Quilting Like Qrazy!

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Hi Friends! It's been almost 4 months since I posted anything here, so I just wanted to pop in and say hello and show you what I've been up to. No paper crafting, but crafting, nonetheless.

Back in February, I mentioned that I was teaching my daughter to sew. She picked up the basics fast (she's a crafter, like her mama!), and now she is taking a quilting class. Being around all that fabric got me interested in sewing again, and I made a few bags (sorry about the poor quality--these were made at night with my cell phone):



These bags were fun to make. I used a pattern called Mini Bow Tucks. I think it must be a popular one. I've seen this style bag all over the internet.

After the simple bags, I wanted something a little more challenging, so when I saw the free 2016 Block of the Month Quilt Class by Lynette Jensen over at Craftsy, I signed up. Several people I showed it to thought it was really too difficult for a first quilt, but having a video tutorial for every step helped a lot. I finished the quilt top yesterday:


It's a queen size quilt, so had a hard time getting a pic of it on a bed and it looks a little wonky here, so I used my photo program to give you a better look at it.


I laid it on the floor, got on a tall step ladder, and took a photo of the left side and then the right side of the quilt, then, in the computer, I merged the two pics. So, if you look closely, you can see a couple of places where it didn't line up perfectly, but, you get the gist. Now I just have to learn to quilt it. I wanted to hand quilt it, but it's so large, I'm thinking I'd better learn to machine quilt instead. Hopefully, I can finish it completely by the end of the summer. In the meantime, I'm working on 2 European shams and two standard shams, as well as appliqued pillowcases to match. I can't wait to redecorate my guest room when I'm finished!

With the previous quilt project being a block of the month project, I had some down time between pattern postings, so I started a lap sized Starburst Mystery Quilt over at the Quilters Club of America site. We don't get the final reveal for a little over a week still, but using the pieces of the pattern we've been given so far, this is my guess as to what it is going to look like, minus the borders:


I chose the fabrics having no idea what the quilt would look like, and, so far, I'm liking it. Of course, you can't hardly go wrong with batiks. Oh, and get this--I've always loved the vintage look in my papercrafting, so when I saw a fabric that looked like old newspaper postings, I chose it for my background fabric. After I got home, I saw the designer name in the selvage, and it is none other than Tim Holtz!!! Cool, right?

Finally, facing more downtime as I wait for the final reveal of the mystery quilt, I signed up for yet another FREE Block of the Month called Maggie's First Dance. (I seriously like FREE stuff!) If you are interested, there is still time to sign up. The pattern won't be posted on Jacquelynne's blog--you can only get it via email by signing up. She had a kit for it, but it's sold out, however, she gives you fabric requirements so you can buy whatever fabric you'd like for it. I decided to go with fall colors. Here is my first month's block, all finished:


Isn't the block pattern adorable! Seriously, if you enjoy sewing at all, you should go check out this BOM. The entire quilt is gorgeous, and Jacquelynne's instructions are crystal clear, even for a newbie, like me.

Well, off to help my daughter cut backing fabric and batting for her first quilt. I'll post pics of her finished quilt in a few weeks.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are enjoying a lovely summer, wherever you are!

~Hugs,
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2 comments :

Leslie Miller said...

Pardon me while I pick my jaw up off the floor... wow! That's a lot of quilting and crafting and, yes, it's so cool that the fabric pattern on your mystery quilt was designed by Tim Holtz. Really love those bags. Beautiful pattern and applique on the large quilt. Imagine all the time it would take to hand quilt it. Great job piecing the two photos together. My friend is a quilter and I know how all-consuming this is. You're amazing, Cheryl! It's good to see this post from you.

Michelle said...

I came over from Jacqueline's link up to see your Maggie's block (love the fabric choices by the way) and was delighted to see your other beautiful projects.