Last Quilt of 2018!

Getting this last finish in just under the 2018 wire!

Number 3 on my Q4 Finish-A-Long list,

my Year of Fabric Quilt!

This quilt gets it's name from the fact that the overwhelming majority of these fabrics were purchased randomly from my LQS, Lewistown's Sew Pieceful over the course of it's first year or so in business!

I am so thankful to have such a beautiful shop in my local town!

 The original inspiration for this quilt is this lovely by Natalie @njcrabree on IG.

I thought this was a perfect way to showcase all the wonderful fabrics I had acquired, instead of just doting on them stacked on my shelf!

And the design is heavy on the HSTs, so of course it seemed a perfect fit!

I straight line quilted it, using the seams as my guide. 

I pieced a delightful backing for it that I love almost as much as the front!

 I had quite a time deciding on a binding, and had a lot of very helpful input from all my quilty friends on Instagram!  You may see the different options here!

In the end, after plenty of mulling time, I went with the dark Pearl Bracelets, as it just seemed to bring all the scrappy goodness to a tidy conclusion!

 My ever stalwart and faithful quilt holder accompanied me into the frigid outdoors for a few photos this morning!

 The Year of Fabric quilt measures 72"x72"

Thank you, Nash!

 Are you ready to link up all your Q4 finishes with the 2018 Finish-A-Long? The linky party is OPEN!

I only have 2 finishes this quarter, but 2 is better than none, right?!

I hope you will join me and the rest of the Finish-A-Long crew for more fun and finishes in 2019!

Q1 opens January 10th, so get your lists ready!

B is for Brenna!

Number 8 on my Q4 Finish Along List!
"B is for Brenna" started out like this....

 It is my response to an IG friend's open request for wall art for the nursery of her soon to be born baby boy! I thought it was such fun that she would ask!
Are you surprised that when actually getting to it, I quickly returned to my default, Half Square Triangles?

The nursery theme/palette is black and white, with a pop of green.

Luckily I had an Alison Glass panel of b/w prints, and I had to buy some black solid, but I had the perfect little green! Pixie Dots, by Ink and Arrow, mmmm!

 I also made a couple of little fabric buckets, using this free pattern by Christina Camelli of A Few Scraps. I don't know if the pattern will survive the Craftsy rearrangement, but we will see!
It is a very clever pattern, where you use one fat quarter of both outer and inner fabrics, to get 3 buckets! (I only got 2 because I used directional fabric for the outer)

 These were also my very first usable Free Motion Quilting things!

It was a great little project to try out the FMQ and also to end up with some sweet little baskets!

The mini measures 15" square and the buckets are about 4 1/2" tall and wide!
I hope they bring Brenna and her wee feller some happiness!
Linking up with the 2018 FAL Q4 Linky Party!

2018 Q4 Finish Along List

Q4? What, already?!

Ready or not, here is my list of WIPs that I hope to finish this quarter!

I had a very good Q3, so I am pulling out a few of my oldest UFOs this quarter.

Putting them on the list renews my interest in them in a way that just knowing they are there does not!  Let's see how it goes!

1.  Scrappy Vortex

I am inspired to dig this out after Preeti's recent wonderful scrappy finish!

I may have made this as far back as 2014?

2. Front Yard Bundle Quilt

I love this design, but think it needs a bit more something to finish it up, which is why it has languished.  I used a bundle of Front Yard by Sandra Clemons that I won during Fall Market in 2016?

  

3.  Year of Fabric Quilt

A current darling!

4.  Tucker Prairie Medallion

This one has taken off rather suddenly, and I expect I will keep plugging away til it is completed!

I think this one may end up on our bed!

It will also be the third, and likely the last quilt made from the FQ bundle of  my beloved Tucker Prairie by 1Canoe2.

5.  Simply Flying

Outside chance with this one, but sometimes the spurts are sustained and a finish just may happen!

 Flying Geese made with Denyse Schmidt fabrics.

6.  The Sewcial Bee Sampler

This was a 2017 sew along with Sharon Holland and Maureen Cracknell.

I used my beloved Jeni Baker fabrics for the blocks and a Moda crossweave for the sashing.

 I picked up some yardage for the backing last week from my LQS, on sale, aaand it also gave me a great idea for how to quilt it!

Eh?  See what I mean?

The fabric is "Underground Blues" by Designs by jb, for Troy Corporation, part of the "Riverwoods Collection".  I thought the neutral gray/green with the blue stripe would compliment the colors on the front very nicely.  It is actually quite a bit lighter than the photo shows.

7.  Selvedge Color Block

Just carrying this one over because when it finally happens, it will happen fast, and this just could be the quarter!!! :)

8. "B is for Brenna"
A mini, in black with a pop of green for an IG friend, who is decorating a nursery!

You may see the inspiration original here on IG.  It is "b is for blue" by @ml_wilkie and is a featured pattern in the Minimalism issue of Curated Quilts.

