[wip] it's a white christmas

cutting board, zebra rotary cutter, and scraps

My current work-in-progress is a request from my big sister. She asked for a queen size white quilt for this Christmas. I've started it already because Christmas is notorious for sneaking up on me, and I plan to give quite a few handmade presents again this year.

So I've been cutting yards and yards of fabric on my fabulous new island, and today I've been stitching, cutting, pressing, and stitching some more while watching reruns of The Great Food Truck Race.

This is going to be a long project - each quilt block contains about a bazillion pieces, and is a multi-step process. I'm following Cluck Cluck Sew's fabulous Wallflowers quilt pattern. My version of the quilt will be a lot quieter, with very subtle differences between each fabric. But I think it will be beautiful! I can't wait to see it come together.

Although I am so not excited to quilt another queen-sized beast!

can you tell this is scraps from 16 different fabrics?

[life] where I sew

Today I thought I would share some photos of my relatively recently painted and decorated sewing room! It's not a terribly large room, but it features two big windows and enough room for my 6 foot long desk, my colorwheel dresser, my thread holder, a bookcase, a black dresser I bought for a mere $80, my new extra-large ironing board (thanks to my mother!) and more lamps than any room could possibly really need.

See?

view from the doorway

I set my desk against the window so I could look out while sewing, and have natural light illuminate my sewing machine.

my awesome desk and my dear Enterprise

I recently discovered (thanks to Adam) that most of my 24x36" cutting board fits on my desk. That means I can cut small pieces of fabric, iron, and sew all in the same room! I hung the Sassy silhouettes on either side of the window. ('m going to need to make some of Gandalf. Although he is not so fluffy, so the silhouettes will likely be uninteresting.)

ironing board and quilt display

Recently, Adam helped me to install a 84" curtain rod on the wall, which allows me to hang quilt for photographing and display purposes. The ironing board was a housewarming gift from my mother, and I love it! The fabulous green iron was a present from Adam. The fabrics on the ironing board all belong to my 100 days city sampler quilt challenge. The little pink fabric box holds scraps, and my awesome yellow mesh trash can holds, well, trash.

curtain rod + clips = quilt display

Adam suggested I hang his anniversary quilt because (and I quote) "I like it". Well good! I like it too! 

The clips are actually designed to hold curtains, but they work well for holding quilts as well.

my colorwheel dresser, thread organizer, and artwork

The bookcase (which I've had for approximately forever!) holds my quilting and sewing books and magazines, with photos of my family and a big silver "E". The colorwheel dresser holds (almost) all my fabric, and my wonky-but-awesome thread holder obviously holds all my thread. The artwork on the walls is a combination of photographs of me and Adam, completed cross-stitch projects, Etsy art, a quote an old au pair wrote out, a Swedish quote about life that my mother game me, and a embroidered skeleton on shirt that my dear friend Erin stitched for me years ago and I recently stretched over a canvas for display.

closet, my burlap lampshade, and the door

The closet holds lots of excess fabric, supplies, and works-in-progress. The black dresser holds general craft supplies. My burlap lamp sits next to the "wish" sign and silver fairy statue from my wedding, and the artwork on the wall are photographs from my wedding with a poem my mother wrote about my wedding veil. And then, of course, there is the door. (One day I will paint all the doors white...)

And that's my sewing room! I love it.

[completed] mother-in-law improv quilt wallhanging

my first improv quilt

This gift was actually completed back in May, for a June birthday, but was delivered in August. Oops.
This quilt wallhanging was made for my lovely mother-in-law. She had a bunch of my brother-in-law's artwork from school printed onto fabric, and I turned these amazing prints into a quilt!
I decided to do a modern improv quilt because the artwork was so abstract. I arranged the prints on my floor, and cut random strips of coordinating solids. I stitched and trimmed and stitched and rearranged and trimmed and stitched until I achieved the look I wanted. Adam was a big help during this process - which was great! He even helped pick out the solids I used (all from my stash!).

