do. Good Stitches: Fieldcrossing Quilt

Way, way back in November, I tasked my fellow members of the Wish Circle of do. Good Stitches with making blocks for a Fieldcrossing Quilt. I asked everyone to use the colors of the Purl Bee's Felt Alphabet as their inspiration when selecting fabrics (they always use the best color palettes for their projects!): various shades of pink, yellow, rust and mustard.

Everyone did an excellent job of making blocks within the color palette, using prints and solids from their stashes. Once I received all of the blocks, I assembled the quilt top.

For the backing, I paired a coordinating Heather Ross mermaid print with a super-soft beige Japanese bunny print.

I did lots and lots of straight-line quilting, mostly with white thread, but I stitched a few lines in light pink as well. Two brown/pink/orange floral prints were perfect for the binding.

The resulting quilt turned out to be a nice size, perfect for a twin bed, and I really love how all of the disparate fabrics came together so beautifully! Like all of the quilts our group makes, this quilt will be donated to Project Linus.

Quilt Stats
Finished dimensions: 58" x 70" 
Fabrics used include: Mermaids by Heather Ross for Spoonflower (no longer available, but can be purchased in another colorway here); Brown Calico from Heather Ross's Briar Rose collection
Quilt pattern: Fieldcrossing by Elizabeth Olwen and Cloud9 Fabrics  

solid scrappy trip around the world quilt

 

Since my weekdays are currently spent sewing commissioned quilts, along with goods for the shop, I like to set aside time on the weekends to sew for myself and catch up on charitable sewing projects. This past long weekend I did just that when I basted, quilted, and bound a quilt destined for donation.

It's no secret that I'm a fan of the Scrappy Trip Around the World quilt pattern (this is my fourth time making a quilt from it; here are quilts one, two, and three), but each time I work with it, I like to approach it differently. For this go around, I opted to use only solids from my scrap bin and try out a new block layout. The result is a bold, and very colorful, quilt.

For the back, I used a floral cotton voile I bought while living in Maryland. I have to say that the voile makes this quilt so soft, which makes me want to back all of my quilts in voile from now on.

Rather than adding a Salty Oat tag, I sewed a "Handmade with Love" tag into the machine-stitched binding, as a little note to the recipient. You can find my tutorial for making your own handmade fabric tags over on the Spoonflower blog.

This quilt, along with those that I make for the Wish Circle of do. Good Stitches, will go to my local chapter of Project Linus.

Quilt Stats
Finished dimensions: 47" x 59"
Quilt pattern: Scrappy Trip Around the World by Bonnie Hunter

de-cluttering + quilt tops

If you read a significant number of blogs or magazines, you've probably heard about the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The book is by the Japanese organizational consultant Marie Kondo, and has a magical effect of inspiring you to clean out your closets and drawers. I started reading the book in December, and ever since, I've been employing its tips for simplification and de-cluttering, which includes taking the time to clean and organize my sewing room.

While sorting through drawers, I came across a number of cut fabric squares from past projects. Rather than letting them languish any longer, I decided to turn them into quilt tops for my local chapter of Project Linus, and get them out the door.

Each top is crib size, and features polka dots, solids, calico prints, and white borders. Each was a quick and satisfying finish, and it's so nice to know that these fabrics will now be put to better use!

Have you read Ms. Kondo's book? Has it left you feeling similarly inspired to organize and de-clutter your space?

do. Good Stitches: A Circle of Geese Quilt

Every few months, it's my turn to select a pattern and color palette for a quilt for the members of the Wish Circle of do. Good Stitches to put together. Last week, I finally finished and photographed a quilt that our members started in May, and I'm completely smitten with it.

Using the Circle of Geese pattern---which Christina of Sometimes Crafter featured a paper-piecing tutorial for on her blog back in 2009---our circle members pieced together triangles in shades of mustard, pink, and black, using these two pins I shared for color inspiration.

After piecing the top, I assembled the back, surrounding two of the blocks with pink and black prints which have been sitting in my stash for many moons, waiting for the perfect project.

I quilted it in a one-inch cross-hatch grid, with various shades of pink thread, and bound it with a scrappy black binding.

Our quilt will soon be heading off to the Raleigh chapter of Project Linus, and my group members have already started assembling blocks for our next quilt, using this pretty color palette for inspiration.

do. Good Stitches: Yellow Cross Quilt

In December, I was the quilter for my circle of do. Good Stitches. I decided to keep it simple, since it was the holiday season, and I asked our group members to make two cross blocks, using any shade of solid yellow.

