a fast four patch

My second year of blogging starts with my first 2015 finish.   

This is the Fast Four Patch from Amy Smart's book Fabulously Fast Quilts.  All the prints are from Tula Pink's Acacia line.  The solids are by Moda.

Amy made her quilt scrappy.  I tried but my brain just had to line up the colors. 

I quilted this with a free motion dogwood in each of the larger squares and 4 -patches.  The border is a fun loop.  Is that little raccoon cute or what?

 The back is pieced with a few of the larger cuts I had from this line.

We don't have any Acacia trees so I've made do with these.

A cold but fun day in the woods!

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts Finish It Up Friday ! 

completed

Well today is the day.  Exactly one year ago I posted my first entry to this blog.  It has been a fun adventure for me and quite a learning experience.   My goal was to post 3 entries each month.  I did not succeed in that because sometimes, well, life just got in the way.

I like ending each quarter with a post to share trial blocks, works in progress, and general extras.  So here we go...

These are the final three blocks in the Aurifil Block of the Month.

And here is the completed year.
I learned a few things by participating in this but most important is to start a year long project with fabric you love.  (As I've mentioned before - I didn't in this case and it's been a struggle to continue on.)  I will finish this quilt.  The free thread was worth it!

A major highlight for me was attending my first ever sewing retreat!  I went to Camp Stitchalot in November and met new friends and learned some new skills.  Sherri Lynn Wood was there and helped us "get our curve on"!  This was so outside my comfort zone and a total challenge for me.  

Still not sure what I think of it but when my daughter saw it she said it reminded her of Oh, the Places You'll Go.  How perfect is that?

And the icing on the cake was meeting and learning from Carolyn Friedlander.  She inspired us with an amazing trunk show and taught us needle turn applique.  I have some big plans for these strips.  Stay tuned...


  

never say never

Guess what I made?

Yes, my neighbor and friend has been asking me for awhile now to make a t-shirt quilt out of her daughter's college collection.  I really hemmed and hawed on this one.  Partly because I think them a bit blah, and partly because I was concerned about the stress factor.  What if I messed up and wrecked a favorite shirt?  I like running and sewing...and quilting...to be fun!

Eventually I started surfing through Pinterest, and actually, people are being quite creative with these.  Also, there is the fact that I adore her daughter.  So in November I agreed to have a go at it.

And it was fun!!!  Sorting and arranging all these shirts and colors.  Along with the t-shirts I added a few classic quilt blocks:

• The Red Cross block because she is a nurse.
• The snowballs because we're talking Marquette, Michigan on the shore of Lake Superior, in the heart of the Upper Peninsula!
• And flying geese, because they're my favorite!  Plus, the honking of migrating geese is a welcome sign of the changing seasons in a place that loves when the seasons change!

It's backed in this classic Ikea print.  I used invisible thread for the quilting because there are so many deep colors in this top.  It worked very well.  

I only outlined the AGD because those shirts were so thick.  I love how it shows on the back.

I'm quite pleased with how it turned out, and more importantly, so is she!

denim

Happy New Year!  While everyone else is reviewing their annual goals and setting new ones, I'm hoping to catch up and finish posting a few of my 2014 finishes this week.

First up is a November finish.  Our quilt guild had a crayon challenge.  Someone dumped a large box of Crayolas into a bag and we each randomly drew one crayon from it.  We could use any hue of the color and only add white, gray, or black to it for our quilt.

I chose denim!  I found three pairs of jeans in various stages of fading and used them for my quilt.  I had lofty ideas of lots of flying geese in V formation switching out the leader, which our guild is ready to do.  I actually made lots of geese, but then thought about sewing together all the super thick blocks and losing all the points and breaking needles trying to quilt it.  I decided to go back to Modern Minimal and the Cobblestones quilt for inspiration.

This was my first attempt at improv quilting.  I absolutely love Alissa Haight Carlton's comment about moving back and forth from machine to ironing board to cutting table over and over being a calorie burning experience!
The long edge pieces are from a pair of my husband's old leaf raking jeans.  This year was their final.  I love how you can see the fading and thinning at the knees.

I still wanted our guild to be represented in this quilt.  We have lots of fun with the Lone Square pattern so I appliqued a pocket onto the back.

Because really, who doesn't need an extra place for snacks and treasures!

*The binding is a Cotton and Steel Basic in Jean Jacket!  I donated a fat quarter of it to the prize pile for my entry into the challenge.  I love our fun guild!