Echino Quilt #2

It's a bit of a mixed up week - even though it's Wednesday I'm sharing a finish rather than a WIP!

 

I made an Echino quilt last year, for someone else, but I really loved it and wanted to make another one for myself.  It's super simple, just 8" finished squares.  I think the first one was slightly more successful than this one, probably because I kept the colour scheme a bit tighter.

 

This quilt is pretty big at 72" by 88" (actually, I find this size totally enormous and I'm in awe of anyone who makes even bigger quilts!), and I loved the long-arm quilting on the last one, so I had the same done again by Sue Burnett.

With minky on the back and linen on the front, this is one soft and super heavy quilt.  It will be perfect for snuggling on the couch in winter.

Echino ruby dress

Phew - it's been a bit quiet around here lately!  Happily, I had a quiet weekend which allowed me to finish a few bits and bobs so I have some things to blog about.

Back when I made my first Ruby dress (and my second, in the same weekend...), I bought this Echino fabric from Stitchbird with the idea of making a summer version.  Apart from the lovely print, I really liked this slightly lighter weight linen/cotton blend fabric - I think the linen content makes it drape slightly better than a pure cotton, and it's extra wide as well (yay!).  I pre-washed the fabric and then it sat around for quite a while, until I realised that my day trip to the Auckland Festival of Quilts with my quilting buddies was coming up fast, and that it would be the perfect place to wear a crazy quilty dress! (It was, and it was also an awesome day where I got to hang out with my local quilting girls, and catch up with or meet a bunch of lovely kiwi bloggers who you should really check out, including Rachel, Deb, Julie, Juliet, Leonie, Liz and probably others that I've missed!)

I whipped this version up in a day - it really is a super easy make.  I ended up making a size small (the first version I made a size medium, and the second version has a medium yoke and small body pieces), which was definitely a good move in this lighter fabric.  I also added about 4" of length to the body pieces, which, for me, still left the dress above the knee but a bit longer than a mini dress.

This is the back view - it's a very comfortable dress and I'm sure I'll get a decent amount of wear out of it in summer when the weather is warmer.  Rae's Ruby Dress and Top pattern is great and I would totally recommend it if you're a quilter wanting to dabble in garment sewing.  I think I'll have to try the top version soon!  And sorry, I know there are no pics of me wearing the dress.  I've been sick lately and I just couldn't summon up the energy to get dressed up and take photos!  I may post pictures at a later date though.

I'll be linking to finish it up Friday at crazy mom quilts later in the week!

Echino quilt

My Echino quilt is back from the long-arm quilter, and has been bound, washed and dried.

 

I'm really thrilled with how the quilting came out on this quilt.  I had in mind that I wanted a kind of damask pattern quilted on this one, and I spent quite a bit of time trying to find the right thing.

Did you know that you can find long-arm quilting patterns online, and if they are compatible with your long-arm quilter's machine, they can download and stitch the pattern you've chosen?  Obviously, whether you can do this will depend on on the kind of machine your long-arm quilter has, and whether they are willing to use patterns you've found online.  That said, it's definitely worth asking the question if there's a quilting design you'd just love to have on your quilt.

 

The design on this quilt is called Coral Nested and I found it on a website recommended by Sue Burnett, who did the quilting on this quilt (I quite like this website for patterns as well).  She has a pretty big range of patterns already to hand, but I had such a clear vision for this quilt and nothing she already had was quite right.  I think a good long-arm quilter will take the time to listen to your plans for the quilt and help you find the right quilting design (or work out the right custom quilting).

 

After I finished the binding on this quilt, I ran it through the washing machine and then hung it on the line to dry.  I have usually avoided putting minky backed quilts through the dryer, but this one got rained on and had to have a trip through the dryer as well.  It's definitely well crinkled but otherwise seems to have come through just fine.

I really really want to make another of these quilts for myself - so much so that I've already ordered (and received) more polka dot minky for the back!

Have you ever had a quilt quilted using a quilting design you found online?  Did you know that's a thing?  Any great website recommendations?  

Quilt Stats 

Pattern: simple 8" finished patchwork squares 

Finished Size: approx 56" by 64"  

Fabric: Acacia in Purple, Airplanes in Blue, Birds in Hot Pink, Buck in Hot Pink, Cherry in Black, Cockatiel in Yellow, Dot - Grape, Glasses in Aqua, Insects in Black, Maruco Chartreuse, Peacocks in Blue, Rhino in Black, Scooters in Purple, all Echino fabrics

Backing: black and white polka dot minky

Binding: Moda Bella solid in Shocking Pink 

Pieced by: me

Quilted by: Sue Burnett

Another tote bag

Since I made my first tote bag, I've kind of been obsessed with them.  

