Catching UP

Wow, am I really that far behind in my quilting blog?!
What have I done since March....

Paint Chip Challenge

We had to pull 3 paint chips out of a pail at one of our quilt guild meetings last fall. The challenge was to find fabrics in those paint chip colors and to quilt something using those colours. We were allowed to add black and/ or white or other colours with the same value as the chosen ones. The project total outside measurement couldn't be larger than 160 inches maximum.

I decided to make the pattern called Sunset on Water from the McCall's Quilting magazine, March/April 2013 issue.

I started out making a whole lot of half square triangles out of every combination of the fabrics as I wasn't sure how many blocks of each combo I would use. I made several extra ones to give me some leeway when arranging the blocks. After a number of false arrangements which didn't quite work, I made a couple more blocks and got some advice from my daughter who was visiting at the time until we finally came up with the pleasing results below.

I hand stitched the centre of the waves with the orange and green fall leaves. The rest of the blocks I machine ditch quilted diagonally to bring out the concentric waves.  After binding and quilting it turned out quite nicely. :)

Sunset on Water pattern

Set of 8 'house warming' place mats

I really liked making these blocks, since they required a certain amount of creativity to match up a pleasing design.  I decided to continue making them, but in a series of browns and tans and then turn them into placemats for my daughter and son-in-law's housewarming gift.
Each placemat was a little different than the rest as I placed the blocks in different formations.

Can't believe I didn't take photos of the finished place mats! Guess I will have to rectify that oversight soon. :)

 Sailboat baby quilt top

Sailboat blocks

I saw this sailboat block as a free download in a Mc Call's Quilt magazine and decided it would be the ideal baby quilt for our nephew and his wife's first baby. Out nephew is an avid sailor so it seemed appropriate.

I decided to continue the ocean fish fabric all across the quilt, not just below each boat in the blocks. I like this continuity better so I took the blocks apart and resewed then as you see below.

I wasn't sure about the border however.  I auditioned the brown plaid as a possible border and then the white to accentuate the sails. I think I'm going to go with the white border and make a mock binding using the edges of the back fabric once I decide what that will be. I think that will depend on whether the baby is a girl or a boy...

 

Flannel crib sheets

I also worked on a cradle fitted sheet and a diaper change pad for our newest grandbaby.

cradle sheet and diaper change pad

Recently I made a flannel crib sheet to match, now that our little one is too big for her cradle.


Last but not least:

entrelac knitted baby afghan

I have been knitting this entrelac/ basket weave baby afghan for 3 months now! I have come to realize that it takes less time to quilt a baby blanket than it does to knit a baby blanket.   This one should be about 30 inches by 40 inches once it's done. Maybe I should have planned it a bit smaller....

We are having a new baby in our family, (grandbaby #4!) due to arrive at the end of November. Since we don't know if it's a girl or a boy, I might have to start on a pink afghan soon, too just to cover both bases.

💝