Indigo Sky Quilt

March 21, 20163 Comments

It seems like all of my friends are all having babies right now. I try to hand-make at least one gift for each of them…but of course, time is usually too short. (Sound familiar, anyone?) My girlfriend, whom I’ve known since kindergarten (!!!) is pregnant and is expecting this week! Her baby shower has already passed, but at least I was able to squeeze this quilt in before he’s born 😉

This stack of Handcrafted Indigo by Alison Glass for Andover Fabrics is like “whoa,” right?!? I love love blues and all of these different variations are just killer! These beauties were picked up at my little quilt shop when was first released about 5 months ago and they’ve just been sitting in my stash. When I found out my friend was having a boy, I immediately went to these fabrics. I was going to use solid white to have these blues “pop” but quickly reconsidered since this was for a baby. Wise decision. Instead, I went to Essex yarn-dyed Linen in nautical as one of my go-to blenders. It’s such a nice alternative to a solid and gives a great layer of texture.

Although I didn’t have an exact quilt pattern in mind, I knew I wanted to make some Flying Geese and keep the quilt asymmetrical. So I figured I’d kinda improv the design. I used Connecting Threads tutorial to make two no waste geese blocks per fabric. Each block is 6.5″ x 3.5″. After lots of playing around, I settled on my random design of stacked geese with lots of negative space.

With so much Essex Linen, the binding on this quilt had to be scrappy in order to highlight the Indigo and add some fun. It’s a bit of work to attach all the different binding fabrics, but well worth the effort.

The quilting was straight-line 1/4″ apart using Gutermann’s blue variegated thread. This was my first time quilting with the 100% cotton thread and it won’t be my last. The changes in the thread color are very subtle against the Essex and of course, the blues.

For the backing, I was lucky to have this Doe fabric from Carolyn Friedlander for on hand. (1) It’s a nice contrast to the front design. (2) It really complements the quilting and (3) I’ve been on a fabric diet…

This quilt was so fun to make. I loved every moment and hope baby boy enjoys it just as much!

Keep Stitchin’

Cristy

Jelly Roll Slice Shortcut Quilt

February 24, 2016April 25, 20165 Comments

Whatever the reason, there are times we get into a sewing rut and need something quick and easy to pull ourselves out. Fat Quarter Shop has just that project in their new FREE Jelly Roll Slice shortcut quilt pattern. It’s important to feel that sense of accomplishment and get that “sew-jo” revved up again!

{Insert Heart Eyes}

For my jelly roll, I chose Elizabeth Hartman’s Rhoda Ruth for Robert Kaufman Fabrics. It has a fun and earthy palette with a mix of some animal prints. This crib quilt is ear-marked for my future niece 🙂 and I think these colors are going to be perfect with her nursery.

{All Pieced}

Thanks to the 2.5″ strips, the Jelly Roll Slice blocks came together very quickly. The hardest part was just selecting the order of my fabric!

You can check out Kimberly’s video tutorial (above) to see how she “slices” and to find that shortcut.

{Quilting Closeup}

For the quilting, I used a mix of straight-lines and geometric shapes reflective of the different fabric designs. It was a bit of a gamble, but am pleased with how it turned out.

{Bold Backing}

For the backing, I chose the bold Nightfall Foxes. These little guys are just so so cute and who doesn’t love a shot of gorgeous teal? The neutral binding (and one of my stash staples) is Carolyn Friedlander’s Crosshatch. (It just works with so many quilts!)

{Ready to Snuggle}

With no crazy angles and a nice shortcut method, this Jelly Roll Slice quilt was truly simple and could be pieced in just an afternoon. Who doesn’t love that? Do you have any quick projects to get your “sew-jo” back?

Below is the full list of participating Bloggers for the Jelly Roll Slice pattern launch. Check them all out for additional ideas!

Taunja of Carried Away Quilting
Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs
Terri Ann of Childlike Fascination
Eileen of Eileen in Stitches
Hayley of Moobird Stitches
Shelley of The Carpenter’s Daughter Who Quilts
Kathryn of Kathryn Jones Quilts

Don’t forget about these Quicklinks for the Jelly Roll Slice Quilt:

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOIuFJrIkQU

FREE Pattern: http://static.fatquartershop.com/media/wysiwyg/pdf/JellyRollSlice-CompletePattern.pdf

Quilt Kit: http://www.fatquartershop.com/jelly-roll-slice-quilt-kit

Fabric (found in the video, pattern & kit) : http://www.fatquartershop.com/moda-fabric/vintage-picnic-bonnie-and-camille-moda-fabrics/

Enjoy + Happy Stitching!

Cristy

***This post contains affiliate links and was sponsored by the Fat Quarter Shop. Pattern and fabric was provided for use in this post. All opinions are original and my own.

Hello Bear Triangle Quilt

February 1, 20163 Comments

One of my dearest friends is expecting and I knew I wanted to make something very special for her. The Hello Bear collection by Bonnie Christine for Art Gallery Fabrics came to mind immediately…especially, since I just made the Dwelling Quilt with it. It’s whimsical and playful with such a soothing palette…and best of all, it’s gender neutral! My girlfriend wants to be surprised with the baby’s sex, so I chose colors that could go either way.

On Black Friday, I picked up several Sizzix Quilting dies, including this 4.5″ Isosceles triangle one. I made one other triangle quilt awhile back and definitely cut off all the tips as I pieced the top together. There is such a striking look with all the triangles and I knew getting a die to help me cut my fabric would help me keep the point intact!

