1600 Quilt

I know...The most original quilt name ever, right? 
*sigh*
I just can't think of a good name.  If you have one, feel free to share.

So I don't know why I have never posted a WIP on this quilt.  I made the top ages ago.  Like maybe August 2013...
I wanted to see how long it would take me to do the 1600 jelly roll challenge. 
Answer: About 3 hrs. 
That's bad, huh?  Oh, well.  I iron my seams yo.  It has been sitting on my table since August.  I finally started quilting it a few weeks ago and put the binding on this past weekend. 

I had this "jelly roll" (i.e. not moda) and just didn't know what do do with it.  This pattern was fun and easy. 
I was super proud when I finished the quilt top...and I didn't like it one bit.  I'm not sure why I wasn't a fan, just didn't connect.  I think that it was all of the brightness, all at once.  It was so far from my comfort zone.  But as soon as I started quilting it - I fell in love.  It just made it for me.  Now it is special and pretty.  Lol

The back is my favorite part.  I wanted the solid brown. And promptly ran out before I was finished.  If you look really hard you can see that there are two different color browns  - two different Kona Brown die lots.  Ooops.
To me, the quilting adds to the front - and completely changes the back.  I love all that texture!

I have no idea what you call this Free Motion Stitch.  But it is fun...someday I will learn to make all of my loops the same size.  ;)

And you will be seeing this stitch again from me...soon. 

Solid blue (Country Classics - from JoAnn's) holds all of those busy prints together. 

This quilt is also for sale.  Please leave a comment or email me if you are interested. 

Quilt Specs:
  Quilt measures -
  Batting - 80/20 cotton/poly batting
  Quilting - FMQ, brown cotton thread
  measures - 44.5 x 54 in.  (large toddler quilt, or small lap quilt)
  Cost - $120 + S&H

Have you had any fun quilty challenges lately?

 - Katelyn

Patchwork Baby

A while back I posted about a baby quilt top made patchwork style (find that post here).  Well I did decide to back it with minky. 
I quilted it myself, and chose to quilt without batting.  I figured it is almost summer and babies don't like being hot...so no batting.  It was interesting to quilt and I had a few problems with my bobbin.  But after much trial and error I got it quilted and bound. 

I love seeing the sun shine the front in the back...Like stained glass or something.

That minky is so adorable!

Patchwork is so much fun.  It's easy and quick (which equal super fun in my book right now).  It is also a wonderful way to showcase those charm squares!

Of course with anything I make...there are imperfections.  But as all things tend to do, it can only get better with practice. 
Also, an interesting fact  - no batting= no crinkle.  These pics are after wash. 

All of that being said.  This quilt was originally made for a couple at my church, but I ended up giving them a different gift.  So this quilt is for sell.  If you are interested please leave a comment or email me directly. 

Quilt Specs:
   45x40
   Riley Blake - Sidewalks
   (and a few random solids, plus one green print from JoAnns)
   Backing  - Rose Minky
   Binding - Riley Blake Sidewalks Hopscotch in Teal

$90+ S&H

Please let me know if you are interested.

 Do you have a favorite piecing method when you need to produce something quick and cute? 

 - Katelyn

Pillow Talk

Well...Hello there!  It has been a while.  I seem to have lost control of my life these past few weeks.  Extra jobs, extra homework, extra tired. 
Last week was spring break and I actually got some sewing done!  So I will have some things to blog about as soon as I take some photos. 
That being said - this is a picture heavy post. 
Apparently I love making pillows.  Who wouldn't they are quick and pretty.   And who doesn't love a little instant satisfaction? 
Over the past year or so I have made several pillow covers for my couch, but none for my bed.  I decided to remedy that.

 SO much fun.  I mean I cannot tell you how much I just stared at that pillow.  I was so proud.  Took no time and I still loved it. 
But it looked super lonely sitting all by it's self up there. 
So I decided it must need friends:

Like a little pillow family! 

Well that's enough pillow talk...next week I'll show off my finished baby quilt. 

XOXO
 - Katelyn

English Paper Piecing - a small project

I got two great English Paper Piecing books for my birthday back in September: Quilting on the Go and Hexi-Go-Go.  I quickly found that Quilting on the Go was a better book for beginners, as it gave the low-down on how to begin a project - template sizes, how to cut your fabric, eep basting, and the how-tos on joining your pieces.  Whereas in Hexi-Go-Go, the projects were a bit cuter. 

So I wanted to try something out - just a test with scraps to see if I could, how hard it was, etc.  It was easy.  Different steps than I was used to, but not difficult.  So I decided to make my tester piece into something.  A pillow cover for my mother.  Super small, to fit her 9x13 pillow that she uses in her chair to prop her head up.  My scraps matched her quilt after-all. 

I thought there might be a chance that I would be able to give it to her for Christmas...that was stupid. 
Then, I decided her birthday was far enough away to allow me time to finish it up.  Whoever thought that February was far a way from Christmas was a dummy (oh, right...that would be me).
All of the sudden it was two days before her birthday and I had not finished sewing all of the hexagons! 

I added at least one row that was not needed (upper left corner).  But it was really fun to see it grow.  I started out with the green flower in the middle, and decided to continue out from there.

Back view

I have been told that my stitches are tiny (or at least smaller than some of my other guild members would have sewn them).  I tried to take a couple pictures of that, but they are a bit blurry.

You will also notice that the center hexagons got cut in an actual hexagon shape, but with 1/4 inch to fold.  I learned from Quilting on the Go that I could use a square - way easier to cut. 

My hexagons were 3/4 in.  I chose that tiny size because I have a Creative Memories hexagon punch and that was the biggest size.  Easy enough.  I'm not sure I will ever go that small for a larger project, but for this it was fine.
*To make the 3/4 in hexagons I cut 2in squares*

Of course I didn't know how to quilt it...I wanted to do something complicated, where I arched around each side - but I have never done anything like that before and I was on a deadline (who am I kidding - I was almost a week past the deadline.   So I went with little loops.

I made an envelope back - easy removal for washing - used that trusty green, of which I never seem to be out.

My momma says she likes it. So woohoo for tiny gifts that took lots of time!

I have already begun a new EEP project.  Only this time it won't be small and I won't give myself any deadlines to miss. 

If you got this far...thanks for reading my EEP novel. ;)

XOXO - Katelyn