Finished - Summer Haze Quilt AND Blog Assistance!

 Hello to anyone who is still reading this blog!  I have two goals with this post: to continue to document  a finished quilt and to see if there is a technical problem with this blog.  In May I created four finished quilt posts that yielded zero views on Bloglovin.  Now, I know that this little site has been quiet, but really, noone???  Now that I have more time on my hands I'd hope to reengage with the blog community that was so important in my early days of quilting.  How do you read blogs?  Is there a blog reader other than Bloglovin that I should research?

Back to the important matters.  Baby quilts are a joy to make and give.  This lovely quilt is SuzyQuilts Indian Summer Quilt (that has been rereleased as Summer Haze) made out of a gorgeous bundle of fabrics from Cottoneer Fabrics perfect for a baby girl who will be spending lots of time outdoors.

If anyone is keeping track this is my sixth SuzyQuilt finished quilt.  

There's nothing like the soft crinkly in a quilt after washing.  Love!

Keep smiling!

Kathy

Finished - Baby Modern Fans

 A couple of years ago I made a queen size version of Suzy Quilts Modern Fans.  You can see that beauty here and here.  I loved making that quilt.  Sewing the curves was so relaxing and rewarding.  I had some fabric and partially sewn components remaining and tucked them away for another quilt.  We are fortunate to know people having babies and "needing" a KayakQuilting quilt.  

This little baby quilt will join two others that I gifted to older siblings, each quilt unique to the child.  When I saw pictures of the baby's nursery decor including dark blues and golds, I knew exactly the quilt I would make.

I try to learn something new with each project and this one has two experiments.  All my quilts to date have been finished with cotton batting.  For this I tried wool and I get it!  I understand why people love the texture and drape of wool.  It washed up beautifully with just a little shrinkage.  

This quilt is also the first time I have added a significant amount of hand quilting.  Researching tutorials and videos I kept playing with the right position to hold the needle and quilt.  By the end I had found a position that was comfortable for me and I'm sure I'll be doing more hand quilting.

Finished - The Judy Quilt

 Sometimes you just have to buy the fabric.  I purchased a small bundle of Savanna Sunset by Tatiana Abaurre and went in search of a pattern that would showcase the prints.  The Judy Quilt by Kitchen Table Quilting was the perfect choice.  This is just a baby quilt but I think the effect comes through!

I used my walking foot to quilt it, something I rarely do.

There will be more Judy Quilts in the future as I scan my fabric stash and acknowledge the amount of larger print fabrics that would be highlighted in this pattern.  Hooray!

Finished - Disappearing Nine Patch

In my early days of quilting and building my fabric stash, I purchased fabric that I obviously liked at the time but somehow never used.  I am trying to sew down my stash and I decided to do something with a few charm packs of Etchings by 3Sisters Designs.  

It's a simple disappearing nine patch pattern but I have to say I like the result.

This is the third of four recent finishes, each with a different approach to quilting.  I free motion quilted paisleys all over this quilt.

And voila!  Another little tiny pile of fabric put to use!

Finished - Color Value Quilt

 A few years ago I had the great pleasure of taking a class on color value instructed by Cheryl Arkinson at QuiltCon.  I brought a pretty random selection of fabrics to the class and this quilt top was the result!  

I had fun quilting this one with feathers and bubbles.  Oh I do love to sit down at my Sweet Sixteen with a smallish quilt and just play.  

Finished - Up North Quilt

 I just finished this fun quilt for my nephew and his wife who were married in front of their restored classic Air Stream trailer (that now sports a lime green door).

The pattern is the Up North Quilt by Pen and Paper Quilts.  I added a flamingo to the quilt to match the newlyweds decor at the wedding.  The bird is a foundation paper pieced pattern by PatternBrat.

Keeping with my goal of using long hoarded fabrics, the trees are from a fat quarter bundle of Succulents fabric by Heather Givans purchased at QuiltCon maybe 7 years ago.  

I used minky for the backing that yielded not only a lovely, heavy, cozy quilt but also showed off the wandering leaves I free motion quilted.  

This was intended as a one year anniversary gift and I was only 6 months late!

Finished - Merrily Quilt

 The fourth and last quilt I gifted this past holiday season is this quilt by Gingiber featuring her Merriment fabric.  A few years ago I had purchased the panel with all the adorable forest animals and some fabric from this line.  When I decided to focus on making Christmas quilts at the beginning of last year, I knew I wanted to do something with this panel. But alas I did not have enough of the Merriment fabric for this pattern.  Thanks to a very sweet quilting friend who had just completed this same quilt and gifted me her scraps (!!), I had what I needed for the quilt.

It was gifted to my son and daugher-in-law who have many framed Gingiber art pieces in their home. Perfect!  

Although it took many months from beginning to end to complete the quilts I gifted this year, I am thrilled with each finish and so were the recipients!

Finished - Snowflake Quilt

 The next quilt gifted this past Christmas was the Falling Snow Quilt by Quilting for 4.   

This version is the large throw and honestly sews up surprisingly fast.  Given the heavy backing I kept the quilting style simple with an all over meander.

I think this winter quilt with plush minky backing will work well for many months in my son's Chicago home.  

Finished - Sweater Weather

One of the people who had a major impact on me when I started quilting ten years ago was Lorna of Sew Fresh Quilts.  Her patterns are fun, well written and impactful.  I looked forward to Lorna's regular blog posts, back in the day when I was actually good about following blogs and posting regularly myself.  At the same time, I was falling in love with modern fabric designers and couldn't get enough Tula Pink in my modest fabric collection.  Well, the stars aligned, Lorna published Sweater Weather using Tula's Holiday Homies line and I knew I had to make this quilt some day.  Right before my local quilt store (Keepsake Quilting!) closed, I did something I'd never done and still is a first, bought the quilt kit.

I free motion quilted with loopy circles and snowflakes.  

This is the second of four holiday quilts I gifted this holiday season, given to a family that is already well covered with KayakQuilting output but, what the heck, what's another quilt when it is this cute?!