The back of the quilt features one print that didn't quite make it onto the quilt front, and black, blue and red solids. You can see the quilting pretty clearly on the back - I did a few stitched squares around each print. Since this is a wallhanging, the quilting didn't need to be dense.

back of the quilt

I finished the quilt off with black binding (Adam's idea) and stitched a hanging sleeve on the back of the quilt (not pictured).

In the end I think the quilt came out pretty much how I had hoped. It was just received, and my mother-in-law said she loves it! I'm so glad. This quilt was out of my comfort zone, but I think it was a good stretch for me.

[100 day city sampler challenge] day two, block one

all my fabrics for this project

So obviously, my 100 day city sampler life quilt challenge got off to a bit of a rocky start, and I didn't make a block or post yesterday, which was day one.

Today I redeemed myself, and after photographing my pretty stack of fabrics a few more times, I cut into the blue fabrics to make block one!

block one

I'm pretty pleased with this block. It looks very pretty - Adam chose the four blue fabrics for the block and then I cut into them sort of at random, trying not to think too hard about which fabric would be for which pieces, if that makes any sense? I was a little paralyzed at the beginning, thinking I needed to make my block look like the one in the book. But, in the beginning of the book, the author Tula Pink says something along the lines of "I numbered these blocks so that you could have creative liberty and really make it your quilt". So I'm trying to take those words to heart and just do it.

Like Nike.

[100 day city sampler quilt challenge] day zero

+

=

my new quilty life challenge!

Let me explain. I've been feeling pretty down lately, what with my new job being stressful (as new jobs often are) and leaving little time for crafting. It's gotten pretty bad here lately. I've browsing quilt books and blogs, and I found this Tula Pink City Sampler book quilt-along. I kind of fell in love with the whole concept of 100 different blocks. 

Today I took a little (haha) drive to the nearest Barnes & Noble (which is over an hour away) to find a copy of the Tula Pink City Sampler book (see above!). I spent some time browsing all the beautiful quilt books there, and reluctantly left with just the Tula Pink book. Then I went over to the nearby Jo-Ann's and picked out a stack of rainbow fat quarters (see above!) with which to make the 100 blocks contained in the (really pretty) book. 

So here's the challenge: I am going to make at least one block per day, going in the order they are presented in the book. In approximately 100 days, I will (hopefully) have the blocks completed and will be able to start assembling the quilt.

My goal is to have grace for myself if I miss a day, but to have this project to keep me going and looking forward. I'm in love with my rainbow fabrics, and the whole idea. I am excited to see this quilt come together over the new few months!

[completed] "mod garland" quilt

Remember doorway garlands like this?

mod doorway garland example

Well, I made a quilt top inspired by these mod garlands:

The quilt top is made from five fat quarters and a coordinating green solid along with some teal blue solid fabric from my stash. The quilt top measures about 37 x 45, which is significantly smaller than I had anticipated. But it's cute and cheerful!

[completed] "dare to be different" quilt top

A few weeks ago, I stumbled across this quilt online, and I knew I needed to make a similar quilt. So I bought some tone-on-tone white fabric and used five fat quarters from my stash, drafted a quick pattenr and came up with this quilt top.

"dare to be different quilt top"

I love it! I love the message behind the quilt idea, and I love how cheery this quilt turned out. It's perfect for spring (which has (finally) arrived).

I actually made the entire quilt top except for the final borders in a single day. It felt good! My practicum instructor told me I must be on "crack" to churn it out so fast, but I used chain-piecing and the whole thing just flew together.

Now to decide how to quilt it...

[wip] sneak peek of "dare to be different" quilt

happy colored scraps

While browsing the Internet last night, I stumbled upon this "Dare to be Different" quilt and was immediately inspired. I drafted a similar pattern, chose some fat quarters, and today I started cutting and sewing. The quilt top is coming together very quickly, and I think it's going to be perfect for spring. I can't wait to finish it and reveal it!

