Quarantine Quilt

24 blocks! I had more time to sew!

If this keeps up, this quilt is going to be massive! It's so crazy, but full of so many fabrics.  Things I have had used in other quilts, and fabrics that just needed to be cut up.

I am not sure how big I shall make this quilt.  I might go to 30 blocks.

Quarantine Quilt

15 blocks.  School can be difficult, finding things for my students to do, doing the grading, checking up on students.  

I can imagine how tough things are for them, because they are difficult for me.  

I am glad I have this hobby to help keep me sane.  I just would like to finish other things.  But I need something that doesn't require thinking.  

Quarantine Quilt

These blocks really are coming together so quickly. I am running out of variety of blocks.  For each individual block I am using different fabrics. I am not caring about color, light or dark. 

I have been trying to go through my scraps, using things up or cutting it down.  I want to have things more organized, so it's easier to quilt.

I am up to 12 blocks!

Quarantine Quilt

These blocks are coming along SO fast.  It takes a few seams to put together, but they go together quite quickly.  I already have 6 blocks! I am not sure how many blocks I will make the quilt.

The blocks finish at 12".  So it won't take much to make this a large quilt.  This is definitely helping me through this quarantine time.  I want to sew, but I seem to have lost some mojo, so these are easy to do.

Sewing machine

I have loved using my 99k for the past 10ish years (before that it was a Montgomery Ward from the 80's that was my moms).

While I loved that machine I really wanted something with a little more throat space and backstitch.

So I have been searching for a 201 for a while.  I decided on a 201 because it has a drop in bobbin, more throat space & back stitch.

This is my 1951 Singer 201!

I found one on facebook that was close to me and within my budget (you'd be surprised ate how much some people want to charge for these machines just because they're vintage, not realizing they aren't actually worth that much.)

This one was in fairly good condition.  I did give the cabinet the once over.  And eventually I would like to fix the arm that holds the cabinet open.  But for now it's fine, I have some shelves that fit perfectly under it.  

There is actually more room to the right of the machine.  I am hoping I can train Minnie to sit there.

a new quilt?

I finished 4 quilts, so that means I need to start another one right?!

I don't know where I saw a picture of a quilt like this, probably facebook (there's so many nice quilting groups there!)  But I decided to draw it out to see how each block was put together.

I drew it out in September 2019! So over 6 months ago.  I did the math and could use two sizes of blocks, just dependent on what size strips I wanted to cut up.  2.5" x 4.5" or 2" x 3.5"

The 2.5" x 4.5" are the same size blocks that my rail fence quilt uses! So I already had some started!

These came together SO fast.  For my leader ender I have been using, the mini spools, I ran out of backing fabric (ok I can't find it, I have more, I am just not sure WHERE). So I used this as my leaders and enders.  The blocks came together SO quickly!  I love that there aren't seams to match!

I think I am going to call this Quarantine Quilt, because things being the way they are, it's very mindless sewing.

Tee Shirt Quilt done!

I decided in the long run to add the smaller blocks to the top of the quilt.

I added a 2" sashing because I didn't want the quilt to get TOO large.  I measured each row, and for the most part each of them were close in size! I did end up having to add a little sashing to the top of some of the rows.  Then I added a full row to the top & bottom of the little blocks.

I also added a slightly larger border to the bottom, I figured that if I felt it was too long after quilting I could trim it, same for the side borders.

When I quilted it I actually did it upside down, because the of the back.  (there is a picture further down), but I had one small block left over and I used it in the back, I wanted to make sure the whole thing was on there. (If you don't know, when long arming you need to make sure your backing is a few inches larger in width & length to be able to attach it to the machine.)

Here is the finished quilted quilt!

 

 

And this is the back.  I don't think I have a close up of the fabrics I used, the left & right pieces have donald duck on them.  My FIL loves him.  I had actually bought the fabric for the back a few years ago to make him a quilt.  I think it works well for the back!  You can see the one extra block on the bottom right.  The bottom left is the label I used.  I tried something new.

It's cricut infusible Ink.  I usually have done corner labels and write them with a pen, but after a few washes, it ends up coming off :/ infusible ink will NOT do that!  Next time I will use my heat press to do this, you can see where I kind of moved the transfer sheet with the iron.

 I should have made it a small block on the backside, but I folded over the edges and stitched it right on top.  But like I said it's my first time, gotta start somewhere!

If you are interested in a tee shirt quilt I have more information here

You can connect with me on facebook or send me an email.

Tee Shirt Quilt 3

Here is the next row.  I added slightly wider sashing between the blocks so they they would be approximately the same height as the first two rows.

I got real excited because there were some thinner blocks here, and you could really see them "floating" with the shadow!

And here are all 4 rows done.  

I also had some smaller blocks that I originally was going to intersperse throughout the quilt, but decided it would add too much length.

So then I had thought about adding them as a row by themselves, but then I was afraid it would make them the quilt too wide and not long enough.  I think what I might do is add them to the top or bottom.

Tee Shirt Quilt 2

Since my blocks weren't all the same size it took some work to add them to each other.  I started with the row that I thought would have the largest blocks and be the longest. 

I made the blocks that were the smallest and added sashing to the sides so that they were all the same width.  Then I added a small sashing 1.5" to each block.

Then I did the same thing to the next longest block, changing the size of the sashing to try to make sure that it was the same length as the first row, again, having the design wall was SO helpful.

Tee shit Quilt 1

  So I have started another tee-shirt quilt.  This one is for my father in law.  He used to help out at a Drama Camp each summer, so most of these shirts are from that.

I decided I would try a new to me technique, and make a shadow on each block.  I have seen it done, but not tried it yet.  I chose to use strips that were 1.5".  The only "struggle" I really had is that most of the blocks were different sizes, so I had to do a lot of measuring to make sure the black was the right size. 

