Blogger's Quilt Festival -- Pastel Turn by Turn

In looking at my old posts, I realized I hadn't shared promised photos of my two finished Turn by Turn quilts.  Since the Blogger's Quilt Festival started today, it seems like the perfect time--and motivation (!!), so they will be my two entries. 

This is the smaller of the two.  I apologize for the wrinkles.  I had to run out in between rain storms to try to photograph it despite a bit of wind.  Fortunately, my "helper" was pretty picky about getting it "just right".

The two quilts are made the same way, but this one is scaled down so that the blocks measure roughly 6 inches.  This was supposed to be a baby sized quilt, but so many of my Kaffe pieces clamored to be included and I couldn't say no, so it ended up being 60 x 60, minus a little for shrinkage.

As always, Yvette did a lovely job quilting it.

The back fabric is from a Lakehouse fabric line called Sausalito Cottage. 

I purchased it while traveling and had to piece it in order to have enough.  As luck would have it, just after piecing it, I remembered why I had purchased it.  It is supposed to be an inner border for another project.  (oh well)

 

 

My helper was exhausted from all the work.  Fortunately she can (and does) sleep anywhere and anytime.

 

Be sure to check out all the lovely quilts in the Blogger's Festival at Amy's Creative Side. 

This one is in the Small Quilt category.  It measures just barely under 240" in total. It was pieced by me, and quilted by Yvette of Yvette's Custom Quilting. 

 

Thanks for visiting!

 

My New Favorite Color is Red

I don't have much to show, but I have been sewing--a bit anyway.  Last week I took five tops to be quilted.  Don't be impressed by the number five.  Four are baby quilts, and most of them were already finished, just waiting for their day of quilting.

Since you've seen a couple of them in prior posts, and I won't show them again until they are completely done, but here's one of the few photos I took of two of them (only one photo because they're identical quilts).  It was at the point of choosing the borders.  I eventually decided the black was too severe for a baby, and went with an orange fabric, but got distracted at this point (back in February 2012), so it's nice to finally have them put together, and almost done.

The fifth quilt is a full size quilt I made around 1993, but never finished.  (Do you sense a theme?)  It is a quilt from the book, Star Gazing by Jackie Robinson, called Star SA-lute  I thought I bought a backing for it back then, but when I measured the piece that I had saved for all those years, it was much, much too small.  So a hunt for a back that would match entailed.  Note to self:  Buy a back when your colors are still available! 

I thought rust would be easy to find.  Not so much.  The fabric I decided to use really doesn't match it, but it looks like it does and was on sale--I didn't take a photo, so you'll have to wait for that "excitement". :)

I snapped this photo quickly without even unfolding the top all the way--I was just excited to get it finished.  Note to self:  When taking a quilt to be quilted that's been stored away for many years, look at it--on BOTH sides! 

When I got to the quilter, and took it out, we looked at it.  This is what we both saw at the same time:

 

See a little problem in that block near the bottom center?  So the top came back home to be fixed.  When I brought it home, I unfolded it to find the problem block, and low and behold, look what else I saw on that same side:

 

 

One block had the wrong background color.  How did I miss that?  And that jogged a memory.  When I put this top together, I came up short one of the outer blocks.  Note to Self:  Don't assume you miscut or miscounted.  Look!

 

Fortunately I'd saved the leftovers in with the top, so I could put together the correct blocks.  It didn't go smoothly.  My first try:

 

 

Notice how the left row is turned upside down from how it should be.  (it looks like it isn't square, but it is)   Note to self:  Don't sew with a migraine.  

 

All is fixed now, and the top is ready to be quilted--I hope!  

 

And, our big news (saving the best for last) is that we are adopting a new family member!  

 

 

For now we are calling her "Red" because of her collar color.  I hope Red likes to patiently watch me quilt.  I'm guessing the odds of that are slim.  She'll get to come home in a week or two.  Meanwhile, we're busy puppy proofing our lives!  If the photo is any indication, she may be named Shark.

 

Happy quilting!

So Long Summer

It looks like I haven't accomplished anything since May.  Can that be right?  Where has the summer gone? 

I was looking through my summer clothes today in anticipation of a couple little trips, and realized I have one pair of capris I haven't even worn this summer.  What am I saving them for?   It's so unlikely that they'll even fit next year!  (Bet you can guess in which way)

It's just like I save those "special" fabrics, that I love too much to cut.  Does that means I make all my quilts with second rate fabrics?  Definitely food for thought.  I'm trying to use more of my favorite fabrics instead of just storing them to show up in my estate sale someday.  Even if they are just used on a back, it's better to have a pretty back than a pretty fabric in the closet.  So my current goal is to cut and use the prettiest fabrics.  I can always buy more fabric--and another pair of capris.

Ok, so back to the summer.  In no particular order, we spent a week on the Oregon coast, and had a wonderful time with both kids for part of the time.  I love the time we spend there--a definite recharge!

The beach is always wonderful, and the flowers were spectacular.

Look at all the caterpillars on the yellow flowers.

 

I did do some quilting too!  I finished a quilt I call Reach for the Stars, for my new great-nephew, born just last week, and it's packed up and ready to mail tomorrow.  It was put together using the same method as the Sparkle Punch Quilt Along.



It has the most luscious minkie backing.  I would love a cuddle quilt of minkie (just in case you'd like to make me one!)  Wouldn't that be the most luxurious thing?  Has anyone tried a bed size minkie quilt?

I also finished 3 more tops and backs that are ready for the quilter.  Two are baby sized, and packed up to go, and the one below is more of a  large toddler size.  It just got away from me--was having so much fun playing with the fabrics.  It is a scaled down version of the Turn by Turn quilt I made earlier this year.  In looking for a photo of it, I guess it rained so much this spring I never took a finished one.  Maybe I can do them both together when this one is done.  I do love putting Kaffe's together.  May as well put Kaffe quilts together too.

 

All I can show you of the other two is the binding which is ready and waiting.  Hopefully there will be enough for both of them--they're virtually identical--maybe for twins? :)  I just happened to have enough leftovers to make it work.

And, lest you think I completely avoided it, I did begin to work on the Pyramid quilt again...mostly putting the pieces that had fallen (been knocked off by someone careless--me) back up on the design wall.  Not much sewing, but hey, it's a start.  I had thought about doing something different in one section, but I finally decided to save that for the back, so can move forward now.  Decision points always seem to stop me until I resolve the issue--sometimes it takes years to get back to it.  Lately, it is easier because I tend to forget what the problem was!

Hope you've had a nice summer.  Happy stitching!