2015 Finish along - Quarter 1

As part of my New Year's resolutions, I really wanted to clear away the clutter, and finish up my WIPs. My goal for the new year is to finish most of my WIPs early on (I don't have many!) and leave the rest of the year for newer projects.

Luckily, a few of them are so close to being done...and I should have a few done in the next week or two (I hope!).

I am joining the Finish Along with Adrianne at On the Windy Side, in hopes that a link up and potential prizes will motivate me to finish some of the things hanging over my head.

1. My first project is finishing my modern maples quilt. This is from my New Quilt Bloggers bee. As of today, it is quilted and the binding is sewn on the front. I just need to sew the binding down to the back, bury some threads, and wash it. It's backed in flannel, and I cannot wait to cuddle under this one on the couch. South Florida winters are short! It has dropped to 60 degrees at night here--for me that's cold enough to need a flannel quilt.

2. My supernova friendship swap quilt. I'm so close to finishing the hand quilting. I am trying to finish this one in the next week or two. I think the final link-up is at the end of the month. Also, I just really want to have it done, it's so bright, and will be my new "sofa quilt."

3. My carpenter's wheel quilt. This one needs two more borders (just solid). I received the backing fabric this week, so I'm hoping to baste it soon, and get started on the quilting. This one will be going on my bed, so I really want to finish it soon!

4. A beach tote, for my mom and sister. They're stopping by in Ft Lauderdale before leaving on a cruise in a couple weeks. I hope to have this finished by then, so they can take it with them. I have the fabric ready, and a plan. I just need to cut and sew.

5. My 2nd Moneta. I made one last summer, and bought the fabric to make two more. They never got made. I want to make at least one in Q1. I chose springtime fabrics, so I want them to be ready for spring.

6. My AMH Art Student Tote. I got this pattern, and the Priory Square fabric for Christmas. I am hoping to improve my bag making skills a bit, and finish this one. I love the size of this bag, and know I'll get a ton of use out of it.

7. Rainbow wall hanging (based off of the Fiesta Wall Hanging in Quilting Modern). I am making this one for my local modern quilting group's exhibit in the Broward Quilt Expo in March. I have started piecing it, but need to have it finished by mid-February. Luckily, it's small.

8. Flying geese quilt for my brother. I am trying to make an improv style flying geese quilt for my brother using my 'manliest' fabrics. I haven't pieced anything, and have only cut a bit. This one is a huge stretch for Q1.

9. My AMH Feather Pillows. I made a few extra blocks when making bee blocks for Stephanie at Late Night Quilter. The plan is to re-do a couple of my sofa cushion covers with these. This is a small project, so I may just save it for mid-March, when I'm feeling like a loser for not finishing anything (ha!). Luckily, this one could be finished in an evening or two.

I think this is enough to keep me busy, and I'm hoping that I will make a dent in these projects (or finish them!). Most are either small projects, or nearly finished projects, so I'm optimistic!

Wish me luck!

Winter Trees: A Finished Mini

I can't believe it's January 2nd, and I already have a finished quilt:

 

I made this as part of the Schnitzel and Boo Mini Quilt Swap. I was inspired by these blocks I made for Jill @ Pie Lady Quilts for our online bee. These improv trees were so much fun to make, and I thought it would be fun to make a quilt using the same block. 

 

 

My partner seemed to like nature inspired quilts, and blues/greens, so I thought these would be perfect for their quilt. Along with the improv trees, I made some blocks with birch style trees to break things up a bit (inspired my Crazy Mom Quilts)

 

 

I decided to quilt this with wonky square/spirals.

 



I love how the yellow tree stands out! I called it winter trees because the blues and newsprint made me think of winter. Also, there are no leaves on the trees, which seems wintery to me.

For the binding I just used solid blue, I can't remember which shade this is...and just a tiny bit of Kona Grass. For the back, I used a leftover Juliana Horner print from the backing of another quilt. I know it doesn't match, but my partner likes orange...and it's going on a wall :)

 

 

This is my first swap, and my first mini. I'm really happy with how it turned out--I hope my partner loves it too! I also had fun trying something new (thanks Jill!). I'm also looking forward to seeing what I get in the mail later this month!

 

Hope everyone had a very Happy New Year!

 

Because it's Friday, I'm linking with Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts and the Weekly Inspiration Linky Party at Nini and The Sea



My Quilty Resolutions for 2015

Happy almost New Year!

Yvonne at Quilting Jet Girl is hosting a linky party to share your quilty resolutions for 2015. I thought this would be a good chance to reflect a little bit, and make some new goals for 2015.



1. Make what I want to. Quilting and sewing are my hobby, and my way to unwind after work. I want to make sure I'm valuing my time, and work on projects that make me happy.

