AMB Challenge Quilt Top

Last week I finished up the quilt top for the American Made Brand challenge.

It’s pretty big, about 70 inches square.  My husband suggested quilting it in concentric circles (like the Nature Baby Quilt I made earlier this year), but I would have to do that on my domestic sewing machine and I think the layers would get shifted around a lot.  I had to cut quite a bit off the edges of the Nature Baby Quilt after quilting because of that.  That wouldn’t work for this quilt since it has a border.  Any suggestions?

I was able to make the entire bricklayer section from ripped strips just like the Gee’s Bend Quilters.  The final 1” border was precisely measured and cut with a rotary cutter.

I decided to go with wonky friendship stars in the borders.

While I’m not enamored with this quilt, I think it looks pretty good from a distance.

I am really looking forward to getting this quilt finished!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Say It With Flowers

Welcome to my stop on the hop!  I was inspired to finish up a quilt top from the Starburst Quilt Along earlier this year.  The top was completed in February, so it didn’t sit around for too, too long before quilting…

This is the second time I’ve tried other free motion quilting designs besides stippling.  I used wonky diamonds along the outer border & stippling in the negative white space.  Inside each star I quilted a swirl and then rays emanating out toward the points of the stars. 

I used Angela Walter’s Free Motion Quilting book for design inspiration.

And where are the flowers?  On the back!

Normally I like to take photos before washing the quilt, but this time I washed and dried it because I am donating this quilt.  I wanted to make sure all the seams went through the washer and dryer with no problems. 

I also used a flower print for binding—House and Home by Bernatex.  I love these happy little flowers!

This quilt is going to a group who provides quilts for breast cancer patients.  I didn’t have any specific person in mind when I started the quilt along, so hopefully it will provide comfort to someone who needs it.

Make sure you check out all the other stops on the hop today!

May 31^st

Squawk That

How Art You?

A Little Bit of Lorene

Handmade By Mama

Blooming Where I Am Planted

Jane’s Quilting

Just Quilt It

busybeequilts

Lisa In Port Hope

Les Quilts

Quilts My way

Thanks so much, Carol & Madame Samm, for organizing this hop and cheering everyone on!

Monday Link Up--Let's Get Acquainted!

When Beth from Plum and June decided to take her Monday link up party on the road, I was thrilled when she asked me to host. Although we have never met, I love her sewing style. She recently finished this sweet improv quilt that is absolutely adorable. Maybe we share some of the same tastes since we are both moms to three little girls?

My favorite part of quilting is figuring things out. Not one to follow a pattern (or ever have success trying to), I like to just go with an idea and see what turns out, like this quilt top I made for the Pantone Emerald Challenge.



This was my first time using triangles, so I just bought a set of templates called Tri-Rec rulers. Originally I planned for the oblong space to be a hexagon shape, but didn’t use equilateral triangle templates (whoops). So when the space turned out oblong, I put those little diamonds in there to fill up the centers.



The rulers made sewing triangles together a breeze. I just wish I had used the right kind of triangle!

Now for the fun stuff! Here are the rules for the link-up party:

1. Link up any recent sewing/quilting post.

2. In your post or on your blog, please include either a text link or a button letting people know about this link up.

3. Visit at least the two bloggers who link up before you and everyone who visits you from this post.

4. WHEN THE LINK ASKS FOR YOUR NAME, TELL ME WHAT KIND OF PET YOU HAVE. My middle daughter wants a cockatiel for her birthday, and I keep thinking how cool it would be to have a magician make it appear at her party.