On Retreat

A couple of older kits ready to go.

Today is the first day of a quilt retreat with other women from the Baton Rouge Modern Quilt Guild. We're at a beautiful retreat house in Baton Rouge that has lots of space: cooking, laundry, living and, of course, sewing. The quilting area is a large, L-shaped room with sewing tables for 12, cutting areas, pressing stations with Oliso irons, and sitting areas. 

Amanda Jean's QAL

I've been prepping for this retreat between all the other things that are happening. Mostly I decided what I want to work on. Then I cut the fabric and made kits that include instructions and thread. I put everything into a plastic bag that linen comes in (the girls save them for me) with a completed block. 

I had several already put together, so I went through those yesterday and chose to bring a couple, just in case. One is a second version of the Amanda Jean Nyberg QAL that I participated in back in 2017.

One of the kits that I cut and set up is a blue, green and teal scrap quilt with lots of white background. I just kept cutting and adding fabric to the kit. If I use it all, I'll have either two medium size quilts or a huge king. Yeah, I lost control of that plan. But, you know, it's better to have too much, right? 

The last kit is one that I've been collecting for years. As I purchased or used these modern prints, I put a little aside for a time when there would be enough for a modern quilt.

There are plenty! I cut blocks in three different sizes: 6½" square, 6½" by 4½", and 6½" by 2½". Then I cut RJR solid in  white linen into 6½" by 2½" pieces. That's the quilt that I worked on today.


The last thing I did to prepare was to gather the items I use everyday: scissors, rulers, pins... You know, all those things. You'd think it would be easy. Think again.

I have lots of sets of everything, but nothing stays in this container just waiting for a road trip, so I was a little concerned I'd forget an absolutely imperative, most necessary thing. Then I'd have to either waste time to make a run to an LQS or just (gasp!) do without. No way. 

I spent lots of time thinking about what I'd need by running each kit through my mind and systematically seeing what I'd use. It really helps if your brain works systematically. Mine doesn't. But I did a pretty good job anyway. 

Baby Bunting ~~ Finish!

Another finish! This one is a small baby quilt. Well, average size: 45" x 45" is not so small. 

There's no particular reason for the quilt except that I wanted to use my new Studio dies in the Drunkard's Path design. Remember that last summer I made up some quilt kits to sew while we were on vacation? This is one. 

I sewed for a while when we spent a day resting at one of the parks in Michigan. My idea was to get as many blocks completed as possible while we were stopped but I didn't get very far before we moved on. At the next stop I wanted to work on something different. 

At least I'd gotten enough blocks together for a baby quilt, which I put together once we returned home. Last week, I quilted it and love the design. The moment I got this design while playing on the design wall, I knew it was the one. It makes me think of bunting, especially when it's turned so that the pointed corners are pointing downward. 

To quilt it, I stitched feathers in the scrappy pieces and echo quilting in the soft white pieces. I did not expect to have to make quite as many connections as I did, but in the end I'm satisfied. 

This is one pretty little quilt. I didn't worry about whether fabrics were too close--and they are in places--I just threw it together and had fun. What fun-filled scrappiness are you into this week?

	Quilt Stats
Name:	Baby Bunting (Scrap Quilt)
Size:	45” x 45”
Fabrics:	Scrap fabrics; Stash fabrics-- Kona natural white
Backing:	purple from stash
Binding:	Drunkard’s Path
Pattern:	Baby Bunting (Scrap Quilt)
Quilting:	Free Motion Quilting
Completed:	September 2016

Linking up with

Em's Scrap Bag 
Fort Worth Fabric Studio 
Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation
A Quilting Reader's Garden
Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts

How a Quilter Travels

I am almost ready to go camping. Or maybe vacationing. Or maybe just have a staycation in the camper!  lol  It doesn't matter to me where the camper spends the night. If I'm in it, I can get some quilting done.

First, I made several quilt kits.  I thought I needed to hurry, so I put these together quickly, but they'll make some nice quilts. Because I don't know when I'll get to any of the kits, I wrote some notes to remember my original plan.  I'm likely going to forget what my intentions were and mix things up. Now, that's okay, but the problem would be that I wouldn't end up with the quilts I need.  In some cases I even included a cone (or two) of thread. 

Here are the four quilt kits: two pink baby quilts (at the top) one in a tumbler design, which I cut on my Accuquilt Studio cutter; the second one is a simple rectangle block. I cut 5" squares (finished) and then cut those in half. My plan is to mix up the squares for a fun, easy baby quilt. The tumbler will be a bit different because I cut half of the squares in a solid light pink that I bought after Mother's Day. I plan to alternate the solids and prints. 

The peach quilt on the lower left uses a new design that I created last week. I want to write a pattern for it and need to sew up a second quilt to make sure I don't miss any steps. I think it uses scraps and a Kona off-white.

The last one is a Drunkard's Path quilt using Kona cream (maybe?) and scraps. Some of the fabrics will appear in all four quilts, but once they were out and pressed, I hated putting them away and starting over again. Besides, the pinks worked. I may be sorry later and get sick of those pinks!

I couldn't take the idea of leaving behind the Quilty 365 blocks. You never know when the iron is hot! I may have a minute and an idea. 

And if I'm going to bring the circles, I need to bring the plaids. 

And always, some solids. So now that all of this is in the camper, I just have two things left...the Bernina and the container of tools (scissors, pincushion of pins, needles, thread, snips, bobbins, etc.) I've been using those, so they will stay in the studio until I know the camper is pulling out. Luckily I have the best husband, who will stop at a quilt shop for a thimble. So I don't fret about forgetting anything, but it is easier to have the things than to find a shop. 

Happy Quilting,

Modern Monday: Cross Quilt ~~ complete

That's right~~complete!  
I started this quilt just before we left for vacation when I cut out a couple of kits just in case I'd have some down time in the camper.  I had a chance to do a little sewing but not much.  I managed to sew blocks for two quilts: the modern cross quilt and the rose fabric quilt.

As soon as we returned home, I put the cross quilt blocks on the design wall and wrote about my progress here last week.  Although getting back to it later in the week was a bit of a trial, I finished it in time to share at today's guild meeting.  

I really like this bright, cheerful quilt.  Quilting it was great fun.  

I chose to use embroidery thread to match the colors of the quilt because it has a shimmery look that I really like.  

I also decided that each color would get its own quilting motif, meaning that the green crosses are all quilted in pebbles, the blue in scrolls, orange in rounded squares, and so on.  

Since there are seven colors, I was taxed to come up with enough circular motifs, but I didn't want to use any straight line quilting on the colors because I used straight line quilting patterns for the background.  I wanted lots of contrast between the two.

The back is pretty, also, because I matched the bobbin thread to the block and embroidery thread color.  In some areas, the stitching on the back has a lacy look to it.  Can you tell I'm a little proud of this one?

Now to get the label on and hang it in the studio.  It should brighten the place, don't you think?














Linking up with: 
Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation
Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts 
Fabric Frenzy Friday for Fourth Worth Fabric Studio
Thank Goodness Its Finished Friday for TGIFF 
Link a Finish Friday at Richard and Tanya Quilts