More pictures - commissioned work for a friend!

Oh my gracious! I have been so neglectful of my blog.  I can only say that I work full -time, have a hubster and quilt all the time. I used to update my blog at work before I started but that was not possible with all the filters they have stating putting n the school's internet. Also, I bought an  entry level long arm and well you know how that goes. I am going to post some quilts from recent years with no explanations. Just like a fashion show!

Amish Batiks Gone Wild

This was a block of the month from a local quilt shop. While I was very unhappy with how the BOM was run and the additional costs for fabric to complete the borders and the center block - I am delighted with the results. The colours appear muted in the picture but truly they are bold and beautiful against the Kona black background. I discovered a oopsie after quilting it and did not have the heart to rip it all apart. lessons learned all around with this one.

The Loyal Union Sampler from Elm Creek Quilts

I went to an estate sale and bought what I thought was a block of the month set of civil war fabric and patterns.  When I got home it was missing four months of patterns and fabric.  So I decided to make a sampler instead I chose the Loyal Union Sampler from Elm Creek Quilts.  It was certainly a challenge for me.  I had never done a Y seam or blocks that had 40 some pieces and only 6.5 inches! Four months later I had completed the quilt.  It has a wool batting and and a backing that actually matches some fabric in the quilt ( it was in the package from the estate sale). I paper pieced the flying geese border.I presented it to my nephew Richard who has also recently started his teaching career in Wisconsin.  I am very proud of this quilt and am happy that he will be able to love it and cherish it for a life time!

Scrappies on parade

Last summer I tried to get a grip on my scraps and made a few quilts  - here they are!

This is a string quilt made using the Magic Square technique.

This is a random modern log cabin.  I use it as a table topper in the living room

This a a Bonnie Hunter's Trip Around the World using scraps

Another string quilt.

This was from a modern scarp book that my daughter, Jessica gave me. You take any sizw white scrap and using one colour family build around the white piece.  I call it the White Spot.

Another string quilt - they are never ending.

The never ending battle of the scrap bins.

I really try to stay ahead of my scraps and make them into quilts, however, this summer I was lucky enough to get my long arm machine and discovered a horde of more scraps. To start off the new year I vowed to make scrappy quilts from all of my scraps - six week later and with only one tote of scraps left I called it quits for awhile.  I ended up with around 17 quilts none larger than an ample lap quilt.

Here are two that a co-worker commissioned for her twin nieces. They loved the quilt - it is a variation on the court house steps. I took orphan squares(blocks) and started each square with them. Then I added on to each side. No specific colours just oh so random. The recipients were delighted.

I am so behind - I can't help it I just keep making quilts!

My sincere apologies to anyone who has been to my blog.  I have been so busy making quilts that I have not been keeping up with my blog.

To start things off with here are two quilts.

This is a past student, Gabe who now is in an adult program. The quilt was called Yukon Pass and White Station.  Perfect for a fella that loves trains.

Madi also moved on to an adult program and I did a super fast jelly roll race in batik purples.

It is hard to see such special students move out of the school system and on to adulthood.

Two commissioned quilts for a dear friend for Christmas 2015.

 The above quilt is called Spare Change and I made it with 3 sets of strips from

Connecting Threads and it has a coordinating pillowcase also.

The quilt below is a California King called Prairie Jewel, When I saw this pattern I knew I wanted to make it and started to collect the 55 fat quarters required!  I added 3 borders to the quilt to finish it off to size requested.  I made two king size pillowcases in batik to complete the ensemble.

 

I mastered Deb Tucker's Rapid Star Fire ruler by making four Pop Stars quilts. I loved the Downton Abbey line of fabric I used in three out of four of the quilts.

 This quilt was made with the Downton Abbey Collection* of fabrics for my high school girlfriend. We had not see each other in 38 years and I spent two week with her this past summer as we celebrated our 39th and 40th high school reunion.

* I waited until the Fat Quarter Shop has a reduced grab bag of this line of fabrics and then bought it.  I had to buy some yardage but still have fabric left over! 

 

 

 

The quilt above was made with batiks for our niece,

Mika and her husband Yusef

as they were married late in 2014.

 The quilt above is awaiting to be gifted later on this year It too,

was made with Downton Abbey fabric.

The quilt below was the last one made in my quest to master this ruler. It also was made with the Downton fabric and was given to the man who organized the reunion. I originally wanted to donated this quilt to be raffled, but they changed their minds - so I gave it away!

Some of the baby quilts that I made this year - minus the ones I forgot about!

 The quilt above was made for our new granddaughter Imani,

it was a kit from Connecting Threads.

 The quilt above was made fro my friend in Michigan for her new son,

 August (Augie) it is called the Lover's Knot.

 

 The quilt above is called Grandma's Joy and was made as a commission for a dear friend.

Special quilts get prairie points!

