Red Baby Quilt

I made another Vintage Baby Quilt (pattern by Yoyo Mama Designs.)  Back in May I made a boy version.  I tried something a little different this time and here is what I learned:

1.  I glue basted the squares with Elmer's Washable Glue and then ironed the squares down so they wouldn't fall off when I was shifting it around.  The ironing really set the squares so they didn't shift!  Yay.  However, I did just a little X in the center of each square so I didn't have to sew through the glue.  (From what I hear this wouldn't be a problem for the machine, but I was being extra cautious I guess.)  Since the edges weren't secured, there was still some shifting when I sewed so the squares are a little wonky.  Luckily, with this raw edge style it is not too obvious.  But next time I would probably just do a thin line around the edge, then iron, then sew.

2.  I love texture.  I really love just rubbing this quilt -- it makes me kind of want to do one to keep just so I can enjoy those raw edges!

3.  When basting, align the backing!  Argh!  I had a big enough piece for backing but I was too hasty in putting them together.  Since I started quilting in the middle, it wasn't until almost halfway through quilting that I realized the top was crooked and 2 corners were off the edge of the backing.  I ended up having to stitch two small strips to the corners.  Once again I was reminded sometimes when you hurry too fast, things take longer!

This was all made from fabric I already had, so that makes me happy.  I love the backing -- it's from the Reunion line by Sweetwater.

I am linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it up Friday and to Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation.

The BOM Quilt

I attend a Block of the Month (BOM) class at a local quilt shop.  It just occurred to me that although I usually call it by the acronym "B" "O" "M" -- I should be calling it "BOM!"  Would that make me so cool to my boys?  "Hey, I'm going to my Bomb class."

Anyway, this year the theme was "Barn Quilts" so we did all quilt blocks that are found on barns somewhere.  Each month we get 2 new block patterns, a beginner pattern and an intermediate pattern.  I do the beginner version.  The intermediate was fun -- all were barns with little 3" blocks on them.  The part I love most about this class is that they don't give us a pattern for the final quilt -- just the individual blocks.  They do complete a few quilts for ideas, but for the most part people come up with their own.  So next month I will get to see a huge variety of how people put them together.  The first time I attended 3 years ago I seriously couldn't even figure out how they could have all been in the same class!

We could choose from 3 colorways -- Civil War, 30's, and Solids.  Never having made an all solids quilt, I decided on this.  I like the simple, Amish style.

Having just finished the Summer Sampler quilt, I decided to go with the same setting using only 9 blocks.  I'm excited because I'm using corduroy for the corner triangles.  I love corduroy.

I have been trying to figure out how to quilt it -- right now I'm leaning toward a checkerboard pattern, going at a diagonal.  (Does that make sense?)  I am a little unsure what color thread.  All solids, with such contrast.....what would look best?  Would a mid-tone gray work best?  If anyone knows, please tell me!  Oh, and then I will have to decide on a binding.  Black?  Gray?  Pull a color from the center?

I am linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced Modern Quilts and to Needle and Thread Thursday on My Quilt Infatuation.

Fun in the Rain!

It doesn't rain a lot here.  So the fact that it's rained, and rained good, twice in the last week has been so fun!  I have good memories of taking walks in the rain as a kid....I find it very calming.  So when the rain starts I send my kids out to enjoy the storm.

You see that Tanner is often in costume.  Brian and I were watching the kids the other day and commenting on how it'll be sad when this phase comes to an end.  We've had some fun years watching those boys in costume.  Here are just a few pictures I took in the last week.  My favorite is the one where Brian is teaching Andrew how to mow the lawn....Tanner, who doesn't like the loud noise, followed behind in his Batman PJ's.  

Then there is the one with him in PJs that he grew out of last year, with a giant Transformer thing on his hand and his Spiderman mask.  He thought he was super tough!  

And lastly, not in costume, but playing with Brian's firetruck that really squirts water when you hook it up to the hose.  The facial expression cracks me up -- looks much like one of Eric's faces.  

 And a final "costume" -- Eric on his bed with his Lego head blanket on his face.  :)

Summer Sampler

Last year I made several blocks from a Summer Sampler Series by Fresh Lemons Quilts and Freshly Pieced.  I had fun picking out my fabrics from my stash.  I actually completed 12 blocks but didn't like a few of them because of my fabric chocies.  So I included 9 in the quilt.  The layout was inspired by a quilt in the book "Vintage Quilt Revival", a book written by the same ladies who put together the Summer Sampler Series.

What I learned:

1.  Paper Piecing!  Following this series was a great way to learn paper piecing.  I had never done it before and simply following the tutorials provided.  It was fun to learn something new.

2.  Another QAYG method.  This Quilt as You Go method was one I learned from some online videos by Candy -- her method is done in columns, with the backing, no sashing required.  (I tried another method recently without the backing.)  So once again, I couldn't just follow the exact tutorial because I wasn't doing a quilt with columns and no sashing. But I managed to break down the process by doing each row in the center, then added each triangle background.  I would like to try this method again with a quilt that is laid out in simple columns and rows.

3.  More HMQ practice.  My Home Machine Quilting is getting better, but still needs practice.  I definitely prefer practicing this without the bulk of the entire quilt...thank you QAYG method.  I did try a new triple zigzag stitch on the gray portion.  It was pretty easy -- just like straight line quilting but with a little more going on.  I've seen something similar on other blogs.

I love the blocks on point.  I am putting together another sampler quilts from my BOM (Block of the Month) class at a local store.  I am going to do the same setting. So hopefully you'll see that in the next few weeks.

I am linking up to My Quilt Infatuation's Needle and Thread Thursday 

and Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.