Quilt for Margaret Rose

I can't even excuse my iPhone for the poor pictures. This is my good camera, but at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon.  These charms you see in this quilt were collected from the Japanese Charm Swap over at GenX Quilters.  The pattern is from Made by Rae.  I have a confession to make, but more on that later.

I used Mettler Silk Finish thread for the quilting and can I say Yum-my. I'm an Auriful die hard, but this thread is wonderful.    This is not my 1st try at straight line quilting.    I also straight line quilted Ada's I Spy Quilt, but that was a bit different. Since it was diagonal lines, I could start and finish the lines easily off the edges of this quilt.  In quilting this,  I was lost when it came to changing the bobbin, or starting and stopping a new line.  Do you "lock down" your stitch?  I did, although not consistently, and it shows.  The quilting isn't perfect, but I'm pleased.  Many thanks to my Mr. for drawing all those lines for me.  Turns out, the rows weren't all that even.  I never would've finished it.  If I were better at math, I'm sure quilting would be more enjoyable, but don't tell Miss and Mrs. Wilbourne I said so.  ( I was educated by a daughter for two years in middle and then her mother for two years of high school.)

I had originally planned to bind this with a flange binding, and it was going to be so cool, but I transposed the measurements and cut the strip widths wrong and ended up wasting a good bit of my Kaffe Fassett Stripe. (much gnashing of teeth).  In the end, I just decided to do a plain old binding, but a bit skinny.  I cut my binding to 2.25.  

My girls wanted to pose with the quilt.  Ain't they some cuteness?

I put my spoonflower label right smack dab in the middle of the back, well, because that was the only place to put it without covering the quilting.  I started to make a pieced back for this one, but I decided to keep it simple.  I made the label according to this tutorial.

I know you didn't forget about my confession.  Basting purist should stop here.  

I spray basted this quilt, and I LOVE IT.  It was the 1st quilt where I didn't have some sort of issue with slippage.  This sucker was secure.  Originally I decided to use the adhesive because it's all linen, and I expected it my be a bit slippy as my 3 year old would say.  After my experience, I don't think I could go back to pin basting again.  I know that it is significantly more expensive than one batch of basting pins, but my goodness, the $13 I paid for the can of 505 was well worth it.

So, there you go, my first quilt finish in months, and this was a quick one!  It's washed and dried, and ready to be packaged to ship to a waiting Maggie.

Stats:

Name: Japanese Charm

Pattern: Storytimes Quilt- Made by Rae

Quilting: Straight-line channel quilting on my Janome 8050
Thread: Mettler silk finish (in natural I think)
Backing and sashing: Essex Linen- Putty
Fabric:  Japanese Fabric Charms
Binding: Kaffe Fassett  Serape in Green

October Bee Blocks

I never got around to posting my October Bee Blocks.  Since it was my month as queen at SMQB2, I didn't have any blocks to make, but I did have word blocks to make.  I have to tell you, I'm really REALLY loving making letters and words.  If you haven't tried it, you should.

Can you guess what kind of quilt Alison is making?










Head over to the Word Play Bee to check out the other blocks.

Japanese Charm

., a photo by stayathomelibrarian on Flickr.

I know it's an awful photo. Besides being too lazy to connect my camera to my computer, it's starting to have shutter issues. I have an SLR that is just too much camera for me. I need a decent camera that will post photos directly to social media.  We're having an overcast day here in Alabama, so this is the best my iPhone can do for now.

On to the quilt. I whipped this up yesterday.  It's made using Japanese Charms from the 1st swap over at Gen X quilters.  The pattern I got from Made By Rae.  I did have some issues with getting the rows to meet up at the corners, but this could be my own error.  If I had to guess, I would say it's ironing related, but I really can't say for sure.  If making this quilt, please note that you need 48 squares (the quilt calls for 40), and 10 strips of 3 inch selvage to selvage strips. The pattern called for 8.  I think this must be if you don't mind seams.  I wanted continuous sashing, so I opted to cut more strips.

I originally planned on using Essex Natural for this project, but Brenda over at Pink Castle Fabrics talked me into some putty with a picture she posted of a project she'd made using it.  I do like the natural better, alone, but the putty  was the "natural" choice for this quilt.