The quilt below is a Bits and Bits quilt for a g/f's first great grand son.

I used Riley Blake fabric.

Oh my gracious where has the time gone!

Almost a year without any postings and you all must know that I haven't given up quilting! I will post some pictures of things I have completed.  I think I forgot to take some pictures along the way too, shucks!

Ava's Heart

 This quilt was for a great niece in Virginia named Ava. The pattern is from the Moda Bakeshop, a super easy applique project. It used charm squares and I bought the giant rick rack on ebay.

I saw this Celtic knot small wall hanging in Quilters World.  It is reverse applique and was a bit of a challenge for me.  I made it for a principal at the high school where I work - as she was leaving.

This was a more modern take on a quilt for one of the niece's - Cherie

who completed her AA in the June.

The pattern was called Cherry Picked and was a freebie from the Fat Quarter Shop. I used charm squares and the border was from my stash.

This Green Bay Packers quilt and coordinating pillow cases was a commission for our son Terry's girlfriend.  It was her son JaVaughn's Christmas present.  

I was please with the Disappearing 9 patch pattern I used. The cheddar fabric was hard to find, I guess I should have had someone in Wisconsin find it for me :)

I do finishing work also.  This was a cross-stitched topper that I was asked to quilt.

The paper doll pattern was so adorable and I just wanted to share with you. I did echo quilting with clear thread around the main items and meandered the rest.

This quilt was for our son Terry in Virginia.  We stayed with him this passed summer while on vacation.  All the batiks were from a grab bag purchase from the Fat Quarter Shop and the pattern was from my quilting bestie, June in Vancouver, BC, Canada, Curves remain a challenge but I bought a special foot at the Road to California Quilt Show to assist me.

This quilt below is another finishing project.  My friend, Ubirdia pieced the blocks and then I squared them, added sashing and borders and then quilted it. This was my first true attempt at feathers.  It was from Leah Day and was called feathers and pearls.  Ubirdia was pleased with the outcome and that is all that matters - for me I am not so sure I am loving the feathers.

This quilt was from a recent issue of American Patchwork and Quilting. They did theirs in reds and I switched it out for berry colours.  I called it Chocolate and Berries.  I made this for Terry's girlfriend, Vonda.  She is such a delightful woman!  Who knows if they will ever get married, so I surprised her with a quilt at Christmas time!  Love you Vonda!

Recent Quilts Completed - Spring Fling, Disappearing Four Patch with a Twist, Variation on a Yellow Brick Road, and a classical 16 Patch with muslin background.

 I am calling this quilt Spring Fling - it is from my latest issue of American Patchwork and Quilting.  I subscribe to only one magazine and in order for me to justify the cost - I do make at least one project from each edition.  
I am still working on making a quilt for each month of the year to hang over my fireplace -  this is for the month of April or around Easter time. Some of the fabrics have Easter motifs and others and just spring tones.
I am going to stop putting sleeves on the wall quilts I make.  I bought clip on fancier café style curtain hooks and hung this quilt using them and I liked the look and so much easier :)

The white on white background for this quilt was an online purchase from a seller at The Quilting Board.  It was advertised as white on white but when it arrived it was all about the great state of Texas - steer skulls, cowboy stuff, lassos, branding irons, etc.  Not what I expected but all cut up it worked out fine. This quilt has a polyester batting as there is so much with background and I didn't have a white cotton batting.

This pattern is called a Disappearing Four Patch with a Twist.  I had picked up this fabric online for $1.00 a yard. The lavender and sunflowers was in strips and a border style fabric and the green was a solid also for $1.00 a yard.
Here is the link for the pattern http://round22.blogspot.com/2012/07/disappearing-4-patch-with-twist.html  - it doesn't come up as a hyperlink but you can find it this way.  Her example is much nicer than mine.

This too, will hang over the fireplace for the month of June or become a baby girl quilt for a present. I will likely do this again with fabrics that had more definition but for $ 4.00 the quilt is not so bad.
I pieced together some cotton batting to make this quilt and I just zig zag the edges together, no fancy tape for me.

I have always wanted to do a Yellow Brick Road - but with no yellow :)  This quilt is for my step-daughter here in California who is likely moving to Atlanta with her beau in the summer.  I wanted them to have something special to start there new life together.  What could be better than a new super Queen size quilt.  I messed up cutting the fat quarters, but I am very pleased with how it turned out.  No one but me would truly ever find the oopsie.

Lastly, is the 16 patch with muslin background.  I made this for my g/f Clara.  She gave me a jelly roll and I found this pattern in a book by Pam and Nicky Lintott from across the pond. It is a variation on an antique quilt.
 

Clara will give this as her charity quilt for the guild later on this year.  I love the look of muslin in quilts!  I buy it by the bolt at Joann's with a 50% off coupon, nothing too expensive and it seems to work just fine in quilts.