[wip] sneak peek of a super secret present

As much as I love love love giving handmade gifts, I almost hate working on super secret presents because I can't share the projects until they are done and received! I mailed off one present this week, and I've been working on another. I'll just share this little sneak peek.

trying to match up colors and corners

This present is an improvisational quilt, a type of quilt piecing I've never done before. It's harder than it looks! There was a lot of cutting and adding and cutting and trimming and all sorts of things. Usually my quilts are carefully planned out (and this usually works for me, please disregard the houses on a hill quilt!), but this project called for something a little more spontaneous. The quilt top is almost done, but it's not due for ages, so don't get too excited. I am just trying to finish some presents before we move and everything is chaotic/messy/needing to be unpacked for awhile.

[wip] houses on a hill quilt top

absurdly proportioned quilt top

 Yesterday, I started a new quilt top, inspired by this Moda Bake Shop quilt. I call this quilt "houses on a hill".

As you can see if you follow the link, my quilt is not at all the same as my inspiration. I wanted it to be more colorful and look like houses on a hill (hence the name), with sky at the top. But I messed up the proportions - when I laid out all the pieces, I failed to account for the sashing in between the rows of houses. All the fabrics for this project came from my stash - the "houses" are made from a charm pack I've had for ages, and the green "grass" fabric is from my stash. The blue for the "sky" is leftover scrap from this quilt.

I was very careful to ensure that the green fabric, which is a directional print, was always arranged so that the print flowed in the same direction. I'm very disappointed that this quilt did not turn out as I had anticipated, although I honestly didn't spend a lot of time on it.

I might take off the bottom few rows and use them on the back of the quilt. Or I could add borders to the sides? Or both? I'm not sure what to do yet. I don't want to distract from the overall plan of the quilt (the "houses on a hill") with borders... So I haven't decided. This quilt top will probably be added to my stack of WIPs while I think on it. Which means I can start another project!

closeup

[completed] superhero quilt top

quilt top

Remember this block? Well, I made a few more, and ended up with this superhero quilt top! While I had a lot of scrap squares, I ran out of the black tone-on-tone fabric I used for the background of the blocks and the sashing. So I ended up with eleven coordinating blocks, and then made the last twelfth block out of red, orange and yellow scrap squares. I enjoy the pop of that twelfth block.

The red polka dot fabric you see under the quilt top will be the backing. There are uneven borders of orange and red fabric to bring the quilt up to a lap/crib size. I made the borders uneven to offset the blocks, but I wish I'd made the difference in size even greater to make the quilt feel even more fun and modern.

so colorful! 

I love how this quilt turned out - and with the exception of the borders and the backing, all the fabric came from my scrap bin or stash! The back is complete, and I am ready to baste and quilt. But I have no idea how to quilt it!

as usual, Sassy loves the quilt

tiny colorful scrap squares

piles of 2.5inch squares

 Yesterday, I decided I wanted to make another scrap quilt. I've been determined to use up my stash, and the scrap bin was still overflowing (despite making a scrap quilt already). I wavered for a long time between making a granny squares quilt or a modern scrap baby quilt. Then I realized that both quilt patterns require 2.5inch squares, so I set aside my internal disagreement about which pattern to follow and started cutting up scraps. As you can see, I have a rainbow assortment. Each color pile has at least four different prints in it, and the stacks are surprisingly tall.

so cute

I've been playing around with different arrangements of the fabrics, and I think I will start off trying to make a boy granny square quilt, using my superhero and novelty fabrics as the centers of the granny squares with rings of bright non-pink colors. But I can't decide what I want the background fabric to be - grey? I think that would work best (the only white I have is a floral tone-on-tone print, which doesn't suit this concept). I also have tone-on-tone black prints, but that might make the whole thing too jarring. So I think grey would be best - and I have enough in my stash. I am just loath to use it because I don't want to have to buy more for another quilt!

That's the drawback of only wanting to use your stash... I recommend stocking up on basic neutrals before deciding to rely on the stash alone!

