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.

UFO Busting #159

Happy Saturday!  By the time you are reading this I will be setting behind a desk trying to bring home the bacon...but know my head is dreaming about being home and behind a machine.  But for the next 8ish hours this will be my view.

A few weeks ago, I convinced the fellows at work to hang a bar for me so that I can change out quilts.  One it keeps me happy and two it is a great thing to talk to customers about.  It's really a win for all of us.

I was a little absent last week.  I promise I haven't bailed.  Life just happens.  But I have still been working away.  I finished quilting the 2015 UFO and will share finished pictures soon.  

I did a little retail therapy as well.  While doing some Pinterest surfing on sampler quilts, I fell in love with The Aqua Umbrella's free QAL from 2016.  I have to make it.  I chose colors very similar to the original quilt.

Instead of solids, I will be using mostly Moda Grunge and two other fabrics that are similar.  I found the grunge at a local quilt shop that I found out was closing because they must move out of state.  I'm sad they are leaving, but was happy to have the fabric clearance discount.

 These fun little Halloween prints hopefully will land in a sampler quilt-as-you-go quilt I found over at The Little Mushroom Cap.  I will definitely share my progress when I start.

And progress has been made on piecing the Hello Summer Quilt.  Funny as we prepare to actually bid summer farewell, I'm over here asking it to come back.  I would say I'm about 1/8 of the way there.  I love that it comes together in basically four huge blocks just rotated.  

Now it is your turn, link up below and share what you have been up to this week.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

My sad piece of news, that falls into the category of life happens, is I lost my number one quilting companion, Oliver, aka Poosa Poosa last week.  He made it to the ripe old age of almost 16 and we managed diabetes for the past 3 years.  We aren't exactly sure what happened, his numbers have been great for some time and over the course of a weekend he just crashed on me.  I miss him terribly.  I think he talked back worse than my daughter, but I loved every minute of it.  I am thankful for all the time I had with him and know he was met on the other side of the rainbow bridge by his two dog siblings, Becker and Newton, that he loved to torment.  He made several appearances on here and I wanted to share the news of his passing.  He is survived by his 19 year old dog sister, Maggie, feline sister Caroline and brother Junior and recently acquired step-cat-brother Bellamy. 

UFO Busting #158

 It's Saturday and it seemed like there was no better time than trying to bring the old UFO Busting party back to life.  If you are new to the party, it's a place to share progress on UFO's (unfinished objects), things that are becoming a UFO, things that distract us from UFO's or even something that didn't become a UFO.  Basically, just show up and share what you are working on or what inspires you.

This week I shared about my recent quilt finish of Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation's Strip Tango.  For my version of the quilt, I used an adorable dinosaur print.  It felt good to have a finished project under my belt after not quilting for so long.  You can read more about this little quilt here.

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of pattern testing Cheryl at Meadow Mist Design's Melodic Mystery Quilt.  I promise it does not disappoint.  It might actually be my favorite of all her mystery quilts so far.  This week, the fabric requirements and cutting instructions were officially released.  I cannot show you my finished quilt...that's a secret.  But I can show you the fabrics I chose to work with.

I was super excited to find that the fabric requirements give an option for pre-cuts.  I have a ton of them laying around the house.  So if you are looking to use up some charm packs or even layer cakes, this quilt could be for you.  Read more about the quilt along here.  

Next up I have officially opened the fabric kit for Hello Summer that I ordered from Sarah Made.  I've decided to add a white on white into the mix.  I cannot wait to cut into this pile of fabric!

Since I'm on a quilting roll, I decided it was way past time to pull out this UFO from 2015.  Technically, this isn't my quilt.  It was pieced by my at the time husband to gift to a family friend.  I had it quilted except for the two large blue and cream squares.  I had no idea what to do in them.  With a little inspiration from Angela Walters and Natalia Bonner the ideas are flowing.

I've been sneaking in quilting time before I go to work in the mornings and have made progress in one of the squares.  I'm super excited to get this one headed toward a finish.  It's time to get this quilt headed to the home where it belongs.

Now that I have covered all my quilty bases for the week, it's your turn.  Link up below and show us all the quiltastic stuff you have been up to.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Strip Tango Dinosaurs

 

I'm back today with a recent quilt finish.  It's not a UFO finish, but it's not a UFO either, so that progress.  I friend of mine is expecting her second (great) grandson and I wanted to help her celebrate by gifting a quilt.  It's what we do.  Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation's Strip Tango is my new go-to baby quilt pattern, especially when I need one in a hurry.  All you need is a few fat quarters, and the large strips sew up super quick for a quilt finish.

After some discussion, it was decided we would go with a dinosaur theme for the quilt.  I found this fun bundle on amazon and mixed with it a few other fabrics I had on hand.  In less than a few hours I had a completed top.

