Modern Fans Quilt Finish - Part One

There are quilts that we work on and then there are QUILTS.  I've just finished and gifted two queen sized quilts that for different reasons are particularly special to me.  The first is a Modern Fans Quilt, pattern by the talented and entertaining SuzyQuilts.  Suzy hosted a quilt along for this pattern that helped keep me on track for a Christmas delivery of this quilt but also guided through some of the potentially trickier aspects (those curves!).

One of the firsts for me was pre-washing all the fabric.  I have never had a problem with fabric bleeding but with the dark navy and white colors selected for this quilt I didn't want to take any chance.  Yards and yards of fabrics were washed, ironed and starched (even some in the end I decided not to use).  I have to admit that the starched fabric was wonderful to work with.  

The cutting was a project in itself.  Lots of pieces, lots of curves.  A small rotary cutter made all the difference.  

Piecing the blocks and pressing them was my favorite part.  Sewing those curves was oddly relaxing. 

Another first was using Essex linen.  I wanted the texture of the linen but was concerned about fraying issues others have reported.  Throughout the quilt I used a smaller stitch length when sewing the linen.  I am optimistic that all will be well.

One of the supplies recommended by Suzy was a tailor's clapper presser.  I pride myself in not being a gadget person, but I had been recently frustrated with block wonkiness after pressing so I got one.  Look at these flat seams!!  Fantastic!!

After all the blocks (192 if you're interested) were assembled it was time to lay them all out.  I am so fortunate to have a large design wall in my sewing room but not big enough for this quilt!

Chain piecing saved the day. At this point, the weight of the quilt started to become apparent.  

And then there was a quilt top...continued in Part Two with the quilting and the finished quilt.

A Christmas Tree Skirt Finish

For many of us a Christmas tree skirt can be more than just a coverup of the tree base and electrical connections.  It can play a key part in setting the stage for making Christmas memories.

One of the finishes I gifted this Christmas is a tree skirt for my almost newlywed son and his wife. The pattern is a tutorial by the talented EVQuilts.

I admit to doing a little shopping to find the right combination of fabrics...dark reds and greens, lighter prints and, of course, dogs with Santa hats!

I'm hoping this is part of making wonderful Christmas memories for many years.

Wishing you all the best in 2019!
Kathy

2019 Sewing Goal

Annual goal setting is a tricky business.  It's important to have a plan to increase the likelihood of a successful outcome.  However, setting too many stretch goals can set one up for unnecessary feeling of personal failure.  With that in mind, I am setting forth my ONE sewing goal for 2019 and linking up with Quilting JetGirl's linky party.

My 2019 Sewing Goal:  Noticeably (how's that for a measurable goal?) decrease the amount of fabric in my sewing room.

Quite original, I know.  None of you have ever said that before!  After a year with several large quilt finishes (most of which I have not blogged about yet, but I will!) my fabric inventory appears unaltered.  This is the current state:

Fat quarters and precuts:

 More fat quarters, layer cakes and yardage:

 Some scraps, selvages and few long term WIPS:

 More yardage:

 Odds and ends of home dec, flannel, vintage and most of my Tula Pink collection:

And there's boxes and bags of scraps too!

Now, I appreciate  that this may not look like much fabric to some of you but to me it is overwhelming.  The fear that I will never "sew through" all of this is a recurring theme.  I'm  not really concerned about the scraps, it is all the yardage and fat quarters that seem daunting.  As I think about what specific actions I will take to achieve my goal I am considering the following:

• Sew more, smaller quilts probably for donation. I have a fair amount of bright and printed fabrics that make me happy in my stash.  However, I just don't have a lot of demand for pink, purple and cute motifs in my regular quilt audience.  There is a children's hospital nearby that will take quilts for patients and their families.  
• Pillowcases!  I can envision making a sizable dent in some of the cute fabric for pillowcases to be donated to that hospital.
• Bags and pouches are much faster than a quilt to complete and I have ideas about who to gift them to and where I might sell some.
• No fabric shopping unless needed to complete a project that is greater than 50% from stash. (Let's see how long this works out!)
• Figure out how to do a destash on Instagram for some fat quarter bundles and charm packs that have been sitting around too long.  

Other suggestions??  As you might gather, in the scheme of life's big picture, I don't take any of this too serious.  On the other hand, I am quite sure I will feel much lighter if I do end 2019 with some space on the shelves...to buy new fabric!

Wishing you a peaceful holiday season and all the best for 2019.

