A Couple of Recent Finishes

 December was a month when I got little done but, I'm trying to make up for it.

Here are two quilts I finished so far this month.

The first is Rolling Waves (82" x 82"). The pattern is from a free, downloadable ebook available HERE. I used only two fabrics for the top (a difficult thing for this scrappy quilter!). The back is a patchwork cheater's cloth.

Rolling Waves (82" x 82")

Rolling Waves (backing and binding detail)

The quilt is hanging straight down from the fence, but the use of different sizes and shapes of blocks gives it the illusion of rolling waves. It is an easy pattern--all nine patches. The effect is achieved by their arrangement.

The second quilt is Hourglass Wreath (58" x 72") from MSQC. The tutorial is available HERE.

I used a Kaffe Fassett layer cake to make this one. I rarely buy precuts (other than fat quarters), but KF is an exception for me. I like getting lots of his different prints without having to buy yardage.

KF Hourglass Wreath (58" x 72")

KF Hourglass Wreath (backing and binding detail)

This is another beautiful, but easy pattern to make.

I'm not thrilled with mine--I think the black I chose for the background does not have enough contrast with some of the KF fabrics. I'll pay closer attention to that next time. I used every inch of the black, so I went with a paisley black for the binding. 

Right now, I'm working on a log cabin quilt. I've never made one before, and I'm enjoying it very much. I'd like to explore the pattern and variations more this year. Maybe I'll think of 2023 as my Log Cabin Year.

I'm afraid I have stalled on the BH mystery quilt--as I said earlier, December was quite the month! I'll get back to it later. I have the first clue completed.

Happy Quilting! 😸

Rhododendron Trail Finish

 Bonnie Hunter's annual mystery this year was called Rhododendron Trail.

I stayed (mostly) with Bonnie's colors--only substituting green for aqua. This is a different quilt than my usual ones; it is much lighter in color overall, but it is nice to make something out-of-the-ordinary sometimes.

Rhody Trail (92" x 100")

Rhody Trail (border and binding detail)

Rhody Trail (backing and binding detail)

A fun project--I love Mystery Quilts!

Happy Quilting. 😸

Grassy Creek--Part 3

 So far, I'm keeping up with the clues in Bonnie Hunter's Grassy Creek mystery.

Haven't trimmed the dog ears yet!

It is a lot of fun, and it is not too late to start!

Grassy Creek--Part 2

 The second clue of the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt, Grassy Creek, came out this week.

Grassy Creek--Clue 2

These are just a few of the units. I'm substituting blue for the green Bonnie used. The blue fabric is a tie-dye type, so I'm getting a bit of color variation in the units. I like that--it adds interest. Below is the photo I'm using for color inspiration:

More to come.  😺

And Another!

 This is another quilt I made with the scrap QST blocks.

QST Quilt--78" x 78"

QST Quilt (backing and binding detail)

You can see the previous quilt I made with these blocks HERE.

I used a straight setting, neutral sashing, and charcoal grey cornerstones with this one (the first one was on-point).

Sometimes, simple blocks are the best. 🌞

Very Traditional

 This is a very traditional quilt.

Traditional QST on Point (64" x 72")

Traditional QST on Point (detail)

Traditional QST on Point (back and binding detail)

 

 

I had a bunch of scrap squares and decided to make QST (Quarter-square Triangles) blocks with them. I knew that somewhere down the road, I would find a home for them. This is one of two tops in which I used them (the other still needs to be basted and quilted). I set them on point and used alternate neutral QST squares to add depth.

Nothing fancy here--just a very traditional quilt.

Enjoy your Labor Day holiday! 😊

Kaffe Fassett and QSTs

I combined large blocks of Kaffe Fassett fabrics with very subtle Quarter Square Triangles (QSTs) in this quilt for my stepdaughter. I didn't have a pattern for this one--I just made alternate blocks that I thought would be complementary to the prints.

The KF fabrics reminded me of vintage sheet prints.

Since the prints are quite bold, I toned them down a bit by using QSTs as alternate blocks.

The color difference is very subtle (almost too subtle, I think), but the QSTs are white and creme.




I used a small print for the backing and a purple blender for the binding. Many of the fabric prints contained some purple, so I think the color combination worked well.

The quilt finished at 82" x 82". I quilted it on my DSM with a simple meandering pattern.

I told my husband that the prints reminded me of vintage sheets. He said he had never thought of sheets as vintage before, but that he really liked the sheets we had on the bed now. I told him that since I got them new in the 1970s and have used them ever since, they certainly qualify as vintage!

I'm linking with Fiber Tuesday 133 at the Quilting Room with Mel.

En Provence--Part 6

This week, we pulled in the green fabric.

Quarter-square (hourglass) blocks:

Almost to the reveal!

 
My previous posts about the mystery are here: En Provence--Part 1,  En Provence--Part 2, En Provence--Part 3,  En Provence--Part 4, and En Provence Part 5.

Pfeffernüsse is Pfinished!

