Quilts n more Spring 2017

This is the Spring 2017 edition of Quilts and More magazine.  It has been on my coffee table for at least six months and to be honest doesn't stay in the book case very long.  Hence I have ended up making a LOT of projects from this one edition, and many of them this year!

The main reason is the Vivid Grid pattern (page 46!) which has become a favorite pattern because; a) easily made with stash, scraps or jelly roll, b) only uses 2.5"stripes and squares" c) is not complicated pattern to layout or piece, hence quick to make.  

Sorry terrible photo taken at night, but this is a cot sized fourth version of Vivid Grid that I changed up slightly by adding sashing.   My first Vivid Grid was pretty and bright, using a combinatino of stash and scraps, in 2017 after I brought the magazine.  It was gifted to my husbands niece.

Second version was made using a jelly roll Collection for a Cause and finished in early 2018.  I took the quilt to  UK and gifted it to a friend Jim, who we visited on his family farm that year.   

Third version was made from stash using up red and blue and a scrap bag of yellow pieces I brought when on retreat in 2019 at Periwinkle Patchwork.  Can you see the millenium fabric in red (LH corner)...I have just used some of the last 2.5" squares in the fourth version, LOL!

Page 72 is Natures Guide and I have now made this quilt twice this year!! (at this point your allowed to think the pandemic has sent me crazy!)  This is version one (half size  pattern), and version two is very similar;  a different sashing fabric and quilted by me instead of a professional long armer.  I will blog about version two soon.

Page 86 is A Bit of History, a mini quilt by Ann Hermes using antique fabric.  My version is made using very bright reproduction scraps instead. I wanted to make something for me and another project from the magazine, plus I am a fan of Ann's patterns.  

Page 58 Top your Table: Spring table runner  was a project I finished in our spring 2017....which is fall in the northern hemisphere!  I love seasonal themed projects to decorate the house, but I think I only finished one other from this series....I need to rectify that!

So that still leaves a few projects unmade from this magazine, including a large and mini Shoo Fly and a gorgeous chocolate and pink log cabin that is not in the photo, but very tempting!  I have decided if I am going to go whole hog or not, LOL!  That might depend on how long this pandemic and my period of unemployment run for.  

Happy quilting, Sue.

First finish for the year!

I have been plugging away at the Warm Regards quilt, making the background blocks, here is my progress so far.

I have also started the applique in the centre block.  Just made the berries (took most of a day!) and have tried their placement here...which I haven't finalised,  I think I need to buy some applique glue, as an alternative to pins.  I am normally happy with pinning, but there are too many berries here that will move when I go to pin them one at a time.  

And after all that teasing, finally the reveal of my first finish for 2018!

I love a cheats finish...this was quilted by Vicki Jenkin, long arm quilter and she finished it after Christmas.  But then I had to put the binding on and to be really honest, the label is stitched down, but not written on!  I needed to find the name of the fabric line as well - so I could write the label!

But I though I wanted to use fabric line name, so I can give this quilt a name!  However it was a "Collection with a Cause Historical Blender" jelly roll from Moda, so not inspiring me at all.  The pattern is Vivid Grid by Sharon McConnell and was published in Quilts and More Spring 2017 edition, which I have made before, from my bright 2.5" scraps.  Think that I used a whole jelly roll and yardage of background fabric - a tan check.  I like the muted soft colours, but not sure who I am going to gift it to yet.

So quilt without a name, you are my first finish for 2018, lets hope there are more to come!

Happy quilting Sue.

September is Orange

September's colour for Rainbow Scrappy Challenge is Orange.

 I dont use a lot of orange, mainly for kids quilts, so the scrap pile is fairly small.  I managed one star,

 and ten four patches.  There are a few more pre cut triangles, that I need to make a plan for.

 No orange in this quilt, but it is a flimsy finish! This is my second Vivid Grid quilt (pattern by Sharon McConnell) which appeared in the Spring issue of Quilts and More magazine.

I started and finished the blocks on Patchwork camp, so it was just a matter of sewing them all together.  The quilt is approximately 60 x 60" so I am just going to finish it as is.  I havent decided if I am up to quilting it myself, but as my shoulder hasn't been great, I will probably outsource it.  But need to find a backing first.  And  I am not sure how I will bind it...I have already used the left over jelly roll strips in another quilt!

Happy quilting Sue

Vivid Grid Quilt = Finished!

The pattern for Vivid Grid by Sharon McConnell (ColourGirlQuilts.com) was published in Quilts and More magazine, Spring 2017.  I started making the blocks in February and finished sewing the binding in May 2017.  

The red fabric came out of my stash, the teal tone on tone dot was a wide back left over, the white polka dot backgrounds were all left overs from another quilt.  I confess to buying 30 cm of hot pink and bright orange from Spotlight.  Kicked myself later as I found some hot pink yardage in my backing stash!

Basically the bulk of fabric for this quilt came out of my collection of 2.5" strips - many years ago I cut up my stash and scraps into strips.  There are a few pieces that were actually left over binding I simply ironed flat again!  I did buy this cute aqua with a white spot for the backing, given most of the fabric came out of my stash.  And there was sufficient to use it for the binding as well.

My LAQ Vicki Jenkin always has a good sense of what works on a quilt.  And as I am predominately a traditional quilter and this is very modern I just thought/said "bubbles?" and Vicki guided me to a pattern that looks good stitched out.  To be honest I find it hard to pick a pattern off a picture, but I trust Vicki and I am really really happy with this quilting.

 My quilt finished at 69 x 59" because I made it 6 x 7, the published pattern was 6 x 5 blocks.

I love this pattern so much I have plans to make another one in a different palette.

Happy quilting Sue. 

Vivid Grid - a new quilt commenced!

I brought the Spring 2017 edition of Quilts and More and fell in love with Vivid Grid by Sharon McConnell.  

This pattern resonated with me because my 2.5" strip box had a reasonable amount of bright fabric in various colours.  I don't have anything against a bright palette.  It's just not what normally captures my attention first, which is why they were still in the box.

As the 2.5" wide strips were already cut, I just had to cut them to the two different lengths.  I was going to kit up enough blocks to make the quilt and then leave it for quilt camp.  

But a girl has to make one test block right? 

And then play with all the pretty colours!

Honestly within two days I was two blocks off finishing the top!  Its about now that I read the rest of the instructions...well the start where it tells you that the finished quilt is 50 x 60".  That's not big enough for me and while I confess to buying 30 cm of hot pink and orange - there are still plenty of my scraps (and a few fat quarters) to use.
So I am going to make another two row....that's only 12 blocks, and this time I will find the strength to just kit them up to take to quilt camp?!

Happy quilting Sue.