Jen's Quilt

 This quilt is for my niece, Jennifer. It didn't start out that way....I was just making black scrappy blocks to use up some black scraps. My sis said Jen would like it, so i put it together for her. The red border was my sister's idea. It is about 70 x 80"

There are bits of color...like this lime green quarter circle. it is less than 1/2"

And a bit of orange

And there are a couple of cats. Jen has a cat.

Some spooky looking cats and some blue color

There is even a dog

This little square of red and black plaid started the "red column". The third column from the left has a bit of red in each block.

Usually pretty subtle...like these red circles in the black.

And the tiny red stripe in the black and white stripe.  I quilted it with gray thread across....a line in the ditch of the blocks and 3 lines across the block. After all that, i turned the quilt and quilted lines in red in the red column.

This is the back. My pic is kind of grainy...it is a gray, black and white print. My sis picked it out, too.

Jen is a graphic design artist, so I think she will like it. 

Blessings of Autumn

 I think I started this in 2019....finished piecing in 2020....and just got it quilted.  I used a really fat batting that I got from my son....it was a bear to quilt. It was my quilting project for the month.

It is fusible applique but i sewed things down with the longarm.

 

 

 

A really fat batting just makes everything all wonky.

 

I think that bird needs an eye. perhaps a button.

I like the background fabrics that have a grid....easier to come up with a quilting plan. haha

I always like the backs. I think I meant to put a little bell in the top of that schoolhouse, but forgot....so, I quilted one in there.

 

My sister says she wants it, so it will be her birthday present since this is her birthday month.

Is it HOT in here.... or is it just me?

 This one is now completely finished....binding and all.

There is something just amazing to me about just laying pieces down and sewing them down on the longarm....no piecing on a machine. AND....meander quilt it as you sew down pieces. All at the same time.

Then, go back and couch some yarn over the seams.

I used red, orange and yellow yarn.  Just traveled across the quilt, covering seams without rolling back and forth too much. 

Sometimes i backtracked to get where i wanted to go....there are some seams with 3 pieces of yarn. Sometimes it's hard to get to where you want to go without backtracking.

The back is an orchid and white check sheet from the thrift store. This one was for me, so i didn't worry about thread color. I used up bobbins with several whites and tans and a yellow, green and brown. haha  It is now over the couch in the tv room. it is kind of heavy so should be nice and warm for naps.

I'm going to do this again one day.....but i have ideas to make it a bit different. 

Fun, fun.

January Recap

 I'm going to try and be organized this year and get lots done. I have numbered 12 quilt tops to quilt this year....and 12 projects to finish...and 12 colors to use up scraps.

January was successful.

This was the January quilt that got finished ....

 I also quilted a couple more....

This was a flip and stitch that was pieced and quilted at the same time on the longarm.

This was a new process that I saw on a video and tried. Just lay the pieces out and stitch them down. Then I couched the edges with colorful yarn.  Fun to do.

I also quilted up 4 snowmen wall hangings  and sold them to my sister.

The project for January was a quilt as you go project that I started a year or two ago. 2 rows were finished....some blocks were made. I finished the rest of the blocks and put 2 more rows together. Then decided I did not want to finish it. I zigzagged over the edges of the 4 rows I had put together and put it in the dog's crate. haha    The rest of the 45 blocks were sold on eBay.  Sometimes you just have to say.... enough....and get rid of something. haha

The color was brown.  I made some 4 patch posy blocks with a brown Halloween print. And then sold them on eBay.

On the embroidery front, there was some progress ....

This is a BOM that I saw on FB...waiting for this month's block.

A few more dog blocks done...

And a couple patchwork pet blocks finished....

So, I feel good about January. Let's hope next month is as successful.

Cats and Dogs I is done

 This came off the frame today. It still needs a binding. It is #3  in the 'binding pile' that is accumulating in the studio. haha  I have enough blocks cut to make another one, but am going to work on a snowman next.

This might be my new way to use up fabrics. The stitch and flip method goes so quickly. Just takes a bit of time to make the sashing to cover the horizontal seams.

This time I quilted lines going across about every 3 inches.

I have lots of that fabric of dogs in sweaters...gotta come up with a good plan for that.

I cut the blocks 15"

Great use of batting scraps, too. These types of quilts will use up all kinds of scraps in a hurry. Does that count towards the "Clutter Busters" total? haha

Back is a tan sheet from the thrift store, naturally. haha  Their sheets are so soft...and only 2 or 3 dollars. Beats the price of fabric and makes my thrifty soul happy.

Now that I'm back in the quilting mood, January is rolling right along. And I hadn't forgotten how to use the longarm. haha

Cats and Dogs I

 I was thinking about Beth's video last night and woke up with a new idea. Thought I would try the stitch and flip method like the embroidery design people do. It required cutting some blocks..... but i cut them 15"....so 20 of them will make a good couch quilt.  Just sewed the first block down, laid the second block RST, ran a line of stitching down, flipped it over and repeat.

Cats and Dogs I....

I cut squares from my cat and dog fabrics. Seems I have more cats than dogs...strange.

15" squares....20 of them...will make a top about 60x72 or thereabouts.  I quilted straight lines across about 3 inches apart.

Check out my wiener dog fabric to cover the horizontal seams where the blocks come together. haha

 

I'll probably finish this one tomorrow....and then do the second one.  what next???