Indie Folk King Sized Patchwork Quilt

Indie Folk designed by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery fabrics is stunning.  My customer was torn between this line and one other.  She made the right choice.  Yes, this is a commissioned king sized quilt.  A bonus as I’m working on this quilt, I am creating a video highlighting my process.  Can’t wait to share with you that process.

Fabric

Lots of prep work goes into making a king sized quilt.  Half yard bundles of the fabric line were necessary and Fat Quarter Shop had the full line and great pricing.

For a patchwork quilt I prefer to incorporate coordinating solids.  No one near me sells Art Gallery solids and I really struggled to find them online, especially at a price I liked.  Crimson Tate stocks FreeSpirit solids and they coordinated well with Indie Folk’s colors.

Cutting

To maximize the fabric I cut 4.5 inch squares.  That means ALOT of squares for a king sized quilt.  My customer wants patchwork and this delivers that design element.  This step was probably the longest out of all of them since I needed around 700 squares.

Even the scrappy strips and snippets are delightful.

Sorting

Cleaning my sewing area after cutting was imperative.  This project will take over all my workspace for the next few weeks.  Having it organized and ready to work at all times is a huge time saver.  Taking the 10 minutes to clean was well worth it.

When prepping for a big project, this is a great time to check your machine as well.  I prepped three bobbins, cleaned and oiled my machine before starting any piecing.  Also, I put in a fresh needle for piecing.

The last step for preparation is sorting my fabrics.  This project I sorted by the print or solid.  Some projects I will sort by color, especially if a scrappy quilt.  You need some space to make a sort effective.  Using an extra cutting mat or folding table is helpful.

Next week I hope to share my portion on piecing the top.  Any guesses how many rows I need for this quilt?

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Indie Folk Quilt – part 2

Indie Folk Quilt – part 3
 

Finishing My Great Grandmother’s Quilt Blocks

Over the years I have contemplated what to do with these lovely blocks that my great grandmother stitched by hand.  My grandma let me play with them as a child and build my sewing skills by sewing these together.  Maybe I was scared or nervous that I wouldn’t do these blocks justice?  How could I finish her work?  Inspiration struck a couple of weeks ago and then some free time over the weekend made it happen.

First, I had to rip out the stitching I had already done.  The stitching was not great, it was wonky and some spots were dense, but it adds to the story of this project.  As the stitches were being taken out I noticed the blocks weren’t the same size and would need to be trimmed to use in a project.

The trimmings made a lovely little pile of color.

To fully utilize the blocks, I wanted to make a wall hanging.  We have a couple of spots in the living and dining room that could use some art. Until this weekend I was going to hand sew the blocks and finish with hand quilting.  My thoughts were changed since that is not my style.  If I’m going to create with these blocks, I need to put my touch on them.

Machine sewing and quilting.

The top is lovely.  Once it’s quilted I’m going to hand wash in some blue Dawn to help take out some of the staining.

The backing from my vintage sheet collection.  It’s one of my mother in law’s, so blending both families together.

I’m going to straight line quilt this and I’m stumped.  Leave your feedback on thread color choices.

Would you quilt in grey or white?

Top Posts from 2015

Last week I shared my favorite posts from this year, really some great quilts and projects.  My favorites vary from what you and the internet find as favorites.  Analytics kind of geek me out.  Seriously, this is exciting information for me.

Without further ado:

rp_bright-birch-scrap-quilt-2-1024x669.jpg
Bright Birch Scrap Quilt

This one doesn’t shock me at the least.  It’s also one of my favorites, but I saved it for this post.  We use this quilt all the time and goes everywhere with us.  It went on a few adventures this summer and it’s currently being used on our basement couch.  Perfect size and great use of scraps.  Add this one to your list and make it!

rainbow scrappy charming plus quilt (2)
Rainbow Scrappy Charming Plus Quilt

This one I had to be a bit secretive about.  Folks, I lied when I said it was being mailed out.  NOPE!  It was a gift for someone that I know follows my blog and social media.  Since I wanted to keep it as a surprise, I used some different language on my post.  She loves the quilt and doesn’t let others use it.

