Spring Quilting 2018

Earlier this year I asked my sister in Texas what she was working on with her quilting and she sent me some pictures of really bright fabrics and I knew I had to join in. This quilt is Postcards from Sweden and is a free pattern from Robert Kaufman and Jeliquilts, made with  Kona cottons.

I searched on Etsy and found a site where I could order the fabrics needed and in 3 or 4 days began the quilt! 

 The fabrics were all labeled with the color and number and all was very organized with making this quilt from the pattern. We swirled our seams and made the quilt come out very flat.

 And accurate!

 A little swirly quilting and then it was finished.

 This quilt is Retro Rug Quilt and was a kit I bought at Houston Quilt Festival last year. It went together so easily and again, I enjoyed the fun bright colors - all Kaffes!

I found some interesting leftover fabrics in my stash and pieced them for the backing.

 I saw this quilt in Quiltmania Magazine 124, called Fruit Slices, and wanted to try and recreate it with my own fabrics. These are from a fabric grouping.

 I particularly liked the pink sashing and green cornerstones that separated all the ovals.

 I chose all these fabrics from my stash - except the pink and green which I ordered and began cutting. I used the starch method for appliqué so it's been very easy sewing.

These are my fabrics laid out before I began stitching. I'm now down to my last row of easy appliqué.

And then here is a totally different type of quilt - Mini Havana - designed by Laura Heine. Again, I could not resist at the Houston Quilt Festival so the whole kit came home with me. Quite fun to make and here is the finish!

I will be doing more of this type of quilting in the future!

 My Primitive Garden is still in the making - six years later. I am working on the last large border but at least got the center put together. Don't you love these tiny stars?? They finish at 2" square but I decided they would be worth it in the sashing.

This is the center of my Primitive Garden quilt, the pattern is by Lisa Bongean.

China Shop is now hanging in the stairwell so I can view it every day as I come up to sew!

 I made a round tablecloth using all Kaffe and Friends fabrics in my stash. The old and the new still went together so well.

This was the Turning Twenty Again pattern by Tricia Cribbs. Always goes together well!

Flower Garden, Flower Pots & China Shop

 Another really long-term project I have going is the Flower Garden by Kim McLean. It may take me longer than my Lollypop Trees did! But, ever so often I finish another block.

 I have learned something about myself recently - or actually faced up to the fact that I enjoy "kitting quilts" possibly more than sewing them. Always being afraid I won't have any handwork ready, I will get a whole quilt ready for appliqué and then it lays in its container for possibly years, waiting to be stitched. So as of now, I have months/years worth of appliqué all ready for stitching. I am trying to make a dent in it now. These flower garden blocks have been ready for quite some time!!

 Speaking of a quilt waiting for a finish - this is Flower Pots by Kim McLean. I began it in September 2010, six years ago. Now I got the appliqué completed but was putting off the sashing, also knowing that the blocks did not come out to the size indicated on the pattern so I was going to have to make an adjustment. Procrastinate . . . procrastinate . . .I finally solved this 'problem' by restitching a couple of bird tails and was able to proceed. I spent a week recently sewing the sashing and putting the top together and now it is ready for quilting. My backing just came in the mail today!

Here is a partial picture of the top - the bottom half. Just gorgeous fabrics to me and I'll admit to trying to match mine to the pattern picture - that can be fun and a challenge in itself.

As you know, I'm a fan of Kaffe Fassett fabrics and this quilt pattern was published in Homespun - an online magazine. It was designed by Kathy Doughty of Material Obsession quilt shop in Australia and her team which worked with Kaffe Fassett. In 2015 the patterns were published monthly so I subscribed. I ended up buying the kit for the fabrics from glorious color.com and made the quilt this spring and summer. I did all the appliqué on the machine and bonded the outer edge of the fabrics with Lite Steam a Seam 2. 

 Here are some close-up views.

 Love the fabric choices and combinations!

 There were several techniques used, including lots of hexagon flowers in the side blocks of the center. I did hand stitch all of those together then machine appliquéd them down. The platter had hexagons around it also.

Here is more of a close up of the hexagons on the right. I still have a little more to show but I'll save that for another post!! Happy Stitching!! It is GREAT therapy!!