November Finishes

     November has been another productive month....  Yeah!  

     My first finish for the month was this "Boxy Stars"  by Bonnie Hunter.  It's a free pattern on her blog.     I started this a few years ago as a stash buster for donation of the many 80's calicos I have in my stash that are blues and pinks.   I  didn't purchase all of these,  but folks seem to think I like these colors,  because the collection just keeps growing.   

     This is a going to the Corbett Windy Quilters Donations.    I decided to quilt this one simply,  using echo stitching in the center stars,  and switchbacks to help hold down the outer designs.    I used a wishbones motif in the sashings. 

      I used a new to me batting, which is Fairfield Cotton.  It is thinner than warm and natural,   quilts up similar to an 80/20 blend.  The price was right!  I bought the 20 yard roll for less than $ 70 on sale with a bonus coupon.  It washed up great!   And it is soft and supple after washing.  One of my new battings for donation quilts.  

   It measures approx 58 x 70.  No borders were used on this quilt, because it reached the size I wanted without one.  

    I wish I could say that I'm done with this color combo and these vintage prints,  but it's safe to say that there will be more quilts using these colors in my future.   

     "Autumn Leaves"  was my second finish for the month.  This is another quilt that has been lurking in my "Needs Quilting Pile" for too long.   These fun little "Happy Blocks" were some I won from an online quilting forum that  I used to visit often, called Block Central.   I made a whole bunch of quilty friends there before it went dark.   We still keep in touch on a facebook group,  but I think we all have so many blocks and projects from those previous exchanges and swaps that we don't really do that much any more.   

     Each month, the previous month's winner chose a theme.  It might have been color combos such as "turquoise and browns"  or a season, "fall leaves".   We made as many of these little 8" blocks as we wanted to, and for each set of 2,  our name went into the hat once.   I won several of these wonderful, luscious leaf blocks back in 2008, 2009....   I pieced to top after we moved to this house in 2009.  I had to make about a dozen more blocks to get it to the size I wanted.   It is a great lap size at 58 x 68. 

       I found a bunch of different leaves  using a google search for FREE clipart.   Then I enlarged or cropped each of them to get to the size I wanted.   I then traced these onto  Golden Threads Paper.  I stitched over the paper in the center of each leaf.  Then,  I filled in all around those leaves with a small swirl pattern.  No straight stitching or ditch work.   It feels like butter!  So soft and snuggly!   This one stays with me!  

      I used Hobbs 80/20 for the batting in this one. The beautiful backing was in a box of fabrics I purchased at an estate sale,  so it was a bargain.  It was a great piece  from Hancocks' that has a very soft, satiny feel.   

     "Friends and Fellows"  is my third finish or November.   You may have noticed a theme here,  but this top was pieced in 2009.  I've tested patterns in the past, and this is one of the patterns I tested.  Jessica J. E. Smith from the "Quilt and Needle"  designed this quilt as a mystery weekend.   I believe it is one of the few patterns that she has designed that is not available for sale on her website.  

     The original mystery quilt had plain, simple borders on it,  but I decided that I wanted to extend the corner blocks out into the borders,  and then I added the applique.   The appliques are fused and machine satin stitched.   

     84 x 84 before quilting and washing, it was one of the larger quilts I've finished.  My Janome 9400 QCP handled it well.  I love the 11" harp space.  I used Hobbs 80/20 for the batting.   I spent a couple hours each day over about 2 weeks to get the quilting done.  I chose  1" Cross hatching in the black printed areas.  Stitch in the ditch around the block components.  Medium sized swirls in green areas, and a mix of motifs in the block portions in the center.   I decided to keep the borders simple, using a 1/2" bead design  along with 1" piano key quilting.  

     

The quilt below is one made by my quilting friend, Jami Carr Schroeder in Iowa.  This is the way the original pattern was designed with simple borders. 
     

February Finishes!