2. Play more. My favorite projects have been those I've done while just experimenting and playing around. That's what makes me happiest. I like the lack of structure in my creative play time :)

3. Use the fabric I love (while I still love it). I'm worried about turning into a fabric hoarder! my goal this year it to use the fabrics I've been collecting, and not hoard them--there is always going to be more fabric. I also know my tastes will change, so I may as well use it up, before I stop liking it.

4. Learn to make more bags and clothes. I have a few bag and clothing patterns that I really want to try. I love making quilts, but it is good to try different things. I would love to expand my handmade wardrobe.

5. Make some things for the apartment. I've been promising my husband a new tea cosy and oven mitts for the longest time. I'm sure I could make them in just an afternoon, I just need to sit down and do it.

6. Finish the quilt for my bedroom. This was the reason I learned to quilt--I wanted a new duvet. Every time I start a new project, my husband asks when I'm going to make our quilt. This one is high on my to-do list.

7. Try new things and work outside of my comfort zone. This one is still pretty easy for me--I only started quilting in April, but I do want to keep learning new things and challenging myself. My favorite projects have been those which have stretched my abilities, and made me try new things.

on that note....

8. Learn to FMQ. I will learn, or at least try to learn, to FMQ this year. Even if I only try it on teeny tiny mug rugs and potholders, I'm going to do it.  

9. Finish more things. I do not like having WIPs, they keep me awake at night. I feel much, much happier when I have fewer than 3 projects on the go. My WIP pile stresses me out. I hope to get a handle on them very soon.

10. Be involved. One of my favorite things about quilting is the quilting/blogging/instagram community. Not only do I love the bees and swaps I've been involved in, but I love having the quilting support community (and people who are interested in talking about quilting and sewing!)

I think that's enough for me for now. I've had a great sewing year this year, I've had a lot of fun and I've learned a lot. I can't wait to see what next year brings!

And because I think this needs a quilty picture, here is my favorite, not yet blogged about, quilt from this year:

It was a windy day here in Hollywood

How about you? What are your resolutions for next year? Be sure to head over to Yvonne's linky party to see what everyone else is up to.

Have a very happy New Year!

My Latest Adventures in Bag Making

Hello again blogging friends.

I hope everyone has enjoyed a nice holiday season. I can't believe my 4 day weekend is already over, and I'm back to work tomorrow. I didn't do much holiday sewing, and it's been pretty quiet around here, so I've gotten a lot of sewing done (I've also eaten a lot of chocolate and cheese).

Now that I've gotten more experience under my belt, I've decided I want to try making bags. My first bag attempt was earlier this fall. I made Noodlehead's Cargo Duffle to use as my new carry-on/overnight bag.

 

I really love this bag. It's the perfect size and shape for me to use as a weekend bag or a carry-on -- not too big, not too small. I'm able to hold two changes of clothes, and my makeup bag for a long weekend. As a carry-on I can fit a jacket, my tablet, a snack and my EPP supplies. The front pockets are very handy for smaller things, like my phone or wallet.

 

I would highly recommend this free tutorial, it was great for a beginner like me. I think her patterns are very clear and easy to understand. Now that I know a little more about bag making, I think I would add a few extra pockets to the inside if I made it again.

 

I also learned to make a boxy pouch last week. This one was a pattern I got from an older issue of Love Patchwork and Quilting.

 



I was able to make this one in about an hour and a half--which is pretty quick for me. Now that I've done one, I think I could make the next in less than an hour. I ended up using this one as a Secret Santa gift at work, and filled it with chocolate. Pouches are very useful though, I'm sure I'll go back to this pattern again!

Now that I'm getting the hang of inserting zippers, I think I'm ready to make something a little more complicated. I got a couple of patterns for Christmas, and I'm anxious to open them and make things. Do any of you have a favorite bag or pouch pattern that you'd recommend?

Happy Sunday!

This week I'll link up with Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story,  NTT Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation, Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts and the Weekly Inspiration Linky Party at Nini and The Sea

Colorado Beauty

Since we got back from our Colorado Thanksgiving break, I've been working to finish my very exciting Colorado quilt top. I am very excited to finish and gift this one! I hope it's done in time for Christmas.

I wanted to make a Colorado inspired quilt, and thought it would be a little boring to make a pixelated quilt in the shape of Colorado (a rectangle). I got a lot of inspiration from pinterest, and decided to do a quilt that looked a little like a map of Colorado, with the desert, mountains and plains.
 

I started by making these improve/scrappy squares in different color groups. Red was for the western desert/red rocks, purple & blue for the mountains, and green & orange for the plains. I haven't been quilting for long, so I was very surprised at how many scraps I had from the last 6 months..

 

I turned all of those squares into HSTs and started playing on my design wall. My plan was to have a star where Denver was, and have the rest of the HSTs arranged randomly on the rest of the quilt.

