A Charming Quilt

The tried and true charms came out last January.  These charms are from a swap with Black/White fabric about 6 or so years ago.  Check out the quilt made.  It is incredibly easy.

                                 

Make it look hard and not be hard....and let the fabric do some of the work.

How does the fabric do some of the work? The black/white fabrics were set into 2 piles, dark or light. The block is just a charm with a frame around 2 side

           

So lets back up, why 2 different color bolts through the quilt?  Not enough of either fabric to stick to a single choice.  As this was a retreat quilt, no additional stash available.  These 2 choices made a nice baby quilt for a unknown sex.  Designs choices on the run.  I have been working out of the stash instead of purchasing fabric.  After the piles were separated, the framing went on each.  The final blocks would finish about 6", so a 8 x 11 layout was planned. That means 88 squares.                    
To start, each pile of the light and dark charms had the 2 different frames attached.  I just sat down and sewed for awhile,  made about 15 of each category-dark charm & green border, dark charm & plaid border, light charm & green border, and light charm & plaid border.  That gave me about 60 to play with. 

                                        
It took some time to be happy.  In the end the quilt comes together with light green charm, light plaid charm, dark plaid charm, dark green charm, repeat.  The frames of like fabrics always touch and the like charms always touch.  Each row just steps to the side once.

     

Hope you enjoy.  It was a fast, easy and fun one to make.  Make those quilts have complexity visually....not necessarily in the construction.

For the quilting nothing more than a loop on the top side of a wavy line here and there as you go across the quilt.  This fast and easy pattern keeps light quilting, just what a baby needs.

Happy Stitching,
Just Another Quilter, Jane

Last Minute Finishes

The year is quickly coming to an end.  The quilting that was done isn't always seen here.  We have neighbors with new babies.   So far all new babies in the neighborhood receive a quilt close to birth.  These are no exception.

The newest one, coming any day, is a girl.  This Fat Quarter Shop quilt is cute and quick.  Charm Box is demonstrated on YouTube by Kimberly.

This is slightly bigger and probably should have added an inner border-yellow or black.  The sides of the outside border were already on and cut to size before the thought crossed my mind.

The second quilt is for another neighbor.  This one you guys checked out in progress earlier.  This quilt is the Cozy Quilt Design Strip Club-Blurred Lines.  Here is the YouTube video.  No measurements given except 2 1/2" strips.  The accent pieces are probably larger in this quilt than the original.  The baby boy's dad is a veteran and the fabric is leftover from my stepdad's QOV.

Thanks for stopping by in 2016.  Next year will have some monumental moments.  MJJR graduates from high school.  Lola will graduate from college.  DH will hopefully retire.  That leaves us free as a  bird as our nest will be empty.  Some of the long time blogging buddies, I may be in your part of the country/world.......

Happy New Year

Just Another Quilter

Design Wall Monday November 14th

Yesterday the finishes to the top was put on the Quilt of Valor quilt I have been working on.  It will go on the long arm tomorrow.  I will show a picture soon.  It is for my step-dad.  Currently it is a surprise.  He is no way will read this.  If mom has it up on her computer, I don't want him to see a picture....he might ask whose quilt.

So, today...picked up the parts and pieces left behind from the Quilt of Valor and started a baby quilt for a neighbor.   The leftovers fit together well.  Her husband is a veteran. They are having a boy.  She has been on bed rest for the last couple months. It might be a quick pattern, but I hope it is just what they need.

YouTube videos have become much of my daily entertainment.  Most of us know of the Missouri Star Quilt Company.  The videos have great instruction and loads of ideas for pre-cuts.  (My  pre-cuts often come from just cutting up scraps.)  Lessons on machine quilting, knitting, applique, and even how to clean the carburetor on your tractor.  DH husband loves to watch all the different things too. 

My newest find is the Strip (2 1/2" inch fabric) Club from Cozy Quilt Designs outside of San Diego.  Many of these patterns can be found in your LQS.  Daniela Stout and her mother work together to bring a new pattern each month based on a jelly roll.  Daniela is a hoot to watch.  Just Love Her Humor.   There is usually 2 quilts in different colors to compare.  Sometimes the audience brings in the quilts that were made from last months pattern.  These patterns make it look hard but not be hard.  Right up my alley. 

This is the start of the Cozy Quilt Designs pattern Blurred Lines.  I estimated on the sizes of the yellow strips.  These sizes aren't given on the videos, however, most of the smaller yellow strips were left from the QOV.  That is how the smaller size was chosen--mine was 1 1/8"--yep really.  The larger yellow strip was cut at 1 3/4".  The sashing and inner border will be white.  The outer border.....Blue or Red.  Will have to see what jumps out of the stash.   Which would you go with? 

Check out other Design Walls at Patchwork Times and Making Monday and Cooking Up Quilts

Just Another Quilter