Tag Archives: patchwork quilt

Christmas Patchwork Quilt

My newest daughter-in-law has a December birthday, just a few days before Christmas actually. This year I decided to make her a quilt. Some time back, I had given Ian a lap quilt for their couch but thought it would be fun to make a Christmasy quilt for Shar to use in winter months.

The cute white square is from the Pixie Noel line.

The plan was built around the need for a quick quilt and this cute package of Pixie Noel charms I won in a giveaway several years ago over at Silly Mama Quilts. It was not the complete set so I think I had about 20 or so charms.

I hunted through my holiday scraps and cut about 200 charms so I would have plenty to play with. (I have soooo many holiday scraps!). I wanted to make it a bit less traditional in color so I used a lot of blue and white.

Being a simple patchwork, the top came together quickly. Then it sat for a while because I had a flurry of holiday orders to sew for my shop.

I decided to back it with a soft flannel to make it really cozy. I think this is the first time I backed a quilt with flannel but I like how soft it is. Julia really liked it too and requested the next quilt I make for her be flannel backed too. The wintry blue color worked well with the front.

It has been a long while since I free motion quilted anything and jeez, I was so rusty. This simple stipple was so awkward. Definitely showed me the need to practice more – my hands were not at all cooperative!! Now that it is washed and crinkled, it looks better but still…. I intentionally used a very large stipple so it would stay very soft.

Given the choice, I will often opt for a bias stripe binding. I love this one!! It looks just like a candy peppermint stick.

At this point in the year, I suspect this will be my last quilt finish. There is a slim chance I will get my Fireburst quilt top finished but not for sure. We shall see! I am working on a few things for my grand daughter that I hope to bring her when we go to Vermont the last week of December. So it just depends on how much time there is…… December’s days require more than the 24 hours we are given. There is always so much to do!!

Linking up at Brag About Your Beauties and a few other spots. Check them out at the top of the page under Link Ups.

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Vintage Patchwork Quilt

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For the past several years I have kept my eye peeled, looking for vintage cotton/polyester blend sheets. They show up now and then in thrift stores. It takes some time to build up a collection because many of the pieces that are available are too worn to use. But if you are patient, it is possible to find pieces that are in new (still in the packaging) or like new condition.

My collection has finally grown to the point where I had enough variety to make a large quilt with it. The photo above shows the majority of my collection less just a few pieces that I bought after taking the picture. (By the way, if you are a lover of vintage sheets, I have many listed in my Etsy shop. Take a look.) I was a bit concerned that I didn’t have enough change in value with these pieces but it has worked out well. The overall look is very soft and feminine. I decided I would make a simple patchwork quilt, which is definitely my overall favorite quilt. I originally cut 9″ squares but they looked way too big so I trimmed them down to 7″ squares, a much better size. Created some waste but I am glad I cut them down. If you follow me on Instagram, you have probably seen some pictures of this project in process.

It was quite a feat to lay them out and get the balance that I wanted. At first I tried to just generally group the squares by colorway and make it flow. That didn’t work. The colors are not defined, or saturated, enough to get a good result. Picking up the squares and trying again, I organized them into diagonal rows with the same fabric in each row but still sorting by color. This was much more effective and it was the look I liked best.

This picture was my guide so I could be sure I was sewing patches together in the correct order.

It really didn’t take very long to get the top assembled. Once I did, I decided I would also make matching pillow cases for the quilt. (I used a very simple pattern from the book Home Sewn that I reviewed last week.)

The bed is going to be so pretty when this is finished. Not sure if you remember but I also made a few throw pillows last summer and they use many of the same fabrics. What do you think?

This quilt is a bit of a monster. I’ve only ever quilted one other queen size quilt and it wasn’t easy. I think I will quilt this with my walking foot and do straight lines on the diagonal, running both directions. That should be a manageable approach.

Julia was so kind as to help me layer this on the floor. It was much easier than doing it alone. I had a brand new sheet that I saved to use as the backing making this an incredibly affordable quilt.

At this point, I have a quilt top finished, basted and ready to go. Hopefully, I will get it done soon as I want to put it back on the bed! Want to throw in a vote for binding? I am thinking of using the pink stripe that I used for the pillow cases. What do you think?

Linking to my favorites this week. Check them out at the top of the page, under Link Ups.

Finished the First One

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I finished the first of the two extra long twin bed quilts that I am making for Julia’s room in Downieville. It is simple and so cozy. Green (my favorite), purple and tan are the colors and most of the prints feature florals and hummingbirds, plus one abstract print of mountains. This is the perfect theme for a quilt that will live in a house along the river, in the mountains.

This quilt is a bit of a beast to photograph; with 10″ blocks, it finished at 70″ x 100″. You can see that I quilted straight lines along all seams, two inches in. I marked most of the lines with a chalk marker which made it very easy to quilt.

It is backed in a violet fabric with a scroll print. I bound it in the same fabric. It is a piece from Jo-Ann’s that Julia chose.

I have just enough of the backing left over to make a pillow case which will finish things off nicely. I am looking forward to taking the quilt up to Downieville. I will be up there this afternoon to work on the opportunity quilt for the guild. What is better than an afternoon of sewing? We have had spring-like weather here and my daffodils are all ready to bloom. It is a nice break but we need to get back to winter and a lot more rain. Hopefully soon!

What are you working on? Tell me in the comments!

Linking to Let’s Bee Social and Finish It Up Friday. Links to these sites, and more, are found at the top of the page under Link Ups.

Simple Patchwork

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Some months ago, I bought yardage to make two quilts for the twin beds up at the Downieville house. Currently those beds are just lovely, piled high with old blankets and sleeping bags. Ugh. I had been sketching and playing with different ideas for these quilts until I realized that I wanted the quilts to be finished. Done, not sketched. Usable, not being planned. Know what I mean?

I pulled the fabric and washed it all.

Then I added a few more scraps from my purples and greens.

Working swiftly, I cut piles of 10.5″ blocks. Here is where some planning would have come in handy! The fabrics are all 42″ wide so once I squared the fabric, I was able to cut three blocks and then ended up with a nine-inch piece. I should have made the blocks an inch smaller and I would have utilized the yardage far more efficiently. I now have a stack of 9″ scraps. My plan is to make the second quilt with smaller squares or to frame those 9″ blocks and bring them up to 10.5″. Not sure yet.

I laid them out on the spare bed and started sewing. I put very little thought into which square went where, obviously trying to not put any of the same side by side. It is seven blocks wide by 10 blocks high, so measures 70×100″. It is oversized because the beds are extra long twins and Julia said she wanted the quilts to be really big. (She must be pretty cold, sleeping downstairs!)

The colors look a bit washed out as the sun was so bright. I took this out at our gazebo on the pond. We have this pond on the edge of our property. The water level is steadily increasing with all of the welcome rain we have had. Winter is harsh and the berm along the edge is not very green at this time of year.

I have a simple purple print for the backing and binding. But first, I need to wash and prepare it. My plan is to get it sandwiched, quilted and bound in the next week. Then I will start the second one. At least one bed will look decent!

There is something to be said for a simple, get-it-done project.

Linking to Crazy Mom Quilts and Let’s Bee Social this week!