Not Turning Twenty Quilt Finish

 Can you say UFO finish!  I'm jumping up and down because I can.  I affectionately call this quilt The Not Turning Twenty Quilt.  I know that seems strange.  At the time my husband wanted to make a quilt for one of his good friends using blue and cream fat quarters.  

My suggestion was the super easy Turning Twenty (not an affiliated link) quilt pattern.  It's fat quarter friendly and a great beginner quilt.  Above is the one I made...my very first quilt ever (you can read more about it here).  He loved the sound of it until he started laying his cut pieces out, and then he hated it.  He ended up landing on this quilt layout.

And that was 2017 and then the quilt sat.  And sat some more. Then in January of 2018 I decided I was brave enough to start quilting this project and I had a plan.

In all of the rectangle sections I quilted a woodgrain pattern.  Since it was for a guy it seemed manly.  And I was really loving the texture it was creating.  The problem?  I got all of those parts quilted and realized I had no idea what to quilt in the squares.  And the quilt creator and I had a falling out and my motivation really just went away.  And that's all I have to say about that.

Over the past few years I have watched many videos by so many talented quilters.  I'm forever grateful for quilters like Angela Walters, Judi Madsen and Natalia Bonner (and so many more) who share their quilting knowledge.  And all those that share on places like Instagram and provide inspiration for others.  Because of hours watching and learning and a rekindling with the quilt maker, I decided it was time to finish this quilt and get it to the gentleman it would belong to.

To offset all the curves of the woodgrain, I decided to go with straight line quilting in the four square sections.  Two would get random triangles with straight lines and the other two would get an X's with echos.

I'll be honest, I was so happy with the quilting, I kinda didn't want to give it up.  It was texture galore!  But at the end of the day, it's not my quilt.  I didn't piece it and it wasn't created for me.

I am happy to say the quilt was delivered to the lucky fellow in fall of 2022.  The quilt maker was supper happy to find that I had kept the quilt and wanted to finish it.  Of course, I kept it.  We do not throw quilts out EVER!  

Diatom QAL-Block 3 and first Row

 

I'm giving myself a huge pat on the back for keeping up with Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl and her Diatom QAL, going on as we speak.  Like the crazy person that I am, I decided to make both the throw and twin-size version of the quilts.  

Luckily there has been no more fabric changes, which made the blocks come together much quicker.  Ms. Carmella is loving being in the middle of things.  She's such a huge help...well in her mind she is.  

Since I have a little bit of time before Block #4, I decided to go ahead and sew what would be the first row together.  I needed some instant gratification, and it will be less to stress about at the end.

And I just realized looking at the picture, I have a corner block in the first purple block turned wrong....but I think it is staying.  No more remakes :)

Pop Star--pieced

 

There is fashionably late for a party and then there is Tish fashionably late to a party.  I'm only a month shy of a year late to this one.  I would like to note I have been much later to a quilt along before.  

The quilt along was hosted by my dear friend Sandra over at mmm!quilts and ran from April 3rd to June 15th of 2022.  

I did manage to gather fabrics for the quilt along while it was going on and had hoped to finish it before the June 15th deadline.  However, I am the paver of roads with good intentions.  Unfortunately, I didn't get to start this one until a week ago.

I opted to make the throw size version of the quilt and decided I would add a larger border using the large star fabric.

The only thing I wish I had done differently, is using an orange color fabric for my shadow stars instead of the green fabric.  Once the top started coming together, it felt like the green fabrics blended together with the focal fabric and got lost in the shuffle.

With this top complete, I am ready for the 2023 quilt along that will be right around the corner.  I may have insider information but my lips are sealed!!  Just know I'm excited to join in.

If you would like to purchase your own copy of the Pop Star pattern, you can find it here at Sandra's Etsy store or follow along with the quilt along instructions here.  I may be a late piecer, but Sandra loves me anyway.

Melodic Mystery Quilt

 

No surprise I am way behind writing about this quilt top finish.  This time last year had the opportunity to pattern test for Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs on her latest mystery quilt.  I love pattern testing for Cheryl.  Her patterns are always super easy to follow and I love her designs.  The Melodic Mystery may be my favorite one yet, although I think I say that about all of them.

For my fabrics I went with a charm pack of Morning Light by Linzee McCray for Moda.  

