A Lovely Year of FInishes - August

Not even the end of the month and I have already finished my goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes.  Can you believe it?!?  I am so excited to say that the 4 memory quilts that I have been working on for the past 2 months are completed and to their homes.  Part of the quilts were my July goal (July finish) and then the rest was my August goal (August link).

Fair Warning - this post has a ton of pictures for these 4 quilts.

Quilt 1 alternates between a block with 2 - 4.5"x8.5" bricks and a block 4 - 2.5"x8.5" strips. It is quilted .25" outside the seam of each block.

  

Quilt 2 alternates between a block with 2 - 4.5"x8.5" bricks and a block 4 - 4.5"x4.5" squares.  It is quilted .25" outside the seam of each block.  

Quilt 3 is done in the subway tile pattern.  Each tile is 4.5" x 8.5 ".  I quilted on both sides of the seam of each row.

Quilt 4 is done with 2.5" strips and 2.5" squares.  This idea came from a quilt I saw while searching through quilts on pinterest and through the necessity of using the pieces that I had.   It is stay stitched periodically in the ditch across the quilt and then 7 pairs of vertical lines are quilted into the quilt, too.   In the end, I think this one turned out to be my favorite.

Each quilt is different because the 4 recipients of the quilts had their own special relationship with their mom so I felt they deserved different quilts.  I made sure to put special pieces of the clothing into each quilt, saving as much of the embroidery as possible.

All 4 quilts do have the same backing, a pretty leaf print.

I had a helper when I was trying to take pictures.  Spooky, my neighbor's super friendly cat, came to check out the quilty fun.  

Can't wait to link up at the end of the month and see what everyone else has finished for A Lovely Year of Finishes this month.

A Lovely Year of Finishes - July FInish

So happy to say that I more than completed my goal for the month of July.  Not only did I complete the pattern test top, which I love and used my special NJ fabrics for (pics soon I promise) but I finished 3 of the 4 memory quilts and they are already backed and basted!  The last one is partially sewn and the top will most likely be done by the end of the week.  

I chose a subway tile pattern for one of the quilts.  Honestly, I love that there are no corners to match with this pattern.   

Then, I used the same pieces from the subway tile quilt to make squares to go with the next two quilts.  I used strips in the one and patchwork squares in the other.

The last quilt that is in pieces is made with the strips, and longer ones, from the second quilt.  I tried to tie all the quilts together as much as possible without making them exactly the same.

Now to finish the last one and quilt them all.  Think I will make the deadline of August 17? 

A Lovely Year of Finishes - July Goal

I can't believe it is already July, I feel like this year is slipping right by me.  When deciding my July goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes I found it easy since I am testing a pattern for the sweet Melissa at Sew Bittersweet Designs.  I pulled some fabrics out and I think this is what I am going with.  I am thinking of featuring my lighthouse batik.

But it might change cause I knocked over a stack of fabrics and I am liking how they look together now, haha. So we will see.

And I really need to get working on this box of clothing that once belonged to my friend, Heather's, mother in law.  She passed almost a year and a half ago.  Her husband's family had asked someone to make memory quilts for all 5 of her sons, but after a year only one was finished so I was asked to finish the last 4.  I have my designs planned and I am ready to cut the fabrics.  I decided they will each be different to 1, accommodate the limited sizes of clothing pieces that were cut before I received them and 2, not make it so obvious that 4 came from me and 1 from someone else.

Today I was asked by my sister if I could finish the quilts for the wedding anniversary of Heather's husband's parents.  The family will be getting together that day.  That day is August 17, not much time complete 4 quilts.  I asked my sister if she would help, she said of course pointing out she did take home-ec in 6th grade.  I think her banner she made is still around here somewhere.

So my goals are complete the quilt top for the pattern test and get at least 2 quilt tops pieced for Heather.  I know once I start it will go smoothly (hopefully)