Three Quilt Top Finishes

My midarm quilting machine is still in Iowa so more tops got finished to add to the , "To Be Quilted," pile. That pile is way to big...so many great quilt tops I would love to finish!

The first two quilt tops were panel projects from my February retreat. I really wanted them to be a decent lap-size so I searched through my stash and found the perfect batik that worked for both panels. 

The kits included fabric for binding but I used it to add a light green inner border on the black bear panel. 

A little close up of the outer border batik...so perfect. I'm sure I've had this in my stash for 15-plus years. 

The original border kit for the eagle called for the light greyish blue inner border but I didn't realize I'd not added it until I noticed how much of this fabric was left in the kit...a good half yard.

And again...this same batik looks so great with the eagle panel. I just have scraps left of my original three-yard piece. 

Both panel quilts finished 57 x 72-inches.

The Jelly Belly Bunnies are a complete top! All this fabric was in my stash too but maybe for only 10 years. 

The true colors show a bit better with a closeup photo.

A great pattern...no mistakes...everything came together quickly once the bunny blocks were made. Lots of points but they all came together with minimal restitching. The pattern called for corner stone squares that matched the background but I just had to add some more color. 

I bought the pattern at an adorable quilt shop, The Enchanted Quilt, in Wichita Falls, Texas, when I was there for our son's graduation from pilot training at Sheppard Air Force Base. A fun memory to have with this project. 

I wanted to share a link to a great project sheet on Moda's Bakeshop. I usually take a final photo of my quilt to include in my records and have several notebooks for finishes but I don't have a consistent way of writing out project information. I really like Moda's Project Tracker worksheet...especially for working out my batting an backing sizes which seems to be where I get stuck because I'm not prepared with the right sizes too many times. Below is the link if you are interested.

Project Tracker

It still looks like the middle of winter at my house...except we have a lot more sunlight. There's a little light still in the sky when I climb into bed at 10 p.m. I read today that a Russian volcano, Shiveluch, has produced a lot of ash lately, and will most likely affect weather for several years...making the climate cooler or warmer than usual. NOOOOOOO! 

We broke a record for coldest Easter...so the cooler option is just very scary to me! I love my Alaskan summer months. We'll see what happens...warmer or cooler.

Summer forecast...more quilting likely.

A Little Spring Decor Update

 It’s snowing…but I am trying to remain hopeful I will be gardening in a month…or two. 

I was gifted three Easter-themed gifts at my last retreat and it gave me the little push I needed to get my Spring cross stitch piece finished and ready to display. 

For weeks I have been searching locally and online for a framing solution for my Spring cross stitch piece. My first thought was to find a cute Easter wreath and mount it on that. I looked at Michaels and JoAnns right as they got their Easter decorations out but didn’t find any good options. I was also disappointed with the selection of options for wreath building materials. I even looked on Etsy shops.

What’s a girl to do but just dive in and hope a solution arrives magically.

I decided to try my hand at lacing my project.

I started by using an adhesive mounting board I bought from the Fat Quarter Shop. I cut it to size with a 60mm rotary cutter I use for crafting projects. Then I adhered a layer of batting to the sticky side, This was the base for the cross stitch piece.  I used upholstery thread for the lacing…had plenty of that in my stash. Lacing gave me much sharper corners than gluing or using double sided tape to mount the cross stitch piece. 

Part of what got me into stitching pieces other than ornaments was all the great finishing ideas I discovered as a result of having lots of time to entertain myself during the lock downs. I started with videos from the Fat Quarter Shop…then Stitching with the Housewives and then I discovered the world of floss tube videos where stitchers share so many great finishing ideas.

I turned to my stash of fabrics to look for an accent fabric. Not surprising, I found a fat quarter of the perfect batik I don’t remember acquiring and now I wish I had several yards of it!

But it needed a little something else so I dug in my stash for rick rack to add to the mix. Just a little touch of lavender rick rack. I wider width would have been fun…that would have required more searching of supplies…I really wanted to get a display this year.

Too cute.

