Project Quilting 10.4 Pixel Play

This weeks Project Quilting hosted by Kim at Persimon Dreams  is all about Pixel Play.  I lovepixel quilts, especially my nautical ones.  Though, because of my surgery recovery I had to keep it small this week.  I knew exactly what I wanted to do, I decided to do my anchor quilt is super mini size.

I started by pulling out scraps from cutting my 2.5" nautical squares and cut them down to 1.25".  Pulled out my pattern and started laying out my quilt. 

I used the interfacing method for this mini quilt, where I lay my squares on the interfacing and then press as I go. 

 I sewed up all my seams then added a scrappy border.  Matchstick quilting completed the mini quilt.  I bound it in a darker gray to frame my little quilt.  Those little squares are .75" each.

My mini anchor quilt finishes at 14" x 15"
Created in Manchester, NJ

Project Quilting Season 8 - Texture

I can't believe we are already in to February and challenge 3 of Project Quilting Season 8.  This weeks challenge was Texture.  Such a fun challenge that made me look for inspiration all around. 

My inspiration came from a few things.  On my sewing desk sits a Rubik's cube and an Alexander's Star.  The Alexander's Star has a great shape, with triangles facing all different directions.  These triangles look so much like flying geese.  Also, this week, I was making draft socks and filling them with ground walnut shells.  The texture reminded me of the sand on the beach.  Once these two came together my idea began to form.  

I pulled a background fabric that reminded me of mornings on the beach with the sun sparkling off the sand and pebbles sprinkled in.  For the colors of my geese I turned to my collection of sea glass.  I love the different shades of teals and blues that I have collected, even some green and white can be found in my jars.  

I began to build my mini quilt, starting with paper piecing curving and growing geese from my own patterns.  It is as if the sea glass geese are coming out of the sand.  

To add more texture to the sand I decided on a small stipple for the quilting.  Giving the feeling of the beach when the water recedes and a light texture remains on the wet sand.   

This Sea Geese mini quilt measures 19" x 21".  All the fabrics in it are batik, they add just the right amount of texture and variation to the colors that make them perfect for this mini.

Sea Geese
19" x 21"
Batik fabrics
cotton batting
Created in Lanoka Harbor, NJ

I just love how it looks through the back of the quilt with the sun shining, like stained glass. 

Project Quilting Season 7 Challenge 2

It's challenge 2 of season 7 of Project Quilting. This weeks challenge is Seasons. I wasn't sure what to make then,while looking through some pictures, I was reminded of a birch tree quilt I made in the summer. I decided that was how I was going to roll with this challenge. 

I dug out my scraps from the past birch tree quilt and set to work. 

I represented each season; summer, fall, winter, and spring. 

Each season is quilted wih different designs being leaves, loopy snowflakes, flowers, and waves for the different seasons. The birch trees have a simple squiggle to mimic the bark. 

Birch Trees Through the Seasons

22" x 19.5"

Made in super snowy Lanoka Harbor, NJ 

My snow puppy Maggie helped when taking pictures of the quilt. 

Target Practice Mini Quilt

This is the final month of the Project Quilting Cherrywood off season Focus Through the Prism challenge. I'm sad to see it end, but super excited for another season of Project Quilting starting in January.

This month the challenge block was the snowball block. My first thought was, uh oh... I left orange for last and couldn't think of anything at first. The reason I left orange last was to support RSD/CRPS awareness month. Color the World Orange was Monday November 2. 

I randomly started making different size snowballs and tossing them at my design  wall. When I posted on our Facebook group joking about throwing a ball at the snowballs the name Target Pracrice was suggested by Jo and I loved it so I ran with it. I created some more small snowballs and tossed them on the board. From there I started piecing the quilt around where the blocks landed. They only moved if I had to make piecing easier. 

Once it was all together I kept my theme and quilted circles into it using the perfect color orange of Aurifil. It matched the circles in my background fabric perfectly! 

I chose to do the binding on the background fabric to make it seem like it kept going. 

This was a fun quilt to finish the challenge  with. Thanks Kim for all the fun you provided in the off season! 

Target Practice 

20"x 20"

Machine pieced

Machine quilted

Hand bound

And of course an obligatory Maggie pic... or two. 

Maggie and Matt smiled so nicely for the camera.

And here Maggie and CJ are both smiling. She had a lot of attention on Thanksgiving.

Strawberry Patch Mini Quilt

Another month of Project Quilting is over, only one more left. These have been some fun challenges and it is awesome to have at least one finished quilt each month. 

This months challenge was the nine patch. For some reason I was really stumped with this block.  I pulled out my  cherrywood   fabrics and chose the red this month.it sat for weeks until I decided to just cut it and start playing to figure out a design. I paired the cherrywood with a great moda print of pink and red squares. 

In the disappearing none patch blocks I did reverse appliqué circles to mimic the circles on the print. 

The tiny nine patches are only 1.5" square. Sometimes it's fun to go small. The red strips are just a quarter inch wide. I liked the little pops of red it gave. 

The quilting is just simple straight lines to enhance my strawberry patch mini. 

Sad there is only one more month of these cherrywood Project Quilting off season focus through the prisom  challenges. But i am excited to find out what our final block will be! 

And as usual, a quick pic of miss Maggie with my quilt. She is such a great model. 

I interrupted her playing with her own quilt to model mine. 

(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!