My Teen Son's Quilt

 

So I finished this quilt way back in September.  It immediately vanished into the depths of the lair.  Today he had somewhere to be, and I offered to wash his sheets and quilts.  He isn't my first teen, and I have learned to be sly!

 

The quilt is about 72" by 96".  Plenty to wrap like a burrito in....which is what he does.  I have the block pattern pinned somewhere on my quilting Pinterest board.

 

It was a windy fall day to be trying to photograph a quilt!  I straight lined quilted to make a cuddly quilt.  I love how it drapes.  The bright orange binding finished it up nicely. 

 

Used up a lot of leftover fabric on the back.  Fabrics with a sport theme just linger in the scrap bin; better to use them now.  My boy likes them better than I do anyway.

 

I had four blocks that had been test blocks.  Love them, but didn't really need a whole quilt of them.  Before Treasure and I left for our trip to Houston, I practiced some FMQ on them with Violet my Singer 201.  I am rusty!!

 

Long story short, Treasure's business trip to Houston just happened to coincide with Houston's International Quilt Festival!  I had been wanting to try out a Juki, and I got the opportunity.

 

Treasure likes a good deal, so we took advantage of the show special! 

 

Last night I practiced using the knee lift and the thread cutter.  Love!!  I finished up these two pouches zippy-quick.  The Juki handled the zippers like butter.

 

Hoping to try out some FMQ today!!

 

Blessings,

 

KT

Independence Day Decorations

I finished something...and now I am taking the time to blog.  Will wonders ever cease?   Even more amazing is that it is already hanging in my freshly painted dining room in time for the Fourth of July!!

This banner is about 17" x 45" and made entirely of Jennifer Paganelli fabrics.  (If you've visited very often you know she is my favorite fabric designer.)

I used some of the scraps for the back.  The colors were too good not to make the most of.

Behold, my new favorite way to hang a small quilt!  So simple, and I will be able to switch out with a picture or another wall hanging seasonally.

I especially love the table topper to match, which measures about 28" square.

Oh, and while editing, I realized that there are water spots from vacation on my camera lens.  By the time I noticed breakfast was already happening on the table.  The lens is properly cleaned for next time!

Also made scrappy bindings for both quilts.  There is something about using as much as is possible of favorite hoarded fabric that makes me happy.

After marking the quilting pattern with a Frixion pen, I used a walking foot to quilt these gentle waves.

This block was inspired by the work of Amy Smart at Diary of a Quilter.  I love the web for seeking out new and interesting ideas.  With no time in my life for a quilt guild meeting, I rely on the online community of quilters for inspiration and encouragement. 

Linking up to Show and Tell Tuesday,Fabric Tuesday and WIP Wednesday.  You can check out tons of lovely projects and be inspired by visiting the links using the buttons on my side bar.

Blessings,

KT

Tutti Fruity Tuesday

Over in the land of Instagram, the #scrappytripalong was born.  I fell so hard for making this block that I worked start to finish on this quilt.  Such a rarity for me, who has so many WIPs.  Many of these fabrics are hoarded Jennifer Paganelli fabrics that I love.  As I was playing with block placement, four blocks with purple played ring around the rosy...and they were having so much fun that I couldn't bear to break them up.  

From there the colors get softer out to the edge of the quilt.  

I decided to break into my vintage sheet stash to back this quilt.  Since the top was all from fabric I had, it just didn't seem right to buy fabric for the back.  

I love how the soft, muted back plays with the bright, cheerful top.  The bright purple binding is the same fabric that is focal pattern on the front.

I added a border of some OOP Jennifer Paganelli fabric that I bought the last few yards of when I saw them at a quilt shop.  Alas, only a wee bit remains in my stash.

Those who have visited here before know that I often can't resist some decorative stitch quilting.  I did manage to limit it to where the border meets the patchwork.

Full disclosure, I am not a prewasher.  The back had no puckers before I washed the quilt.  It does make sense that it loosened up a bit because the rest of the quilt shrank a bit.  I have no problems with this because it is one of the softest, cuddliest quilts I have ever made.  If this is something that would drive you crazy, you could pre-wash, or not use vintage sheets.