     February was a good month on the quilting front.  I finished 2 children's quilts that will go to my niece's two foster children.  These two sweet children have been in her home since just before Christmas full time.  She and her husband were a respite home initially, but this brother / sister duo were in a home with other very young children and needed more nurturing time.  

Criss Cross Applesauce  Backing 

Criss Cross Applesauce 

Bright Hearts  / Foreshadowing  

Bright Hearts - quilting detail 

     These were both tops done as mystery quilt test tops.  The one with hearts was half of the blocks originally made for the 2011 mystery. (another youth top was finished and gifted 2 years ago)  and the one with  the yellow and green crossed lines was started last March.   

     I love testing new patterns!  Especially mystery quilts.  It's fun to see if I can figure out where the designer is going.  This designer, Jessica Smith, of the Quilt and Needle always keeps me on my toes.  My mind does not think in the same brainwaves as hers, and she always surprises her mystery followers with a wonderful finished project.   My biggest problem, is that the tops get to the finished top stage, and if I don't have a specific recipient or home for them, they don't get quilted right away.  If you look at my "to do" list, it has several mystery quilts from the Q&N that need finishing.  I'm hoping this is the year. 

Sticks and Stones 

     This donation quilt is finished!   Last year, while going through some boxes of donated fabric with my quilting sisters in Corbett, (The Windy Hill Quilters),  I came across some partially cut and  sewn blocks, lots of them! 

Sticks and stones - detail 

      There were probably enough for 3 quilts worth .  The majority of the fabrics are from the 80's.. blue/ pink, plaid with hearts.. very outdated and country looking.    However, while  looking through the bag, I thought.. if I replace the  plaid center on these dark blue blocks  with a cream, they would go nicely with these other blocks. (There was a pattern in the bag, called "sticks and stones", but it had been copied from somewhere, with no reference to the designer.  A google search helped me find 3 more images of the same quilt, but again, no designer credit.   So... whoever designed this quilt, I'm sorry I can't give you credit.  
     This measures 60 x 72.  No one else  in the group was interested in working with the bag contents so it came home with me.   There will be more to come from that bag, but I will mix it with some more updated fabrics and use some of it in pieced backs.  

     I also finished 4 star blocks for a Quilt of Valor.  These blocks need to be mailed in the next few weeks to the person who will piece the completed blocks into a quilt for a well deserving veteran.

Quilt of Valor blocks 

      I also got four more tops finished that were in progress.   Campfire Cowboys  and Rodeo were made from some flannel in a tote of fabric I purchased at a garage sale in the fall of 2014.   I had some of the smaller plaids in my stash that  coordinated with the two large scale prints.  I used the pattern " Just Can't Cut It"  by All Washed Up, to allow the prints to be seen.  These both  measure out at a Twin size 75" x 87" . I still have some of the branding iron fabric to use for backing.  These will be  donation quilts when done, possibly to a homeless shelter,  or to an Indian Reservation that our small quilt group is sending quilts to this spring. 

Campfire Cowboys 

Rodeo 

     The other two Thomas the Tank Engine tops are ready for quilting now as well.  These are going to the new family homeless shelter with the three quilts I finished last month.  

Thomas the Tank Engine II 

Thomas the Tank Engine III

Stash busting news!
   
     See the black fabric with the bright hearts?  I purchased that fabric when my granddaughter was born on Valentine's day, 20 years ago!  She has always been a hot pink & zebra kind of girl, and this little print  and it's companion never made it into a quilt for her.... It is all gone now... only thing left are a few 2 1/2" squares that are in the scrap drawers.   In fact,  the binding on this quilt is about 1/2 and 1/2 of the two prints to make it all the way around. 

     The bright yellow print used as backing in the top photo, has been one of my favorite prints, and I'm down to less than 2 FQ.... It is such a fun print to put in children's quilts.  I'll miss it.  

     The checkered border has been in my stash for a long time as well, and it's time to move it along.  I got it for a great price,  there is enough for another large border, or to piece into a back somewhere.