I have a paper-crafter friend who bought a new Big Shot for herself awhile back. She then sold me this one for less than half the price….score! I initially just wanted to use it for paper but quickly found out about the fabric dies. These are a bit pricey, but I’m hoping to add to the collection as I scout out good sales. Let me know if you ever see one 😉

Since there is a finite width to the Big Shot, some pre-cutting is needed to fit the fabric on the dies. But since I could cut up to 4 layers of fabric in one turn, this was still the faster way to go.

The die gives you the perfect notches to make piecing SO much easier and more accurate. I’m pretty proud of these beautiful points (above!) And did you know, you don’t have to trim after piecing? That’s the winning feature for me because I despise trimming. That is probably my least favorite thing to do…

To add more texture and variety to the Hello Bear fabrics, I used Robert Kaufman Essex Linen in Indigo. You can also see some solids from Art Gallery’s Pure Elements and I added a splash of Bound from April Rhodes.

The finished baby quilt is 40″ x 40″. I quilted along the triangle edges to not distract from all the fun forest creatures you can see here. This was such a fun quilt to make as I tried out my new Sizzix “toy”….but it was more special because this is going to such a dear friend. <3 I can’t wait to see her baby wrapped up in this quilt!!!

Happy Stitching,

Cristy

Helicopters and Airplanes Quilt

December 16, 2015

HelicoptersandAirplanesQuiltTitle

When one of my dear friends asked me to make her two year-old son a quilt, I could not say no. I was so flattered she asked! She requested a queen-size bright and cheery quilt full of helicopters and airplanes. Anne Kelle‘s Ready Set Go in organic cotton for Robert Kaufman Fabrics was the perfect fit!

Heli and Plane Quilt Closeup

I combined Cotton + Steel Basics, Architextures, and some Kona Cotton to coordinate and add lots of color to the quilt. The design uses simple squares, but when rotated by 45*, provides a little more interest and fun!

Heli and Plane Quilt Closeup w Handquilting

This was quilted with a simple diagonal crosses over the squares and then some echo lines around the border. Admittedly, I made some miscalculations and had to add a few layers of borders to reach the appropriate size. However, it allowed me to hand-quilt for the first time to add some extra color. I used some Valdani Perle and found appreciation in those of you who regularly quilt by hand!

Applique Closeup On these chartreuse blocks, I appliqued a few individual helicopters and airplanes. It made this quilt more playful and I knew the future owner of this quilt would not mind extra.

Hand Quilting Detail

The binding is some older Cloud 9 and I machine bound it since this quilt is intended for a young boy. With the wear and tear, I know the hand binding would not hold up.

Heli and Plane Quilt

Although I had to make some impromptu adjustments, I am pleased with the results. There are plenty of aircrafts to keep young eyes occupied. I know this will be loved and cherish as intended…and exactly how a quilt should always be!

Cheers!

Cristy

Kaleidoscope Quilt and Schnitzel & Boo (R4) Mini Quilt Swap Re-Cap

November 19, 2015December 26, 20155 Comments

The Schnitzel and Boo Mini Quilt Swap was the first swap I followed on Instagram. I was pouring over the hashtag #schnitzelandboominiquiltswap and trying to figure out what the heck was going on! This swap has the claim of being the original swap where you are blind partnered (the recipient doesn’t know who is the maker) to make sweet mini quilts and thus, it had over 1000 participants…wow!

I had the pleasure of making a quilt for someone that liked V & Co fabrics and happened to have charm packs of the newest Simply Colorful and Simply Colorful II lines. With the popularity of this swap, I felt some pressure to make something pretty nice….so I thought a Kaleidoscope design would be perfect. It’s very striking and is perfect for some rainbow action 😉

The Kaleidoscope is a traditional paper-pieced pattern I got from Quilter’s Cache. This is an amazing website with tons of FREE patterns! The original pattern finishes at a 6″ block. In order to fit the parameters of a mini, I shrank the pattern to 47% of the original to create a 3″ block. (I don’t know why 50% reduction didn’t work, but a little playing around helped me get to the size I wanted.) To plan out the colors and layout, I used this coloring sheet I found by Debbie Kratovil. I think every quilt designer should have coloring sheets with their patterns. They make life SO much easier!

TIP: When piecing together the blocks, there is quite a bit of fabric that ends up at the center. It is quite thick and can be a nuisance to quilt over later. Initially, I tried to grade the seams and by luck, saw that I could make a little rosette by opening my seams back a 1/4″ and tuck the seams under as shown above.

To finish, I used gold thread to quilt (insert heart eyes emoji!!!) I just love using metallic thread whenever I can. It just adds that extra “something” special and matched with the gold dot backing. For the binding, what else would be better than MORE V & Co…and in Teal Ombre?!? The ombre was fun to use and made this design really pop.

Kaleidoscope Quilt – Completed

In return for sending off the Kaleidoscope, I received this beautiful mini with extras from @amandafech. Isn’t it so fun with the primary palette and appliqué work? I am 3 for 3 with great swap experiences….all delivered on time with amazing work! Hopefully, all of you have had positive swap experiences or will decide to join your first one 🙂 They are lots of fun!!!

I’m going to be a swap mama soon so I hope these good vibes carry over 😉

#MakeAQuiltMakeAFriend

Cristy

Love You Sew

Handcrafted from the Heart

Category: Quilts

Indigo Sky Quilt

Jelly Roll Slice Shortcut Quilt

Hello Bear Triangle Quilt

Helicopters and Airplanes Quilt

Kaleidoscope Quilt and Schnitzel & Boo (R4) Mini Quilt Swap Re-Cap