Eyes Crossed Spied Quilt Pattern

A little while back I jumped at the chance to test a pattern for Melissa at Sew BitterSweet Designs.  I had tested her All Framed Up quilt a while back (which was in the NJ Quiltfest show) and I loved how she wrote her pattern so I couldn't wait to try out another pattern.  

I have to say that I love how this pattern turned out.  It is really fun and sews up much faster than I had expected it to. (It looks a lot more complicated than it is and I love that about it!).   It took just a few days to go from cutting to completed top.  When I first saw the photo I loved the look of the pattern and already had the perfect fabric in my stash picked for it.  (Classic Jurassic plus some PB Textiles color weave and a couple others thrown in for good measure).  The directions were great, step by step and photos too, and it went together so smoothly!  She included a blank diagram in the pattern to color on your own for the layout.  

I would say this is great for advanced beginner to intermediate sewer because of the wat part of the block is sewn together, but the directions are so clear there was no problem at all.  .  

I have the backing chosen, a fun red and white chevron that I picked up for a great deal because it was considered Christmas fabric, but need some more time to get it quilted up.  I love how the bright colors pop against my old swing-set.  

This was a great pattern and think I may need to make a couple more as gifts,   

Jackie's Shower Quilt

I didn't realize how long it had been since I had written!  It has been a crazy month of deadlines and sewing and just other things that just came up.

I completed this quilt top as a shower gift for a friend that is getting married next month.  Her shower was this past weekend.  She loves all things beach and you could tell with her regestry that beach is her theme.

I pulled a selection of beachy feeling fabrics and started at them until I decided on a quick strip quilt with a little addition.  I cut strips of these main fabrics ranging from 4.5" to 7 inches wide and pulled some strips from another project that were 1.5 inches to 4 inches wide to add a little more variation to the quilt. 

Once I laid out all the fabrics in the pattern I wanted to use for the quilt I began to sew the strips together, but I wanted to add something. So, when a white thin strip was added, I cut through the sewn strips and added in a set of three pre-sewn strips vertically, then sewed the cut off section back on.

It added a little more color and some more interest to the quilt.  That pattern continued to the top of the quilt.  Once it was all together, which didn't take too long, I found a backing and set to basting this quilt.  (Because of course my deadline of the shower was just a few days away so it couldn't get put aside!)

Maggie decided she wanted to help baste the quilt.  She never comes in this room, but snuck in when I wasn't looking.  (She got kicked out after I took the picture)

I decided to do some straight line quilting on this quilt with some free motion squiggles in the white horizontal strips.

I bound it in one of my favorite fabrics from a Christmas line, a grey stripe with little colorful dots that pop out every once in a while.

It is backed in a solid light green sheet that is also being used on the back of another quilt in similar colors.

I machine bound it because of lack of time, but I have had a lot of practice so it doesn't look too bad at all.

And here it is all packaged up, ready for the shower in beachy colors.

 Jackie loved her quilt, it was a total hit at the shower.

Jackie's Shower Quilt
45" x 67"
multiple stashed fabrics used
Pellon 80/20 batting

Project Quilting - Triangle Challenge

This is the last challenge for Project Quilting for this season.  I am sad to see this year of fun challenges end.  I know I still have the bonus challenge and off season challenges, but it's not the same.  So the last challenge is Triangles.  As soon as I saw that I had so many ideas flying through my mind.  Since, though, I had other deadlines this week, I had to figure out a quick and fun quilt.  I pulled out my notebook and right there was the best project for triangles ever! (Or at least in my opinion).  A few months ago I had been doodling some math and science based quilts and came up with this...

Here is the Pythagorean Theorem Doll Quilt.  What could be better than a triangle math formula for a triangle challenge? :)   This doll quilt is made up of a pieced half square triangle and fused formula.  I did a quick turn so I didn't have to bind it.  The quilt is quilted with wavy lines on the diagonal.  

The quilt is backed with a semi solid sparkly purple because glitter makes everything better.

