Balloon Baby

 A new grandniece--a new quilt!

This is a bright and happy flannel D9P (quick and easy). 🎈🎈🎈

Balloon Baby 42" x 42"

Balloon Baby (back and binding detail)

I used a scrappy binding for this one, and I succeeded in my aim to use almost every bit of this fabric. I've just a few inches left; they will find their way into something scrappy in the future.

Welcome to the world, baby girl!

Happy Quilting! 😸

Three Finishes

 I haven't been posting much lately, but the quiltmaking continues!

This is a flannel couch quilt. A dear friend gave me some flannels, and I added a few of my own to the mix. I backed it with a piece of fleece I had on hand that happened to be exactly the right size!

Old-Style Winter Print Flannel (60" x 71")

Old-Style Winter Print Flannel (detail)

Old-Style Winter Print Flannel (backing and binding detail)

Next up is a Hallowe'en Trip Around the World. I know it is out-of-season, but next October, I'll be ready! 🎃 I call this one Spooky Trip Around the World.

Spooky Trip Around the World (90" x 90")

Spooky Trip Around the World (edge detail)

Spooky Trip Around the World (center detail)

This third quilt is a Bonnie Hunter design called Boxy Bow Ties. For some reasons, it sits in my brain as Botox Ties! Other than string quilts, this might be the scrappiest quilt I've ever made. There is a little of everything in here. I added a few extra cornerstones in the sashing that weren't part of the original design.

Boxy Bow Ties (94" x 94")

Boxy Bow Ties (detail)

Boxy Bow Ties (detail)

Boxy Bow Ties (backing and binding detail)

I'm still working on the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt, Rhododendron Trail, and I'm doing her Hearts of Hope quiltalong as well. I've lots of projects in the works.

Happy Quilting! 😸

Time for a Baby Quilt!

 My niece has a new (big!) baby boy, so you know what I did--made a flannel baby quilt!

Baby Quilt--36" x 54"

 

The red flannel is printed with a funny assortment of animals (cows, horses, owls, foxes, giraffes, elephants, and dinosaurs--dinosaurs?!?). I think the fabric designer asked some kids what their favorite animals were, rather than sticking with a theme. 😸  I made this as a D9P with green in the center squares. I also pieced the back.

 

Baby Quilt (back and binding detail)

Welcome little one! 👶

Tom's Big-Boy Quilt

 I like to make a flannel baby quilt for additions to the family.

Here is my grand-nephew's baby quilt.

Safari Baby

Once kids get big enough for a bed (rather than a crib), I like to make them a big-boy or big-girl quilt.

This big-boy quilt started with the backing--I wanted to use this Thomas (as in Tank Engine) fabric since my grand-nephew's name is Thomas.

 

I didn't know how I wanted to do the front, but the RR crossing sign gave me the idea to use Xs.

Tom's Big-Boy Quilt   64" x 84"

I used some novelty fabrics in it for a bit of I-Spy fun.

Tom's Big-Boy Quilt (detail)

Tom's Big-Boy Quilt (detail)

Tom's Big-Boy Quilt (detail)

Tom's Big-Boy Quilt (detail)

I finished it with a striped binding which I love (though it made me dizzy to cut it out!).

Tom's Big-Boy Quilt (backing and binding detail)

This was a fun project, and I enjoyed making it.

Happy Quilting!

Floral Baby

I'm still working on Grassy Creek, but there were a couple of things  I needed sooner rather than later. ⏰

Floral Baby 40" x 54"

Floral Baby (backing and binding detail)

It wasn't a great day for photos, but I need to wash and mail this baby quilt. 👶 I'll post the other project soon.

 

Adventure Baby

 There's a new baby in the family, and you know what that means . . .

Adventure Baby  (48" x 56")

Adventure Baby (focus fabric detail)

Adventure Baby (back and binding detail)

I love flannel, and I also love finding the perfect project for fabrics from my stash.

Welcome, young man.  👶

Expecting a Baby

No, not I!

My son and his wife will be parents in November. What is an Abuela to do in that situation? Make a quilt, of course!

I was going to try to make a calm, sedate baby quilt, but my style choices are usually about as peaceful as a riot. Once I saw the Laurel Burch flannel--I was a goner. No more plans for pale green and grey--I wanted her wild animals.

Wild Baby 42" x 54"

Wild Baby (backing)

Wild Baby (backing and binding detail)

I went with a simple pattern to show off the fabrics. Also, since today's babies lie ON quilts more than UNDER them, I wanted something without too many seams to create uncomfortable lumps.

