I saw this design on Facebook, and just went into my scraps. It is big enough for a twin-bed's topper or a very generous lap throw. The blocks measure 8 inches square, and the white border finished at 2 inches, with 2 inch squares making up the outer border. It is hand-quilted with a polyester batting from Missouri Star Quilts.
Sometime this year I took an afternoon to play around with this pattern.
After it hung on my wall for a few months, I decided it was time to just quilt and finish it. This is the result. No name for the design, just something I saw somewhere and took a try at.
I especially love the black and white stripe. It measures approximately 20 inches square.
I have had very good reason to make a couple of baby quilts over the last couple of months.
My friend, Darleene lost her husband back in September of last year, and during her grief period, the Lord sent her heartening news of two new additions to her family. Her son, whose first two children are now entering adulthood, is expecting a baby boy with his new wife. And HIS daughter has just had her first baby, also a boy. This has been such a help in Darleene finding joy again.
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Well, I have certainly let this blog fall to the wayside, but I am still quilting ! Last year I got involved in helping finish quilts that my Church makes for rehab graduates. I do alot of the bindings, and I really enjoy being a part of this ministry.
But every now and then I squeeze in a personal quilt.
This past January I experimented with using some fabric that was donated to me. This VOILE was intended for making shawls, but I doubled it as the back for a small lap quilt, or baby quilt. I have to say that it turned out marvelously. I used an older charm pack for the print squares in the top, along with scraps of a muslin-type of fabric that was leftover from trimming some of the donation quilts.
But the back of this quilt is the STAR ! I used a polyester batting, and the back of this quilt is every bit as soft-feeling as a minky fabric, but won't pick up pet hair like that fabric does !
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| I gifted this little quilt to Teresa Capps' daughter for her expected baby girl. |
And, this past week I got a hankering to try piecing some diamonds, thinking I would like an entire quilt top made from them........but, I'm now thinking...uh, NO, don't think I want to go there (bias edges !) BUT I do love the table topper that I made from my trial piece !
One more little make.........this birthday banner was finished this month as well.
*****Side note.......I am no longer dating Adrian .*****
I pieced this one last week, but haven't yet been inspired with a quilting design.
The stars were made using a charm pack that was gifted to me, a few years ago, by Wanda Robinson, dear friend in Oklahoma. After making the stars, I was in a quandry over what fabric to use as a setting background. I was drawn to this blue and yellow calico that I had bought on clearance a few years ago, but it seemed so out of wack to combine batiks and calico. But once I had laid it out, I knew that there was no going back. I LOVE the look of it.
I hope to update this post when I have quilted it. It's quite small, around 54 inches square, but I adore lap quilts that measure anywhere from 40-60 inches square. I have NO ONE in mind to gift it to, but that could change. I tend to gift them on a spur-of-the-moment, so we'll see. For now, I just enjoy the beauty, thanking God for the gift of quilt-making.
A friend was visiting a few weeks ago, and really loved the colors in a little quilt that Marley Jo, my younger cat, has shown a preference for. Anytime it is spread out on a chair , Marley makes a bee-line to hop up onto it and get comfy. This is it (the original quilt), below, in 2 photos. I originally used it as a table-topper, but it turned out to be a wonderful leg-cover this past Winter while I rested in the recliner, watching YouTube videos. That's when MarleyJo got acquainted with it's yumminess as well !
Shame on me ! A week ago, we here in Middle Tennessee got one of the biggest snowfalls that I have seen in years around here, and I forgot to blog about it . And the hardest part of that was the below zero temperatures that came along afterwards.
But even with concerns that pipes might freeze , and a little scare with my heat pump, God's gracious mercy saw me through again. My water bill and my electric bill will show a bit of an increase due to the faucets left dripping faucets I"m sure, but that's nothing compared to being stuck with out water and heat and having to wait in line for repairs !
So, you guys know what this gal does when she's stuck at home for days ( I sure ain't drivin' on snow and ice' !) I sewed,,,,,,of course !
So, this past week was spent with me working on this little quilt....with white representing all the snow I could see out of the window in front of my old Singer 15-91 sewing machine.
The outer big border, although I took the time to miter the corners, just got meandering quilting in it, since the quilting design there wouldn't be identifiable anyway. I think that I could actually enjoy doing MORE fmq if I had a big table/cabinet that my Jazz 2 was sunken down into. I use a SewSteady extension table, 18 x 24 inches, that came with the machine, but the quilt gets hung up on the edges of it, and lifts it up when I try to reposition the quilt. I just don't think that I have room for those, even if I was willing to put out the big expense.
I bound it totally by machine, on my JukiTL2010q, using that 1//16th-inch left compensating foot that I am so appreciating. What a wonderful top-stitch it makes SO NEAR the folded edge.
Speaking of bindings, I have been invited to assist the ladies in our church that are making quilts for a good cause. They were sorely in need of another stitcher, and I am happy to help. I've bound 3 fairly big quilts for them so far (they do prefer that I do the finishing by hand). We may even have a road trip to Marshall Dry Goods in our very near future.......I think that could be fun, although it IS a 6 hour drive each way ! Stay tuned for news about that.
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32 inches square
Pieced on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, Jan. 14th, 15th, and 16th , while snowed in under 4 1/2 to 6 inches of snow !!!!
To be continued !
This little guy only finishes around 38 x 39 inches.
Here's the finished top before being quilted.
Nothing purchased for this one. Made from 2 1/2 inch squares and 5 inch charm squares halved, for the colorful blocks, a grey print for the alternate setting blocks, and 2 1/2 inch strips for the binding. Blocks squared to 6 1/4 ".
I used more of the 80% cotton/ 20% wool pre-soaked and dried batting. I hoped that it really wouldn't get that crinkly post-laundry look , but IT DID.
And here is an 'after' photo.....
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Following a kind suggestion on FB, I ironed this little quilt, and I must say that I am much happier with the look. I used the wool setting on my little iron.
I couldn't resist including the birds in this block.
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EDIT: I gifted this small quilt to Janice Bridges this past Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, in appreciation of all of the volunteer work that she does.
I think that this will probably be my final finishes for 2023. For me, it's been a really good year for quilting.
In the last couple of days, I finished these two quilts......
Star Boxes, measuring 53 x 64 inches.
58 inch wide backing from Hancock's of Paducah
UPDATE: Not satisfied, I went back and pretty much doubled the diagonal quilting on this one. I have these two photos of the finished quilting.
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Last finish, Aqua Rolling Stones, finished at approximately 52 x 71 inches.
Standard Rolling Stone block, original design setting 
