More improv…

Posted in Finished Quilts by

So this week’s quilt uses a technique similar to last weeks but gets a very different looking quilt… which I love.

Like last week this quilt uses a foundation, this time a navy blue 5 inch square, and uses scrap strips…. but this time I used just warm solids and a band of white.

Also this block’s component adds fabric to two opposite sides of the foundation…last weeks only added fabric to one side of the foundation. The result is a tighter collection of diamonds on the quilt and the navy foundation feels more like sashing.

As you can tell I used a variety of different shades of blue for the foundations…mainly because I was using up scraps… but I love how the variety gives the quilt some depth and interest.

The backing of this quilt was one of my favorite sheet – a London themed Whim sheet. I have been using sheets for a few years to back quilts and love Martha Stewarts “Whim” line that Macy’s stocks. I actually bought two of the London sets and are hoarding the last of it for a special quilt that I have planned.

This quilt has also already headed out to Dornbecher PICU… I will eventually catch up and be showing quilts before they head out into the world, I promise!

The pinkies will, of course, have the final word…..

Quilt Details:

Blocks: Improv diamond using 5 inch foundation

Fabric: Variety of Kona solid scraps

Size: 54 x 63 inches

Another old quilt share….

Posted in Finished Quilts, Scrap quilts by

As I have been going through all my old photos it has been interesting to see what I remembered to share and what I completely forgot about…. this weeks quilt is one I love and it was really fun to make, so I am not sure why I did not share it sooner….

The block is a really simple improv block, using a 5 inch white square as a starting foundation and then different strips of different solid strips of fabric to one corner of the foundation square…. four of these foundation blocks are then sewn together to make a 9 1/2 inch (unfinished) block.

This quilt was made as part of the PMQG Charity Sew Days we used to hold at Modern Domestic… so the blocks for this quilt were made an army of different people which adds to the improv fun….and of course it has already winged its way to someone through Dornbechers’ Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

It was a great way to use up the tons of solid scraps I had gathered over the years… but as usual I swear we ended up with more fabric at the end of the day than what we started with…

When I was pulling the scraps to be used in this project I made sure that I had scraps of every colors and that I had a good variety of lights and darks. The contrast that the different values of the fabric have give this quilt its sparkle I think.

For the back of the quilt I used the last little piece of a treasured IKEA fabric I had been hoarding for years… I regret not buying yards and yards of that house fabric when I had a chance.

And of course it would not be a Wombat quilt without the pinkies… this time I opted for a closeup so you can really see Mr Wombat’s pinkie form. He practices that pose regularly… he takes his quilt holding duties very seriously.

QUILT DETAILS:

Block: 10 inch improv kite block

Fabric: Selection of Kona solids

Quilt size: 60 inches x 60 inches

Working through the backlog….

Posted in Finished Quilts, Quilt patterns, Scrap quilts by

So I am slowly working through the backlog of photographs that I have taken but not processed and posted.  It is funny because I also have a backlog of quilts that need photographing too… all this means though I have not been posting, I have been creating.  So without further ado here is the latest belated share….

cotton steel trip around

This quilt combines two of my favorites – my favorite fabric line (original Cotton & Steel) and my favorite go to pattern “Scrappy Trip Around the World” by Bonnie Hunter.   This quilt was made during my 2018/2019 Cotton & Steel phase (you can see some of the other quilts here and here).

close up 2

For this quilt I used lots of 2/12 inch strips of a variety of different Cotton and Steel fabrics. One of the things I love about these lines and the subsequent Ruby Star lines is that all play so nicely together.  It takes the guess work out of scrap quilting because you know it will all work.

quilt close up

And this pattern is definitely a go to for me.  I actually have another version of the scrappy trip around in my “too be photographed” pile.  The pattern is easy but so effective and it is also fat quarter friendly (you do not need to do WOF).  Actually this version saw me cut 2 1/2 inch strips off a pile of my Cotton & Steel fat quarters (I used 2 1/2 x 18 inch strips).

quilting detail

This was the first time with this pattern that I consciously tried to keep the center of the block a light strip.  It adds a nice through line to the quilt blocks and this quilt’s layout does not feel as random as some of my previous versions.  It is definitely my favorite version so far.

quilt back

The quilt was expertly quilted by a wonderful PMQG volunteer and backed with some fabulous Elizabeth Hartman wideback.  I made the quilt because there was a need for some more teenage appropriate quilts from several of the charities we work with… and it was donated last year to Camp Erin.

pinky shot

We of course finish up with the pinky shot….