Linking up to Fabric Tuesday and Show and Tell Tuesday.  Please use the nifty buttons in the sidebar to visit all the other great finishes!

Blessings,

KT

Promise of Peace

I finally had some time to finish up this beauty.  Too often I am lured into making bigger quilts, and by the end of the making...I need a rest.  This quilt was just right!  I made the lap version of Rene's Peace pattern.  I used two charm packs of Moda batiks with a little more purple thrown in for fun.  The background is a Connecting Threads solid, Silver Lining.  I really like them, the price is great ($4.96/yd.) , and they feel lovely.  Bonus, many of the colors have coordinating thread that is so inexpensive, and great as well.

The backing is some yardage that I got several years ago while on vacation.  It is a textured silvery purple.  I finished up the quilt with a little straight-line quilting which makes for a drape-y, cuddly, quilt.  The binding is simply a batik in a color that stands out from the colors in the top. 

This was such a fun quilt to make.  

Now I am on to my scrappy trip quilt, and halfway done piecing the blocks together.  I have everything I need to finish this quilt except the batting.  No idea when I will have time to go get some, but in the meantime, I am loving the process.

Linking up to Fabric Tuesday and Show and Tell Tuesday.  Join the fun and click on the buttons on the side bar!

Blogger's Quilt Festival

This summer I have been dabbling at a kitchen fresher-upper.  Well, I have finally gotten around to finishing up my quilted wall hanging.  Life has just been...busy.  Anyhow, I am loving the sunny yellow that I painted the walls.  However, one big blank yellow wall was almost too bright!  The quilt filled the gap, and softened the room perfectly.

I designed this quilt using a Strawberry Fields Jelly Roll to make old fashioned shoo-fly blocks.  I am loving the softness of it all!

Shoo-flies in the kitchen, subtle, quilt-y humor.  I used my decorative stitches, and soft pink contrasting thread for the quilting.

When it came time for the border, I was in a quandary.  The Strawberry Field yardage that I had purchased for the border just didn't look in real life the way I had pictured it in my head.  If stash diving were and Olympic sport, I just won gold.  I found this yardage squirreled away.  It is Simplicity by 3 Sisters for Moda.    I love having these words before me in the busiest area of my home.

Originally I had saved some of the more red jelly roll strips for the binding.  Instead I ended up buying a little more of the aqua with strawberries to make the binding.  The red against the yellow wall was a little too.....Ronald McDonald!  Not at all the calm, peaceful look I wanted!  I love the creative process and its journey!

Quilt Stats:

Measures: 29 1/2" x 29 1/2"

Fabrics:  Strawberry Fields and Simplicity from Moda

Quilted:  by KT (me) using decorative stitches on my home machine

Best Categories:

Favorite Home Machine Quilted

Favorite Wall Hanging

Be sure to use the button  to visit all the wonderful entries!

Blessings,

KT

Wee Little Finishes

I have had this beautiful little panel in my to do basket along with all this wonderful fabric for awhile.  The panel was designed by Amy and I bought it through her Etsy shop.  She knew me well enough to know that I am a purple girl, so she gave me a little heads up.  Though she is no longer printing these panels, she has a beautiful array of printed lovelies.  I have bought several.  All are so wonderful that I want to make something to keep with them.  So that is probably why they languish in the selfish pile!  Well, at least this one is free!!  It came with great instructions for this wonderful quilt.  I did swap out one of the blocks for a courthouse steps block, which has a rose fussy cut in the center.

This stacked coins block was part of the pattern, and just to cute to resist. 

Did my usual cop-out and used decorative stitches on my machine to quilt.

Special fabrics on the back.  The middle strip is a scrap that Amy sent as a thank you for nosy interference a suggestion I gave her.  Love it Amy!  The lighter fabric is maybe old enough to be considered vintage?  My quilty partner in crime gave it to me, along with the purple paisley that I used for the binding.  The blue is from a lonely stack that was in an LQS every time I visited.  I noticed the neglected fat quarters over and over, liking them better each time.  Finally I brought them all home, and now they are nearly gone! 

