Finish Along Quarter 1 2019 Goals!

For the last couple of years, I’ve participated in the Finish-A-Long hosted by 12 different quilting bloggers. There’s a different Finish-A-Long for each quarter. Typically, I have kinda used it as a tracking tool of all my unfinished WIP’s. Never expecting to finish them all that quarter, but figuring I might finish at least one or two. Like the last one I did, I posted 9 different projects! This year I’m coming at it with a different approach. A little more direct. Not just everything I want to finish, but a handful of projects I am going to make a point of actually finishing.

So here we go! I’m starting off easy here. I want to finish my 2017 SMQG BOM! All the blocks are done! I just need to sew them together and quilt it! Easy! Right?

And another easy one! This is the 2016 SMQG BOM. This is also totally done. I finished all the ‘blocks’ at the retreat last fall. And they are mostly already even quilted! I just need to sew on the last blocks, do a little bit more quilting and then finish it!

And lastly, this one I have to start and finish. So it’s a little more time consuming than the others. I was supposed to have been done with this about 18 months ago for someone at our kid’s school auction. Oops!

Ok! that’s it for the first quarter. I think I can… I think I can… I think I can….

A Christmas Quilt

It’s been a while since I shared a finished quilt!

It’s my Christmas Quilt! I have a Halloween quilt and I have a ton of amazing Christmas fabric, so I knew I needed to make a Christmas quilt! I’m a huge sucker for both Halloween and Christmas fabric. especially Cotton and Steel Christmas fabric…. I can’t get enough so I had to do something with it!

The only problem with Christmas fabric is that it isn’t solids! It’s prints, hence the Christmas theme, right! And I’m not real good with prints! I get totally pushed around by print fabric.

Quilts pictures here are by Katie of Sew Katie Did, not my work! 

In October 2017, the Seattle Modern Quilt Guild had one of our members, Katie Pedersen of Sew Katie Did, come teach some classes. One of the classes was her Split Personality Class. I signed up! But I didn’t want to take solids. Katie is so good with prints, so I was trying to let that rub off on me during this class. But what to take??? Christmas!

I love describing what I do as a quilter to non quilters! So basically the technique involves cutting up fabric, sewing it together, cutting it, mixing the pieces up, sewing it back together, cutting it again, mixing again and sewing it back together again! Yep, that about sums it up! You do that and end up with lovely little improv pieced blocks!

But then what to do with the blocks??? 

I decided to use one of the designs I came up with from the Quilt Design a Day challenge. I forget what the picture was that inspired this design. Anyway, I thought it would be a fun design inspiration for this quilt. 

I also used another technique that I don’ tthink I have ever used before. Fussy cutting… Well, sewing with solids doesn’t lend itself well to fuzzy cutting, does it now?? Ha!

And another technique… Pattern matching my fabric for the back!

Did you know those reindeer came in flannel? So soft! and adorable!

I liked how the blue binding didn’t totally scream Christmas for the quilt.

I really like it turned out! And I’m loving watching the family curl up in on the couch this holiday season!

 

 

Left and Right- Do Good Quilt Finish!

It’s long overdue, but I did finish another quilt! Another Nurture Circle do. Good Stitches Quilt!

Remember how I do those Quilt Design a Day projects? I haven’t posted any of those on the blog recently, either… Well, this quilt started as one of those designs! (you can see the group here)

This was the prompt we had! This silly picture of heart shaped sunglasses by design seeds was the inspiration. I took this and came up with this…

I got some great feedback on this design, so I knew I wanted to make it into a quilt. I thought the variation of fabric from a quilt bee would make this quilt fantastic!

And, if I do say so myself, I think it turned out pretty fantastic!

I think it was a pretty easy block for the group to make. Each person made 18 half square triangle blocks, 6 of each color. You can find all the directions here. I’ll post the directions to the blog shortly!

I’m so in love with the colors! And the variations on each color that came from all the members.

For the back I made a play on scale and made the one of each flying geese, but BIG! I always try to avoid these pictures with the wind, but I love how this one shows the little ones on the front juxtaposed next to big ones!

This picture shows the quilting the best. I did my usual straight line quilting, but at an angle with the flying geese. Then did a little stitch in the ditch along the flying geese to get the zigzags.

And of course, my label picture! I had fun photographing this one at the boathouse where we recently had our SMQG retreat with the help of Allison Sews and Snippets of Sweetness!

And I can mark this one off of my 2017 Finish A Long Quarter 1 List! Linking up here.