Kathy

Finished - The Quilters Planner 2018 Sampler Quilt

Those of you who have followed me for a while know that I am a big fan of a good sampler quilt!  I get bored pretty quickly with making the same block over and over again.  With the challenge of making quilts for a twin bedroom, I selected two patterns that I thought would work well together.  The first twin quilt I posted here.

Today's finish is the sampler quilt from the 2018 Quilters Planner and I could not love it more!! It has the same Kona Aloe and Kona White background fabric as its fraternal twin quilt.  It was great fun picking the fabric for each block, including a little fussy cutting interest.

Making two quilts at a time, I thought I would go easy on the quilting.  But apparently I just can't stop myself from quilting every inch!  Each block is uniquely quilted and I used the same swirly motif in the border areas as in in the first quilt.

I love the texture on both the front and back from all this quilting.

As the bedroom is in the lower level with a deck overhang above, even on the brightest days it is still pretty dark in this room.  I think these quilts go a long way to adding some cheer to the room!

I blogged about the pillows on the bed here. And, yes, I made the window treatments and the window seat cushion for the room as well.

Most of the time these quilts will be folded at the end of the beds with white comforters but I think they work fine together!

It feels great to finally have handmade quilts on these beds.  I have many quilts in process in the sewing cave so stay tuned for (hopefully) a few more finishes soon!

Have a great day!
Kathy

Perfect Pillows for the Fraternal Twin Quilts!

Before I share the second of the Fraternal Twin Quilts, I have to show you the pillows I made for the room.

The Geometric Bear pattern by Quiet Play:


and the Geometric Squirrel!

Piecing these two blocks was just the right sewing therapy I needed on this recent rainy weekend.

Here's a sneak peek at the room with the pillows.

The color scheme may seem odd but when you see it al together I think you'll agree that these two forest animals are indeed playing well together in our house in the woods!

Have a lovely day!  Hug someone you love!
Kathy

P.S. I have not been receiving emails when comments are posted so please accept my apology for not responding!  I'm sure there is a fix out there to Blogger that I need to implement.  Wish me luck!

Finished - Breaking Up Irish Chain

Hi! Remember me? It's been a wonderful and busy 2018. I've even been able to get a little sewing done.  Miraculously I've finished both of the Fraternal Twin Quilts that I told you about months ago.

The first twin quilt is the Breaking Up Irish Chain pattern by Melissa Corry.  I love this modern take on the Irish Chain. A fun and fast quilt to piece.  Hooray!  Elements I am using to coordinate the twin quilts are the obvious use of Kona Aloe, Kona White, a shared fabric pull and quilting patterns.  

I find quilting the swirl motif so relaxing!  You'll see that I used some swirls on the second quilt as well.

These quilts will live on twin beds in a frequently used guest room.  Adding some fun blocks will give guests something more to enjoy!

Thanks for your patience with me!
Kathy

The First Post for the Fraternal Twin Quilts!

I love to make quilts and I love to gift quilts. This has resulted in a shortage of bed quilts actually living with me!  One day each bedroom will have a quilt or two not bought in a store!  The next room in our home to get some attention is a twin bedroom.  I made these window treatments and the window seat cushion last year.  The bedroom is in the lower level and needs bright, happy colors to lighten up the space.

As is often the case for me, deciding on the pattern has been a slow process.  To keep this interesting, I decided to make two different twin size quilts.  Announcing this revelation to my husband, he said "Oh you mean you're making fraternal twin quilts!"  Completely appropriate observation as we are the loving parents of fraternal twin boys!

The patterns I selected are Breaking Up by Melissa Corry (in her Irish Chain Quilts book) and the 2018 Quilters Planner Sampler Quilt by Cheryl Brickey.  I think the "on point" blocks of each quilt will work well together.  I will use the same fabrics, solids and prints, in both quilts to help tie the look together.

Using a sample of the fabric and the color dots on the window treatment fabric selvedge, I went shopping in my stash.

Believe it or not, the majority of this fabric pull came from my stash.  I did purchase that luscious Kona Kaufman solid in aloe, more Kona White and a few other pieces (complete lack of purple in my stash...odd).  I don't know whether to be impressed or embarrassed.  There may be a couple more colors I need to acquire to balance some of the teals.

In addition to overwhelming excitement that I am finally working on quilts for the beds in that room, I am motivated by two quilt alongs:  the 2018 Quilters Planner #QP2018sewalong on Instagram and Facebook AND the Big Bed Quilt Along over at Stitched in Color (assuming two twin size quilts is equivalent to one big bed quilt). A little group support can't hurt!!

Stay tuned - there may be more quilts on my beds this year!!