{riley blake} challenge

a {riley blake} modern quilt guild challenge. we were give a few fat eighths of cottage garden and able to include any riley blake solids. my inspiration came from an older fabric of jay mccarroll's center city. i loved the challenge of a simple rectangle set in different ways within each other and overlapping.

and my quilt

i am really pleased with how this turned out. {please excuse the terrible picture. my good camera is broken. boo} the process was so freeing. i used a method from daintytime's book, which encouraged quilters to lose the ruler and use the rotary cutter freehandedly.  it was so fun! 

{swaps}

you could say i had a swap problem {addiction} this past spring. here are the mini's i created for my partners. i had so much fun! i think mini's are a perfect way to try out patterns or techniques i may not be willing to try out for a whole huge quilt.

first up is my lizzy house mini quilt. i used carolyn friedlander's aerial grove quilt pattern. what a great i-spy pattern. i actually surprised myself by how much i enjoyed the hand applique process for this quilt. so much so, i'm contemplating a full size aerial grove.

next up is my anna maria horner mini quilt. i took a six-minute circle technique class at our last STLMQG retreat last year and put those techniques to use in this mini orange peel quilt. it was a little time consuming, but i'm pleased with how this turned out.

 the last is my cotton and steel mini quilt. i used a paper pieced spiderweb block for this quilt. i was also inspired by AMH's spinning star pattern. i've always loved the spiderweb block and forsee another of these in full size also.

 besides the quilts, i used this tutorial for these quilt as you go pouches. they were a quick whip up and i think they turned out fun.

 the swaps were a great way to sink yourself into some social media circles and create something for someone else that might be out of your normal comfort levels. it was great and i'd do it again!

{umbrella prints}

i'm pretty excited about this quilt. i've had a package of umbrella trimmings for two years with the intention of making a quilt to enter into the contest. this year i pushed myself to complete it.

lately, i've found myself quilting based off of a lot of patterns, and while i have enjoyed what i'm making, i've felt rather bound. the arrival of daintytime's book into my library and the endless inspiration and creative options in it pushed me to pick up the trimmings pack and set to work. this quilt was inspired by this textile and without a ruler. how freeing to just cut fabric and sew!

i started with a basic block of the triangles, with that as my only 'parameter'. seeing a pile of traingle-ish scraps, i decided the next 'parameter' would be to use all of the umbrella prints scraps, down to teeny tiny bits. the quilt was intentionally left not square.

this quilt was a great intro into the options this book inspires. i'm excited to work on the next project!

quilt stats

size: 55"x45"

fabrics: solids and umbrella trimming package

pieced and quilted by me

{scrap mountain}

another quilt i finished in february for the STLMQG'S WOW is this scrap mountain quilt i started in february 2012. it began as a challenge to use up those scraps, of which my solids were overflowing. i had fun piecing it, but once it was a quilt top, really had a hard time loving this one. in fact i didn't like it at all and almost gave it away for someone else to finish.

i

i WAS excited about the different quilting options available with this one. i used all kinds of colorful aurifil thread i had won and quilted each color mountain with straight lines but in different designs.

the back is almost my favorite.

i am also linking this one up to the Blogger's Quilt Festival. 

quilt stats:

size: 60"x66"

fabric: random kona scraps

pieced and quilted by me

{hello}

{hello} little lonely space of internet. i didn't mean to be gone for so long, but sometimes that just happens. i have a few quilts i finished in february for the STLMQG's WOW {war on wips} that i am just LOVING and am so glad to have finished.

this is my FWQAL {farmer's wife quilt along quilt} i started at the beginning of 2012 with a group of other online folks who wanted to tackle this pattern. this project was a growth builder for me in the piecing of these small blocks, both in accuracy and fabric choices. i've read other patchwork ladies talk about how they chose fabric they like for the individual blocks when they worked on them, but not necessarily coordinating between all blocks, somehow still ending up with a quilt you love. through the questioning of myself and my fabric choices as i worked on this {over YEARS} and having those choices change, i am completly in love with the final product. it makes me want to do another even scrappier quilt.

the other appealing thing for me on a project like this is the speed in which one can make a 6" block or two. a block here and there add up until you have a quilts worth.

i also really wanted to finish this whole quilt myself. the spiral quilting i thought would soften the block edges and was a technique i really wanted to try. i'm really pleased with the results.

i'm also linking up with the Blogger's Quilt Festival. 

quilt stats

pattern: Farmer's Wife Quilt

size: 90"x99"

piecing, quilting: me

fabrics: AMH fabrics, DS fabrics, and others

{year end}

whereas blogging has not been a strong suit this year, the same hasn't been true of my sewing. i'm wanting to do a quick post with some quilts i have finished in time for the end of the year and stlmqg's wow {war on wips}. i may add some more details to these later, but for now, pictures and a short recap are good for me {yay for finishes!! and a lengthy post!}.

 quilt pattern: spell it with moda {free}

size: 60"x60"

fabrics: all different

pieced and quilted by me {a free motion practice and success!}

 pattern: modern alphabet by Tula pink

size: 66"x78"

fabrics: random

pieced and straight line quilted by me

 pattern: scrappy trip around the world {free tutorial}

size: {there are actually two made, only one pictured} 48"x48"

fabric: dream on by urban chicks

pieced and quilted by me {the second is another loopy free motion practice and success!}

wip since may 2012

 quilt pattern: summer sampler series {free}

size: 52"x52"

fabrics: kona solids

pieced and quilted by me

wip since may 2011 {i had made two others to give. this one was for me}

 quilt pattern: interlocking stars, later called sparkle punch by E.H.;
guidance for the tree skirt from Cindy's book

size: 44"

fabrics: red and green and yellow

pieced and {star free motion!! yay!} quilted by me

wip since feb 2012

 my masterpiece {i kid, kind of}

pattern: x plus 12"block

size: 96"x96"

fabrics: all of the lovely AMH hoarded stash

pieced and quilted by me

wip since feb 2013

excited for a productive year and to have crossed off some of my resolutions from last year off my list.
cheers to a new year!

{lou bee} wrap up

we finished our gift giving this spring. sticking with the theme of pillows, i have two more to share.

inspiration was easy to find after perusing kristy's pinterest board and finding this fabric bundle of sarah watson's Dem Bones. i drafted a paper pieced skull pattern imitating the fabric that is on the back {and not actually shown here}. 

lynne's pinterest board revealed her love of the plus pattern. combined with her known love for solids, this pillow came together in another low volume project. 

i'm so pleased with the way all of these pillows turned out, specific to each of these special ladies. i'm looking forward to another year, another round!