monte's window

I love a masculine looking quilt.  It's not easy finding quilting fabric that doesn't have flowers or bright girly colors. 

That's why I adore carolyn friedlander's fabrics.  This line is called architextures.  It came out several years ago, and I went on a hunt.  

You will also find some "sphere" by brigitte heitland for Zen Chic.

quilt stats:

55 x 78 (washed)

batting - 80/20% comfort blend by winline

fabric is -  architecture by carolyn friedlander for robert kaufman

                  sphere by brigitte heitland for Zen Chic, moda

negative fabric is kona graphite

binding is - from sphere

quilting is crosshatch

pattern is "open your window" by brigitte heitland for Zen Chic

I've just started using this 80/20 comfort blend batting (see stats).  The 20 poly gives the quilting a nice lift.  Though I never thought I'd use anything polyester, I think I like it.

 backed with flannel for the winter . . . so cozy!!

By the time I had finished the top, I had a nice collection of these triangles left over for the back which I played around with until I came up with this flying geese design.   I try to work on the idea of the back with left overs from the front WHILE I'm sewing the front, otherwise, I'm too lazy to put something together if I've waited till the end to create the back. (wow, I think my English teacher would call that a run-on sentence).

linked
crazy mom quilts
confessions of a fabric addict

wip

works in progress you ask?  

. . .  spending a chili day, maybe the last of the season, binding under a new quilt.

  

I've decided we need some special quilts here at home for those few wintery days, so I've backed a few in flannel.  

Almost done quilting "Milli's piano keys" on the lovely hq sweet sixteen

linked:

sew cute tuesday

freshly pieced

NAM Quilting Bee

The annual Northwest Assistance Ministries Quilting Bee was held today.  11 congregations turned in 337 quilts for families who have gone through a homeless recovery program.


The best part of this annual bee is to see the displays of beautiful quilts, some very old.  Our congregation was in charge of decorating the gym this year:

I'm simply amazed at work that went into the hand made quilts before rulers, rotary cutters,  and sewing machines.  Though the finished products are the same, quilting surely is different from what it was 80 - 100 years ago.  

After the donated quilts were logged in, they were hung over the pews.  

lunch time:

the quilt we tied:

stats:

Klein turned in 17 quilts

total turned in 337

aprox. 150 in attendance at the bee

planes for Coulson - doe by carolyn friedlander

We live near a small airport so you don't have to wait too long before a Cessna comes along.  Our 2 year old grandson loves to watch for them in the sky.  It's so fun to see his excitement when he hears one approaching.

the brain started churning, quickly a visual came forth. . .
go here to see the actual process.



stats:
51 x 85 (washed)
batting - 80/20% Comfort Blend by Winline
fabric is Doe by Carolyn Friedlander for Robert Kaufman
binding is scrappy
gray is unknown (out of my stash)
blue sashing is Punctuation by American Jane for Moda
block size - TBD (when it gets out of the washer)
quilting is crosshatch

flip chart tutorial here

"Doe" is now out in stores (I've only seen it online).  isn't it lush?

 this crosshatch quilting design was so fun.  I just kept thinking "saltines" with a few extra lines here and there.

 I never pre-wash my fabrics, I figure a good pressing before cutting with heavy steam and starch ought to set the colors, but I recently learned the hard way that if I'm going to use a large piece for the back, it needs to be washed until the color catcher comes out white.

I couldn't find just 1 fabric for the binding, and really wanted to "use what I have".  So scrappy was the answer.

 for Coulson

all linked up:

crazy mom quilts

fabric addict

plane quilt flip chart

"Doe" by Carolyn Friedlander just out in online stores.  (can you tell she's an architect by trade???) 

I couldn't find a good pattern or tutorial for this plane pattern.  I hope I don't have to make another one.   I made 2 blocks to get down the measurements of the pieces before mass producing.

 here was my process:

after making 2 sample blocks, I was happy with my meaurement (except for that wing piece at the top, I ended shaving a good inch off the the width, making it skinnier lengthwise)

body

fold fabric in half

This part was tricky.  I did a lot of unpicking.

 "make big enough to trim to size" seemed to be the trick until I got the system down.

 wings

 Originally they were too thick.  I had to trim them down so do not use above picture as a measurement.

nose:

I didn't want a flat nose.  This angle with my ruler was just right.  Fabric is folded.

 press one side

 lay onto  your backing fabric

 pin right sides together

 sew (lots more unpicking)

 trim other side before adding backing fabric

 make the first one large and cut down to size until you have your measurements right.

 sew strips together

 finished block  -

to see post on finished quilt, go here.