My Michael Miller Challenge Quilt

Posted in Finished Quilts by wombatquilts

I finally finished my MQG Challenge quilt this week, just inside the deadline. This is the first of these fabric challenges I have done it was fun to challenge myself to use the fabrics given with only some solids in a supporting role. The fabrics I started with were:

After a month of umming and ahhing I finally settled on a plan… log cabins. A classic block that I approached in a completely different way (for me anyway).

As soon as I started cutting the fabulous challenge fabric into 1 inch strips I saw the patterns and the colours so differently. With the help of a couple of yards of Couture Cotton in Soft White and smattering of Couture in Breeze, Sun, Apple, Dirt, Spa and Fog the 7 inch log cabins came together.

I placed the colour strips randomly around the log cabin., and was not afraid to chop up a log into different colors.

I managed to use every scrap of fabric I could.

The wonderful flower print in particular was great fun to work with, as every piece was so different.

For the back of the quilt I “borrowed” some of a friends extra fabric, as well as some of the scraps left over from my top…

For the quilting I went with straight lines in a plaid formation, dictated by the log cabins. I used a cream thread and stitched right down the middle of the logs and I love the result.

The finishing touch was to add some white binding. I played with other colours but the white was the least intrusive binding. There is a small splash of blue amongst the white binding, but you have to really search for it!

I must admit it was a challenge for me to work with this much white. I am not particularly neat and if you add to that a black cat and a clumsy husband and you have a recipe for disaster. Luckily I managed to get it photographed before it got too dirty… about 5 second after the photos were taken it got its first splotch of dirt thanks to the cat! So the quilt is heading to the washing machine now…

Quilt details:
Name: Chopped petals
Pattern: 7 inch log cabin block
Technique: Paper piecing
Finished size: 42 x 42
Fabric: Michael Miller Petal Pinwheels & Couture cotton

25Apr2014

Metallic Mini Finished

Posted in Finished Quilts by wombatquilts

This week I managed to get my Modern Metallic mini quilt finished, just in time to get it entered in PNW Metallic Challenge competition.

This quilt is made up of 3 inch log cabin blocks, you can find the paper piecing pattern I used in my original post. As it was a metallic challenge I choose my most favorite metallic fabric, Michael Miller’s Mirror Ball Dot in Rice, Silver, Platinum, Onyx and a splash of Citron.

I knew I really wanted to quilt with metallic thread though I had never done it before. First up I tried hand quilting but that was an unmitigated disaster. Metallic thread is so fine that I was just making a hash of everything. After several attempts to get hand quilting to work, I finally resorted to machine quilting, which has its own issues.

This time I was smart enough to do some online research… resulting in a tips list:

1. Use a new, sharp needle.
2. Load a lighter weight neutral thread in your bobbin
3. Loosen the upper tension on your machine and make sure the metallic thread is not catching on any particular point.
4. Stitch really really slowly to avoid breakage.
5. Try not to get too upset when the thread breaks.

I can not imagine trying to quilt a normal size quilt with metallic thread. I do not have the patience to even attempt such a feat but I will be forever in awe of anyone who is crazy enough to do it!

As for the last step, binding, I was ridiculously indecisive and actually bound this quilt twice! My first biding was a citron solid – which I was not thrilled with and so unpicked. I finally settled on a solid black binding, something neutral and not too fussy. I have never unpicked a binding before but when you are dealing with something so small you can make these rash decisions and change your mind without too much hassle.

Quilt Details:

Block: 3 inch paper pieced log cabin
Fabric: Mirror Ball Dot
Finished size: 15 x 15 inches

4Apr2014

Whoo we have a finish…

Posted in Finished Quilts by wombatquilts

It has been over a month since I posted my last finished quilt and I am feeling a little slack for not finishing something up sooner… life really just kept getting in the way. But after some quilting and binding I am pleased to present…

…my baby blue log cabin quilt. This quilt was made using scraps left over from the quilt I made my sister-in-law and the top was put together in record time… and then just sat with my other UFO’s until I took pity on it last week.

I loaded some electric blue thread into my machine, attached my walking foot and started quilting.

Lots of straightish lines later the top was quilted. For the back of the quilt I used a piece of IKEA fabric I had in my stash that seemed to work well.

The finishing touch was some solid navy binding… nothing too fancy but I think it was what was called for.

So I have my first finished quilt for April. “Baby Blue” will be heading to Project Linus this month, as our chapter has a shortage of baby quilts at the moment… and I am off to sew more little bits of fabric together.