Crosswise quilt is done

My Crosswise quilt is finally quilted and bound.  You can read my previous post about this quilt here.

Crosswise quilt

What I like the most about this quilt is the block.  It has been called Churn Dash, Monkey Wrench and Greek Cross.  What I like about this block is how perfectly it can be sewn using nickel fabric squares.  I plan to post a tutorial showing how to construct it.

Linda used a pantograph quilting design called Double Bud and Puff batting to create alot of dimension on this little quilt.  The thick batting makes the quilting stand out more.  She has some pictures on her blog that illustrate this a little better.

Double Bud pantograph quilting

I'm showing the back of the quilt here to point out what can happen when you use a white or mostly white background.  Can you see the shadows of the blocks showing through?

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Receiving Blanket quilts

Lainey's small quilt

Doll quilt #1

Doll quilt #2

Doll quilts showing reverse side

After spending way too much time and energy trying to make Lainey's Big Twister receiving blanket quilt reversible, I gave up and found some fabric in my stash that I can use for the backing. I'll post that after it has been quilted. Instead of a reversible quilt, she gets a second smaller quilt, 41" X 45", and two quilts for her "babies"(dolls) that are reversible.  I used the leftover waste squares from the Big Twister quilt to make Lainey's small quilt and both sides of Doll quilt #2.  The leftover squares just happen to be 5" squares!

I had wanted to make the Big Twister quilt reversible because that's how I made her older brother and sister's quilts.   In fact, I made her brother two!!  Of course, he's the oldest.  My youngest granddaughter turns two in May so her blankets are waiting to be made into a quilt also.  Hers will be much easier because they are all color coordinated. Here are a few poor pictures of the other quilts I made. I didn't even get the back side of the last two but they are about the same as the front.

Big Twister quilt



Big Twister quilt

My daughter has had me make quilts for each of her children out of their receiving blankets once they have outgrown them.  After the first two, I got a little behind.  Child number three is already 3 years old so she requested that I make this quilt bigger than the other two quilts that I made.  She told me to just cut them up into 12 1/2" squares and be done with it.  I tried but just couldn't leave well enough alone.  I couldn't arrange the squares in any fashion that I liked.  I decided a twister quilt might work but my squares were too big to use the Twister tool.  So, I figured out the math and made a Big Twister quilt.  I like the look much better and my granddaughter Lainey Jane loves it!  Now, what to do for the back.  The other two quilts are reversible.  I'll show the other two receiving blanket quilts in my next post.

On another note, here's an idea for a quilt.  My grandson Macklane has just redecorated his bedroom with a camouflage theme.  I used camouflage fleece and black flannel to make a quilt for his room.  The two fabrics were quilted together with a large stipple design. No batting was used so I guess technically it's not a "quilt" but Mack loves it just the same.  I used black flannel for the binding and machine stitched it in place which was a great time saver.  Makes for a very quick and easy project!

Crosses and Dots quilt done!

Crosses and Dots quilt

My Crosses and Dots quilt is quilted.  This is the last quilt from my challenge to go to a family member!
Click here to read my previous post about this quilt.

Linda used an edge to edge custom quilting pattern on this quilt.  She describes it as freehand spirals with an occasional flower.  You can see better photos on her blog at L&R Designs.

Ribbonry and Roll of Nickels #2

I have been working on the design of the quilt that you all voted on. I reworked the design in EQ7 and made a few changes to the layout. I also came up with a way to construct it from nine patch blocks. It looks like woven ribbons to me so I am naming it Ribbonry.  Now, to find fabrics to use.  I'm struggling with this!

Roll of Nickels quilt #2

On another note, I made another Roll of Nickels quilt.  I have never made so many mistakes on a quilt in my entire life.  It took forever!  I started with a stack of 5 1/2" squares of homespun fabric left from a previous quilt.  I decided to leave them that size and just cut my background strips to 5 1/2" but instead I cut them at 5".  This meant I then had to cut all the 5 1/2" squares down to 5".  What a pain!!

