two to go

Two squares to be tilted, then rows to sew, then borders... 

cats on parade

 It almost seems like these kittys are parading across my design wall.  Five squares are completed, with framing and tilting.  I want the quilt to seem like it was a "happy little accident" (to quote Bob Ross), but it requires planning to appear haphazard.

more curious

The blue and purple framing is done and set in a predictable pattern.






















And now for some wonky placement.  This might be it...not sure just yet.






















Some of these fabrics won't make it into the finished quilt.  Two of the yellows are a bit too acid green...I think.  Again...not sure, but still thinking...

curious...

 The cat squares are on my design wall.  Deciding what to do takes longer than actually doing it.  I'm hesitant to cut fabric until I get a clear idea of where I'm going with the idea.




















I think I'll make them wonky...






















Auditions...I think there'll be lots and lots of different fabrics in this one...

Curious Cats

The next project is Curious Cats...just thinking...imagining...


UPDATE --- the fushia pink fades terribly!  I'm so glad that I prewash/preshrink my fabrics now -- I didn't always, so I guess I've dodged several dye bullets.  The dark yellow/brown batik faded a bit, but I've set all the colors with a vinegar/salt water bath.

Summer hat

I'm making a bucket hat for my granddaughter to wear on the beach.  The pattern books didn't have exactly the hat I wanted, so I used Pellon grid fabric to made an adjusted pattern.
















Iron on interfacing gives it extra body.  Most of the seams require grading, clipping, notching.














...and pinning...lots and lots of pinning.  The top lining is hand stitched to the crown...tiny little stitches...

















A fashion statement for 4 year old Alannah...

binding, then it's finished!

 ...machine stitching binding to Funky Flowers...then hand stitching to the back...and it's (finally) finished...

prewash??

Should I prewash my quilt fabric?  Absolutely!!  This is a half yard of quilt shop fabric I'll use for binding.  It is quality fabric...but quality fabric can (and will) still fade.  It might be excess dye...or maybe not.  In any case if I hadn't prewashed, the finished quilt would be tinted a lovely rose color.

getting back on the horse

Quilting seemed to be going well...













The second pieced border was going well...

















Then the 3rd border suddenly rebelled with monstrous waves...Rather than let it dictate what it wanted to do, I decided to slice it off and use only two borders plus the binding.










I cut off everything except the last eighth inch, which will be enclosed in the binding seam.  Problem solved.

pillowcase ideas

I've taken a break from the Funky Flower throw for a few days.  I need to back up and punt.






 Several months ago our quilt guild made pillowcases for Erlanger Children's Hospital in Chattanooga TN.  Starting with 1 yard each of two coordinating fabrics, I cut 9" WOF from each piece.  I used this 9" strip to make the cuff on the other pillowcase (and vice versa).  You'll have matching pillowcases, but each is unique.  Each pillowcase has another fabric (2"-2 1/2" strip cut WOF) used as piping.

I'm a smusher...

 While quilting the Funky Flowers throw, it came to mind that I'm a smusher rather than a roller.  The quilt seems to move better from a smushed position than from a roll.  And I'm lovin' the 11" throat on my Janome...lots of smushing space.