For the quilting I went with something I can stitch quickly and probably at this point in my sleep...good ol' stippling.  For my thread color I opted for Aurifil 1126 Blue Grey because I loved that it blended well across the quilt without completing with the prints.

It's now time for this little quilt to make its way to the new baby due to arrive any day.

I love working on simpler projects when I've had a large break in my quilting time.  It feels like gently sliding back into things.  Plus, sometimes you just need a quick finish to get the quilting juices flowing again.  This project has inspired me to pull out a pretty close to finished UFO from 2015.  I hope to be sharing that finish with you pretty soon.  Until then I will leave you with a few pictures of other Strip Tango's I have made.

Of course in true UFO fasion...this one hasn't been quilted yet :)

Hello. What's Up?

 This will go down as my all time favorite quilt packaging (from Sarah Made)!  Plus it seemed like a fitting way to start this post.  I swear I'm not going to declare, hey, guys, I'm back!  Because it seems like every time I do, life goes hold my beer.  So how about a quick post about the things I've been up to and then I'll start sliding right back in to quilting posts.  I miss you guys!  

The package above I just had to have.  I found Sarah from Sarah Made on the Instagram and fell in LOVE with her Hello Summer quilt. So I did the only thing I could do and ordered the quilt kit (to make eventually).  I'll do a post about the fabric later, but if you have a chance check our her Hello Summer quilt here.

Since moving to my new position at work, things have been banana bonkers busy.  Working longer hours left little time for quilting.  I found myself picking up my original love...cross stitch.  

One thing I love about it is that it can be super portable.  So, between customers I can sneak in a little bit of creative time.  My obsession at the moment is the Mini Masterpieces by The Sitch Patterns on Etsy.  

How can you not love tiny versions of famous paintings??  I hope to display them in a mosaic frame in my office for a conversation piece.  I think I need a total of 24 so I'm almost half way there.

So what in the actual quilt have I been up to since June?  Well, I pieced a quilt.  My big thing now is to make things to display in my office, as I just mentioned.  As soon as I ran across Lo and Behold's Summer Pop Quilt, I knew I needed it to hang in my office next summer.

Bomb Pops are summer to me.  The traditional red white and blue.  I have the top pieced.

I found the cutiest print fabric to go with it.  Now to make a decision...use it as a backing or, use it as a backing and do a border?

I am 100% open to suggestions.  Please let me know what you think.

I also found time to piece a small baby quilt for a dear friend expecting a grandson.  I actually finished quilting it this week and will share finished pictures as soon as the rain stops and a proper photoshoot can happen.  

So this is me easing back into quilting.  Life looks so much different than it did a few years ago and I'm looking forward to sharing the quilts again.  I hope to open the UFO Busting Quilt party back up if anyone would be interested.  I'm seriously thinking about issuing a challenge to myself next year to not piece any quilts.  The challenge would be to spend an entire year quilting the piles of UFO's.  Crazy?  What do you think?

  

A Roll of the Dice

 

Hello, everyone!  I'm back after what appears to be a 7-month hiatus.  Unfortunately, during my away time, not much quilting has gone on.  I was in training for a new position at work, cheering on my daughter while she is going to nursing school and reconnected with someone that was very important in my life.  Over the past few weeks, I dipped my toes back into the quilting world by pattern testing for a quilty friend and I feel like I'm finding peace in life again.  So when my dear friend Sandra (mmmquilts) reached out to me about her pattern release for A Roll of the Dice...of course I want to be part of your release party!  I can't think of a better way to come back.

Introducing, A Roll of the Dice!  Not only do you get instructions for a sweet little baby quilt, but she also included instructions for a bed runner and pillow.  The pillow could also be used as a tiny wall hanging.  I chose to make the baby quilt for the pattern release.  For my colors I went with soft mauve/pinks and green/mints.  Sandra's patterns never disappoint.

I love a quilt with variation blocks.  Each of the four star blocks have a different center.  And when you step back from the quilt you notice a large Ohio Star.

Another thing I love about this quilt, is that the block sizes are bigger and this nine patch of blocks comes together very quickly.  I was able to piece this quilt over a weekend. 

Now I'm looking forward to quilting those blocks.  Measuring in at 40" square, this would be a great size to practice free motion quilting on, especially if you are quilting on a domestic machine.

I think we can all safely say, most things in life are a roll of the dice.  However when you bet on this pattern, you are sure to win.  Make sure you visit Sandra's launch page here to check out all the other projects.  You can also find out how to grab a copy of the pattern for yourself.

If you've made to the end, I just want to thank you for stopping by.  I hope to be more vocal on my page soon.  Until then...happy quilting to everyone!