While I was playing, I realized I had made a Colorado Beauty block in the center. I decided to keep it--it went perfectly with my theme :) and I drew up the plan for the entire top.

To plan the top, I printed out a map of Colorado and drew a grid on it. Then marked off my center block (the Colorado Beauty block) in the Denver area. The rest of the HSTs just framed it.

I finished up the top and basted the quilt today:

It was hard to get a good picture in my living room, but I'm really excited about this one.

This quilt represents a lot of firsts for me--my first scrappy quilt and my first roygbiv quilt. I am also in love with the design! I love the colors, the layout, and how this represents Colorful Colorado so well. I am already planning another one for myself, though I don't think I'll do all of the scrappy squares. I need a good rainbow bundle.  

I'll leave you with one more photo of Colorado before I go:

The Flatirons in Boulder

 Happy Sunday!

This week I'll link up with Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story,  WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced,  NTT Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation, and the Weekly Inspiration Linky Party at Nini and The Sea

And before I forget, I've also joined instagram (kateyates8). I've been posting a lot more of my WIP posts there, because I'm a lazy blogger :)

Moody Blue - A Finished Quilt

After a nice visit home to Colorado, I'm back and ready to share my latest finished quilt, Moody Blue.
 

 

It feels very good to have this finished, and to be able to give it to my mom. I realized I bought this top five years ago, last weekend. Which officially makes this quilt my longest running project.
 
 Now that it's finished, I am really happy with the quilting. I don't think I'll try such a dense design, on such a large quilt, for a while. It took a long time. You can read more about it here and here.

I decided on a plain, navy blue binding, and an embroidered label (my first time doing a label this way, and I love it). You can see from the photo, my parents' deck was a little dusty.

View from my parents' front porch--The Twin Peaks in the background (Longs Peak and Mt Meeker)

I was very worried about washing this quilt, but luckily had a strip of blocks leftover. I was able to do a test wash last weekend to make sure the quilt was safe to wash. It was made of "mystery fabric" so I wasn't sure. Surprisingly, All Small and Mighty was better for the fabric than the "quilt soap" I won at last months' guild meeting.

I WANT A PUPPY!

 

It was wonderful to spend some time at home, and I got to see my favorite dogs. They enjoyed my photo shoot.

I'm glad quilts are machine washable, because these two enjoyed walking all over it.

I have many projects to finish between now and the New Year, I hope I stay motivated for the next few weeks--I think that vacation was just what I needed to motivate me to finish (and post about) a few of the other things I've been working on.

I'll link this week with Nini and The Sea, Quilt Story, My Quilt Infatuation, and Crazy Mom Quilts

Happy Monday!

That's It - Finished Quilting

This week I finally finished quilting my Balinese Batik quilt, and I am so happy it's all over.

I wrote about this quilt twice before, here and here.

I loved this quilt top when I bought it 5 years ago. I like the prints, the colors, the metallic bits, and it reminded me of Indonesia, which made me happy.

 

 

I fell out of love soon after I started quilting. I quilted this with a large spiral, which I think was a good choice.

 

For the quilting, I used Aurifil 40wt in a variegated white/blue color (called out at sea, I think), and I think the thread really works. I have learned that one spool of thread is not quite enough for a quilt of this size -- I did run out of thread, with just the corners left--so disappointing!

 



This quilt top was made of 4 or 5 different types of fabric, all seemed to be synthetic. Some of the fabric was stretchy, some slippery, some wrinkly...all difficult to deal with. Have you ever quilted anything not made of quilting cottons?

The fabrics stretched and slipped all over the binding, and the basting didn't really keep it all in place like one would hope. Over time, this quilt became less rectangular, and more...something else. I couldn't really get a good picture (it's too big), but you can see in the photo below, it has some very wavy edges.

Also, the points were very, very bulky, and I ended up with a few puckers on the back.

My husband looked at it the other day, and said the wrinkles on the back "looked cool," I'm happy someone likes them.

I won't lie, this fabric was so slippery and stretchy, I even ended up with a pucker or two on the front. Luckily, the fabrics are so busy, you can't tell from the photos--so they don't count, right?

I've never had such problems with quilting, so I was kind of disappointed at first. If I had known better when I bought it, in my pre-quilting days, I'm sure I would have passed. Live and learn, right?

This quilt will end up on a bed, so I don't think it will be too noticeable. I am hoping no one else will notice the mistakes as much as I do.. I'm bringing it home for Thanksgiving in two weeks--I'm very excited to have this nearly finished.

One thing I haven't thought about--washing it or naming it. Can I even wash these fabrics? I really wish I'd thought about that a few months ago. I should have tried prewashing it, oops!

I'll worry about that next week when I'm done binding. For now, I'll just celebrate this small victory, and take a break with some hand quilting .

Happy Tuesday!

This week I'm linking with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced and NTT Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation