Jack’s World
May 1, 2012
General Info
| Start Date | Apr 21, 2012 |
|---|---|
| Finish Date | May 1, 2012 |
| Status | Finished |
| Size | 30″ x 50″ |
| Pattern | My own design |
| What it’s for | Gift for my cousin’s son Jack |
| Batting | Sew Easy 100% cotton batting. |
Quilt Top Notes/Techniques
For Jack to pin his post card collection on to.
Quilting Notes/Techniques
FMQ paisley shell designs and spirals with YLI invisible thread.
Progress Pictures
Hazel’s Pinwheels
March 17, 2012
General Info
| Start Date | Sep 18, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Finish Date | Mar 17, 2012 |
| Status | Finished |
| Size | Twin |
| Pattern | Carnival Dance |
| What it’s for | Gift for Hazel |
| Batting | ? |
Quilt Top Notes/Techniques
Using self-modified version of “Carnival Dance” pattern to use 5″ charm packs. Adding in extra borders to help increase size. Used Red Pepper Quilts hour glass block tutorial. Had some issues with stretching on the bias. Needed to pay more attention to making sure seams would match up when sewing them into four hour glass units.
Used formula for side triangles from Quilter’s Academy Vol 2. Tried to follow their method for trimming the quilt, but was not very successful. Next time need to measure out from centre.
Made matching pillowcase with left over fabric. Used “The Quilter” pattern, but modified to use a French seam on the inside. Needed to take a deeper second seem to avoid the first coming through. Needed to hammer the cuff joint to make it more flexible to sew through.
Quilting Notes/Techniques
Center ditch quilted with Rasant cotton wrapped poly thread. Quilted a large spiral in the pinwheel blocks with King Tut 40wt variegated thread (Cleopatra). Quilted running spirals in yellow sashing with free motion X through red cornerstones. Quilted curls in white setting triangles, piano keys in red border, double loop in white border, “l” loops in yellow border (with the name “hazel” in cursive in one corner), and open spirals in blue border.
Progress Pictures
Citrus Coasters
March 14, 2012
General Info
| Start Date | Mar 7, 2012 |
|---|---|
| Finish Date | Mar 14, 2012 |
| Status | Finished |
| Size | 4″ |
| Pattern | Citrus Coasters by the Purl Bee |
| What it’s for | Housewarming gift for my BFF |
| Batting | N/A |
Quilt Top Notes/Techniques
Super cute coasters. I must have cut my inner pieces a bit big, as only six could fit. Next time I will cut inside my template lines.
Progress Pictures
Stitchin’ n’ Sewin’
January 28, 2012
General Info
| Start Date | Jan 20, 2012 |
|---|---|
| Finish Date | Jan 28, 2012 |
| Status | Finished |
| Size | 10″ x 8.5″ |
| Pattern | Itching to be Stitching by Frosted Pumpkin |
| What it’s for | Gift for Kay |
| Batting | Iron on pellon batting. |
Quilt Top Notes/Techniques
This is a thank you gift for Kay for sending me the border fabric for The New Food Pyramid.
Progress Pictures
Tree of Knowledge
January 25, 2012
General Info
| Start Date | Jan 5, 2012 |
|---|---|
| Finish Date | Jan 25, 2012 |
| Status | Finished |
| Size | 25.5″ x 28″ |
| Pattern | My own design |
| What it’s for | Me |
| Batting | Matilda’s Own 100% cotton batting. |
Quilt Top Notes/Techniques
My quilt was inspired by Frances Moore\’s tree quilt featured in the video for the January Free Motion Quilting Challenge. I wanted something to go into my office where I work as a knowledge analyst and this design came to mind. I foundation pieced the borders from my green (and some yellow and red) scraps.
Over time, I liked the quilt more and more. Eventually I entered it into the NSW Quilt Guild Under 35’s quilt show in September 2012.
Quilting Notes/Techniques
I used Gutterman 50wt cotton thread to do the heart leaf motif in the center with a size 70 needle. The appliques were also free motion quilted with 50wt, but a size 80 needle was needed to prevent skipped stitches. For the border I used Gutterman Sulky 30 wt cotton and a size 80 needle to do the spiral leaf motif. I blocked the quilt before binding, which significantly improved its flatness.
I’m still not 100% happy with my stitch length. It is too long and varied, especially on freehand designs. I need to work on speeding up and varying my machine speed while slowing down my hands. Also, I am not getting great tension on the back of the quilt. I’m having issues with excess loops of thread as well as occasional bird’s nests, even while using a Bobbin Genie.
