Moda Love Quilt Update

Look what came back from being quilted by Marie of Blueberry Hill Quilts in Chestermere, Alberta?

Moda Love Quilt - FOR SALE HERE

This baby! I just couldn't wait to see how it looked on a bed, so I threw it on our bed as soon as I could!

Moda Love Quilt - FOR SALE HERE

Marie is a genius in picking out quilting patterns and this one is just perfect for this quilt.

Moda Love Quilt - FOR SALE HERE

Every. Single. Time. I am blown away by the way a perfect quilting job turns a quilt from being just ok to being fabulous!

Moda Love Quilt - FOR SALE HERE

This one is backed with a pink print cotton backing. The binding and label are on and I'm just waiting for the weather to dry up a bit and then it will get a full on photo shoot. 

Moda Love Quilt - FOR SALE HERE

I've been seeing so many different color combos for this quilt pattern on Instagram and I know I will be making another one of these soon!

--Ann

Wild and Free Babies

Although most of my projects are made with my own fabric collection, sometimes I fall in love with an entire fabric line and buy pre-cuts.

That's what happened a while back in my local quilt shop "My Sewing Room". They had just put out an entire line of fabric from Moda called Wild and Free by Abi Hall. I was there to find something for another project and knew that this sweet fabric would be sold out by the time I had a project in mind. So I scooped up a jelly roll and 2 metres of the feathers on a blue background.

The fabrics have been on my shelf for a year or so and I've finally decided on the project. The prints are really cute and I didn't want to cut them too small or those details would disappear.

I decided on a square in a square block. It's pretty simple and straight forward. For each block, cut one 2.5" square of background (white) and two 2.5" squares and two 2.5"x6.5" rectangles of each fabric (prints) for each block.

With a jelly roll, you can get 2 blocks from each strip and a typical jelly roll contains 42 strips, so you can make 84 blocks. For this project, I split the blocks to make two quilts, one predominately blue and the other pink.

Each quilt has 42 blocks laid out 6x7 blocks. I've added a 3.5" border all around from the yardage I picked up at the same time as the jelly roll for the blue.

And on a recent road trip to check out some other Alberta quilt shops, I found some really cute Minky with arrow embossed on it at "Nut for Bolts Etc." They had a good selection of Minky and also a really good selection of modern fabrics, including Birch fabrics.

These will be finished soon and I can't wait to discover my next project!

--Ann

Libby's Log Cabin Quilt

Some quilts go together easy and others are just plain work. This one was one of the easy ones. Made for a repeat customer, she selected the fabric line she liked (Country Orchard by Blackbird Designs from Moda)

My version of Libby's Log Cabin

Because we didn't have a pattern selected, I ordered a 1/2 yard pack of all the fabrics in this line from one of my fav online fabric shops, The Fat Quarter Shop. Plus a few extra yards of a couple of the greens for the final binding.

The original Libby's Log Cabin from Fons and Porter

I'm always searching for inspiration for my next project and when I saw this pattern on the Fons and Porter website, I sent the link to my customer and she agreed that it would look great in the fabrics she chose. The pattern is called "Libby's Log Cabin" and is found here: http://www.fonsandporter.com/articles/libbys-log-cabin-quilt-project

Because the quilt I needed was larger than the pattern was for, I first calculated how many blocks I needed for the larger quilt. Then I took one of the greens that I had extra of & the solid 1/2 yard pieces and made the star centres for each of the blocks.

Pieced stars for centre of log cabin blocks

Log cabin blocks with cornerstones

 Then, when I went to a quilt retreat this past fall, I took the pattern & fabrics along, thinking I might get some blocks done, but never expecting that I would get them all done!

Pieced log cabin blocks

The quilt went together so well - the perfect combination of fabrics I love and a twist on a traditional pattern.

My version of Libby's Log Cabin before quilting

The top was quickly finished and sent off to be quilted. I chose a plain cotton muslin back and left it up to Marie from Blueberry Hill quilts to select a quilting pattern.

Piano Runner - variation of Libby's Log Cabin pattern

Then, the next step was to make a runner for my customer's piano. She specifically requested a size of 10"x80" and the same pattern as the quilt. Because the quilt blocks were 15" square, I eliminated the centre star and just made the courthouse step blocks in 10" squares.

Piano Runner - variation of Libby's Log Cabin pattern

The quilt came back from being quilted, the binding put on & it was time for this quilt's turn in the spot light and a little photo shoot in my back yard.

My version of Libby's Log Cabin

My version of Libby's Log Cabin

And a close up of the quilting

This quilt was so hard to pack into a box to ship, but the consolation prize is that the left over fabrics are waiting for me to turn them into something wonderful! I can't wait to show you what I get inspired with!

--Ann

Two Finds Make One Quilt

Quite often, I find myself sorting through my stacks of fabric to find something and end up finding something else altogether. This little quilt was a result of a couple finds while I was sorting fabrics.

Plum Sweet Wallhanging

 I bought the panel with the four scenes on it at the closing out of one of the quilt stores in Edmonton a number of years ago. It kept surfacing to the top of my to-do pile and shifted back to the bottom as I had no ideas on how I was going to finish them or what fabrics I had that would match.

Panel pieces and friendship stars

And the charm pack and a bit of yardage of the Plum Sweet fabrics by Blackbird Designs for Moda Fabrics were bought more recently and I had it in my mind to make a couple table runners from them, but every time I took them out, I had no inspiration and put them back in the closet.

It just so happened that this time as I was sorting, I noticed both these fabrics, realized what a great match they were together, pulled them out and promptly put all my other ongoing projects to the side and started working on this one. The four panels pictures would make the centre of the quilt and the charm squares would become a lovely pieced border. 

A 2-colour pieced border that didn't work!

