Hello quilty friends!
It's been TOO long since I've done a blog post. No excuses really, just life. I wanted to do a year-in-review post to catch you up on what I've been up to. I don't know about you, but it feels good to me to be able to look back and see what I've accomplished. Since I'm still working full time I feel like there's not much time for quilting, but then I look back and see what I've accomplished and think, "wow, I got some stuff done!" In a perfect world, I'd be quilting all day and into the night! LOL.
Here's a look back on the year:
APPLE CRISP
This was a really fun exclusive quilt that came in my Sew Sampler subscription from Fatquartershop. The pattern and fabric are by April Rosenthal for Prairie Grass Patterns. I loved sewing this because the large blocks came together really fast and ya'll should know that I love a quick quilt project! I quilted it on my Handi Quilter Amara with Prostitcher using the Apple Leaves pantograph and I think it turned out so cute. It's the perfect picnic quilt!
QUILTY HEARTS
This sweet little heart quilt I made just for fun. I had a bunch of reds, pinks and low volume fabrics from my stash to use. I love using scraps from my stash! I get a lot of bonus quilts that way. : )
The pattern is Quilty Hearts from Emily Dennis and I quilted it using an alternating heart pattern from my Prostitcher, which was perfect for this sweet quilt. I love how this turned out.
SHINE ON SAMPLER QUILT
Here is the Shine On Sampler Quilt I finished in March. It was a Block of the Month (BOM) kit from Fatquartershop using the Bonnie and Camille Quilt Bee book. The fabrics are from Bonnie and Camille's collection entitled Shine On. I LOVE sampler quilts. It's fun to do a variety of blocks (keeps me from getting bored!) and I love how the blocks draw your eyes in to all the lovely details. And, as you may know, I LOVE teal. The teals, reds, and navies are what Bonnie Olaveson, Cotton Way and Camille Roskelly, Thimbleblossoms, are famous for. Unfortunately, Bonnie retired, but Camille is carrying on, and may I say, in the most fabulous way. Her new collections, Nantucket Summer, Dwell, and Sunnyside are gorgeous! You can see them on her website, Thimbleblossoms.
MAISY'S QUILT
Custom quilting is something that I had never done before when I took on this project of my sisters. I was scared to death, but she was very encouraging and trusting, so I went for it. Are there mistakes? Absolutely! But overall, I think it turned out beautiful. My sister did an amazing job on this quilt for her granddaughter, Maisy. She made up a lot of it, switching up patterns she took from several books and making it her own and I love that it speaks to Maisy's personality.
You're going to get a picture overload on this one because I think it's just so cute!
DIZZY DAISY
My Favorite!!! Dizzy Daisy is a nod to the 70's - Brady Bunch style. The fabric, A Blooming Bunch, was designed by Maureen McCormick (Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!) and the pattern I chose for this fabric is Dizzy Daisy by Missouri Star Quilt Company. I used a daisy pantograph to compliment the fabric and style of quilt. It came out PERFECT!
QUILT FAIR
Here is a more recent finish from this summer - my Quilt Fair quilt! The pattern is actually titled Holiday Charm by Allison Jensen of Woodberry Way from her latest book Welcome to Woodberry Way, but instead of using Christmas fabric, I used Quilt Fair by Tasha Noel. This is the sweetest fabric EVER! Ahh . . . I can't even tell you how much I love this adorable fabric with little mini quilt ribbons and vintage quilt displays. There are Ferris wheels, cotton candy stands, and homemade jam booths. Everything you would see at the fair is on this fabric and it's just the best! The colors are so soft and sweet -- all the best of the pastels. It reminds me of the pink and blue cotton candy you get at the fair and I'm sure that was all part of the plan that went into the design of this fabric. I just HAD to have a quilt made from it.
I went out of my comfort zone when I put this on the longarm and chose a really light minty blue/green for the thread. I usually stick with white, cream, or gray threads, but decided this quilt was begging for that gorgeous blue/green Glide thread and, for sure, it is the icing on the cake! THE best!
You're going to get a picture overload on this one also!!
DESIGNER MYSTERY 2021 QUILT
I've been working over a year on Fatquartershop's Designer Mystery Quilt 2021 and finally finished it in June. Every year, Fatquartershop hosts a Designer Mystery BOM quilt and this one from 2021 used Fig Tree fabrics, Strawberry & Rhubarb by Joanna Figueroa. Each monthly block is designed by a different designer which is really fun. I have to say that this quilt was challenging, especially the finishing kit. I had to take a break from it for a while because there were SO many flying geese in the borders and sashing that I just couldn't deal with it! I give myself permission to walk away when I feel like I need a break. Coming back to a project with a fresh outlook and perspective helps, and when I did, I was able to push through and GET . IT . DONE! I'm over the moon happy with it! The pantograph I used from Urban Elementz called Amino, turned out amazing
Now onto Designer Mystery BOM 2022 which I haven't even opened yet! LOL
I'm thinking that I'd better wrap this up so I don't bore you too much! This gets us from January through June and I'll do another blog post to capture the rest of the year. See you soon!
Mama J