 It works with all the other fluff around it. The bunny mug rug was from my quilting friend Cecilia. Three of the ladies made adorable retreat gifts. I really need to do that next time.

I might still try the wreath idea next year...if I find one I like. 

I was given this adorable wool bunny ornament by Kaye and then Lori gave me a sweet fabric basket…just perfect for a few of my Bucilla Easter basket stuffers.

The tier tray is full of eggs and bunnies.

It would be fun to make a runner to anchor all this cuteness.

The only spring piece I've had for years was this Mill Hill kit I made a long time ago...I painted the perforated paper to match my last home's decor...still works in this house.

With Easter just a few days away...I have to share these sweet wool eggs my friend Joyce, was working on at our retreat. So gorgeous. Joyce does a lot of wool projects with decorative stitching....and they are all fabulous. 

No word on the status of my Nolting Fun Quilter repair...but you know there are plenty of projects to tackle in my studio. 

I have been sewing now and then on a top made from cotton batik.

Version C with a collar added. No pockets.

I think it is great! So nice to have a fun top!

Lots of darts. It is very fitted. Definitely planning to make it again. 

It has stopped snowing...and the sun is shining.

I am sooo ready for Spring to hop into my part of the world.

Have a Hoppy Easter

Merry March

Wow...March was a busy month with lots of fun times.  First, my best friend who lives in Georgia, came to visit with her son's family that lives in Fairbanks. We had excellent weather the entire week she was in Anchorage...cold but sunshine everyday! 

In the mornings I spent a few hours sewing and keeping my dogs out of the way while my guests got their days started. Turned out to be a very productive time...I finished getting blocks made into rows and rows stitched together to get this little scrap quilt done, Sky Full of Stars Mini II. The finished size is 36-inches square.

The big event for Alaska in March is the Iditarod race. 

This year...after years of talking about it...hubby and I finally got up in our piper cub and flew over the racing dog teams as they started the race. It was a gorgeous day with lots of mountains on display. I hope in the future we can actually get down on the ground to watch the dogs...that would make for some good photo opportunities. We either need to get some skis on the plane so we can land on the frozen river or snow machine onto the river.

After my guests left...and my house was incredibly quiet...I attempted to get some quilting done. About an hour into my quilting session...the timing on my Notling Fun Quilter all of the sudden went wacky. It kept going out of timing within three spins of the hook...off by a quarter of an inch. Extremely odd. Several days spent talking with the Nolting repair expert in Iowa didn't resolve the issue. So my machine was boxed up and sent in for a little Nolting spa treatment. 

I've had my Nolting Fun Quilter for 16 years and this was my first major problem. I'm looking forward to getting my machine back with some new parts and ready to zip through lots of quilting.

There are so many non-quilting projects to tackle so...

I focused on finishing the series of cross stitch patterns for my laundry room. 

I didn't make any color changes to the pattern.

Stitching lettering goes pretty quick...counting is easier.

Irony is my favorite.

On my birthday, I flew to California to visit with one of my sons and his two daughters. I had a little travel drama...late flight into Seattle so I missed my connection and had to spend eight hours till the next Fresno flight. My luggage also got lost...I heard there was a security breach at the Seattle airport as well...though my suitcase did get to Fresno the next day and was delivered before noon.

Anyway...

I did some shopping in the Seattle airport and found the perfect gift for my 3-year-old granddaughter, Kate,  who LOVES  the movie Frozen.

Kate was even wearing her  "Elsa," princess gown when they came to pick me up.

We did a rainy day trip to the Fresno Zoo. Notice me in my rain jacket and Kate in another princess dress not wearing a jacket. She has thick Alaska blood...she's never cold. 

You can feed the giraffes lettuce...they have the biggest tongues!

Between two days of travel on airplanes, I managed to get most of the cross stitches done for a Jim Shore gnome ornament. Just needs backstitching and beads. 

I did a little birthday shopping for myself. I indulged in another set of wee ornaments with cute wooden buttons from the Australian designer, Lynette Anderson. There is a U.S. vendor of her products, Little Quilt Store, super quick shipping.

I did my own conversion to DMC colors.

