time of finishing

I have been working hard to finish the 5+ quilts I have started, figuring that having that many UFO's don't cuddle as well as their finished counterparts  :)

In the last 2 weeks I have managed to finish 3.

One a simple 9 patch pattern with awesome bright happy colors that I gifted to my good friend since it matches her happy personality perfectly  :)  I have heard this quilt has become a good companion for her while she unwinds and reads a book after her little one has gone to bed.

Then I started on quilting out the navy blue and white block pattern that I actually started with Kate!  Took me a while to finish it (kept getting distracted making all the fun quilt tops!), but finally it has graduated from UFO to finished project.

I love the simplicity of this quilt, yet provides color to accent a room if you wanted. It continues with my love of being a little scrappy so each color has a little depth.  And the best part, 100% cotton batting to help you keep warm and cuddle up  :)

Finally I finished a slanted diagonal pattern quilt. I will admit, this is one of my favorites I have completed in a while.  This quilt uses one of my favorite blocks, the HST!  And now thanks to the new way to making HST, it goes even quicker! (please see earlier post titled).    I was hoping to finish this teal yellow beauty up so it could be used in our engagement photos, but my allergies had other thoughts that day.

All the quilts I worked on my wandering free motion quilting.  I absolutely love quilting that way because it is like a constant puzzle, adds great detail to the quilt and frankly, is just a lot of fun to do.

All quilts are perfect for cuddling up on the couch watching tv or reading a good book.  Or my pups would say are perfect for making into a soft bed to rest their heads.

Texas- the mighty flag quilt

I recently saw a quilt online that was a scrappy Texas quilt.  LOVED IT!  Not for me though, I am partial to the great mitten state.  But for a friend from Texas, I knew it was perfect.

And her bridal shower was just 2 weeks away.  PERFECT!

So I got busy working with the final dimensions of this great quilt being 50 inches by 70 inches.  The red and white sections are each 25 inch by 30 inch.  The blue section is 50inch by 40 inch.  All squares were initially 5.5 inches, which means in the end, each square is 5 inches. I went for a scrappy look to help give the quilt more dimension.

I tried out spray basting on this beauty. And I AM A FAN!!!  I don't think I will ever go back to pin basting again!  I think spray baste cut down on time by 50-75%.

I also learned how to applique with the star. I found a simple star pattern online, traced it onto a piece of fabric I heated some stabilizer onto.  Then I sewed it onto the top piece.

The back I kept simple with a nice red fabric.

I free motion quilted this one.  I still need a lot of work with my FMQ but I love it.  So quick and beautiful!

And I think my friend who received this quilt loved it!  :)  That is the best part!

back again:) the new Janome

Long time, no write.  And what a busy several months it has been with moving into a new home, getting engaged, and then my machine crashing.  But looks like things are starting to finally chill out.  Thank you!  I am ready for a relaxing summer.

My original sewing machine died when the timing device stopped working correctly.  I went to a local shop to have it repaired, but found out it was going to cost $100 to repair a machine that, frankly, has seen better days.  So I took the plunge and purchased a new fancy sewing machine.  I ended up with a Janome Horizon from a great little sewing store around the corner.  I have to say, I feel like I got the cadillac of all machines with this bad boy.  And after sewing on the machine for a week, I have to say I am quickly getting spoiled.

 After purchasing my awesome new little machine, I have managed to finish another one of my favorite rag quilts.  I used smaller squares of regular cotton the front and flannel on the back. I did this quilt for a friend of mine who had a little one last year.  I tried to gear it towards a boy and the parents love for Virginia Tech

  I will admit the squares did not get sewed together evenly. I was quite perplexed why nothing was lining up consistently.  Then it dawned on me.  The straight stitch option I used on my new machine was to offset slightly to the left of center.  DOH.

It was a great learning experience, and I still think the rag quilt is cute.
















The second quilt I started and finished on my new machine. I cannot believe how quickly it came together on this new machine! Granted this is a smaller quilt (again a baby/toddler quilt size), but I have never finished a quilt with such ease!  I chose to go with HST as a chevron pattern.  And look how cute it is!

I also learned how to free motion quilt with this quilt; and I have to say, I am in love with FMQ.  It is like a giant maze in which you try not to overlap any lines.

I am very pleased with how this one turned out. I cannot wait to finish another quilt I have started.