I think 8 is enough!
Happy Finishing, friends!!!!
Of course, I am linking up with the Q4 linky party for the 2018 Finish Along!!!
The link up is open through the 18th of October!

Seeing Stars!

Number 1 on my Q3 Finish Along List!!!

"Seeing Stars"

This started life as a Jewel Box quilt, using a charm pack or two of Figures by Zen Chic. 

The design was washed out by the gray background, so this was the improvised solution!

I really love how the design evolved, gaining bands of brightness to counteract the gray.

When I had finished machine quilting it in a large diagonal grid, I added some hand stitching:

a few more stars, and 5 hearts! I also tied some points and centers of the stars, just for fun!

I think the coral binding is the definitive icing on the cake!

This quilt has finally reached my sister, a long overdue gift!

Packed with plenty of sisterly love!

 Linking up with Beth/Cooking Up Quilts Main Crush Monday!
I am SEW happy to finally check this one off the WIP list!

Hunter Star Quilt

Flynn's Hunter Star!

#2 on my Q3 Finish Along list
I made this quilt for the grandson of arguably the most iconic hunter of my lifetime,
a man of integrity and great humor, an adventurer with whom we could trust our young sons through his articles and videos, Canada's own Jim Shockey!

Flynn is the darling son of Branlin and Ashley Shockey.

I made another quilt this year for Flynn's cousin Leni Bow, daughter of Eva (Shockey) and Tim Brent, Ribbons and Bows, for Moda Bake Shop, you can also see it in this post from February! 

They are both finally shipped off this month, and what fun it has been having this transitory connection with families we esteem so highly!
For this quilt, I paired bright and earthy solids with the low volume "Menagerie" print from Indian Summer by Sarah Watson!

A simple backing of polar fleece and a Kona Biscuit binding, and this 50" x 54" quilt is all ready for snuggles!

I hope they love it!

Linking up with Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts and Let's Bee Social!

Kaffe Fassett Challenge Quilt

Number 8 on my Q3 Finish Along list!

It was really good timing that this Kaffe Fassett Challenge came to my attention during the week I was making my Q3 list!

I mean, it came with a deadline and everything!

The parameters were simple enough...make a quilt, minimum size of 50" x 60", using at least 50% Kaffe fabrics purchased from my lovely LQS, Lewistown's Sew Pieceful, to be completed by August 31, in time for the annual Chokecherry Festival in Lewistown, MT!

Now, I won't lie, I am not a huge Kaffe fan, but it seemed like a fun challenge, and with enough entries, the prizes were well worth the "investment", and just a good opportunity to support Tammy and her shop!

 I picked a crazy stripe with colors I loved to be the "action" fabric for a quilt design I figured would need all the slowing down I could muster, using a range of mostly cool, and quiet solids!

With this one stripe, which is actually many strips of stripe variations, paired with the Disappearing 4-Patch design, I hoped the Kaffe would carry the day!

Which, yep! I think it did, pretty well!

I quilted it with my usual straight lines, forgetting that with my new(used) Juki, I was in possession of a walking foot! I remembered about the time I had about 6 lines left to quilt! So, not my best work, I'm afraid.

 I used this great Alison Glass print on the back...all AG is on the sale rack! Score! And this Kaffe ombre stripe that did not make the "solids" cut for the top, became the binding! 

I love the soft color changes in the binding!  The darkest solid is a deep violet, but I have yet to get that to show in any of the photos! Oh well!

And, last shot, on a brace post, just because the sunrise was beautiful this morning!

This quilt finished at 50" x 60".

Thanks sew much for stopping by!

Linking up with Beth at Cooking Up Quilts and Main Crush Monday

and

Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts and Let's Bee Social!

Lady of the Lake Pillow

Number 6 on my Q3 Finish Along list!
Kind of a long shot, but I got 'er done!
Lady of the Lake pillow!

I used 2 Moda "candy packs" of True Blue, by Zen Chic, plus an Art Gallery print for the focal fabric in the four quadrants.

56 mini charms= 112 HSTs for this cushion that finished at 18"!

Using the "chained rows" or "web" method, I was able to piece the sections and keep it all in order as I assembled it!

It is quilted pretty heavily, using my walking foot as a guide to either side of the diagonal seams. 

I also decided to make this a 2-sided or reversible pillow by using a wonderful Coastline fabric, acquired recently from Needle and Foot!  I quilted this side with a simple 1 1/2" grid, on the diagonal.

I also added a zipper to this pillow cover, a new-to-me technique, following this recent tutorial on Suzy Quilts blog.

All in all, very pleased with how this turned out! It gets to live on my bed, not for general household use on the sofa!

Thanks for stopping by!
 I have several more fun finishes to share, so "stay tuned"!
(Wow! is that little saying obsolete these days?!)
Linking up with Beth and Main Crush Monday, over at Cooking Up Quilts!