I love, love, love how this quilt turned out! The yellow crosses are so cheery and happy, and I'm so inspired to work with this palette more. I quilted it with a crosshatch pattern in yellow thread.

For the backing, I used a Marimekko print my mother-in-law got on super sale from the Crate and Barrel outlet. It's a wide sateen fabric, which meant that I didn't have to piece it, which I really enjoyed. For the binding, I used a striped, vintage-looking print that's been in my stash for ages---it was nice to finally use it up.

I donated the quilt to my local chapter of Project Linus this past weekend, so it's now off to its new home.

do. Good Stitches: Churn Dash Quilt

Way back in, oh, you know, JULY, I tasked my fellow members of the Wish Circle of do. Good Stitches with making two churn dash blocks, using solid black and low-volume prints. Six months later, and during my short holiday break, I finally managed to quilt and bind our quilt---my first finish of 2014!

I was obviously on a black + low-volume print kick when we started this project (my houndstooth quilt is further evidence of that). I really love how the black can recede into the background and form a grid when seen from certain angles.

For the back, I used a few cream-and-black prints that had been hanging out in my stash for awhile; it was nice to finally put them to good use.

In addition to donating our group's quilt to Project Linus this weekend, I'll also be donating a small quilt that I made two years ago. The front is a pixelated heart, made from red and pink solid squares, and the back features a Japanese goldfish print.

I'm so happy to finally get both of these quilts off the studio shelf and out to people who can enjoy them! 

mini quilts for the alzheimer's art quilt initiative

The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) is one of my favorite charities to support. The work they do to raise money for Alzheimer's research is amazing, and I have my own growing collection of quilts that I've purchased from their site over the past year and a half. I've been wanting to donate quilts to AAQI for quite some time, and last month I finally did.

I made two mini quilts---each one is about 9" x 11"---from scraps in my stash. For each quilt, I hand-stitched monochromatic hexagons together, and then machine appliqued them to the background. I did dense straight-line quilting on each and machine bound them (my first time!). 

Both quilts are now for sale on the AAQI web site, here and here, and all proceeds from their sale go toward Alzheimer's research. If you have the chance, I definitely recommend taking the time to browse the Quilts for Sale page, as there are a lot of really beautiful quilts on there, made by many talented quilters.

P.S. Happy Father's Day to my dad, to whom both of these quilts are dedicated.

do. Good Stitches: Arkansas Traveler Quilt

I've always loved this quilt by Ara Jane of the blog You Know What I Love? So when it was my turn to ask for blocks from my do. Good Stitches circle members back in January, I soon thought of Ara Jane's gorgeous quilt, and asked everyone to send me an Arkansas Traveler block, using this image for color inspiration. (You can find a great tutorial for the block over here.)

I fell in love with every block that was sent, and assembled them into this baby quilt, which I quilted with an imperfect, one-inch grid. For the backing, I used a well-coordinated floral print that I picked up from the $2.97/yard table at the fabric store I worked at a few years ago. The binding is scrappy and bright.

The quilt washed up crinkly and soft, and will be donated to Project Linus this Saturday during the Make a Blanket Day that's happening at Spoonflower.

Have you recently finished anything that had been sitting in your WIP pile for a while? If so, please share in the comments---I'd love to see!

Each month, I make quilt blocks for the Wish Circle of do. Good Stitches, which our group then turns into quilts that we donate to Project Linus. You can see all of my past blocks here.

alzheimer's art quilt initiative

The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative is one my favorite charities to support. The money they raise by selling mini quilts made by volunteers goes toward Alzheimer's research---a cause near and dear to my heart. I received my first AAQI quilt for Christmas two years ago---a beautiful hand-quilted piece by Yumi Tsuruta, titled "Japanese Goldfish."

Since then, I've been wanting to do more for the group, including donate a quilt and collect a few more to start my own collection. So when I heard that 2013 would be the group's last year of fundraising, I knew it was time to take action. I immediately purchased a quilt that's been on my wish list for a while: a wonky log cabin mini quilt titled "Cotton Candy and Apricot" by Michele Lancaster.

I'm hoping to add more quilts to my mini collection throughout the year (I have my eye on these two to start), as well as make one to donate (perhaps from hand-printed fabric?). To purchase your own quilt and support a great cause, please visit the AAQI's Quilts for Sale page.