I made sure that I didn't make the top too wide--I wanted to showcase the backing fabric without having to interrupt the pattern to widen it.

I had such fun working with these prints. I would find myself staring into the animals' eyes, just enjoying Burch's artistry. I hope my granddaughter enjoys it, too.

Time to Catch Up!

I finally got some photos of the work I've been doing.

*****

Donation Quilts

I cut flannel scraps to make donation quilts. You can see the first batch HERE. They were kid size and made with kids' prints. The next ones were for adults.

Two with many florals

Three with plaids, stripes, and more

I layered them on the fence to take photos. They aren't identical, but they are made with the same mix of fabrics. All five are 60" x 72" and are backed with flannel.

*****

I've been using my 3.5" squares as Leaders/Enders this year. Here are three more I've put together for a total of eight. I don't have pictures of all of them, but they are all made the same way with a wide mix of scraps. They are 62" x 74" and are backed with solid colors.

Leader/Ender Project

I'll be continuing with the same leader/ender project this year. Though I've reduced my 3.5" square bin, it still has plenty of fabric left!

*****

I mentioned that I've been making Bonnie Hunter's quilt Sand Castles. You can see my previous posts here: 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Here she is--

Sand Castles (a Bonnie Hunter design) 84" x 84"

Sand Castles (backing and binding detail)

Sand Castles (detail)

Sand Castles (detail)

Though the design is titled Sand Castles, for some reason, the string squares remind me of birds' nests; thus, I used a backing fabric covered with birds on branches. This was a fun quilts to make--Bonnie Hunter writes great instructions, and it went together without a hitch!

*****

As I mentioned HERE, I have  been intimidated by Bonnie Hunter's Orca Bay pattern. I loved the quilt, but I was afraid to start it. I have overcome the fear and now I have my own version of the beautiful quilt. 

Meet my Orca Bay: The Christmas Edition.

 Orca Bay 80" x 90"

Orca Bay (detail)

Orca Bay (detail) The fabric with the beaver is from Christmas outfits I made for my kids over thirty years ago!

Orca Bay (detail) Look closely and you will find Waldo.

Orca Bay (detail) Santas, Cardinals, Snow People,...

Orca Bay (detail) Nutcracker, Peppermints, Christmas Goose,...

Orca Bay (detail) Musical Cat, Stripes, Dots,...

Orca Bay (detail) Santa Flamingo

Orca Bay (detail) And a partridge in a pear tree

I have made many Christmas quilts, but I never had one of my own--now, I do! 

Lesson Learned: Take one step at a time, and you can create something amazing, even if you are afraid.
 

 

A VERY Full Post

I've been sewing, but I fell behind on my photography, so hold on to your hats--lots of stuff in this post! 😲

First up are two flannel scrap quilts for donation. I wrote about this process HERE and showed my first results HERE.

48" x 62"

Lots of kids' prints

Back and binding (detail)

I have two more nearly done--they are a bit larger at 62" x 74", and they are not made with kids' prints. (I hesitate to say they are made with adult prints--that sounds a bit risque! 😮) I'll post when I finish them.


Next is a mystery quilt. I've posted quilts before made from mysteries engineered by a friend on a forum I visit. (You can see some HERE.) The instructions for this one were designed to make it scrappy, but I've been wanting to use a blue fabric I had in stash, so I went with a more limited color palette.

78" x 78"

Three fabrics (detail)

Back and binding (detail)

I had it pieced for quite a while, but I couldn't decide when I wanted a border on it or not, so the quilt sat in time-out for a bit! I finally pulled it out and finished it. I quilted with straight-line quilting.


Finally, I have finished Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt--Good Fortune. I have done several post about the steps in making this. (If you look in the "Labels" section on the right-hand side of the blog page, click on "Good Fortune," and they will appear on one page for you.)

Good Fortune 74" x 74"

Good Fortune (binding and backing detail)

Wide variety of fabrics (detail)

Even more fabrics! (detail)

A bunny, a goose, kids, peppermints, etc. (detail)

This was a fun project to piece. I substituted yellow/gold for the orange in the original instructions, but all the other colors were the same as the original. The quilting was difficult. For some reason, I kept shredding thread (I think it was the abundance of seams!), and it took a long time to complete. I'm not really happy with the quilting, but as the saying goes, "Finished is better than perfect."


I'm trying to get things finished up before Spring Break because I have a new pattern I want to try... 😏