Progress Pictures
The New Food Pyramid
January 16, 2012
General Info
| Start Date | Jan 5, 2012 |
|---|---|
| Finish Date | Jan 16, 2012 |
| Status | Finished |
| Size | 22″ x 27″ |
| Pattern | The New Food Pyramid by Fun Thread Designs |
| What it’s for | Gift for my sister-in-law |
| Batting | Matilda’s Own 100% cotton batting. |
Quilt Top Notes/Techniques
I saw this pattern and thought it was so cute (I got it when it was free, but it is totally worth the $5, very well written with a fusible applique tutorial). I’ve made cupcake themed stuff for my sister-in-law before, so I made this as a late Christmas gift. I used a buttonhole stitch with width and length of 1.5 to go around the appliques.
The pie fabric was a swap from Kay.
For the embellishing I should have put the rick rack on before going around with buttonhole stitch to help hold them down. The ends began to fray. I also should have waited until after quiting to put on the yo-yos. I added the candy cane to make it look less lop-sided because I didn’t centre the appliques properly.
Quilting Notes/Techniques
This was my first time FMQ on my new Janome MC6600P. It went pretty well. I used Gutterman 50wt cotton for the filigree quiting in the inside and YLI invisible thread with Gutterman in the bobbin. After I finished the quilt top, I read on CLK’s blog that when quilting an applique quilt, to go around the appliques with invisible thread after quilting the background. This way the left over “puff” goes behind the appliques. I tried it and it worked perfectly. When putting on the binding I needed to use a size 80 needle; the size 70 kept skipping stitches in thick areas.
Progress Pictures
Pear Purse
December 10, 2011
General Info
| Start Date | Dec 10, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Finish Date | Dec 10, 2011 |
| Status | Finished |
| Size | 8″ |
| Pattern | Mod-O-Pear |
| What it’s for | Me |
| Batting | ? |
Quilt Top Notes/Techniques
I saw a tutorial for this adorable purse on the Craft Passion blog. I’ve never made a purse before (I did make some breast cancer bags for charity, but they weren’t very fun), but this looked fairly simple. I could only find a 100mm frame, not a 85mm like the pattern called for, so I blew up the pattern by 115% to make it bigger. It fit perfectly and it’s a good size. I used felt for the leaf and glued it and the cord stem on.
Progress Pictures
Silver Wreath
December 10, 2011
General Info
| Start Date | Dec 10, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Finish Date | Dec 10, 2011 |
| Status | Finished |
| Size | 15″ |
| Pattern | My own design |
| What it’s for | Christmas decor |
| Batting | N/A |
After our move I couldn’t find my snowman wreath (I’m sure it’s somewhere, I just didn’t want to dig). I had a wreath and bought some ribbon, plus used some left over ornaments. $5 + 10 minutes + glue = wreath.
Snow Star Table Setting
December 10, 2011
General Info
| Start Date | Nov 25, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Finish Date | Dec 10, 2011 |
| Status | Finished |
| Size | 15″ x 18″ |
| Pattern | Handmade magazine |
| What it’s for | My Christmas table setting |
| Batting | Iron on pellon |
Quilt Top Notes/Techniques
The placemat pattern that was in Handmade was using the left overs from a tablerunner featured in a previous issue. Some of the pieces did not make sense (sew a 4.5″ rectangle to a 5″ square, huh?). I rang the designer, Angela Bradbury of Sew Bright Quilts, and she promptly emailed me the entire pattern, free of charge! Awesome service!
I still ended up cutting my pieces down and using slightly smaller vertical borders, due to a fabric shortage, but they still turned out nice.
Quilting Notes/Techniques
The coasters I made using left over fabric and my square in a square ruler. I used my new Janome MC660P to embroider each family member’s name on one, so that they know where to sit and which drink is theirs. I used Gutterman metallic thread with a 90 topstitch needle with a 50wt cotton Gutterman thread in the bobbin. I still had some issues with the thread tangling on the back, so I got some 100 metallic needles to try when I quilted them and they worked much better. I only did straight line quilting – not FMQ.
Progress Pictures
Christmas Tree Ornaments
November 14, 2011
General Info
| Start Date | Nov 14, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Finish Date | Nov 14, 2011 |
| Status | Finished |
| Size | 4″ |
| Pattern | Online Quilt Magazine 2010 November(?) issue |
| What it’s for | Annual family Christmas ornaments |
| Batting | N/A |
Quilt Top Notes/Techniques
So easy and cute!
The pattern has you sew the circles together and turn them right side out. I was lazy and just zig zagged them together and pinked the edges. I used a CD-R for a circle template. I made six in 45 minutes.
Progress Pictures