It doesn't stop there.  I next cut all my 5" background strips down to 5" X 13 1/2" strips instead of 14" strips which meant I could no longer make the quilt blocks as disappearing nine patch blocks.  I had to cut all the background pieces as individual pieces and buy more fabric.  I ended up with the same result but the reason I had designed it as a disappearing nine patch in the first place because it was so fast and easy.  Cutting and sewing all those pieces was neither fast nor easy.  You can go here to see how I made the first one.

Roll of Nickels #2 quilt
Overlapping Squares Meander quilting

Roll of Nickels quilt
Square Loop Meander quilting

Linda of  L&R Designs Quilting used a different quilting design on this second quilt.  It's called an Overlapping Squares Meander.  I love it.  You can read her post here.

I used a plaid homespun fabric from my stash for the backing.  This quilt went to a grandson in Denver.  The first Roll of Nickels quilt went to his cousin in Illinois.

Triangle Confusion quilt finished

I posted about my  Triangle Confusion quilt way back in August!  Here's the finished quilt which has actually been done for quite some time.  Just forgot to post it. I love the secondary patterns that are created in this quilt.  I think it's hard to pick out the original block!  This is a very scrappy quilt made completely of half square triangle blocks that are made from a dark nickel fabric square and a light nickel fabric square.  I used scraps from a wide variety of fabrics including some not very pretty ones so don't hesitate using fabrics you aren't too fond of any more in a scrappy quilt. 

Triangle Confusion block

Triangle Confusion quilt

I love the quilting design Linda used too.   She stitched from one corner to the middle of the opposite side of the block and back to the opposite corner, like making a triangle.

I pieced the back with fabric from my stash also.  This quilt is staying at my house!

 

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Versatile Blogger Award

Kim of the Moody Blue by Kim C blog has awarded me the Versatile Blogger award!   Thanks Kim. As a recipient of this award, I am supposed to share 7 things about myself and nominate 15 bloggers for this award.  So here goes- 1.  I have been an interior designer for 25 years.  I have done commercial, hospitality and residential      design.  I currently design kitchens and baths. 2.  I have 2 children and 6 grandchildren and my daughter is expecting a baby in April! 3.  I started quilting in the mid 1980's and hand quilted my first couple of quilts. 4.  I am trying to use fabric from my stash first when starting a new quilt. 5.  I love coffee and chocolate. 6.  I have taught quilting classes. 7.  My husband has just decided he wants to learn to quilt. I've been following Kim's blog  for awhile now.  Find out 7 things about Kim in her post. I nominate- L&R Designs Quilting Fantastic Family Finds My Addiction to Quilting M.a.D.Merriment Quilting by the River pattilousquilts just one more stitch Love it, Sew it The Grateful Stitcher Quilting by Celia meinca Katie Mae Quilts Sewhooked If anyone is interested in receiving this award, please send me an email here.

Chevrony and Nickel Crosses quilts done!

Chevrony quilt

I am finally nearing the end of the part of my challenge that ended up as gifts.  My Chevonry quilt is quilted and bound and on it's way to it's new home in Pennsylvania along with Just Add Scraps #2 which has been done for awhile.

Linda of L&R Designs Quilting created a custom quilting design for this one! She calls it a continuous curve scroll design.

Linda used lavender thread that really makes the pattern pop but disappears on the lavender backing at the same time that it creates a great design on the back. I used two lavender fabrics from my stash for the backing and a stripe fabric from my stash for the binding which I love the look of!

Nickel Crosses is also done and on its way to Denver with the Picnic Quilt, Jumbled, and Roll of Nickels quilts.

Nickel Crosses quilt

Nickel Crosses was quilted with a pantograph pattern called Square Spiral.

I used a plaid fabric from my fabric stash for the backing and used a solid blue homespun for the binding.

 Up next will be another Roll of Nickels quilt and work has begun on my new design that you all voted on.











Triangle in a Square block

When I agreed to review the Triangle in a Square Rulers from Quilt in a Day, I did not know how perfectly it would fit into my challenge of using nickel fabric squares.  I am thrilled to find this new tool!  The product includes 2 acrylic templates, complete cutting instructions and a FREE pattern to get you started.   
  