I finished March with a three-day retreat with a private group at our local quilt shop, Twisted Sisters Quilty Pleasures. We take over the class room for three days, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

My primary project were bunny blocks.

Lots of clipped corners to make so it filled most of my time. I did get all the blocks done! This is a Pattern Basket design, Country Bunnies. 

Retreat also means a little shopping. I found a fun backing fabric...a parrot print which is a companion fabric for the kit I recently finished.

And with two granddaughters...I just had to buy these little fairy themed fabrics. I'll be looking for a few more colors of fairy frost to add to this project.

I  had a reader of my blog say "hi" at my retreat...so fun!

Zipping Through February

I almost missed posting in February…guess that means I was busy!

The month started great with a Material Girls retreat. I had five panel kits ready to go for retreat. I did not share this one on my last post. A quick panel pattern. 

I was not thrilled with the finished quilt top. 

I love the center panel but the fabrics in the kit were so pale...this is a gingerbread village...it just looks blah. 

So as soon as I got home and thought about it some more...I went online and checked out what the actual full fabric line included. I found a layer cake of the line on sale at the Fat Quarter Shop and some of the green holly berry fabric in yardage at another shop online, Lou Lou's Fabric Shop. 

I have already ripped apart the quilt top and have the new fabric cut and ready to sew around the gingerbread village panel. I think it will help to have my design wall at home to remake this quilt. 

The rest of my kits were great and I love the results

The lap version of, "Take Flight," using the panel and fabric line, "Soar," From Northcott. This pattern had some tricky cutting with a gradation fabric...nothing to spare. It all came together wonderfully.

The finish kits from Hoffman for their panels came together perfectly.

I forgot to add the final 2-inch border of the bluish gray batik to the eagle panel but it will get added when I also add a batik border fabric to both panels so they will work as gifts to my sons who are both a little over 6-feet tall. 

I also finished the piano key border for a layer cake pattern from the, "Perfect 10 Quilts," book, "French Vanilla Cake."

And I got about two-thirds of my last kit done, "Colorful."

Another great pattern that came together pretty quickly. 

Whew...that was one of the most productive retreats I have attended...and it was a lot of fun.

 I remember one night had a lot of belly laughing.

Great for the soul!

 

I had a top that finally got quilted!  This was a Debbie Caffrey mystery my old quilting group, The Breakfast Club, made in January 2016. This pattern required 18 blocks. I use a fat quarter bundle from Moda, Los Cabos.

I had been saving this fun wide-back piece for a long time.

Not my most creative quilt job but it is done and I do love it. 

Another Easter-themed Bucilla felt project got finished. 

Nothing says Easter more than eggs...

chicks...

and bunnies.

These little ornaments will make adorable basket stuffers. 

I finished a Sandra Cozzolino cross stitch design that was not Christmas related.

My mottled blue fabric was a little to light for the white bunny so I tried back stitching with medium blue floss in the kit around the bunny's foot on the left and decided that would fix the problem so added the blue backstitching around the rest of the white bunny parts. 

I'm planning to mount this in the center of a little spring wreath...most of the ones I am finding at JoAnns and Michaels aren't quite right. 

I started another cross stitch project, "The Never Ending Cycle," by Hands on Design. It is part of a trio with a laundry theme. My laundry room deserves to be pretty...I spend enough time there! This stitched together pretty quickly minus the night I spent frogging a part I got wrong and then re-stitching it. 

I had a little impulse shopping online. Vinnie Von Fang was on my wish list at 123Stitch and it went on sale...so I had to get Betty Broomstick because one chart cannot travel alone. 

Below is a photo from the large picture windows of the B & B where our quilt retreats are held. We didn't get a view of the mountains and the Knick inlet until our last night at sunset. Lots of fresh snow fell over our four-day stay.

Lots of fun projects lined up for March. Hope I can manage to quilt another top. My goal is one a month...it always is but I rarely finish even six quilts a year. 

Blizzard in the forecast for tomorrow...but...I did see buds on all the tree tops during my afternoon dog walk. It made me feel so much better to see those buds as the wind whipped around me.