Friday, March 24, 2017

i-spy value quilt

This was a great scrap buster quilt.  


Our grandchildren get a quilt the year they turn 3.  This grandson is getting this i-spy quilt.



There are 2 triangles of each fabric, so he thinks it's a matching game.  And that's what we play when we're together.  I love to hear that he sleeps with it every night.

stats:
washed 80 x 96
8 inch blocks from my i-spy stash
120 blocks
quilting is random circles and lines
Warm and Natural batting










3 year old Aaron's favorite thing in life is basketball.  He was thrilled to see all these basketballs on the back.


I experimented with some white pearl cotton.  My bobbin thread was dark gray.  I had to do a little adjusting with the tension, otherwise, it worked great.


 I quilted his name on this gray section before piecing the back together, because I didn't want the pearl cotton stitching to show up on the front side.  After quilting, I cut most of the batting it off on the back side, except where I had quilted his name.  Then, I pieced the back together and sandwiched the quilt together in preparation for quilting.  So, his name actually has 2 thicknesses of batting.


I watched some videos about ruler techniques on youtube with Angela Walters before starting this quilt.   I still have a hard time with anything but a straight ruler since you're constantly changing what direction your hand is putting pressure on.  So most of the circles were drawn on with a disappearing pen. 



linked:





Friday, March 3, 2017

ombre gem quilt along- wk 1

I'm so excited for today!!!   It's the first day of the "ombre gem quilt along" by Emily Dennis over at Quilty Love.  I've never done a quilt along, but I hear you learn lots of things, almost like taking a class.  (I should do more of that ;)


You can purchase the pattern from her shop.  Those colors are gorgeous, but I think I'll use my long awaited, well stored (in a dark cool place), Reunion and Hometown by Sweetwater, and make a scrappy version.



Here is Emily's scrappy version.  She's on instagram and is using this hashtag for the quilt-along  #ombregemsquiltalong.  It will be fun to see what fabrics everyone else is using.







I'm normally not into deadlines and "keeping up", but who can resist these cool coloring pages you get???  It may or may have not been a deciding point.




But I will admit that I HAVE been looking for an excuse to purchase one of these Stripology Rulers.  I am now a proud owner!!  I'll let you know if it helps with the whole "elbow" issue I can't get rid of in my strips.





Here are the fabrics I've decided to go with, a mix of Reunion and Hometown, quite a few years old, but they never disappoint.


I officially washed this quilt last night, so that counts as a "done", right?  As in I can start a new quilt?




I'm excited to share this I-spy finish with you as soon as I take some more pictures.

linked:
finish it friday
whoop whoop