Firecracker Quilt in Progress

I'm always looking for quilt ideas that catch the eye.  We get plenty of inspiration while surfing the Internet.  So many creative people out there who are sharing what they do.  

One day while I was reading Lazy Girl's newsletter or blog, she mentioned this funky ruler and gushed over the quilts that Julie at Jaybird Quilts created with it.  

Several of those quilts caught my eye, but I needed to narrow down the choices.  

I decided I liked the "movement" of the Firecracker quilt, so I asked Nina at my local quilt shop, Hearts and Hands, to order it for me.  We talked about using some of the new patriotic fabrics in the quilt.

Brilliant idea!

When the pattern arrived, I shopped a bit and picked up some of the new red and blue fabrics from Hearts and Hands.  I also got a nice cream on white fabric for the background.  I have plenty of red and blue fabrics in my stash, so they got thrown into this mix.   

The photo at the top of the page shows the interesting shapes you need to cut to get this quilt started.  As Julie says in the pattern, be sure to read the instructions all the way through.  This is a quilt where you cut all the pieces, sew about half of the pieces together, cut what you've made into other funky shapes, start laying it out, then sew some of your original pieces to what you constructed to make the fireworks.  

The directions are really very good.  The diagrams are lifesavers and excellent.  

Here is what you get when you sew the funky white shapes to the kinda triangle shapes.  I like the look already. 

Then you cut these up using the Lazy Angle Ruler that I mentioned above (the link's up there, too).  Lay them out on your design wall (or big table, in my case) with the left facing triangles you have ready to go.  

You're making pinwheel shapes!  

Then sew triangles to pieces to make blocks.

Here's what you get at this point!

 

More later as things progress . . .  What are you working on?

Sewing Days and Feline Assistance

I Spy quilt in progress by my friend Sue

My mother, friends and I get together periodically to sew together.  It's a great day of projects, visiting, and food.  It's all good and we have to do show and tell when everyone first arrives.  We must share works in progress, finished projects (!), new purchases, and plans.  We also ask for the opinions of others.  We even offer opinions when we're not asked!!

A couple of months ago, we got together at my house for a sewing day and Sue worked on the I Spy quilt (above) for her new grandson.  My mother explained to Sue that the boy is growing so fast that she needs to add more blocks to keep the quilt big enough for the guy!

I was working on a quilt based on the pattern Dusk 'Til Dawn  by McKenna Ryan.  This is the quilt in progress. 

This eventually became a raffle quilt and raised several hundred scholarship dollars.

Another I Spy block in progress:

My friend Kim was sewing up a storm on this colorful flannel quilt in progress: 

And . . . lime green is mandatory these days, isn't it?

My mother was working on this dramatic table runner:

A few weeks later, we got together for a sewing weekend at my friend Kim's house.  A sewing and quilting sleepover!

Here's my mom binding her harlequin diamond quilt:

This is Radeen's cowboy quilt with the quilting in progress.

Kim finished this musical quilt top:

Radeen also worked on this quilt!  Sorry you have to turn sideways to see this quilt, but it was on the ironing board!

Here is the quilt I was working on:

This is similar to one I made earlier (shown above) using the McKenna Ryan pattern called Dusk 'til Dawn.  I was making this quilt for a friend and customer and she asked that the deer in the McKenna Ryan pattern be changed to bears and moose.  I created silhouettes of the requested animals and incorporated them into McKenna Ryan's design. 

When we sew at Kim's, there's the added benefit of feline "assistance."

Hmmm.  I wonder what this button does?

I want to be alone!!

Must be something about this chair:

Why is everyone looking at me?  It's comfy here on this quilt in progress.

Then a few weeks later, we were all set to sew at Sue's house, but then her husband had an incident with a car he was working on (the car came out ahead, but, happily, did not win) and we had to cancel sewing at her house.  My mom was already here at our house so we could travel together to Sue's.  Sew . . . Mom and I had our own sewing day.  She started sewing a scrap quilt. 

In the true tradition of quilting, she is using scraps from fabrics that she used to make clothing for herself and Dad.  Too cool. 

The little vintage fabric squares. 

Then little two square patches on their way to becoming four patches. 

She had a great time coordinating prints with solids. 

Whenever you can, be sure you make time to spend with family and friends doing something you enjoy.  And eating . . .  It makes it all good. 

Sewing Weekend at My Mother's House

Sewing is so much fun.  It's so rewarding when you create something pretty or beautiful or cute.  You had all these pieces of fabric and you put them all together in a pleasing way.  It's even more fun when you do it with a friend.  And it's faster!!  And then you come up with something like this baby quilt: 

This is the project that my friend Kim and I started a couple of weekends ago.  We were at a sewing day at our friend Sue's house.  Sue's first grandbaby was due anytime during that last sewing day, so Kim and I were racing the clock, so to speak.  Kim and I got the center of the quilt top made during our sewing day at Sue's. 

In between that sewing day at Sue's and the sewing weekend at my mother's house (sleepover involved!), the baby boy arrived!!  I hear he's pretty darned cute.  I've seen some photos and he looks pretty cute to me. 

Then we got together at my mother's house for sewing weekend with finishing the new baby's quilt first on the list.  Kim measured the center of the top, then measured and cut the borders.  Then she stitched the borders to the quilt along with the four-patch cornerstones.  Isn't this top just the cutest? 

But wait!!  We're still not done.  It needs to be quilted.  That was my task.  First, you layer and baste.  The back is this fun duck fabric!! 

We decided that I would do a free motion, free hand loopy quilting pattern.  We wanted it to be whimsical.  After all, this baby was born into a fun loving family with a great sense of humor. 

I practiced a bit on my muslin square until I got the hang of it.  Then on to the real quilt.  Here is a photo of the quilt with the quilting in progress. 

Quilting requires concentration.  You must pay attention to what you're doing or you get something you don't want in your quilt.  It requires all other thoughts and distractions to go away for a while.  You also have to remember to breathe!  And relax your shoulders.  Every so often, I lost track of what direction I wanted to go with my loopy swirls.  A little break, a look at what I had, then off I went again with my machine and my thread and that little quilt.  Then a while later, the quilting was done!! 

But wait!!  There's more!  The quilt needed to be bound.  The kit came with this fun turquoise fabric.  Kim stitched the binding on the front of the quilt, then turned and hand stitched it to the back.  Kim is fast!! 

More pictures of the fun quilt.  Doesn't that great blue binding just set off all the rest of the colors in the quilt!? 

Kim quickly wrapped the quilt and Sue arrived later and in time to unwrap it, inspect it, ooh and ahh appropriately, then rewrap it for the parents to unwrap it once again.  I hear tell that Sue took it to the baby that evening after sewing time and he fussed on it.  I hope he likes it better after he gets used to it. 

Way too much fun making quilts.  Quilts for babies.  With friends. 

FINISHED!! Baby or Toddler Quilt

A while back I showed photos of this quilt nearly done.  Well, now it's really done (except for the label)!  Isn't it about cute!? 

The fabrics are Woodland Wonderland by Jay McCarroll for Free Spirit and Westminster Fabrics.  See it here.

The pattern is Rectangles from Fons and Porter Easy Quilts Summer 2008. 

It was a nice pattern.  I just love it when measurements are accurate and instructions are clear.  I also love that for most of the patterns in the Fons and Porter magazines, they give several size options.  While I could figure it out for myself, it's so refreshing to have had someone else do the math for me! 

The fabrics are fun and whimsical.  And so not my style!  I loved working with them, though.  I loved the colors and the cartoonish designs grew on me. 

If you like this quilt, too, it's for sale now in my etsy shop here.

NOW WHAT TO DO!!??