The original idea for the border was to do a 2-colour setting triangle for the pieced friendship stars, but sometimes ideas just don't go the way they are supposed to.

Simple is better!

Another trip to the fabric store for a bit more yardage, a change in plans and voila! A quilt top ready for quilting! Next time you see this one, it will be quilted and ready for my shop here.

--Ann

On the Design Wall This Week

Something a little more modern - just a few more rows to sew on & then find a fabric for backing.

Chevrons

A couple table runners from a charm pack of "Little Black Dress" by Moda - stunning fabrics, I wish I had some yardage of these!

Table runners

A iPad mini case for my landscaper son. I don't like the placement of the magnetic snap and the case is a little tight for use with the cover that comes with the iPad mini, but it should loosen up with use. I will try again as these little covers aren't that difficult to make!

iPad mini case

Sewing is probably going to take a bit of a backseat over the next couple weeks as we clean up from the winter and get the yard ready for spring and summer!

--Ann

WIP Wednesday - April 3

It's Wednesday again! And the first one in April - I wonder what happened to March? We were just talking about whether it came in like a lion or a lamb!

So, here's what's been happening in my sewing room this week:

A matched pair of table runners

 It's amazing how different they look even though they are both made of the same pattern and the same fabric line.

Quilted Table Runner - FOR SALE

 The fabrics are all from Moda's Cinnamon Spice collection - beautiful fabrics!

Quilted Table Runner - FOR SALE

I thought I had some in-progress photos, but they're not on my camera! Leave me a comment if you would like a tutorial for this one - and I'll make another just for you!

--Ann

Linking up with:
Quiltsy WIP and Whatnots
The Needle and Thread Network WIP Wednesday #84

Americana Doll Quilt

Americana Doll Quilt - FOR SALE HERE

 While sorting through my scraps of fabric (I have 2 rubbermaid tubs full!), I came across these little 1.5" squares I pre-cut from the left-overs of a quilt I made last year. These are from the American Banner line of fabrics from Moda. Have I told you that I love these fabrics? Even though I'm not American, the red, blue and tan colors speak to my country side and I love seeing what I can make with them. When I start with fabrics, the design sort of grows organically, and as I sewed this, I saw in my mind a miniature quilt that I have with similar design, but this one is a little larger finished.

Piles of 1.5" squares

 First I sewed them together in little 4-patch units - very scrappy, just tried to make sure each 4-patch was made of four different fabrics. I made 21 little units.

 

Little 4-patches

I wanted to put the little 4-patch units on point, so I got out my iPhone and used a sweet little app called QuiltRef to calculated what I needed for side triangles and corner triangles. Finished size of the 4-patch units was 2", so I entered that in and found I needed 4.25" squares for the side triangles (cut in 4 diagonally) and 2.5" squares for the end triangles (cut in half diagonally). I needed 12 corner triangles, so I cut 6 squares 2.5"x2.5" and cut them in half once diagonally. I needed 36 side triangles, so I cut 9 squares 4.25" x 4.25" and cut them in half diagonally and again on the other diagonal. If you need more of a visual, Quiltbug.com has a page showing setting triangles. Lay these out on your design wall or on your sewing table and carefully sew together. There will be some bias edges, so if you want to use your walking foot to minimize stretch as I did, go for it. Trim the sides so you have a quarter inch seam from the 4-patch points to the outside edges.

Sewn in strips

 I only had limited amounts of the prints large enough for borders and sashing, so I auditioned what I had and came up with this layout.  I didn't have enough red for another border, so I had to be satisfied with using it for the binding. The strips are cut the width and length of the 4-patch units, so measure up and match what you have. Pin at both ends and the middle before sewing to avoid the nasty stretchies of the bias edges.

Auditioning sashing and borders

Then, just find a great backing fabric. I used a little piece of matching stripe that I had quite a large piece of. Layer with your choice of batting, quilt as desired and attach binding.

Finished doll quilt

A peak at the back!

And a beautiful little doll quilt is done! This is a great project for a confident beginner. The bias edges can give some trouble, but if you stitch slowly and don't push or pull the fabric as it goes through your machine, you should be just fine!

--Ann

Linking up with:
Quiltsy WIP and Whatnot
The Needle and Thread Network WIP Wednesday #80

Custom Wedding Quilt

Last month, I received a wonderful note from someone who wanted me to make a quilt for their wedding. It's going to be a Jewish wedding and they want the quilt to be the wedding canopy. The wedding ceremony takes place under the chuppah (canopy), a symbol of the home that the bride and groom will build together. It is open on all sides to welcome people in unconditional hospitality. After a flurry of emails back and forth, fabrics and a pattern were chosen.

Last week the fabrics for the wedding quilt came in the mail and I just fell in love with them! They are from the Minick American Banner Rose line from Moda.

I wasn't sure how I was going to piece this quilt together as the pattern has a number of points coming all together in one place. It tends to make a bulky seam and is hard to quilt over. I finally ended up making a paper-piecing pattern and had a few of the points end just a little off-center of the quilt blocks to reduce the bulk at the center point.

I think I am really going to enjoy piecing this one together!

--Ann

Splish Splash Baby Quilt Top

This little pack of Splish Splash charm squares from Me and My Sister Designs from Moda has been on my sewing table since Christmas. The fabrics are so bright and fun and I wanted to make a baby quilt with them that shows off the cute patterns.

 Just keep sewing, sewing, sewing, . . .

 And pressing, pressing, pressing, . . .

And this is the finished top! I love the way the white sashing sets off the charm squares. I will probably bind this with a turquoise fabric, but for now it's going over to the "waiting to be quilted" pile. One of these days, I'll have to set up the sewing machine in the kitchen where there's more space and better light and finish some of the tops I have waiting.

What's your favourite baby quilt pattern?

--Ann