stacked windmills bella quilt regular
Stacked Windmills Bella Quilt

Stacked Windmills Bella quilt kind of surprised me.  It was supposed to be a gender neutral quilt, but the baby came a bit early.  Turns out it’s a girl.  I was very torn as to remake something more girly or let it ride.  The feedback in the comments was perfect.  Thanks so much for all your kind words about being okay to not be super girly and letting girls know colors don’t define them.

simple charm quilt
Cloudy Skies and Rainbows Quilt

Pretty sure this was a hard quilt to make and honestly write about.  The events around this quilt are still just hard to fathom and talk about.  I wanted to process my own grief and give someone a bright and cheery item as they move forward with their grief.  It was a dark time for me, I will be honest.  Right after this quilt was made and sent, I lost my grandpa too.  He was my last remaining grandparent and that relationship was strained for years.  If I’m going to create and share I feel it’s important to give both the lows and highs.

Molehills finished
Molehills Quilt

One of those highs was Michele’s Use The Good Stuff quilt.  She is quite the fangirl of Tula Pink.  She was the perfect person to kick off this series.  I hope to share more with you in 2016.

Again, thanks for reading and supporting me through my creative journey.  Here’s to 2015!


Linking up to Meadow Mist Designs Best of 2015 Linky Party.

Best of 2015 Linky Party

 

 

Use the Good Stuff – Michele

USE THE GOOD

Michele and I met through Indy Modern Quilt Guild.  She’s vibrant, sassy, and also has a fabric addiction.  Hint:  she’s a Tula lover.  I handed over the last of my Neptune scraps to her since I knew they would be put to good use.  Michele talks below about using the good stuff and the process for her.

Grab some coffee or gin (something Michele likes) and read away.

What fabric were you scared/nervous to use?

I finally used my Parisville collection by Tula Pink. I’m actually scared to cut into any of my Tula stash as a general rule.

Gonna cut it!

What drew you to it originally?

I love the hidden designs found in Tula’s work. In Parisville specifically, I loved the rats that are scattered about in the cameo fabrics.

How long had you held on to the fabric?

Parisville came out in 2010, I believe. I purchased a half yard bundle at that time.

What was you motivation to give it a go?

I was attending the Sewtopia retreat in Chicago and one of the patterns being taught was Latifah Saafir’s Molehills. The pattern called for 16 half yard cuts and I knew the Parisville would be perfect.

Molehills on wall

Did you think about quitting and packing it back up at any time?

Ha! Um, yes. I prepped all my fabric a few days before I left and I loved getting it out and looking at all the details again. I was so excited to finally be using it and featuring it in a quilt that was very different from anything I had done before. All was fine until I got to Chicago and actually laid the fabric out to cut it. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. One of my table-mates literally whispered “Just do it already!” when she saw me hesitating. Latifah came around about that time and said that she couldn’t wait to see how my fabrics would come together and finally, I made the first cut.

Molehill top

 

Where is the project now?

Finished! I am looking for just the right place to hang it because, well, I think it’s pretty awesome.

Molehills close-up
Adore your straight line quilting.
Molehills finished
Perfect!!!

What else is in your stash that you are holding on to?

Gracious – I’m going to look like a hoarder, but here’s a few: all of Salt Water, all of Elizabeth, all of Moon Shine, all of Acacia and some pieces of Prince Charming. I also have some Cotton and Steel Viewfinders that I can’t bring myself to cut up yet. I am proud to say that I did use all of my Neptune and most of my Prince Charming, so not all hope is lost!

Would you do it again?

Hoard or cut? Probably both. I tend to hold on to fabric until I think I find just the right pattern or idea. It may take a while, but yeah, it’ll get used eventually.

Other details you want us know?

I am glad I waited for just the right project to come along for the fabric, but I also wish I could speed that process up. I think it’s crazy how quickly fabrics come and go anymore and I hate to be in a rush to use a beautiful piece just because there’s something else new coming out and I don’t want fabric to sit and gather dust. I just haven’t found an even pace for that process yet. I’m slower in making things than manufacturers are at bringing them to market.

You can find Michele on Instagram @mifarley.

Okay I know you have a project to share.  It doesn’t need to be a big designer, just something you didn’t want to use for just anything or a fabric you adore.  Join in the fun with a quick email to quiltytherapy @ gmail dot com