If you’re afraid of color …

I have found that working on children’s quilts has been a great way for me to get over my fear of using certain colors.  (and since I don’t have kids – I’ve made a few puppy quilts too – which also qualify)  For some dumb reason I think we’re more open, and more creative, and more willing to go out on a limb when we’re doing things for kids (or pups).  We don’t mind using crazy color combinations, or wild bright colors!

Here’s a charity quilt that I pieced for the Quilts For Kids Challenge (from the Downy commercials).  Obviously this one is for a boy!



and here’s a close-up that shows the four different types of quilting that I’ve chosen to do on this quilt.



I’m using a red variegated LAVA thread (from Superior Threads), which has become one of my go-to threads for my quilting.  The border area uses the LAVA which has some freemotion meandering, in a fairly loose curve (could it look like little racetracks?).  The LAVA is also used for the large spirals in the solid racecar blocks.  The spirals are done using the Pro-Stitcher (computerized quilting), so that’s why they’re coming out so consistent.  And then finally, the same LAVA is also being used for the continuous curve quilting in the 4-patch units.  I’m using a yellow So Fine! thread (from Superior Threads) for the clam shell pattern in the yellow border.  There’s also a dark grey So Fine being used for some of the ditch quilting.

I should have the quilting finished this afternoon!

Civil War BOW–Empty Spools (31B)

Okay, the more I looked at my version of this week’s block – the more I didn’t like it.  So I used the leftover parts from the first block, cut some new pieces from a different shirting fabric, and made a new version!  It’s not perfect, but I like it a little better.

Civil War BOW – Empty Spools (31)

Today was a busy day of quilting.  I spent the majority of the day down at the HQ-16, quilting the Downy charity quilt.

Later this evening, when it was time to come upstairs … I did this week’s block from the Civil War BOW.

Moda Bake Shop Kit – Day 4

I finished up this little kit late last night.  It’s a small wall hanging.

Kasuri Hexagon Stars – Quilting Finished

The quilting is now done!

Moda Bake Shop Kit – Day 3

Today was my shopping day, so I was out of the house at Meijer, CVS and Walgreens most of the afternoon.  And by the time I got everything home and into the house, I was exhausted.  I stopped by KFC for some chicken on the way home, since I was on my own for dinner.  I did have a little energy left – so I went down to work on my Kasuri Hexagon Stars quilt until hubby got home.  Mom called at some point, so I got to talk to her for a little while – we hadn’t talked since before the weekend, so we had some catching up to do.  I didn’t even know that they had gone down to Columbus on Sunday for some shopping.

Anyway, around 11:30 p.m. I finally had the chance to go to the quilt room and work on my wall hanging … got another four rows done!

Moda Bake Shop Kit–Day 2

I spent a majority of my afternoon, and some of my evening in the basement with my HQ-16.  It’s been a couple of months since I had the opportunity to go down and quilt – and boy oh boy did I forget a lot of stuff.  I forgot stuff about the Pro-Stitcher, not about the HQ-16 itself.  I added the Pro-Stitcher a few months ago – but because of various projects (and my sore knee) haven’t been able to use it consistently.  I was working on my Kasuri Hexagon Stars quilt – a top that I had finished piecing back in ‘09.  (eeek!) 

But tonight after the Indians game (a win!!) I was able to go up to the quilt room and continue my work on this wall hanging.  It’s really taking shape!

Moda Bake Shop Kit – Day 1

Started a small wall hanging kit Sunday night (late).  It’s one of those cute little mini kits by Moda from their Moda Bake Shop line.  It was just too yummy to pass up at my recent trip to the quilt show in Mansfield at the fairgrounds.  I got it from a booth set up by Little Red Quilt Shop in Medina, a shop that we’ve visited twice in the last few months.  It’s a small shop, primarily Moda stuff (cool), and the ladies who were working in there both times have been helpful and nice.

The red and cream 4-patch units create diagonal stripes across the wall hanging.

Because the kit was all pre-cuts, I got all of the 4-patch units assembled and pressed in less than an hour.

Sometimes little mini kits are just fabulous … a great way to just do some fun sewing, try a new technique, or work with some colors that you may not “normally” pick out when at the quilt shop.  When I was first getting started on my quilting journey, I did TONS of little mini kits – like the Moda Tin Box Samplers (and others).  I always recommend little kits to beginners because they work up fast – and you don’t get that burn out that can strike a quilting newbie. 

Civil War BOW – Peterson’s Stars & Stripes (30)

Can you believe that we’re in week #30?  Where is this year going??

Row By Row – Day 6

Finished up this quilt top late last night.  Again, this was made from a 2½” strip swap of 1930’s prints.  It’s a great group of swappers – we do a lot with Civil War repros and 1930’s. 

The Row By Row quilt was featured in the February 2011 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine (p. 84).  I deviated from the pattern for my borders.  I chose to do a triple border – snow white, blue, and then another snow white border.



