Baby Quilt for a friend in 2011

This is a quilt that I made for a friend's baby girl last year. I saw a similar quilt at a shop and thought it was fairly simple, but really cute. So I duplicated it and quilted it. The stripes on the back were mainly there because the back wasn't big enough, so I extended it.

I'm pretty sure this is the only quilt I finished last year. Having a baby myself made me not get very much done with quilting. We will see what happens this year.

Bag for a friend

Every once in a while, I like to make bags, and I happened to notice that a bag one of my friends uses at church is wearing out. So, I decided to make her a new one. I hope she likes it.

I didn't use a pattern, just copied the bag she uses now. It is reversible, has one side pocket on the outside and one on the inside. Also, there is a zipper pocket on one side.

I don't think my camera is doing the colors justice in these photos. It is cuter in real life.

Ella's quilt

I finally got around to making a quilt for my 3rd daughter and gave it to her for Christmas. She chose some of the fabrics herself, and most of them are polka dot. I like the back as much as the front (it also took as much or more time to put it together). The squares on the back are the same size as the ones on the front, since I had cut out plenty when I made the front. I had seen a quilt with a back like this one online and I loved the way it looked. I quilted it pretty simply, but I think it goes with the squares. I also did a pieced binding, which I love.
Of course, Ella loves it too.

Quilt for a friend

This is a quilt I machine quilted for a friend. Her then 10 year old daughter sewed the squares, she added the border and the flower applique, and had me machine quilt it. I think it took about 12 hours to quilt it. My friend then bound it and gave it to her daughter for her 11th birthday. I really like the way it turned out. The first picture is of the back and you can see the quilting better on it.

Second quilt for the year

quilting group quilt finished
Originally uploaded by goldbug121

This is the second quilt I have finished this year. This quilt was a group project where we each took a color and made nine patch blocks with our color for everyone, then we all swapped blocks. I added an extra row and column to my quilt to make it bigger. I love the purple border and the applique. I machine quilted it with a modified feather in the center of the quilt. I outlined the applique and then quilted the background. I did a little swirly pattern in the border. It took me about 3 weeks to machine quilt (I could only do a few hours a day). I love the way it turned out. I actually washed it this weekend and even used dye catchers in the wash with the quilt, but one red fabric in the applique bled wherever it was in the quilt. I am sad about that, but I still love this quilt. Here are some close up shots of the quilting. On the one of the back, you can see the signature block we made. Everyone who made a square signed the second block over from the left.

First post, first quilt done this year

Ok. I'm starting this blog so I have a place to post about my quilting and sewing all in one place. My plan is to document old quilts I have made, as well as post new projects as well. I probably won't post every day or even week, but just when I get around to it. I have been quilting since I made my first quilt with my mom at 16 and I love it. I belong to a quilt group that meets once a month and we have a great time meeting, showing off our projects, and working together on projects.

One of my goals this year is to finish machine quilting some tops that I have pieced over the years. My old Bernina 707, which I love so much, just didn't machine quilt well. So now that I have a new machine, a Janome 6600, made for quilting, I need to get with it and finish my projects. Already, I have completed one quilt this year, so I feel happy and on track to keep my goal.

I picked the top that I think was the oldest one in my pile. It is a quilt of my own design and made of scraps.



I wanted to free motion quilt a pattern. I just made up a kind of pattern and practiced on paper, a sample, then quilted the quilt. I did not mark the quilt at all. I am very happy with how it turned out. Here is a pic of the back and a detailed shot of the front.