Fall-inspired Mini Quilt

I was in Quilting Gallery's Fall-Inspired Mini Swap. Of course, it started in the fall, but the deadline wasn't until January. So I made it in January after all the holiday hubbub was over.

I wanted a fall-looking tree, but I wanted the brighter colors, since I'm all about the brighter colors these days for some reason. With these mini quilts I always try to make them from scraps. They're so small, that there's no reason to go buy something specific (especially given the size of my stash and scrap basket).

I feel like the quilting interfered with the look I wanted to achieve with the back. I should have put the squares along the side so the brown quilting didn't overlap on them. You can't see too well in this picture. It doesn't look too bad from far away, I guess. Ashley has been doing these little squares on her quilts, and I just love the look, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

I may have mentioned how I love Kellie's stuff. Once or twice on the blog. All the time when talking to people. Anyway, this was my own pattern but inspired by her. I wasn't brave enough to do all the quilting swirls she does. Plus, I was pressed for time since I saved it until the last minute (what? gasps), so I defaulted to stippling the background. The applique pieces were attached with Heat N Bond and then stitched with a straight stitch two or three times around for a raw-edge applique.

I LOVE how this turned out. My kids were sad to see it go. I hope my partner likes it too. Her etsy shop had a tree with a bird in it for her logo, so that was part of what inspired this as well.

So now I'll start a list for finished quilts of 2010. For Jacquie's Joy in the New Year challenge, I did end up finishing the binding on one more just past the deadline (12:12 a.m.), so I didn't count it. I haven't posted it yet, because I decided it needed some more quilting in some blank spaces. I haven't done it yet, because people are having babies by the truckload in my neck of the woods, and I have to get caught up on that situation. They're all boys too, and I really don't have a lot of boyish things ready to go. Oh, no! I have to start new quilts. Fun, but defeats my whole finishing-up-WIPs goal. 2010 is my year to catch up. I hope. How are you all doing in the new year project-wise? I'm afraid I started a number of new quilts already.

You also may have noticed that my list of current projects expanded. I decided that in the interest of full disclosure I would list every quilt that is under construction in my house (not the garage yet). I kept going back and forth about whether to put things that were just awaiting quilting or only quilts I was actively working on. It seemed inaccurate the way I was doing it, so I just went to my sewing room and found them all, wrote them all down, and gave them pseudo-names (which may be changed at any future point, some of them). All right. It has been a while since I blogged, so apparently I had a lot to say. Hoping to have more to show on a regular basis. Have a great day!

P.S. I cannot get blogger to allow paragraph breaks. I have no idea how to adjust my settings to fix this. If anyone knows, I would appreciate the help. It's obnoxious to have this huge pile of paragraphs together. Thanks!

Quilting Gallery Summertime Swap

I ended up being in two swaps at once, and I have to say that I kept getting a little muddled about who was getting which quilt. This is for the Quilting Gallery's Summertime Mini Swap. This is the quilt I got.

As you know, I love patriotic quilts, and I thought it was so sweet that my swap partner, Tena, looked at my blog and discovered that. She made it especially for me, and I love it. Thank you, Tena!

Here is the one I sent to my partner. Again, I don't know if she has gotten it yet, so I didn't take pictures of it with label on the back. I did label both of my quilts, though. This person said she did NOT like the bright, funky fabrics. So I made this quilt the opposite of the other. I'm pretty sure I sent them to the correct people, but I swear I had to double-check several times. I didn't want to send the wrong quilt to the wrong person.

This was based on a Fig Tree pattern called Petite Fleurs. I would love to make a larger quilt of this pattern, but I have so many detailed quilts already, that I can't allow myself to start it. It's still on my mind, though.

I used most of what was left of my Seaside Rose and a little bit of something else -- I can't remember what, though. Provincial Garden? Maybe Simplicity. I can't remember. I just have little pieces. Oh, I'll just go check, for goodness' sake! Okay. It's Tickled Pink by Robyn Pandolph for Moda.

Quilting detail -- crosshatch in the center with stippling around the border.

Block detail -- those are one-inch finished squares. It's a great quilt for honeybuns, although I just used my scraps. That was the very last of the blue floral from Seaside Rose. I think if I had like a Patisserie or Mill House Inn honeybun or two, it would go pretty quickly. I think I would HAVE to strip-piece it. Okay. You see how I'm dwelling on this? Didn't I just say I couldn't start it. Oh, this is not looking good on the finishing front. Every new start prevents a finish, right? Oh, but it's so fun. And I made three backs and pinned two quilts yesterday, so I'm making progress. Right? (Rationalization.)

By the way, have I mentioned how much I LOVE Fig Tree fabrics and patterns? They are just so soft and comforting. Anyway, enough rhapsodizing. Hope you have a fun day and get lots done!