I completely forgot to get snaps of my progress as I followed through the monthly instructions.  I was too excited to see where it was going.  The last page would reveal the above quilt top.  And I love it!  I decided to order some border and binding fabric from the Morning Light line to make the top a bit bigger.

For reasons I can't remember at the moment, I did not put the border on when it arrived.  I placed the fabric in a safe place for later.  Now we fast forward to later.  I can't find it!!!  I looked for two weekends in a row and found nothing.  I would have sworn that I didn't order it...but I have a picture of it.  So now, a year later, I ordered more.

Had to get a different print for the binding.  Who knows maybe I'll find the other fabric before I quilt it.  As soon as the package arrived, I got my border on.

I love this top so much!  I can feel my quilting rulers dying to dance across it.  But for now it will join all the other quilty UFO's hanging out in my quilt room...and that original border fabric that is somewhere.

If you would like to make your own version of Melodic Mystery you can find the instructions here on Cheryl's blog.

Juggling Projects

 

I've never been able to focus on just one project from start to finish.  Most days I really wish I had that ability.  In my little brain I need several irons in the fire to function.  Usually, it looks something like this...one project in quilting phase that I'm dragging my feet on and two or three piecing projects that I somehow think I can piece all at the same time if planned correctly.  This is basically how I am operating right now.  Above is a panel I purchased several months ago to go with Natalia Bonner's (Piece N Quilt) Let's Stitch a Year of Stars.

I decided to purchase the preprinted panel that is specifically made for the class.  I have to admit when I opened the package I had reservations.  It appeared that the panel may be polyester and not cotton?  It's kind of stretchy and very slick...so I had no idea how it would quilt up.  Turns out...

the answer is it stitches up beautifully!  I've started with the sashing first and will go back and fill in the blocks after I'm finished.  Don't be surprised when I use this stitching in all my sashings.  Looks complicated but it is super easy.  I also purchased the panel for her Visual Guide to Machine Quilting class and I'm considering her class coming out in April Free-Motion Filler Frenzy.  I can always use more fillers in my life.

On the piecing front, I've started stitching a top together that's been waiting on me for almost a year.  Each spring my dear friend Sandra at mmmquilts hosts a quilt along.  Last year was an awesome shadow quilt called Pop Star.

It's never too late to join in a quilt along...even if it's over...and that is what I'm doing.  I'm thinking of it as a warmup to this year's quilt along.  

And last on deck, are these beautiful fabrics just waiting to be chopped up.  Eventually, they will become a tshirt quilt.  The hard part of ironing the shirts to the stabilizer has been done for some time.  I've made this quilt one other time and this one will look quite similar.  Both girls loved purple.

The pattern is from Angela Walter's Midnight Quilt Show.  It was a free pattern offered through Craftsy, but since all the changes that has happened with the streaming company, I'm not sure it is still available but the video is.

Well that's enough rambling.  Those quilts are not going to make themselves!

Diatom Quilt Along--The Fabrics, Block 1 and 2

 

In December, Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl kicked off her Diatom Quilt Along and I decided I would play along. I desperately wanted to make it in blues, like her quilt.  Most of the quilt shops in my area have closed so I traveled to one a few hours away in hopes to find fabric.  The selection of blues left a bit to be desired so I settled on purple...it's like blue...sorta.

So I opted for the throw size version and left with the fabrics above.  I wasn't convinced when I left the store that there was enough contrast between the two center fabrics.  I'm not sure why I didn't try a black and white picture before I left, but a snap revealed...

They really kinda looked the same, but I convinced myself to make it work.  

Fast forward to the release of block 1.  I discovered my next mistake.  I actually wanted to make the twin size version of the quilt.  The setting for the blocks is different and I have no idea how I missed that.  So, I decided there was only one thing I could do...go to a different shop and buy fabric in blue...like I wanted in the first place.  I call it fate.  I'll just make two quilts.

This time I took a black and white picture before I left the store.  

I found I had the contrast I desired and that I just needed to swap the two middle fabrics.  The darker one was not the one I thought it was.

But the purples.  I just couldn't get them out of my head.  Something about the contrast of those two fabrics kept eating away at me.  I just bought blue fabric...maybe I should make an adjustment to the purple?  I need contrast!  So back to the store...

Light gray.  Yes, that's the answer!  I pulled the purple with gold out completely and added a light gray for my lightest fabric.  This made my heart happy and even more exited for the quilt along.  Nothing to do now but sew my blocks.