Soft and Stable is just the bomb for making bags that are sturdy but light.  It's really easy to work with (none of that horrible fusing that you have to do with other interfacings) and gives a very professional result.

 

This is my most recent tote bag - Lyndy from Stitchbird chose all the fabrics (main exterior fabric, contrast band, and lining) and this version will be hanging out in her shop as a sample, because Stitchbird is now stocking Soft and Stable (you can find it here, here and here).  It's rather exciting (and possibly dangerous) to have a local supplier.

I'm planning to make another tote bag for myself using this method, and if I'm in the right mood when I do so, I'll take photos and write up a little tutorial.

Linking up with finish it up friday at crazy mom quilts.

WIP Wednesday

On Friday night, I cut and stitched up this super quick quilt top.  There's someone I've been wanting to make a quilt for for a while, but I couldn't think of quite the right thing.  I've also been wanting to make an all Echino quilt for ages, and a couple of weeks ago it clicked that an Echino quilt might be just the thing for this particular recipient.

 

I choose a whole bunch of Echino fabrics from Stitchbird's extensive selection, sticking to mainly black, pink, purple, yellow and blue/aqua fabrics.  Because the Echino fabrics have such large scale prints, the chunky squares I used work well and meant that I put this quilt top together in about 3 hours.

 

I've sent this quilt away for long-arm quilting, because I'm putting minky on the back.  It's been a while since I had something long-arm quilted and I'm excited to get this one back.  With the linen blend top and a minky back, it's certainly going to be one warm and heavy quilt!

Any other Echino fans out there?  

I'm linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced:

Purple S-block Quilt (aka S is for Spurple)

Woohoo - I finally have a finished quilt to show you after what feels like quite a gap between finishes!  I started this quilt at the very start of February (in a class with Kaffe Fassett!!!), and I've been working on it fairly steadily ever since.

 

Now that it's finished, I absolutely love it.  This is a quilt where I really pushed myself with colour and fabric choices, and I'm truly happy with the outcome.  The process has given me a boost of confidence and I feel like I'm a better quilter as a result.

 

The s-block is so simple, but has such a graphic quality, especially when you follow Kaffe's advice and ensure that there is a good amount of contrast between the two fabrics used in each block.  I'm really pleased that I used fabrics that are representative of my stash, and there are lots and lots of favourites in there (including the border print, which I honestly wasn't expecting to use in a quilt - I thought I might use it for a bag!).

 

There are a few Kaffe Fassett prints in the quilt top, but the back is where his fabric really shines. This flower tile print has a paler version of each colour from the front of the quilt, which means it works perfectly as a backing.  I'm also rather proud of the fact that I matched the print across the backing - yes, it is pieced, and I dare ya to find the seam.

 

Most of my recent quilts have used a single fabric for the binding.  This quilt reminded me how fun a scrappy binding can be (and also I couldn't decide which colour to pull out of the quilt top to use for the binding).

With so much happening in the quilt top, this quilt really doesn't need fancy quilting.  I went with my favourite diagonal crosshatch, in a variegated purple thread.  This has given the quilt great texture without being too distracting (and also has the benefit of working well with my slightly dodgy piecing!).

So, if I could enter the 2014 Pantone Quilt Challenge, this would be my entry (even though the purples are not necessarily particularly close to radiant orchid).  I'm really excited to see what everyone has been up to when Anne from Play Crafts and I open up the linky for entries in a week's time!  Remember, entries are open until 11pm PST on 21 March 2014, so you still have time to make something (as well as quilts, we have categories for mini quilts and quilt tops).  Click here for all the details, including the rules, our wonderful sponsors and our fantastic judges.

Quilt Stats
Pattern: S-block quilt from Kaffe Fassett's books Country Garden Quilts and Kaffe Quilts Again
Finished Size: approx 72" square

Fabric: various, Echino Flower Bed in Purple for the border

Backing: Kaffe Fassett Tile Flowers in Turquoise

Binding: various

Pieced and quilted by: me

Linking up with finish it up friday at crazy mom quilts.

WIP Wednesday

Last week I showed where I had got to with the quilt I started in a class with Kaffe Fassett.  With a four day weekend, I was able to make plenty of progress and how have a finished quilt top.

 

I wasn't completely sure that I was going to like this quilt top, both before I started and while I was making it.  However, having it up on my design wall at home and getting the blocks stitched up really helped, and now I love it!  There are so many favourite fabrics in here, which I probably wouldn't have put together otherwise.