                                                                                                

One template is used to cut the large triangle of the block and the second template is used to square up your finished block.  This makes for a very precise block.  Not only that, you can make two different size blocks with the same templates! The blocks finish at 3" and 4".  My excitement comes from the fact that 5" squares or strips can be used for both sizes of blocks.  The 3" block can be made from two 5" squares and the 4" block uses 5" strips as well as 6" strips.  The 4" block also matches up perfectly in size to the size of the half square triangle blocks and four patch blocks that I make from using two 5" squares and use alot of in my quilts. 

I decided to try both sizes of blocks to make some trivets.  My daughter has been asking for some trivets for her new wood dining table so she can safely set warm dishes on it. The star trivet uses the 3" block and is one star from the FREE pattern that comes with the rulers.  It is 9" finished. 

For the second trivet, I used four of the larger blocks and rotated each block a quarter turn from the one before it.  It finishes at 8".

I have a bunch of ideas on how to incorporate this triangle in a square block into my quiltmaking and will surely post my results.
Complete instructions are given for each size block or you can even watch Eleanor Burns demonstrate the rulers herself by watching this video.

Nickel Argyle and Roll of Nickels quilts finished

One of the goals of my quilt challenge was to make quilts for my husband's family. He has five children, their spouses, 14 grandchildren and one sister. That's twenty five quilts!  The youngest eight grandchildren all got I Spy quilts with their names on them which I've posted pictures of already.  I had hoped the quilts could be finished for Christmas. The tops were done but a few still had to be quilted.

Nickel Argyle and Roll of Nickels are now done!

Nickel Argyle quilt 

Roll of Nickels quilt

My Nickel Argyle quilt is a four patch quilt that I previously posted here and my Roll of Nickels quilt is  a disappearing nine patch quilt that I posted here.

I used a coordinating plaid fabric for the back and binding of both my Nickel Argyle quilt and Roll of Nickels quilt.  Both were from my stash! Yippee!!

Nickel Argyle quilt
backing and binding

Roll of Nickels quilt
backing and binding

Linda of L&R Designs quilted Nickel Argyle with black thread in straight lines like the traditional argyle pattern. Just the effect I wanted.

 

 

She used her square loop meander quilt design on Roll of Nickels. I think the quilting totally makes this quilt. It's fast becoming one of my favorite quilting designs!! We used it before on Just Add Scraps #1 which is also a disappearing nine patch quilt.

I now have Nickel Crosses and Chevrony quilted and in the process of being bound.  I'll show you soon.

I Spy quilts

I have been playing catch up the last few weeks during the holidays.  Our house is very busy from Thanksgiving to New Year's like most people's but we also have a lot of birthdays thrown in- mine, 2 granddaughters, two sons, 2 son-in-laws, 3 grandsons ending with my husband's yesterday.  As you can imagine, not a very good time to start a new project so I worked on finishing some.
Here are pictures of four I Spy quilts I finished-   

Macy's I Spy quilt

My granddaughter Macy turned four the day after my birthday and her sister Lainey turned three the day before Thanksgiving. I gave them these I Spy quilts. All of the fabric squares are the same in each quilt and match their brother Mack's quilt that I had made in September for his fifth birthday.  I used the same squares so they could play a matching game with them.  I chose backings that reflect what they like right now.  Macy got My Little Pony and Lainey got Hello Kitty for their backings.

Lainey's I Spy quilt

                                                                               




Quinton and Cooper are brothers and are my husband's grandsons.  Quinn's birthday was the day before Thanksgiving also. They have not seen their quilts yet.  I need to finish their mom's quilt before I ship them off to Pennsylvania.

Quinton's I Spy quilt

       



Quinn likes super heroes so he got a Batman backing.

Cooper's I Spy quilt

 Cooper has a dragon theme bedroom and shares a room with his brother Felix who already has his I Spy quilt.  I used the same starry sky fabric for their backings.

I have two more I Spy quilts to go.  One for Max and one for Xavier.  They are brothers so I hope to have them done by Max's birthday in February.