Next time all the blocks will be the same width & length. 

I LOVE my design wall.  And it helped me so much when making this quilt.  I was able to put the blocks up as I worked on them, but also be able to rearrange them so they were in a design pattern that I liked. 

Bow ties

Here is an updated picture of the bow tie blocks.  Laid out a little differently than before.  

There are currently 113 of them!

Spools

Wowowowow!  These are my spools currently.

I am using these as leader & enders.  I put them on up on the design wall by color before, but seeing them like this just blows me away.  I love how it looks!

It will be real interesting sewing this together!  Since it will be on point (I like how it looks better on point than just up and down.) 

But it's not something I will have to worry about for a while! I have slowed down a little bit on using these as my leader and enders, because I need to cut more of the grey background fabric.

Scrappy trips finished

I have TWO finished scrappy trip quilts. I don't know exactly when these were started, I know sometime BEFORE 2015. 

I had done some exchanges, so there is a lot of variety in my blocks.  

One of these I actually quilted last summer. I just hadn't had the chance to get the second one done.

I did a scrappy back for both of them, using up some left extra blocks I had.

This backing was actually part of the left over from the first quilt!  For the binding for both quilts I used purple scraps, AND I got to break in my new die from Accuquilt.  

I bought a 2.25" strip cutter, because that is the size I make my bindings.  It was SO nice, I got so many strips cut and so easily. 

Quartered star Quilt finished!

I started this quilt in the summer of 2019.  I had actually started it as a light/darks quilt. But I wasn't happy with the way it was looking for my nephew, so I thought I would try the blues.  

I really like how it turned out.  I still have some of the test blocks from when I did it as lights and darks, so I can definitely say that will be a quilt in my future.

I was originally going to go 100% scrappy for the back, but I found a piece of blue that was almost large enough.  I had thought about making a few more star blocks and putting them on the back, but I wanted something a little easier, so I just used 5" square (many of which are the same as the front).

For the binding I used random blue fabrics, including some from the backing.

Alphabet Quilt finished!

I got the quilt top done!  And it's on the long arm.  I thought I had thread that was black, white and grey, but I couldn't find any.  So I just used grey.  I think it worked well.  I just did a meander.  I also wrote their last name in it.

Here is the top all finished, quilted and bound. I just used solid black for the binding.

And then the back.  When I found the box that housed this WIP (work in progress) it was heavier than I thought it would have been for having a few quilt blocks in it. That was because I had put some fabric with it I wanted to use!

I had just enough to do the backing for the quilt.  The main piece of the back has music terms on it, and then middle line has piano keys and then some instruments

Alphabet quilt

I did not have enough of the fabric that I used as background to do sashing, so I have some of fabric that is similar, I know it's hard to see in the picture, but the background is black with grey music notes.  The sashing is black with white music notes.

I decided to just do a 2.5" sashing, since that is what many of the blocks used.  

It actually came together really fast.  I am mad at myself for not doing this sooner!

Alphabet quilt

It's spring break! which means lots of time for sewing! I have been going through some of my WIPs (works in progress) and I found this one!  

I realized I never shared any pictures of it!  I shared a few on my instagram, but never all of them.

Here are all the blocks finished and on my design wall.

I started this quilt in 2016! When we were first moved into our new house.  

They are spell it with moda alphabet blocks.  I used a different fabric for each letter.

I started this for a friend that had twins, but the twins are 4, so I think they each need their own! (I'll share those in a bit).

These blocks were found on Moda's website.

I enjoyed making the blocks, they were straight forward.  I would love to use them again to spell something out, but I also like just making it as an alphabet quilt.

Hawaii

My husband had to go to Hawaii for work.  So of course I took the opportunity to go down and visit him!
 

He found a fabric store! So I had to get some fabric!! 

Look at all those rolls of fabric!! 60 yards on one of those!! So much more than the 8 yards on bolts here on the mainland.

They also had some on bolts.  It was such a cool store, I wanted to buy SO much fabric.  But I managed to control myself.

Christine, my quilting buddy and I decided to buy some of the same fabrics.  And we are going to make it like a challenge quilt, we can add 1 yard of fabric, and then we will see what the quilt turns out like! We want to have them done by Thanksgiving.

I have an idea of what I would like to do for this quilt.  But you will have to wait to see it :)

I want to make a quilt with these, we will see the design I come up with.

And this one is for hubby & I  have NO clue what design I will do, but I should have enough for a full quilt!

Chevron quilt

I had cut out enough to make plenty of chevrons!  But if I kept adding to the bottom it was going to be the longest quilt in the world.  It did need to be a little wider, so I added a border to the sides, that I did not add to the top and bottom.

The only thing I might have done different was added one more row to the bottom so it wasn't pink on pink.  But not much I can do about it now.

I don't know what to do about the back now.  I had originally thought about using some of the chevrons on the back, but I don't have enough of the other fabrics.  And I don't have an issue doing a scrappy back, BUT it's not just by colors, it won't match the colors I have used in this quilt.

Kite blocks

I am a teacher, and we are now taking a break from school.  We will still be doing online learning, but no more going into work.  I decided to use some of my time to do some sewing.  (Still getting my classroom work done, no worries, I am good at multi-tasking.)

I have been cutting out kite blocks.  And I needed something mindless to sew because I had been working on a commissioned project, and I was having some issues.

Here is one layout.  They kind of look like rain drops!

I think this might be my favorite layout. It kind of reminds me of the periwinkle (or hummingbird) quilt that my great grandma made.

I thought this layout was fun.  We will see which one I end up doing, I don't have much done, so I don't expect this quilt to be finished anytime soon.