I know it's traditional to make the centre of a quilt and then choose the border fabric.  I was a bit nervous that my centre might not work with my intended border fabric, but I think it does and I'm so glad to be able to use that gorgeous Echino fabric in a quilt.  What are your thoughts on borders - do you pick them first or wait until you've made the centre of a quilt?

I've made the back for this quilt (I even matched the print across the two pieces using this excellent tutorial - the first time I've been bothered to do that), so now I just need to baste, quilt and bind this baby.

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced:

P.S. If you're feeling inspired by all this purple-ness, make sure you check out the 2014 Pantone Quilt Challenge, which Anne at Play Crafts and I are hosting.  Entries open a month from Friday, so you still have time to get something started!

Bright Modern Baby Quilt II

If you're thinking that this quilt looks familiar, you would be right!  It's a cousin to the Bright Modern Baby Quilt I made as a sample for my baby quilt class at Stitchbird.  That quilt is still hanging out at Stitchbird, but since I had enough fabric left over to whip up a second version, I did!

This quilt is quilted in an interesting crosshatch pattern and backed with a plain purple fabric that really shows off the quilting design.  I used bright pink thread for the quilting - I think this is my third 1000m spool of this stuff and you would not believe how often it comes in useful!

Sadly my baby quilt class at Stitchbird did not go ahead as planned - there was interest but it ended up being too difficult to find a time that suited everyone.  Lyndy and I are planning to run the class next year though.  If you are interested, be sure to pop over to Stitchbird and let Lyndy know - that way she will contact you when we are thinking about dates.

I've used a black and white text print for the binding.  Usually I find it pretty easy to chose a binding for my quilts but this one took a while for some reason.  Have you ever had that experience?

Linking up with finish it up friday at crazy mom quilts.

Also, this bright baby quilt is the fourth of my fourth quarter goals that I've finished - yay!  I'll be linking up with Leanne at she can quilt at the end of September as part of the 2013 Finish Along.

Planes, Bikes and Cars Quilt

A friend and colleague of mine is expecting his first child soon.  When asked if he and his wife had any requests for the baby's quilt, he told me, quite seriously, that he likes planes and his wife likes trains.  Um, right. Anyway, the plane idea stuck, but I wasn't quite sure how to go about it since the aeroplane themed quilt patterns I'd found weren't really doing it for me.  Then I dropped into a local quilt store to buy thread, and lo and behold they had just gotten the perfect aeroplane print Echino fabric in.  I picked up the car print at the same time and I already had the bike print (also Echino), so after that all I needed to do was add lots of different blues and greens from my stash.

I fussy cut the centres and then pieced each log cabin block with logs of slightly different widths, dispensing with the usual light/dark convention to get a really scrappy look.  These were really speedy to make up - I had all the blocks together in about half a day (and happily I have a lot of the strips I used to make the log cabins left over so I think I'll make some more soon).

 

The back is very simply strip pieced, mostly using fabrics from the quilt top.  I deliberately chose slightly softer colours to give the back a more peaceful vibe than the front.

 

I quilted this quilt in an all over square spiral pattern.  It looks kind of complicated to do but it really is not.  I used my mother's Bernina Aurora 440QE with the Bernina Stitch Regulator for the quilting. It was a bit strange since I am used to free motion quilting without a stitch regulator, but the back is much neater than I can usually get it and I don't have the little thread bobbles I tend to get when I stop.  I think it also helped me keep control of my quilting so it didn't get ridiculously dense.

The parents-to-be have a totally adorable (and very naughty) miniature dachshund.  I think this little fabric dachshund makes just the cutest quilt label ever! It was also much easier to write neatly on the upholstery weight fabric I used - it didn't move around under my pen as much as quilting cotton.

I'm so pleased with how this quilt has come out and I can't wait to give it to this little family.  I think the discovery that making quilt labels can be a lot of fun will encourage me to label more of my quilts (because I always think I should and then don't get around to it!). Do you label your quilts?

Quilt Stats

Pattern: Make it up as you go along scrappy log cabins

Finished Size: Approximately 36" by 42"

Fabric: Assorted designer quilting fabrics including Echino, Tula Pink, Kaffe Fassett, Lizzy House, Michael Miller and Carolyn Friedlander

Backing: Various

Binding: Kaffe Fassett Shot Cotton (makes incredibly soft binding)

Pieced by: Me, on my domestic sewing machine
Quilted by: Me, on my mother's domestic sewing machine, using a stitch regulator.

Linking up with:

    

 

and with Finish it up Friday at crazy mom quilts.