I'm not sure how I want to go forward with this quilt. The pattern calls for "cheater" backing and binding, but I'm afraid to mess this quilt up.  I do think I'm going to back it with putty, bind it with putty, but use some of my Kaffe Fassett Serape Stripes to do a flange binding, in order to break up the monotony between the sashing/binding/backing all being the same color.

This baby quilt is for my little sister from college.  She became a mama last month after years and years of waiting. Welcome to the world Margaret Rose.

My other WIPs only continues to grow.  I have another Shot Cottons Baby Quilt I've yet to finish.  Stuck on that one creatively. Since my last post, I also started on a Houndstooth quilt for my hubby for Christmas.  I ran out of black, and had to order some from Brenda.

The quilt I would mostly like to finish is my spider web quilt.  I'm still thinking of trying my hand at a swap and doing a "jelly roll" type swap where participants trade 2.5 inch strips instead of charms.  I've put a bug in the ear of Jennifer at Ellison Lane Quilts.  I should really do the swap myself. Maybe after the holidays.

My bee buddies really stepped up this time and sent me some killer blocks for Willa's doll quilt.  I'm waiting for two more.  Beth is a newlywed with machine issues right now. This our second round in this bee.  After hearing some stories, I think I'm fortunate to have lucked out with these ladies. Only one of our members when MIA, the person who started the bee ironically enough. I sent them Sarah Jane!  I <3 it. Here's some eye candy:

1. SMB2 Sarah Jane Bee Blocks-October, 2. SMB2 Sarah Jane Bee Blocks-October, 3. SMB2 Sarah Jane Bee Blocks-October, 4. SMQB2, 5. SMQB2, 6. SMQB2, 7. Simple Modern Quilt Bee 2 - October, 8. Simple Modern Quilt Bee 2 - October, 9. Simple Modern Quilt Bee 2 - October

I don't know why I keep forgetting about my Rainbow Diamond Quilt.  I quilt on one of Janome's basic machines.  It's the one marketed for Hancock's.  There's a comparable version available from dealers, but I don't remember the name. I'm having trouble with the HSTs, well, they are really quarter square triangles technically, they keep getting snagged in my feed dogs.  I don't know how to explain it, but it is annoying.  I just got the Auriful Rainbow variegated thread, so I don't have really real excuse for not working on this one. I could do a block a week and get it done faster than it is currently getting done.

a look at the individual block

I'm working on 2 secret quilts.  Both are word quilts.  One is for someone I know who lost a child in a car accident this year.  Her daughter's 9th birthday is coming up, so that quilt, once the blocks start coming in will be my absolute priority.  My mom is going to do some hand applique on it.

Katherine at Honeyhill Designs  has sent me some wonderful embroidery tutorials, so I think I'm actually going to embroider my 2 family tree quilts.  They are Christmas quilts.  Didn't last Christmas just end?  We're going on vacay to Virginia, and I plan to embroider on the car ride up.  Actually, I suffer from motion sickness, so this is a pipe dream, but as long as I don't look out the windows, and stay focused on what's in my hands, I can at least give it a try.

We recently finished round 2 of the bowtie swap.  I just need to sew those things together to have that bowtie quilt top done.  It's a cute quilt, but I don't love it, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn to let go of things you've created.


My 4 year old asked me this morning where her I-Spy quilt was.  Her brother and sister both have them. I have the charms, but I don't want to start any new quilts until I get some of these done!  I think she sees her doll quilt, she might forgive me for a little while.

I also participated is a Christmas Charm Swap, and I'm just waiting for the charms to come back.  I have 2 ideas for the charm.  A Christmas I-Spy, and this Advent Calendar at Sew Mama Sew.  Maybe next year.

There are other unfinished projects, but this seems to be the theme over at WiP Wednesday.  I'm happy to be in good company.  But, you don't have to wonder why I don't have time to blog.  This has taken me almost an hour, and we've still got homeschool to do today once we get lunch and I put the baby down for a nap.  But, quilting keeps me sane!