[completed] scrap quilt

front of the quilt

Just now, I finished the Arkansas crossroads scrap quilt I've been working on for awhile. I'm happy that this quilt is completed - it isn't my favorite, and I'm glad to be done. Honestly, I am a little disappointed in how this quilt turned out. I was super excited when I first started cutting the fabrics and piecing the blocks, but my enthusiasm and fondness for this quilt waned as I progressed. 

detail

I still love the color palette, and the fact that so many of the fabrics are scraps from other projects that I loved making. But I'm not so fond of the border fabric, and I feel that the quilting did not lend anything special to the finished product.

detail

I had a really difficult time deciding how to quilt this one. I ultimately decided on stitching in the ditch around the squares, and then stippling inside the white fabrics. I'm not sure how else I could have quilted, but this option didn't turn out quite as I had hoped. As you can see below, I encountered some puckering. And I think that stitching in the ditch sometimes detracted from my perfectly matched points.

puckering

You can see the quilting more clearly on the back. I didn't have enough of the solid black fabric for the whole back, so I pieced it with some of the same print I used for the border on the front. I do love a pieced back.

the back

The quilting doesn't look bad, but it's a little odd. I do like the Xs that the stippling created.

detail of the quilting

All in all, this quilt just isn't my favorite. I made it with the intent to donate it, and hopefully some kid somewhere will love it!

[wip] scrap quilt

sassy and the quilt
ignore the dehumidifier in the background

Today I finished quilting my scrap quilt and trimmed off the excess batting and backing in preparation for binding. I laid the quilt on the floor (reason #87 why I always wash my quilts after completion) to measure the sides to determine how much binding I need to make. Sassy immediately decided to sit on the quilt. She loves quilts - and anything that isn't the floor.  

sassy's distain for the camera

I decided I had to snap a few shots to document Assassin's love for my quilts. Sassy and her lovely black fur is reason #88 why I always wash my quilts.

sassy's suspicion of my presence

But she's just so darn cute!

[completed] owl always love you

finished quilt!

For my younger sister's 24th birthday (can you believe it?), I made her a quilt. I was a little late getting it to her, but better late than never, right?

The idea for this quilt came about when I showed her the two snail baby quilts I made over the summer. She loved them and requested a birthday quilt from Boo Davis' awesome book. I showed her the options over Skype (which is basically the best invention ever!), and she chose the owl pattern shown on the cover. Through conversation, we decided that a snowy owl on a dark background would be neat.

This is the result!

closeup of the front

I took some artistic liberties and incorporated a range of white-on-white prints as well as one gray print for the owl's body and eyes. My sister did not like Boo Davis' mixing of prints, but I think a variety of prints helps give the quilt some depth and interest, so I chose to go with the more subtle white-on-white prints as a compromise. I added the gray print just to give the quilt a little more of a scrappy feel. I chose a rich dark purple solid as the background.

The quilt top came together surprisingly quickly, given all the many pieces. I had a lot of fun piecing it and watching the blocky owl shape emerge from the piles of carefully labeled strips of fabric.

quilt detail in the owl's head

I am really happy with how I chose to quilt this project. I stitched in the ditch around all the edges of the owl to begin with, and then filled in the owl's face and body with straight lines. Then in the owl's head, I quilted a herringbone pattern to suggest feathers. It took approximately forever, and my quilting got less precise as I went along. For the body, I just quilted the straight lines - I decided the herringbone "feathers" were more important in the owl's head, and continuing the pattern in the body would be too busy and too time-consuming.

So after I finished all my straight lines and herringbone quilting, I got to the fun part: the purple background. I decided to free-motion quilt stars, so that it would look like the owl was sitting against a starry night sky. I practiced the stars (inspired by this tutorial) in both white and purple thread, and decided I vastly preferred the stars in purple thread. The white would have made more literal sense, but would have dominated the quilt and I really wanted the owl to be the focus. So I quilted hundreds of stars in purple thread on the purple background. For the "whites" of the owl's eyes, I used stippling. I wanted the eyes to be different than the background, but also soft and not densely quilted.

