pillow swapping-international style

Remember this sneaky peek?  Well my secret project is now safe and sound in its new home, and its safe to share.  It was killing me having quilty projects that I couldn't show {I may or may not be one of the worlds worse secret keepers...} I suppose that the anticipation is half the fun of swapping, and the wait for my swap package to arrive from over seas certainly wasn't a disappointment!

I was stitching away on these pillows for Ann!  I met Ann through this blog, she was a newish quilter and had emailed me for some tips and suggestions (I was uber flattered) and we quickly became email pals.  Ann lives in Italy right now with her hubby and her adorable two puppies, and we decided to swap quilty projects and settled on pillow covers.  

Ann requested pillow covers in bright warm colors, and these pillows came to light.  I used my Accuquilt Go! Baby and circle die and appliqued these two pillows in a scallop pattern and circle pattern.  I grew quite attached to these, and really want to make a scalloped pillow for myself now.  

I used invisible zippers, which are quickly becoming my favorite way to seal up a pretty pillow, and used this Parisville print for the pillow back.  I really liked the print, and it was the inspiration for the scalloped pillow design.  I also like that if Ann isn't feeling in a piece-y kind of mood, she can flip the pillows around for a fun pretty print.  

Hopefully Ann digs them as much as I do!

In return I received these amazingly beautiful Terrain AND linen quilted pillows!  I was so incredibly excited, Terrain...AND linen??  I couldn't be so lucky.  

They are already snuggled on my couch and look quite content to be there.  I think these pillows are a sign that I most definitely need to keep my Tangled Windows quilt once its finished, now that I have matching pillows!!

Thanks again Ann, its been so fun swapping!

WIP Wednesday {11.9.2011}

It's the anniversary edition of WIP Wednesday!  While I jumped in later in the game, it's amazing how the last year has just flown by.  Thanks Lee for hosting  this awesome WIP party each and every week!

Completed

Tangled Windows Terrain quilt top



More on this quilt top here.  I'm about to get started on piecing the back of this together, and hopefully get it quilted soon!

In Progress

Daisychain ABC Crewelwork Sampler

Pardon the crappy lighting here, I snapped this with my iPhone last night, but I've been making slow but steady progress on this little guy.  It is my go to hand progect when on the go, or vegging in front of  the TV.  While I really like how this is progressing, I already have visions of doing this again using the crewel yarn and possibly some different colors...

4x5 Modern Quilting Bee

I started playing around with some block ideas for this round of the 4x5 bee, and made up a paper pieced test block of some flying geese in my colors.  I think I like it, but I'm not sold.  I may try it again with the angles a little more severe, I think it looks like I just sewed it together crooked, haha. 

This Weeks Stats:

New Projects: 0

Completed Projects: 0

In Progress: 7

Terrain Quilt
4x5 Bee Blocks
Daisy Chain ABC Sampler
FWQAL
Birdie Stitches

Blocks that need to be turned into a quilt top
Spiderweb Blocks
3x6 bee blocks

UFO Quilt Tops (maybe, someday)
Postage Stamp
Central Park squares

Be sure to check out the anniversary edition of WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced!



Tangled Windows quilt top

I have spent just about every free moment I could grab this week down in my sewing room piecing this quilt top together like a mad woman (and the extra hour I had this morning, thank you end of daylight savings time)!  It was almost addicting seeing this sketch come to life in fabric just as I had pictured.  

While I came up with this design myself, I'd like to think if this quilt and this quilt got together and had a baby, it would be this Terrain quilt top.  I just love the geometric design of both the Sanctuary Squares and Garden Fence quilt patterns by Hyacinth quilt designs, and certainly had that idea in mind while I sketched this idea out.  I always have the worst time naming my quilts, but for some reason the name Tangled Windows has stuck with me from the get go with this one.   

I pieced this top together using a layer cake (and a few extra fat eighths) of Terrain by Kate Spain for Moda, Kona Coal and Kona White.  I have quite a bit of left over scraps of Terrain, as a layer cake wasn't quite ideal for the piecing measurements of this quilt top.  I'll definitely incorporate the leftovers into the quilt back {{scrappy quilt backs}}.

 

I just love how the bright vibrant colors are framed in white and then off set with the grey.  I have all intentions  of this being a Christmas gift...but I am oh so tempted to claim this as mine.  

I'll be linking up to Sew Modern Monday over at Canoe Ridge Creations, stop over and check it out! 

little quilt swap-sent

I entered into another round of the Little Quilt-Sew, Vote, Swap group over on Flickr, and this was the mini that I entered into the swap.  I am completely smitten with this mini, and had a very hard time packaging it up and shipping it off to its new home!  It should be arriving any day now, hopefully its well received!

This little mini is made entirely of scraps from my scrap bin and measures 14" x 17".  The solid is Kona white, and I'm completely blanking on the binding!  I know its a Moda print (like that helps!) I wanna say from Me and My Sister Designs, but don't quote me on that.  

