Debbie's Quilt

I got into a crazy mood a while back and started cutting up a lot of my batiks into 2.5" strips. Having a health supply of pre-cut strips readily available would be handy and they might get put to good use.   So I cut .....

..... until I had this!  Gulp!  

(I hate to admit it, but this didn't make much of a dent in my batiks stash.)  Earlier this year I used some of the strips to make a wedding quilt for Stephen and Kailey.  You can read about it here.

I used a few strips and made a big mess.

Last year my sister, Debbie, asked me to make a replacement quilt for the one I'd made for her hope chest back in 1981.  I didn't quilt much then so I'm pretty sure I used broadcloth for the backing.  Maybe that's what held it together all these years.  Polyester never really dies, does it?  I would say my work has evolved quite a bit since then. I've changed a little bit as well!  

I figured since she had made that quilt last for over 35 years she deserve a new one!  Plus, I was happy to have another opportunity to use more of those strips.  Bonnie Hunter's "Strip Twist" pattern would be perfect for this one.  Strip sets made then sub-cut into 144 squares .....

..... then cut again into 288 triangles .....

..... and then sewn back together into 144 squares. Squares with a little different look to them, though.  

Now the fun starts.  Or even more fun, I should say.  Laying them out on the design wall and sewing them into rows. Like this --

The goal is to have it finished by the end of the year so I can give it to her when I'm in St. Louis for a family wedding. I'm pretty sure this one will last for at least another 35 years.

Another Great-Grand Finish

Not only did I just finish another quilt to put back for the great-grands, I also got something checked off my UFO list. That's two things to be excited about!

I started this quilt at a retreat in April of 2016, but I just barely started it.  That made it officially a UFO, and now that list is down to only five. The pattern is called "Framed" from the book "Simply Retro" by Camille Roskelley.  The fabric line is "Bright Sun" by Sherri and Chelsi of a Quilting Life for Moda.   Cute, right?

This one is hand quilted with echo quilting and a square-in-a-square design in the largest pieces.

A simple design with simple quilting still makes for a special quilt to put back for future babies.

That's the third baby quilt I've made to put back for the grands .....

..... and my 14th finish this year.  I'd say this has already been a very good year. 

Linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict.
Linking up with Tish's Adventures in Wonderland.

Getting Modern

I've been a member of the Modern Quilt Guild for a while, but I just recently got around to joining the local branch.  In September I visited the Rocket City Modern Quilt Guild (what else would you call the group in Huntsville, Alabama?) and decided to become an active member right away by jumping into some of their current projects.

When the half-square triangle piecing papers were passed around I grabbed a few to take home, found a few 10" squares, and made some half-square triangles to take back with me when I go to the meeting next week.

I also brought home one of the partially made round-robin quilts the guild members pass around hoping the quilts will grow as volunteers add something.  Once they reach a suitable size they're made into charity quilts.  I chose the bag with these fabrics .....

..... and this partially made top.

I was drawn immediately to the print and the fact that someone had fussy cut it for the first block.  I wanted to use that somehow.

I wanted to bring in more greens so I came up with these blocks.

That print makes my blocks look a lot more complicated than they are.
























That was fun.  I'm looking forward to seeing this top come together!

Playing Catch-Up - Two Finishes

Recently, I was updating my spreadsheet where I document all the quilts I make (yes, I am that nerdy) and realized I've had a few finishes I had forgotten to share with you.

The first finish was in July.  I had blogged in 2013 about the disaster of working with a badly cut kit.  You can read about it here.   The whole thing was so frustrating I put it away for a while.  A long while, actually. I picked it up again in 2017 and got a handle on how I could make it into something acceptable.  You can read about that here.  

A few months ago I added a few of the leftover pieces when I put together a backing, quilted it, and called it a keeper.  I like this one so much I don't think I could give it away.

The second finish is a baby quilt to put back for the great-grands, one of my current projects.  I started it and shared about it in this post.  This quilt didn't sit around very long. It was done in about 6 weeks. I just forgot to share my finish with you!  

This one is hand quilted.

Finished, washed, and ready to use.  One day.

I guess I have been very busy this summer, but that doesn't mean I'm not getting things done.  I just need to sit down once in a while and tell you about it!