My design wall is approx. 71” x 79” to give you a little idea of the size.
I saw a fantastic idea for how I want to quilt the borders on Quilt Out Loud (July ‘11 episode) last night.  They were doing a book review of a book on applique, and when they showed the quilt – I just knew I had found an idea for the borders on this quilt.  It consists of (modified) Baptist Fan patterns – but only in the borders.

Row By Row – Day 5

Got most of the quilt put together today.  Just need to add the borders tomorrow!

Row By Row – Day 4

Row By Row–Day 3

Started putting the rows together. 

Row By Row–Day 2

Well technically I started this yesterday, but I didn’t post a picture (shame on me).  So now that it’s all up on the design wall – here’s a photo.  The fabrics all came from a 2½” strip swap of 1930’s prints a few month ago. 

Double Hourglass w/ borders

Civil War BOW – Railroad Crossing (29)

I’ve had the stripe fabric for several weeks now – just waiting for a good block to do some fussy cutting!

Double Hourglass – Day 2

Double Hourglass

Started this wall hanging last night.  You can see part of my pink & brown quilt hanging on the design wall – just waiting for me to get back to it!

Civil War BOW–Next Door Neighbor (28)

One-Patch Doll Quilt

This little wall hanging is from The Civil War Sewing Circle by Kathleen Tracy.  It’s about 26” square.  The pattern is called One-Patch Doll Quilt.  It was a quick and simple little project – went together in an evening.

Red, White & Blue Strips (7/8/2011)

Finished up this little strippy wall hanging this morning while watching the Tour.

Civil War BOW – Irish Chain (27)

I cannot believe that we are up to the 27th. block already – where is the year going?  (sorry for the distortion – I stood at an odd angle to take the picture)

Fun Friday …

Yesterday we finally got out of the house around noon after my broken sunglasses (and our inability to repair them) almost derailed the afternoon.  We drove over to Marion, Ohio to a shop called Good Wives Co. that we had never visited before.  It was a great little shop focusing on Civil War reproduction fabrics.  I just wanted to buy everything!  We’ll definitely have to stop back over there again in a few months. 

Two of the kits that I purchased were from a book by Kathleen Tracy called The Civil War Sewing Circle.  The shop had kitted up all of the projects from the book – and they were even running a special on the book, so I got it.  (normally I get my books from JoAnn’s so that I can use a 40% coupon)  The pattern you see in the back right of the picture is called Abigail’s Gowns from that wonderful Civil War Legacies series.  The projects from the book and the pattern work up to be small, wall hanging size projects – which is just fine for me!  The pattern in the back left of the picture is called Old Glory, a pattern by Yellow Creek Quilt Designs.  Again the shop had it kitted up, so it was easy to pick it up and carry it right over to the cash register! 

I also picked up a few cheddar fabrics, and a few shirtings.  And I also got a bundle of red, white and blue strips for a neat quilt that they had hanging in the store.  I didn’t buy the pattern because I think I can figure it out on my own.  I may just start that one this afternoon!

From there we headed south through Delaware, Ohio and on to Quilt Beginnings in Dublin to pick up my block-of-the-month kit for July, and take advantage of this month’s coupon offer on fat quarters.

I am learning to pick out a variety of colors when these sales come around.  All too often I was picking out the colors that appealed to me … turquoise, creams, olive greens, etc.  But then I would decide to make a present for my Mom, or my sister or my nephew … and I wouldn’t have any colors that would be appropriate to that project.  So I adopted a new philosophy!  (v-a-r-i-e-t-y)

By then it was time for dinner, so we made our way back up to Polaris Parkway, and had dinner at Carrabba’s.  After dinner, we made a quick stop at Lowe’s, and then World Market, before heading down the road to Cold Stone to get some little ice cream cups for dessert.  It was so hot we sat in the car in the glorious air conditioning, listening to the Cincinnati Reds feed of the Indians vs. Reds game on the radio.  We were lucky enough to hold on to that feed most of the way home.  And, because these things never seem to make sense – as we got closer to Mansfield, we still could NOT pick up WMAN, but instead were able to pick up WTAM out of Cleveland (more than an hour away).  Uggh!

Here’s a little picture frame I got at World Market …

At the SR97 exit, we decided to head over to the OGS library to see if their new digital sign was up and running yet.  Sure enough it was!  It was a little awkward taking the photo because a local Bellville police officer was using the OGS parking lot as a speed trap.  I’m sure he wondered why we pulled into the otherwise empty parking lot, made a big circle to get over towards the sign – and then rolled down the window to take a picture of it!  I wonder if he ran our plate number to see who we were??  (eeek)

When I got home, the mail yielded yet another 1930’s fabric bundle from Keepsake Quilting.  This one puzzles me because I just got one a few days ago.  (here’s a picture of the one that came the other day, and the one that arrived yesterday)