I have plans to turn this mini into a full size quilt in the near future, I just need to decide if I should control the color palate a little, or go full out scrappy.  Decisions, decisions.

Hopefully this little mini enjoys its new home, and its new owner is just as taken with it as I am!

WIP Wednesday {11.2.2011}

Its Wednesday...and it's November??  When exactly did that happen?  Seriously I feel like it was just summer, like yesterday, and now next month is Christmas?   Crazy, just crazy.  Anyways, here's whats new!

Completed Projects

October Bee Blocks

In Progress

Terrain Quilt

The nerd in me came out this weekend, and I pulled out my graph paper, pencil and ruler and did some quilty calculations to get started on a new quilt.  I have been hoarding my stash of Terrain for some time now, waiting for a worthy project, and I think I've found it.

This is whats occupying my design wall at the moment, still in the very very rough beginning stages, but I'm excited to work on this quilt some more and see where it goes.  

4x5 Bee Blocks

These are the blocks that I received from the third quarter of the 4x5 modern quilt bee.  The fourth quarter has just started, and the ladies in my hive are so awesome, I can't wait to get working on their  blocks!

Farmers Wife QAL

40 blocks down, only 70 more to go...

This Weeks Stats:

New Projects: 2

Completed Projects: 1

In Progress: 6

Terrain Quilt

4x5 Bee Blocks

Daisy Chain ABC Sampler

FWQAL

Birdie Stitches

October Bee Blocks

Blocks that need to be turned into a quilt top

Spiderweb Blocks

3x6 bee blocks

UFO Quilt Tops (maybe, someday)

Postage Stamp

Central Park squares

Stop over at Freshly Pieced and add your WIP!

BQF: Double Wedding Ring Quilt

It's time for Bloggers Quilt Festival over at Amy's Creative Side! I don't have a new quilt to debut for the the festival this year, but I thought I'd share one of my favorite finishes from over the past few months.



I made this double wedding ring quilt for my cousin and her new husband for their wedding this past August.  I learned a lot while making this quilt, the first being how how to piece an entire quilt of curves!  While I most definitely uttered quite a few curses, and had far too many pin pricks to my fingers, it was 110% worth it in the end.



This quilt is by far the most challenging quilt I've ever tackled, and really made me feel like a real quilter, as silly as that may seem.  I really felt like this quilt was a confidence boost, and made me feel like there is no pattern I can't attempt.



It was definitely hard to part with this quilt, but it was nice to see it going to such a loving new home.  I free motion quilted this, which is my absolute favorite way to quilt, and added some loopy hearts for the new love birds.






I can't say that I will be jumping to make another DWR quilt anytime in the near future, but I am so glad that I tackled this, and proved to myself I can do it!

Quilt Stats:

Quilt Name:  Aviary Double Wedding Ring Quilt

Quilt Size: 55"x67"

Fabric: Aviary 2 by Joel Dewberry, Kona Bone, Kona Coal

Binding: Oh My! by Sanae for Moda

Quilting: All over meandering loops/hearts done by me

October Bee Blocks

Nothing like waiting till the last minute!  I suppose it technically is still October, and my blocks will be headed out  Monday, so I'm on time, but I usually don't like waiting until the very last minute.  Anyways, this months blocks were quite fun to put together!

I have to admit, I was a bad bee.  This block is for Sew Vivid in the solids bee, and it was from all the way back in August!  I must have received the fabric, and then it was swallowed into the abyss that is my sewing room, because I uncovered this package of black and white fabric while doing a quick cleaning of my sewing room just last week.  Eeek!  Again my apologies Viv!  

Anyways, she asked for any kind of star block, with the black as the background.  I had a paper pieced pattern all picked out, and on a whim decided to try out some liberated stars instead, and I am so so glad I did!  This block was so fun to make, and I am really happy with how it turned out.  So striking with the black and white.

These blocks are for Lindsay in the Simply Strings bee.  She requested we use this pattern, enlarged to a 12 inch block, from quilters cache for some paper pieced spiderweb blocks.  I am in love with these colors, and incorporated a lot of scraps from my scrap bin as well.

I cannot wait to see this quilt come together, it is going to be absolutely fabulous.

This block is a replacement block for one of my bee's in the 4x5 bee.  Charise unfortunately received an empty envelope with just a letter from the girl who sent her a block!  We like to say the mailman stole it.  Who knows exactly what happened to the missing block, but I wanted to make Charise a replacement.  I used the X and + block tutorial by Amy from badskirt, and added a few borders to bring it to 12 1/2".  I am in love with this block, and think I need to have a quilt made of this block.  Hopefully Charise is as smitten with it as I am!  I'm going to double and triple seal this bad boy in the envelope before mailing so that it actually gets to her!

Happy weekend stitching!