some exciting Project QUILTING news with you. We are currently in the midst of Season 4. The first two challenges inspired over 100 quilts to be created – so amazing! The third challenge went up on Sunday, February 3^rd and I can’t wait to see what comes from it (still time for you to join in!)
I personally love Project QUILTING because it has been extremely inspirational to me in my quilting journey. I know I only have a week for the projects but it’s a great opportunity to give ideas in my mind a try – see what happens, try new techniques. If it works…maybe I’ll do a bigger project that takes more time.

For instance – I tried out free form quilting for the first time in Season 3 of Project QUILTING to create ‘Barn Bones’.  I LOVED it…so later when I undertook a Scrap Challenge I created this…

The Amazing Technicolor Dream Quilt
Project QUILTING has me creating pieces I never imagined before and the Project QUILTING community has been such an inspiration and support.
I have heard from many that they love watching along with Project QUILTING and the projects created from the challenges but they just can’t fit making a quilt in just one week. That’s what my exciting news is all about today – a new *Bonus* Project QUILTING Challenge. I’ve teamed up with a fabulous online fabric store – The Fat Quarter Shop to bring you all the ‘Fat Quarter Shop Bundle Challenge – Tradition Times Three’.

Diane outlines what is required for this particular challenge. You must go to the Fat Quarter Shop to by the fabric bundle in order to participate in the challenge BUT the twist is – you have until May 30^th, 2013 to submit your challenge! At that point, one of my girls will randomly draw a winner of $75 to use at the Fat Quarter Shop.

I also wanted to share with you a few ways you can save on your fabric bundle. First – head over to my blog and enter in the giveaway I posted today: Bundle Giveaway!
OR if you want to save 20% off your entire purchase of fabric from the Fat Quarter Shop check out this blog post to find the special code – good through February 10^th.

Thanks for having me and I hope to see you all with a quilt in one or more Project QUILTING Challenges. Have a great rest of your week!
~Kim Lapacek

Project Quilting

Last week was another great Project Quilting Challenge.  This one was "My Favorite Color".  You chose your favorite color and used any shade of that with white to make a quilty project.  I jumped for joy at this challenge.  I mean, an entire quilt in my favorite color... yay!  And if you know me at all I bet you can tell my color was pink :)  I was so excited to be able to use a great stack of fat quarters that Em sent me for Christmas.

I decided to use a paper piecing block I saw on Fresh Lemon Quilts, Starry Night Quilt Block.  I got my first 4 blocks together and couldn't wait to make some more.

In total, I made 16 of the paper pieced blocks.  They were east to do and since I cut templates I had very little waste of my pink fabrics.

I wasn't sure how to quilt it at first, then I decided to follow the white square in the middle with straight lines to the outer white border, then around the triangles in the corners.

And here is a picture in the snow :).  The sun came out and I was able to catch the snow before it melted (mostly).

I love the Project Quilting challenges because I push myself to try something new and different.  The next one will be posted on Sunday, February 3.

I am linking up to Freemotion By the River's Linky Party Tuesday and Fabric Tuesday on Quilt Story.