Quilt Details:

Block:  12 inch scrappy trip around the world by Bonnie Hunter
Fabric:  Cotton & Steel lines
Size:  60 x 72 inches

And back again… so soon….

Posted in Finished Quilts by

Since I am on a roll I thought I would share another quilt from last years very productive PMQG Charity year….

This quilt was once again made at one of the monthly sew days we used to have at Modern Domestic…. and once again it is a simple patchwork block using 3 1/2 inch squares.

This time I gathered a rainbow of squares in a selection of specific colors. The block has a particular layout with to give the rainbow some uniformity. I first made this block years ago (2013) using a tutorial by Blue Elephant Quilts… and you can find the layout of the specific pieces on their original post…

It really is amazing what different things you can do with 3 1/2 inch squares. This quilt embraced the bright and the novelty prints which was so fun… and is always the case I swear we had more precut squares when we were finished this than when we started. Be warned do not leave precut squares unattended, they will breed.

To get the full impact of the rainbow splat we decided to do a layout with sashing. I do not usually sash quilts but this one really works with the black and white border. The sashing was expertly done by fellow PMQG charity volunteer Jenny McKee. Jenny has mad skills and was able to add a border without any sweat… were it would have taken me forever and lots of swear words to do it properly.

I did however make the back of the quilt which was equally rainbowy. The fabric for the back was part of a huge donation we received which was full of glorious black and white prints and two pieces of this wonderful print. It really was the perfect back for the top.

And as always we finish with the obligatory pinkies… no amount of begging will get him to hold a quilt like a normal person!

Quilt Details:

Block: 12 inch simple patchwork
Fabric: 3 1/2 inch scraps
Finished Size: 60 x 70 inches

Well things have got interesting…

Posted in Finished Quilts, Scrap quilts by

It has been over a year since I have blogged and what a year it has been.  Like everyone else I have hunkered down in my house, venturing out only when absolutely necessary.  You would think this would mean a flurry of quilting activity but it has not.  Like so many I have found it hard to be creative in lockdown… and I have made a LOT of masks.

So to try and break out of this rut I thought I would share a few quilts with you that have been finished in the last year.  When I actually looked at what I had shared and what I had not I realized there was quite a bit of stuff that you have not seen… so we are going to start with this beauty…

finished aqua cross quilt

This quilt was made a one of the Portland Modern Quilt Guild (PMQG) charity sew days… back when we had charity sew days… oh I miss those days and that wonderful group of ladies.  Anyway I digress…

aqua close

The block was a simple nine patch block with an extra background row on two sides of the nine patch.  I love adding the background to the block as it allows for lots of fun negative space when you lay out the quilt.  If you are not sure what I mean look at my Bee Block post from May 2018.  I used the same technique when I made the wonky star blocks.

aqua closeup

I used a ton of pre-cut 3 1/2 inch squares… I have got in the habit of  “processing” my scraps through the Accuquilt die cut machine and so have boxes and boxes of squares.  3 1/2 are my favorite size and I have made lots of charity quilts with them.

closeup 2

For this quilt we wanted to be gender neutral and a little more teen than kids – so I picked a black/dark grey printed background with white and cream prints for the cross parts.  The center squares were all solid fabrics in shades of aqua.

aqua quilting detail

The quilting on the quilt added a wonderful layer to this design, echoing the squares of the quilt in the pattern of the quilting.  I am always in awe of the amazing group of long armers who help make these charity quilts.  Their talents always add so much to the finished product.   This quilt was donated to last years Camp Erin where I hope it gave comfort to a grieving camper.

pinkies

Of course I must finish up with a the obligatory shot of Mr Wombat’s pinkies.  These photos were taken last year before lock down and he was such a good sport as we drove around town looking for interesting walls to photograph things against.  I am hoping to convince him to come with me to photograph a new batch of quilts in the coming week – of course while we wear masks and social distance.

QUILT DETAILS:

Block:  12 inch Floating nine patch
Fabric:   Scraps and selection of Kona solids.
Quilt Size:  60 x 72 inches