Category Archives: Quilts

The Garden Continuum Quilt

I decided to participate in the Modern Quilt Guild’s Michael Miller Fabric Challenge. My plan was to fussy cut some blocks and then improvise from there, although I must admit my improvisation ended up taking place on my drawing pad so that I would have an idea of how much fabric I would need to surround my blocks. Does that mean it is not really improvised? Can there be no planning with improvisation? Perhaps not!

I am calling this quilt the Garden Continuum. It is 48″ x 64″. I used all 6 of the fat eighths provided and I think I made good use of them. I used 2 yards of fabric for the background and the binding, and also added about an eighth of a yard of a solid green fabric.

In keeping with the theme of the quit, I went with edge to edge swirly quilting so that the garden blocks blend in and appear to be floating in the continuum!

Aunt Lucy is Quilted

Just an update regarding my Aunt Lucy Quilt. I have finished quilting and binding her. The fun thing about this quilt is that it has a wonderful collection of Reproduction Fabrics. This was possible because I participated in a block of the month program at Quilter’s Common in Wakefield, MA. Thus I did not have to purchase one bit of fabric more than required and still got this wonderful scrappy quilt.

The quilting was a bit of an adventure for me. I printed patterns that I sized to fit the blocks and borders and used the laser light on my longarm machine to trace them. This is the second time I have turned a quilt to do the borders. I did a test run with a little panel quilt (that still needs a binding). I am happy with the results.

I found the patterns I used in this quilt in May Covy’s Follow the Line’s Quilting Designs, Volume 5, Authentic Civil War Designs and More

Aunt Lucy’s Medallion Quilt

I have a soft spot in my heart for reproduction fabrics and patterns. I love old quilts and enjoy reading about them and have a few old tops that I treasure.

I could not resist Collette’s block of the month at Quilter’s Common for this pattern. I got a bit behind on finishing it but here is the top ready for quilting. I was inspired by Collette to add the striped border. I love how the Green jumps out now. The picture before the outer blocks and border were added highlights the reds. My blue/green border gives it another look altogether.

Piecing this top was a bit of a challenge and I feel that I have really improved my skills quite a bit. So, I am glad I spent the time to fuss with all of these blocks.

Good Fortune in Chicopee

My Good Fortune Quilt with Denyse Schmidt’s Chicopee Fabric is finished! I finished it a couple of weeks ago but have not found time to share this with everyone. This is the quilt top that I put together at the BMQG retreat in March.

I used Patricia Ritter’s Bauhaus pantograph for this quilt. I know, I know, I should have just free motion quilted, but I am a big wimp and do not trust my skills for keeping things even and consistent.

I want more time to practice and play! But, I am happy with what I have accomplished with this quilt.

One More Quilt for Boston

I just finished the quilting for this Top.

It is one of the many quilts that the Boston Modern Quilt Guild has put together as part of our Quilts for Boston effort. 25 of the quilts will be displayed in the medical tent at the Boston Marathon this year and others are available to those affected by the tragic bombing at last year’s marathon.

I am not even sure who put the top together. It appeared at the Boston Modern Quilt Guild retreat last month and I told Alice I would finish it. I really like this one. The blocks are quintessentially modern and quite a few are wonderfully improvised. This is the third one that I have quilted. Here is a blog article about the first one, but the second one made its way out of the house without a photograph!

Boston Modern Quilt Guild Retreat

I spent the weekend at the Franciscan Guest House in Kennebunk, ME at a retreat with the Boston Modern Quilt Guild. Quite the quilting adventure. The accommodations were a bit rustic, but that just added to the feeling of being away at Quilt Camp! The Gymnasium we were working in was the best with lots of sunshine streaming in and plenty of goodies to munch on.

I decided to use my Denyse Schmidt Chicopee 2 1/2 inch strips. I hope Kate Spain does not mind that I used her Good Fortune pattern! The pattern is quite intricate and one should not participate in Happy Hour when trying to puzzle through which sashing goes with which type of block … unless one has a seam ripper!

I was amazed at the productivity of everyone. I was happy to get my one project to quilt top stage, but people were going from fabric to quilt or going from project to project. And, there was also lots of great improvisational piecing taking place.

I also have to thank Janis for inviting me on her road trip to Mardens. My fabric haul was modest at 25.75 yards with an average cost of $3.30 a yard! What an amazing place with lots of ultra modern fabric for no more than $4.50 a yard and then there were those bins with fabric for only $1.50 a yard … good designer fabric! Woot Woot!!

Back to Jane

I did manage to get a couple of months behind on Jane, but I got five blocks done for the March meeting. Five more and I will have 50 blocks. The group at Quilter’s Common has been meeting for one year now. Three more years and I might have a quilt top! I don’t think I will catch up for awhile, but I hope I don’t get further behind!

Seven Celestial Sisters

This is the second Tumbling Block, Hexi-Star quilt that I put together with Fabric Foundation. When I made the first one I was thinking I could piece one to emphasize seven of the stars for a Seven Sisters Quilt. I have a secret desire to make a traditional seven sisters quilt, but it will probably be awhile before I take that on. For now I have this little quilt. It is about 39″ x 35″ and the fabric gives this a genuine celestial look just like the Pleiades Constellation that the pattern is named for.

I do have a seven sisters quilt top that I quilted. The top is a vintage top purchased on eBay so I don’t have any idea who made it and where it was made, but the fabrics look like 1940s to me.

Hmmmm, looks like I need to find time to put a binding on that quilt!

a Very Bright Quilt

This is about the cheeriest quilt I have ever made. I think the very cold, very long winter inspired this quilt. Makes me long to sit on the beach and soak up some sun! This quilt is made with Melissa White Fairlyte Garden fabrics. The quilt is 98″ x 67″ which works well for an extra-long twin bed. The pattern is from All People Quilt.

Autumn Splendor

Well, the splendor of autumn has past, and now we are faced with bare trees until Spring. I really did enjoy the change of the season this year and was inspired by all of the bright autumn colors in the trees. Also, one of my Block of the Month projects fit right in, because I chose the Harvest Road color scheme for my BOM that I am doing at Quilter’s Common.

So, for one last bit of autumn inspiration in my quilting I put this table runner together for my friends who were kind enough to invite my husband, his Mom and I for Thanksgiving Dinner. I picked three of the block patterns from the BOM and stayed close to the colors that Antoinette chose for two of them, but decided to go with green instead of yellow for the center block.

Now I am going to have to be inspired by the colors of the Holiday and also the ice blue skies of winter.