Freedom's Journey

I've been keeping a secret for a few months and I can finally tell all! My quilt design, Freedom's Journey is in the current issue of the Fon's and Porter Quick and Easy Quilts magazine. It's sized just right for a Quilts of Valor project, or would be pretty in any combination of fabrics. It would also be easy to make larger as the blocks are large and easy to construct. 

 

I took this photo in the full sun so the beautiful quilting shows up really well. Michael Kreft's quilting gives the illusion of a flag waving in the breeze. Or at least it does to me. ☺ What do you think?

I had a lot of fun making this one. I originally made it out of different fabrics, so the first version has more muted colors and the two blues in different places. I like both versions and think it could be changed up in other ways too. 

I did the quilting on this version on my APQS EZQ midarm. 

I wish I could say I always make a label for every quilt, but I don't always get it done. I want to make one for every quilt, if that counts for anything.  But I did make one for this quilt with the picture of the quilt on it.  I use my computer and June Tailor Colorfast White Printer Fabric sheets to make them. 

It is a nice finish for any quilt!

Woven fabric bag

My oldest daughter took up weaving a year or two ago and has made me a few nice scarves. She had told me that people used the woven fabric to make other things as well, so she gave me some woven fabric for my birthday in January. I decided it would be fun to make her a bag with some of it for her birthday. 

I decided to use the Pelican Tote pattern by Bagstock Designs as I've used it before and thought it would work well for this project. I made it 3" taller than the original and made the handles longer too. I debated using different fabrics with the woven, but decided on a midweight vinyl that I have used before. It has a reddish brown cast and looked really nice with the colors of the woven. 

I applied lightweight iron on interfacing to the woven fabric before I cut the pieces out. Once I cut them out, I used a fairly tight zigzag stitch to finish the edges of each piece on my sewing machine. I don't want it coming unwoven.  Then I stitched from top to bottom of each cut, interfaced section in several places following the lines of the design, sort of like quilting it, but I didn't use any batting. I wanted to make sure that the interfacing didn't work it's way away from the woven with use. 

I used a neutral fabric for the lining. This bag has one inset pocket with a zipper. The top edge has a snap that can be used to give the bag a bit of closure. 

I made this little bag to go inside to be used for phone, cash, cards or whatever is needed. I finished it off with a tassel made out of the vinyl I used. I also attached a few kitty charms on it after I took these pictures. I gave her the bag recently for her birthday so it's safe to post about it now.

I have enough left to make myself something too I just haven't decided what to make yet.

 

Cats all over

I recently made a cat inspired quilt using the Kitten and Mouse blocks from Sew Fresh Quilts for my newest great nephew. 

I made the footprint blocks too but didn't like any of the arrangements I came up with to use them on the front, so added them to the back. 

 

Oh Glory! Tablerunner

I taught a class last week in my hometown on this cute patriotic themed tabletopper. Oh Glory! was the perfect pattern for them to learn some new techniques and have fun at the same time. Most of them got at least one block finished, one got 2 finished. I can't wait to see the finished toppers!

 

Snowfall in the snow

 I took some pictures of Snowfall after the snowstorm last weekend. 

You can see the quilting better in these sunny pictures, but also the wrinkles from being folded up. It was hard to maneuver it around on the snow by myself. 

I guess I need to throw it in the dryer for a bit to shake the wrinkles out and take more pictures. It did look pretty on the snow. 

Piping Hot Topper

 I've designed a series of tabletopper/runner style quilts that I'm teaching monthly right now. The first one was the Piping Hot Topper. I chose it to be first because it's an all around fun design and easy to make using just about any fabrics. Holiday prints and other novelties can easily be fussy cut and used in the square in a square blocks. We had a lot of fun checking out everyone's fabrics. I gave them a precutting list, so some of them finished the top in class. It finishes at 30". 

If you click on the pictures, you can see each one had a theme. The pattern can be used in different ways. I made these pillows by using the pattern but differently.

This pillow uses the center of the pattern only.

This pillow uses the whole pattern except the last border. It showcases the cute gnomes in the square in a square blocks too.  I like patterns that can be adjusted to make other things. This one does it very easily. Now that I've taught the pattern in class, it is offered in my Quiltinjeanie Designs Etsy shop for purchase. The others will be offered there as well once I've taught the class. Next up in class next week is Spicy Jars. 

my Piping Hot Topper

Family times

December was a busy month and we had a couple of family gatherings. It was nice to get together with family again. I got to meet my new great nephew, Hayden when he came to visit from Wisconsin. What a cutie and had lots of smiles to share. I had made him a quilt using 2 different block patterns from Sew Fresh Quilts.  I love her animal patterns and she offers quilt patterns and also some of the cute blocks as stand alone block patterns. I used the Love Birds block, the Elephant block and some half square triangles to make a design of my own. The patterns are easy to download and follow. I've used several of her other patterns to make similarly adorable dog quilts. I'm working on some cats now.

 

Do you label your quilts? I try to and have started adding a baby pic to the label for these family quilts.

Elephant Walk

This really has nothing to do with anything, but doesn't Conrad look warm and comfy? I made this basket a few months ago, but it was empty the other day and he claimed it.

I have been quilting and finishing some quilts I designed and taught classes on when I started teaching classes about 16 years ago. I gifted one each to my sisters and brother. (He was gone when I took this picture. I also gave quilts to my daughters and son-in-law for Christmas. 

This is my daughter Wendy with her quilt. I need to nudge the others to take pix with theirs so I have them. 

I bet there were lots of quilts gifted over the holidays!