Friday, October 31, 2014

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Blogger's Quilt Festival Fall 2014

Finally! A break in the rain and I was finally able to take some pictures of my most recent finish just in time to post for Blogger's Quilt Festival Fall 2014:

Verum Viridi, front

This is from the Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. pattern, "True Blue". Since I chose to do mine in greens, I went ahead and named it "Verum Viridi" which, according to Google, is Latin for "True Green."

Verum Viridi, side-front

Anyway, there's lots of green in this one! And-- even better-- lots of stash used! The quilt measures about 80" x 80".

Verum Viridi, back

Through the center, I quilted leafy branches all over, inspired by the tutorial from A Few Scraps (she has so many awesome tutorials and ideas!!!).

Verum Viridi, detail back

Then I went into the first border and did a wavy thing... it is very inconsistent, but as there is so much inconsistency, it kind of looks like it is supposed to be that way. So I figure that works. Ha! The thread used in the center and inner border was Aurifil 50/2 in Light Sand (#2000)-- which was perfect as there was lots of layered stitching in some areas, and it never got too heavy looking.

Verum Viridi, corner detail

Finally, in the outer border, I used a darker thread (Aurifil 50/2 in Sandstone #2370) and just did some straight lines to emphasize the piano key piecing action. I did the straight lines free-motion and actually used a ruler to help guide me as I stitched. It worked surprisingly well!

Verum Viridi, label

And the label... hoping my Latin is okay! Perhaps I should have gotten my Latin textbook from college out to confirm?

Verum Viridi, front again

Thanks so much for stopping by to check out my entry. Have fun exploring all of the entries at Blogger's Quilt Festival!

Blogger's Quilt Festival Fall 2014 hosted by Amy's Creative Side, button

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

It's that time of year...

stack of fleece, foam, and fur

A large stack of fleece, foam and fur? Yep. Costume time!

Wish me luck!

Monday, October 13, 2014

Kitty Check

In my quest to find my missing mojo, I decided on a quick quilt project to get me going.

Kitty Check, front

This is from the Me & My Sister Designs book, Crazy for Baby, and is called "Teething Rings."

Kitty Check, front detail

Mine is a little different from the one in the book. I decided to add a couple of blocks to lengthen it a bit. I also had to narrow the borders so I could efficiently manage the directional print in my fabric. The main fabric is a woven plaid embroidered cats. It ended up being tricky dealing with this fabric and ensuring every cut stayed along the design lines (so much for my "quick and easy" project!). But it worked out in the end! And the fabric got super soft after washing .

Kitty Check, detail of border block

I quilted the plaid kitty sections with a stipple and then tried to get a little fancier in the block border with some feather-ish action. All the quilting was completed using Aurifil Mako 50/2 in Violet (2520).

Kitty Check, back texture

The fabrics all came from stash, including this wild purple print I chose for the backing.

Kitty Check, back

My mom is not in good health. She is currently in a care facility and misses home and her cats. And her favorite color is purple. So I gave this quilt to her.

Kitty Check, label

Hopefully, it will offer some small comfort. If nothing else, it made me feel good to make it for her. There's lots of love in this little quilt!