Friday, June 25, 2010

wedding quilt- almost done!


My daughter and son-in-law's wedding quilt is almost done now! I finished machine quilting it yesterday. The blocks are quilted' in the ditch' . I free motion quilted the outer triangles (called setting blocks or squares) with a colorful varigated thread in a viney leaf design. I quilted the 4 1/2 inch outer  sand border with a more subtle varigated gold and tan colored thread with a butterfly design.  hard to see on the photo, I know.  

This morning I cut 2 1/2 inch dark green strips and sewed them together to make the binding edge. I ironed the long strip lengthwise with wrong sides together and now it's ready to be sewn on the edge. 
But right now my garden is calling me! The weather is sunny and +22C so it's time to go out and finish putting mulch on the flower beds.....

The wedding memories quilt was completed on Saturday evening June 26 after working on it for 6 months! It looks really fabulous and I am pleased because of how much work I put into it! Well, okay, the quilt part is totally finished now, but the hanging pouch on the back is not. That will need to be done in the next 3 weeks so I can hand deliver it to my daughter and son-in-law when I visit them next.


Sunday, June 13, 2010

"Little Preemies" Project & Wedding quilt

(Week of June 7th)
"Quilting for Babes" (little preemie project) quilt 24' X 36"


This tiny quilt was made from 4"x2" flying geese blocks which were mostly scrap fabric from other projects. It has a 'mock edge' which means the back fabric was wrapped forward around the front edge, folded in half and then sewn on.  It is an easy edge to make although I do prefer the usual binding method of making separate strips of fabric to sew on. 

This little quilt is going to Winnipeg with me in July where It will be dropped off at kathy Murray's door along with my daughter's little quilt that she is sewing for the same "Quilting for Babes" project.

It has been raining here again for the last few days, which is so unusual out here at Buffalo Lake for this time of the year. But since I can't get out and do any gardening, it leaves me lots of time to do indoor things like quilting, reading and knitting.  

I'm going to work on 3 projects in the next few days: I have all the pieces knit for a dark green bulky cardigan and now just have to hand stitch them together which is very time consuming ( and my least favorite part of knitting). After that It's just a matter of casting on stitches to knit the color and sew on the 4 buttons and it's ready to wear!

I also have finally figured out a relatively simple strategy for machine quilting my daughter and son-in-law's wedding quilt which has sat here all pinned together for 2 weeks now....  I'm looking forward to completing that project in order to give it to them in 2 weeks when they come to visit. 


Wedding Memories quilt for my daughter & her husband

One more new thing: I have to make a hanging sleeve for the back of it. Something new for me, but I checked in my "Quilters Bible" last night and it looks easy enough to do. Just requires a 6 inch strip of fabric the length of the quilt , sew a double 1/2 sean on the short ends and sew it together in a long tube, right sides facing of course. Turn the tube right side out , flatten the tube and hand stitch it to the back of the quilt at the top and bottom, just down from the top edging of the quilt.  Sounds simple enough ....


Kitty claims the quilt. LOL!







Raggedy Ann Quilt top


















Red can be quite a bold color and this quilt top I just finished is exactly that! Lots of red and yellow. some green and dark blue. The fabric is mostly red and blue Raggedy Ann fabric and red jungle animal print with yellow sashing and a narrow yellow border, very vibrant  and colorful.

This quilt will be for another of my husband's nieces, JM  who is due in September, but since I devote most of my time in the summer to gardening, I am trying to get it done as soon as possible...  This next quilt will be about 41" by 44" in size when completed.




T's baby quilt which will be leaving here any day now as soon as that baby makes his appearance!


 The red one is similar to the baby quilt I finished not long ago for T, another niece (due any day now), which I really like. This first one was in blues and greens, much softer colors, but I know that J, the young mother to be does like red...
Because T is having a baby boy, I thought blues and greens would be a good fabric choice whereas J does not want to know the sex of her baby ahead of time.

These two quilts are both based on a pattern called "Baby Signs" from the Quilter's magazine July 2009 issue.


J's quilt will be finished  some time in the next few weeks. I made her a baby quilt last year for her first little guy, one of the "As You like It" patterns in the Bazoople animal fabric with yellow accents. It was about 34" square. (see April post).

I already have a design in mind with the same fabric and some of the same blocks, with different rows in between....  No one in mind for this one yet, but might just start a stash... in case we have our own grandchild  in the near future. :)
As they say, make it and they will come (from The Field of Dreams movie.) LOL!