Block instructions are easy to follow and they go together quickly.  The center of both the throw and twin-size blocks measure the same.  As I was putting the blue block together, I started feeling twitchy again.

I felt like at a distance those blues read the same.  But I told myself I was crazy and continued piecing until I had two finished blocks.  And stepping away from the block I noticed that in the blue one I have the corner blocks turned wrong.  Should I fix it?  I bet if my blues had more contrast I would have noticed.

Contrast.  I really want good contrast. And the corners are wrong.  That's all I could think about.  You know what I did, right?

You guessed it, back to the store for more fabric.  Fabric is an addiction.  I introduced a peachy color and added another blue to the mix.  So I'm happy to introduce blocks 1 and 2 for both quilts.

Now that I've landed on fabrics I'm in love with I can't wait to piece the rest!

I'm Still a Quilter

 

Bellamy

I was beginning to think I might need to send out a search party to find myself.  The past few years has been a bit crazy with life changes and job changes and job position changes. Quilting had fallen to the back burner.  I found a new me.  A stronger more vocal me but something is still missing and I'm off kilter.   That is because the quilting me has been silent.  I need creativity and the quilting community.  So, I'd like to think I'm back.  

Oliver

I've lost one of my quilting companions, sweet tuxedo kitty, Oliver, but have gained new ones as well.  Bellamy (Bartholomew Benjamin Buttons), my step kitty, has been laying on my works in progress for almost a year now.  And in December we welcomed a sweet ginger girl, Carmella.

Carmella

Both Bellamy and Carmella understand their quilting rolls and take the job seriously.  Stealing marking pens, empty Aurifil spools, grabbing my seat two seconds after I get up and laying on projects as soon as I set them down are just a few of the services they provide.  

So what have these purrfect little helpers been  helping me create?  Why, more UFO's of course.  

I stumbled upon this quilt along from 2016 while surfing Pinterest and fell in love.  Called the Aqua Umbrella QAL, it features a sampler of blocks in an asymmetrical layout.  So basically, love at first sight for me.  You can find the details for this free quilt along here.

This beauty called to me from Instagram @sarah_made and is called Hello Summer.  I loved the colors in her quilt kit and ordered it from her online shop here.  I made one minor tweak to the quilt kit.  I substituted the light mint fabric in the largest and smallest star points for a white on white because I loved how it popped.  That just gives me extra fabric for the binding once it's quilted.

This is another quilt pattern that found me on Instagram.  What can I say I'm easily distracted.  The pattern is called Balderdash by Emma Jean Jansen.  I had a stash of fun Halloween prints and nothing to do with them so this pattern worked great for showing them off.  You can find this pattern and many more at Emma Jean's online store here.

I started piecing this quilt in late fall of 2021 for a co-worker's son.  Well, young Crosby turned one at the end of November and I finally finished piecing the quilt.  I feel confident that I can finish this one before he graduates High School...fingers crossed.  It's actually basted and I've taken a few stitches so, definitely by his 2nd birthday...probably.  The pattern is Dinosaurs by Elizabeth Hartman and you can find it here.  I paired it with Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilt's Alphabet pattern to add Crosby's name to the top of the quilt.  Her lettering is super easy and perfect for any quilt.  You can find it here.

And then Christmas rolls around and I felt like I needed to make something seasonal to sooth my soul.  I have tons of charms around the house, so Fat Quarter Shop's Charming Christmas seemed like a perfect choice...and it was.  But what I learned was the pattern is so easy and goes together so fast that why not make a second one bigger??

And so I did!  The smaller one measures 26.5" square and the larger one 59" square.  The best part is that it is a free pattern on their website.

I'm in love with these juicy little berries!  I've seen similar quilts while surfing the internet but decided to just wing it and make my own.  I do not have a shortage of reds in my stash, so there was plenty of prints to choose from.  I've worked on this one off and on over the last year.  My only regret is I kind of wish I used a slightly lighter gray as the background, but I love it just the same!

I may have been painfully quiet over the past few months, but I have been busy behind the scenes.  I still have a few finished quilts to share with you...two of which are UFO's.  And some quilt alongs that I have participated in.  

So I leave you with one last non-quilty picture.

When you ask for a new cat tree for Christmas, but all you get is a stupid sister.