I've made several Bonnie Hunter quilts this year: Allietare, Jamestown Landing, Carolina Chain (haven't shown that one yet; it's a secret!), Old Tobacco Road, and I've just finished Pfeffernüsse. Can you tell I'm clearing the decks for this year's mystery En Provence?

My first post about Pfeffernüsse is HERE.

This was a fun quilt to make--I love string blocks; I love pinwheels; I love multi-pattern neutrals; I love red. (Okay, I don't love making QSTs so much, but they were worth it in this case!)  This pattern can be found in Bonnie Hunter's book, String Fling.

The quilt is nearly 90" x 90"--and backed with flannel, so it was a bit of a bear to quilt on my DSM, but perseverance pays off! 

The photos aren't great--it was a VERY sunny day!

Pfeffernüsse

Pfeffernüsse (border and binding detail)

Pfeffernüsse (detail)

Pfeffernüsse (backing detail)

Pfeffernüsse (fun bread print in the bottom corner of the brown triangle!)

I'm looking forward to this year's mystery quilt to begin the day after Thanksgiving. Will I work on it exclusively? Actually, I've already started HSTs for Twirl Around from Bonnie's new book, Addicted to Scraps. *grin*  Yes, I am a quilt addict (and PROUD of it!).

I'm linking with Jo's Country Junction UFO Progress and Fiber Tuesday 87 at The Quilting Room with Mel.

 

Pfeffernüsse

I'm still working on several gifts I can't show, but I've also continued building Pfeffernüsse--a Bonnie Hunter pattern.


This quilt uses both QSTs and string blocks.

QST 4-patches and combined string blocks

Pfeffernüsse Block

I think the magic of this pattern is in the arrangement.

Pinwheel!

I love the way the string blocks come together to form pinwheels. I still have lots of blocks to make for the full effect, but you can see a hint of it from these four blocks.


Thanks for visiting.

I'm linking with Fiber Tuesday 76 at The Quilting Room with Mel and Jo's Country Junction UFO Challenge.

One Quilt Leads to Another and Another...

I'm working on a Bonnie Hunter quilt called Pfeffernusse, and I got to thinking about how I got here.


Last year, Bonnie Hunter's mystery was called Allietare. For that quilt, I pulled out red, gold, and neutral fabrics.

Fabrics for Allietare

Allietare quilt top

As I was working on Allietare, I thought about the fact that I wanted to do Jamestown Landing (also from Bonnie Hunter) in red and neutral, so while I had the fabrics out, I started that quilt.

Jamestown Landing quilt top

I also wanted to make an Old Tobacco Road quilt (yet another Bonnie Hunter design). I used the already collected golds for that one.

Old Tobacco Road

Old Tobacco Road takes lots of browns, so as I was cutting them, I cut extra brown strings. I used some of them in the Old Tobacco Road border, but I had lots left over. Pfeffernusse takes brown string blocks, so it seemed natural to start that one.

This photo is from Bonnie Hunter's site--click on it to visit.

I've got all the blocks made, and I'm starting to assemble it. As usual, I made extra blocks--in this case, quarter square triangles (QSTs).

QSTs

I'm thinking that these extra blocks may lead to an Ohio Star quilt...


I'm linking with Fiber Tuesday 75 at The Quilting Room with Mel and Jo's Country Junction UFO Challenge .

 

Random Ohio Stars--Finished!

I've been working on this one for a while, but thanks to the challenge from Jo of Jo's Country Junction, it is done. <applause>


I always loved looking at this pattern--it can be found on Bonnie Hunter's blog. Something about the combinations of sizes and fabrics really speaks to me.

Here are a few detail photos, including one of the borders and binding.

I even pieced the back, using my trial blocks and some that lacked a sufficient contrast between fabrics.

Thanks so much Jo for the impetus to finish. Onward and upward!


I'm linking to Jo's Country Junction UFO Challenge and Prairie Sewn Studios.

Random Ohio Stars--Basted!

I got the quilt sandwiched and glue basted this week--still working toward the finish.

Backing

Now, how to quilt it? Of all the steps in making a quilt, quilting is my weakest skill. I usually rely on SiTD, and that's what I will likely do here, but I'm still pondering.



  I'm linking with Jo's Country Junction UFO Challenge

Improvisational Quilt

This quilt began as an experiment in making hourglass/QST blocks. You can see the post about it here: Hourglass Blocks. Then, I added four-patches. Then I added some more four-patches. Then I added a border. Then I added another border... Let's just say it grew improvisationally.



I made a layout plan on EQ7 after I made the blocks.

The actual quilt looks a bit different, but I am so glad to have the EQ7 program for a layout tool.

 
I used a black paisley print for the backing and binding.

I like the quilt, but I love all shades of red (except those with yellow in them). I'm hoping the color combination won't be too jarring for the quilt's recipient.








This quilt grew in the making; I didn't begin with an overall plan. Perhaps I should call myself The Experimental Abuela!

Linked to My Quilt Infatuation