Finish It Up Friday—March 23th

This quilt came together very fast.  Eight Fat Quarters returned home with our family from Maui in 2010.  These were purchased in the “Mall” not far from the airport on Maui.  The family could look through the mall while I took my time finding the perfect fabric.  These fabrics all have a gold metallic accent on them.  The pattern is from the April 2012 “American Quilting and Patchwork”—Sticks & Bricks.  The magazine has a queen size pattern.  The website has a juvenile size pattern in a different colorway.  My version measures somewhere between the two sizes.  Construction was easy

by sewing the small background spacer fabric to the “Sticks”.  Layout was so much easier when these small pieces were already sewn together.  The 1 background piece was sewn onto all the “sticks” then set aside 1 of each fabric and finished sewing the remainder of the background fabrics on.  Layout happened on the floor.

I was approached again about teaching another class.  The class is on 4/12 with a finishing session on 5/3.  The quilt will be the “Patches with Rows” inspired by Bonnie Hunter’s “Patches & Pinwheels”.  Our quilts look so different but are all the same construction, color placement is the only difference. 
Tomorrow is sewing day with a friend.  I am looking forward to working on some borders and piecing backs together.  I hope I can send some tops off to the quilters.


Happy Quilting
Just Another Quilter

OOoops! Early Post

I was trying to get this post done before tomorrow.  the car needs to go to the shop early in the morning.  Didn't mean to post it tonight!

Just Another Quilter

Design Wall Monday—March 12th, 2012

Last month I attended a quilting retreat with 8 others.  This started as a charm pack and a jelly roll purchased on clearance at the Joann’s in New York last August.  I also have 4 fat quarters of the same fabrics, all for the low price of $12.  This pattern was picked up at the LQS on my way to retreat.  The LQS sends us $5 coupons on a $10 purchase during our birthday month.  My purchase came to $8 (thread) so I threw this in.  The pattern had caught my eye at Ben Franklin’s, where it was on clearance.  I had thought I could live without it, the next visit a week later, it was gone.  Once it was gone...I wanted it!  The whites need to be cut. 

A couple of the ladies from my first quilt class asked if I would teach another class.  I said yes, of course.  What to teach?  Something good for a beginner, but something that will hold the interest of someone with more experience.  Here are the options given.  This one is from the current issue of American Patchwork and Quilting.  If this is to be a true option, I need to get busy and make it.  I did some cutting yesterday.  This fabric is from Maui a few years back.  This will be another memory quilt for the family.


The other option for the class is my version of the Bonnie Hunter’s “Patches & Pinwheels”.  What fun it will be to figure out yardage for this quilt. The dark brown and light brown that highlight the 16 patches were each a fat quarter, if I remember correctly.
So far, one vote for the “Patches and Pinwheels”.

Happy Quilting,
Just Another Quilter

Quilt Updates

Last year I participated in Judy L. UFO project.  This year, no list was done, but so far, I have finished 1 project a month.  I plan to keep up the progress. 
January’s finish was the Christmas quilt.  This quilt actually was the January UFO last year for Judy’s project.  I put it on the back burner after the back fabric bled.

A friend organized a retreat for a few of us in February. Thank you again, Kim.  That dedicated time allowed for February’s finish.  The color is way off on this.  Here is a better view of the coloring.  The quilting was finished during retreat and binding attached. 


This project was next in line at retreat.  It was already cut & organized, prior to retreat.  The pattern is the same as the quilt above.  The quilt is made with all fat quarters, except the black.  Wouldn’t you know, I ran out of black at retreat.  Had to run to the new quilt shop for more.  The shop opened in the small town where we go for retreat. It is “Stitches N Stuff” in Dewitt, IA.  The shop had just what I needed.  The owner even gave us quilt “candy” for having our retreat in the area and coming in to her shop.  The top is almost done.  It still needs one border.  It sat for a day, until the borders finally fell into place.  The corner stones will be the flowery material and the sides will be scrappy with the solid style “batiks” with black between each.  The border will be fairly small….I don’t have much fabric left…remember fat quarter-that can no longer be found.  The black frames are only 1 1/2” cut.  The small black frames might look odd with the binding if it is larger than 1/4” and my binding is always bigger than that.

One quilt did get layered up at retreat.  Used up another roll of batting!  I think this is my third roll.  It will be awhile before I buy another roll.  Four quilts are already layered, 3 of which just need finishing touches on the outer borders.  Two quilts are ready to go to a quilter.   Most I quilt myself,  I need to do some hunting for a quilter.  These are larger quilts and it's time for a professional.

Happy Quilting,

Just Another Quilter