One +One = Two

Block number two complete!

Temecula Quilt Co mini

The mini group at Connecting Threads which is moderated by Betweens is making this mini in a quilt along offered by Temecula Qult Co..  I love tradional quilts, and have always wanted to make a basket quilt.

Well, I decided this was my opportunity to at least fit in a mini. It will be a great addition to my mini wall. I have also started a red and green applique quilt. Making minis is a great little break from working on such an intense project. Hopefully, I will finish my first block on my red and green and will have something to post soon.

Double Irish Chain

I have been following Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville. for quite some time. She inspired me to try and make a scrappy quilt of mine own. I completed my king size scrappy Double Irish Chain last night. It has been nine months in the making. The finished quilt measures 110X110 inches.  I use Quilter Dream Request cotton batting, moda muslin and scraps from my past sewing projects to make this one. It was the first time I had used a cotton batt to hand quilt. I must say this product does live up to its name when it says it is easy to hand quilt. I also love the drape and the weight it added to this quilt.

I used a celtic quilting motif on both blocks that make up this quilt. I just quilted it in two different sizes. I am pleased with the results.  I tried to capture the hand quilting in  the photo to the right.  The border is made up of four patches joined along the edge and I quilted them in an orange peel design.This is the largest quilt I have ever attempted to make. I am so glad that it is completed, can't wait to snuggle under it tonight.

Getting Closer

I know it doesn't look like much, but actually it is 49 feet of binding for my Double Irish Chain quilt.  This is the quilt that I pieced last summer out of scraps that had accumulated over many years. I decided last June to organize my fabric so I could actually see what I owned. I also had a Rubbermaid tote that was filled to the brim with scraps from other projects. After a lot of folding and cutting my sewing closet was very organized and I pieced a king size Double Irish Chain.  I started quilting this quilt three months ago, so I was so very happy last night when I finally sat down to finish the hand quilting.  This morning after auditioning a few ideas for binding I decided to use the black print out of my stash.  If I did the math correctly I need 468 inches of binding, and my piece of fabric yielded 588 inches. I don't mind having some left over as I make miniature quilts from time to time and the left overs often come in handy then.

Peony Quilt

This quilt started with my love for flowers. I had the whole side of the garage in our home in St Peters, Mo planted with peonies in this exact color.
So with a bit of piecing and some simple appliqued leaves these blocks were formed. The plain blocks will be quilted with feathered wreaths, so it will be very traditional. I will wait for fall to start this one, but it will be hard since this will be a fun one to quilt.

Faithful Max

A week or so ago, Tom was called into work on a Friday evening when we on our way out to eat. So Max and I sat patiently in the truck while he went to work. I often wonder what Max did when we leave him in the car. He always wants to come and enjoys the ride. Well, I started laughing cause he sat like he was at attention ears up staring at the front door of the office. I tried to get his attention, but he was like a guard at Buckingham Palace, very seriously worrying about his Poppy. I guess dogs are man's best friend!

Sneak Peak

I started quilting this king size Double Irish Chain the day after Christmas. It is now in the what I call the final stretch. I am working on the border, and then I decided to go back and put in some orange peel quilting between some of the large motifs. It will help even out the quilting throughout the quilt.

I started this quilt last June when organizing my sewing studio. I had a large rubbermaid tote full of scraps from all kinds of projects I had made this last decade. At one point, I didn't think I would see the bottom of the tote and I was so glad when I did.

Bow Ties

Last Friday, I decided to go down to the local flea market and look for some milk glass containers to use as african violet planters in my bedroom. I had so much fun looking and hunting. I was able to find three containers, you will see them on a later post and this hand pieced quilt. It was just hanging there under a box of linens and I fell in love with it right away. I turned over the price tag................yippee for me four bucks. I have always wanted to make a bow tie quilt but I enjoy quilting not piecing especially bow ties.  I can't wait to finish my Double Irish Chain so I can start this one. There are two red bow ties that are made out of a velvetty fabric that I need to remove and replace with a couple of the blocks that are in the row that is missing a block, but that sure beats having to piece the whole thing.