Pythagorean Theorem Doll Quilt

18.75" x 18.75"

Created in my home in Lanoka Harbor, NJ

I do have to say, when I put the quilt and Betsy Wetsy on the floor to take a photo, Maggie was terrified of the doll.  She would get close to sniff and then run away.  I have the biggest scardy puppy.

  

American Quilters Society - Lancaster Quilt Show

Hi all!  Dropping in to share a photo pf my quilt at American Quilters Society's Quiltweek Lancaster.  My Flight of the Seagulls quilt was accepted in the Modern Wall Quilt category.

It didn't place, but that is totally ok.  I am just excited to see it hanging there with so many other amazing quilts.

AQS Quilt-A-Thon

Tonight was the Quilt-A-Thon at Lancaster Quiltweek.  It was a great time sewing for a great cause.  The quilts were all made with donated materials and time for Lancaster General Hospital Storks Nest.

Bali Pops, 2.5" strips, were used to make the bright, colorful tops.  Once the tops were made they were pressed and set onto the longarm machines.  I signed myself and my friend, Kayce, up to participate in the fun event.  When we got there we were asked if we wanted to learn to work the longarm.  I jumped at the opportunity and dragged Kayce with me.

 We learned how to load the backing and then the batting on the frames.

 As soon as the tops started rolling in we set to work.  Kayce was a natural, it is just like doodling.

 I was seriously so excited to be able to learn about working these machines.

It is amazing how quickly you can quilt a quilt on these machines, much faster than on my little domestic.

In my meandering I had to add a few waves.

Kayce and I both finished two quilts.  They are going to a great cause, the Stork's Nest at Lancaster General Hospital.

 

Project Quilting Challenge 5 - Grocery Store

I can't believe it is Friday and I am already done with my project quilting project.  And to be honest, I only started it Wednesday.  I love how when the perfect idea hits it just flows.

This week is the Grocery Store Challenge.  I chose the pasta aisle as my inspiration.  There are great colors and shapes in the aisle and it just called for a quilt.  The boxes in the aisle are blue, green, yellow, orange, and red depending on the brand and type of pasta.  And they are stacked so nicely on their shelves.  Once I turned to look out of the aisle there was a display of matchbox cars and other kids toys so the idea hit.  I had the perfect fabric in my stash to create my Pasta Box Quilt.

I started with a doodle of my pasta boxes on the shelves and went from there.  I grabbed my car and train sign fabrics, which are all primary colors, and started cutting away.

I lined them up on my design wall to check the arrangements and check out which color I wanted to use as my "shelves".

Once I figured it out I realized I had to quilt it with free motion "spaghetti".

Loops and squiggles all over really complete the look.  This Pasta Box quilt went together quickly and was a fun simple sewing project.

And to top it off, the entire quilt came from my stash, even the back.  Love that part!  The back also features a couple extra boxes from the front and a little tag with the quilt info.  Not only does this quilt work for Project Quilting, it also crosses off another quilt from my to do list that was requested, score!

Pasta Box Quilt
36" x 38.5"
Created in my home in Lanoka Harbor, NJ

Project Quilting Challenge 4

Two weeks ago was project quilting challenge 4 for season 5.  The challenge was Across the Universe.  I knew exactly what I was going to do as soon as I saw the words.  I had been looking for an excuse to play the the scraps from Matthew's space quilt for a while now and this was the perfect opportunity.  I pulled the bag of space scraps out and went to work.

In the scraps there were already some triangles left from Matt's quit so I threw them up on my design wall.  I decided I would continue with the triangles so I started free piecing the scraps together to make more, adding robots, space ships, and astronauts to the center of them.

I was going to make it a square, but as I added the triangles I realized that I liked the hexagon and felt it was the perfect shape for a space play mat.

For the backing I pulled the last pillowcase from the sheet set I bought to back Matt's quilt and make his pillow sham.

The quilting is free motion molecules because, hey that's sciencey and perfect for space.

The space play may is 36" across the center of the hexagon, perfect for the future astronaut. 

This weeks Project Quilting Challenge is Grocery Store.  It is not due until Sunday at noon so you still have time if you want to join in on the fun.