I have discovered that on these little quilts I can make these pockets in the back corners, cut and sand a pinky-sized dowel to fit, and then use a regular picture hanger to hang.  Cheap, easy, and it shows nothing to detract from the quilt.

These are bound and ready to go to their new homes.  You can tell these aren't mine, they are red.  (Remember I am a purple girl.) 

Yup, that one is mine!

I really like all the little pieces.  I even enjoyed sewing the red.  Feels good to slip a few OOP scraps into a gift.

I can only show you the back of mine.  Otherwise I would be giving away secrets.  Theirs is pretty much the same, only the stripes are going horizontally.  I like the horizontal better, but cut one of the pieces wrong.  Used it on mine so I wouldn't have to re-cut....hey, it was late!!!  More OOP fabric for the tags.  Theirs are the same print, but in green. 

Oh, and the last thing I finished, apparently, is being thankful for a mild winter.  Our temperature is 18 degrees with a wind chill of 7.  Topped off with icy roads.  I think I'll stay in and sew tonight.

Be sure to visit the other Sew & Tell Friday Finishes by using the super cute button on the side bar.  I am linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it Up Friday as well.  Grab a mug of something warm and enjoy!

Blessings,

KT

Table Runner, Quilt, and a Blouse...Oh My!

First off, let me explain about the wacky array of pictures you are about to be subjected too witness.  I got up nice and early to take them, when it was too dark this morning.  Then I took some of them this afternoon, in the yard, when it was too light!  Well, I came inside and snapped a few more and decided beggars can't be choosers.

When I bought this fabric, I really wanted it to be something for my table.  I guess it is the cherries.  I just love how the soft blue and watermelon-pink play together.

This is the center block, which has an extra border to set it off.

I enjoyed tinkering with my decorative stitches and different thread colors.  Each of the end blocks is bordered with this floral vine that is probably my favorite decorative stitch.

I tried hard to capture the little pearly blue polka dots on the binding.

No amount of lighting changes could capture the soft washed out blue batik backing fabric.  Since I was keeping this piece, it had to have a scrappy back, even though I had enough batik fabric...weird huh?

I love how the decorative stitching fell on the back!

Really like the thread color change on the back too!

The original panel for the cherry print had 15 blocks.  Since I only used 3 for my table runner, I put the others to good use.  This sweet baby quilt maybe the first quilt I sell.

Used that floral vine, but kept to only pink thread.

I used a machine feather stitch on the inner block.  Love those bunnies too!!

The sashing and the backing are white one white, and I love how it makes the pink quilting thread look!

I also have this Nicey Jane blouse that I am trying to finish up.  The scraps are already cut into charm squares though.  (Does that make another WIP?)

W.I.P.s:

1.  Nicey Jane Blouse.

2.  Treasure's Neptune Kaleidoscope Quilt.

3.  Grandma's Peacock.

Be sure to visit the other W.I.P. linkers by using the cute button on the side bar.

Blessings,

KT

The Story Behind the Quilt

This quilt started out because the blue and the green Katie Jump Rope liked each other so much.  But then I started an orange quilt, and had these wonderful orange scraps.  (By the way, the orange quilt still isn't finished.  Can I get an "Amen"!)  I had ordered some Sandi Henderson Meadowsweet because...  And then on day, it all came together in my mind.

When I looked at this fabric together while quilting my mind kept wandering back to Grandmas and Grandpas.  I grew up with all of them with me until I was in sixth grade.  I have great memories.  When may maternal grandparents went to Florida, they brought me back Orange Blossom Perfume.  I can still smell it!  When my paternal grandparents moved to Florida, I got a small bottle every time I visited them.

So this quilt is "Orange Blossom Perfume"  in loving memory of the sweet times I had with all my grandparents.

Quilted with a feather stitch, I love how the soft orange thread looks on the blue KJR!

Since the original pictures were a bit washed out from the bright light and the snow, I took a couple to day.

It has been one of the very few non-rainy days since the snow melted!

I just can't tell you how soft KJR is.

Here is its summer resting place.  It is ready for a chilly moment, or maybe just there if I need to remember Grandma's hugs.

Be sure to visit the Blogger's Quilt Festival!

Blessings,

KT