The technique I used was pretty easy - I just created a star shape and then echo-quilted around it a few times before branching off and creating a new star shape. There were a few instances when I sort of forgot how to draw a star, especially when I was doing it at a weird angle, and so there are a few wonky stars. But since there are so many stars and no one star stands out, it doesn't much matter if a few are odd.

super wonky star

I backed the quilt in a super soft navy blue flannel. The white stitching of the owl's head and body stands out really clearly on the back of the quilt - so no matter which side is showing, the owl is present. There were about a million little threads to clip on the back, due to all the stopping and starting I had to do when straight-line quilting. Hopefully I got them all!

owl ghost on back of the quilt

The stars show up on the back of the quilt as well, but are not obvious. The purple blends nicely with the navy blue, and the texture created by the star shapes feels great with the flannel.

quilting on the back

The only thing I don't love about the quilting is how dense it all turned out. The quilt is still soft, but it isn't as pliable as some others I have quilted. I don't mind a slightly stiffer quilt, but I hope this one softens up a bit as it is washed and used.

I bound the quilt in a homemade navy and white striped binding. I chose the striped fabric because it coordinated nicely with the back of the quilt and the white owl, and it added a little visual interest. Once again, the binding was my nemesis on this quilt. Due to the inconsistencies of cutting, piecing, pressing and binding, the stripes got a little warped (as you can probably see above). I still love the striped binding - and overall I had an easier time attaching the binding to this quilt than I usually do - but it isn't perfect.

look at that tail twitch possessively!

sassy is going to miss this quilt!

I am happy to report that the quilt was well received!

[wip] super secret present

sassycat sitting on my WIP

I can't give you more than this little hint of my current (and quite old) WIP. Let's just say that if the recipient loves it as much as my kitten does, it will be well-received indeed.

[completed] scrap quilt top!

completed quilt top!

Forgive the poor photo - it's dark outside. But this is the completed scrap quilt top! After some consultation with my mother, I decided to add more blocks and add a border. The added blocks and the 4 inch border bring the quilt to a nice 44 x 56 size. Perfect for a kiddo.

I had to cut into my stash for some more white fabric (all the white sections are white-on-white prints, by the way), and for the black and white border. But the majority of the quilt came from my scrap box, which is awesome!

Now I just need to figure out a backing...

[completed] brother-in-law sneaker quilt

front of the quilt

This quilt for my brother-in-law is one of my favorite Christmas presents this year. I finished it months before Christmas (which is always nice). I bought the fabric for this quilt at the same time that I got the fabric for Adam's anniversary quilt. 

look at those awesome prints!

My brother-in-law loves sneakers, so I had to get this bundle of fabrics that featured fabulous sneaker prints, music notes, cassette tapes and bright solid colors. I matched the bundle of fat quarters with some cut-up black cotton Ikea sheets, and used this tutorial from Oh Fransson! for the pattern. The pattern makes a queen-sized quilt (like this one), but I adjusted the pattern to make a large twin/lap size since I intended the quilt to be used in his man-cave rather than his bedroom. Doesn't it make for a fun man-cave quilt for a 13-year-old?

quilted ps3 controller and sneakers

To make the quilt even more special and fun, I quilted sneakers, video game controllers, headphones, music notes, and various other designs using this technique. Basically, I took cardboard or paper templates, pinned or just laid them on the quilt, and then free-motion quilted around the design. This was initially a pretty slow process, but I got faster and more creative with practice.

quilted initials and sneakers

All the quilting was done in grey thread (the same as in Adam's anniversary quilt), so that the painstakingly quilted designs would show up nicely on the front and back of the quilt.

back of the quilt

 This was my first time using Ikea sheets, and while the sheets were a pain to cut, the fabric worked well for both the front and back and the quilt (and was pretty cost-effective). I have another set (also black) just waiting for inspiration to strike. I got the idea of using sheets from the Oh Fransson! tutorial, and I'm loving the whole idea. (You might have noticed that I also used a sheet for the backing of Adam's anniversary quilt).

closeup of the backing

The grey thread pops against the black backing, while not being too obtrusive.

binding

I bound the quilt with a scraps from the prints on the front and a light lime-y green solid. It turned out pretty well.

I had fun making this quilt and learning a new way to quilt in the process. And my brother-in-law loved the quilt - which is ultimately the most important thing!

smiley face and wonky star