T.G.I.F.F. - 2014 Quilt Finale

2014 has been a big year for me - quilting and otherwise.  As the year closes, I have my last two quilt finishes to share with you!  I count myself very lucky to be chosen to make something, as special as a quilt, for others.  The fact that people put their faith in me is really lovely.  Both of the quilts I'm sharing today are for repeat customers.  So I guess that says something about my product!

You may remember my Isosceles on Point quilt from last year?  Well, it now has a brother!

 

This divine king single quilt is made up of 5" squares in a range of beautiful blue and grey, mixed with black, white and taupe.  It is a colour palette I wouldn't necessarily have thought to put together, but Larissa always has a great eye for colour, and chose them all herself - then delivered them to me.  It was my job to make her vision come alive.

 

I placed all 221 squares quite randomly, only making sure there weren't pools of the same colour together.  Once quilted with a variegated Aurifil thread #4060 - which is a silvery/moss mix - it really popped.

Larissa chose this great striped backing.  It's actually a sheeting fabric, which is super wide and made basting super easy.  This quilt is going to wash up so beautifully, and will keep its little recipient snug as a bug!  It was delivered today, just in time for a birthday!

Next up is the third quilt for a family.  The youngest of three boys needed a quilt to call his own, after his big brothers received theirs last year.  Cass left the colour and fabric selection to me, and was in no rush, so earlier this year I bought a fabulous bundle from Pink Castle Fabrics.  Greys, turquoise and orange were the winning palette and man, do they work well together.....

 

The design is a basic disappearing nine patch, using 9" squares.  I love the random placement you are left with when you cut up a nine patch!  I also used a grey shot cotton from Spotlight for the solid mixer.  If you ever get the chance to use the shot cotton, do it, it's actually really lovely.

I quilted using a meandering free motion pattern, which I think looks a little jigsaw like.  I used a vibrant orange Aurifil #2150.

So, there you have it.  No more quilts for 2014!  But plenty of WIP's awaiting attention and new projects in line.....

I know I have been a slack blogger of late, and I have not replied to everyone's comments, but I've been flat out and am now dealing with some sort of weird virus, which comes with a delightfully itchy rash and a 6-8 week cycle.  Sooooo, thank you again for always taking the time to come and read my posts and please know I read all of your comments and really do have the intention of replying!!!
xxxx

Project Pictorial

Every now and then, I look through my downloaded photos to both Instagram and here on my computer, and I find finished projects I haven't shared with you!  So here is a little "project pictorial".....

My Christmas ornament for the Melbourne Modern Quilt Guild swap!  I cracked open my Liberty stash for this one, and love how it turned out.  We swapped on Saturday at our Sit and Sew day, and thankfully my recipient said she loved it!

I have had a few last custom orders to get finished before Christmas.  Last week, I managed to get two 241 Totes made - this one is made from some Home Dec fabric I purchased at Spotlight months ago and linen.....

And this one is from some of the delicious Enchino I brought back from Japan, and more linen blend fabric.  I love them both!

Now this little project I made months ago!  And forgot to share!  I wanted to make something for Kate Spain in return for her generosity during the Charm swap/along and also with my Pavement Puddles quilt.  I got all the teeny weeny scraps from my KS wall hanging and just made them work!

On the other side, I paper pieced a K and then free motion quilted the rest of her name.

Teeeeeeny weeeeeeny pieces of yummy fabric scraps!  I think the pouch ended up being around 12" long, so that gives you an idea of how small these are.

I filled it with yummy Aussie sweets and the lovely Quilt Jane hand delivered my present to Kate at Quilt Market for me.  Thanks Jane!

This delightful cushion started off as a bee block.  And went terribly wrong when I trimmed all 27 geese down to size, without realising the tutorial meant finished size PLUS seam allowance.  So I was left with all these yummy geese with nowhere to fly......  Then I read the bio of the November recipient in my Aussie Handmade Birthday Swap and see she loves yellow and orange!  Win win!  So I added some bits of white here and then to make it all fit and symmetrical, and BAM - cushion cover done!

I backed it with this beautiful Flora print!

And yesterday - well, I finished this amazing custom order cushion cover!  The customer requested a horse cushion.  So I searched the interwebs, and given this was for a 10 year old girl, I figured the horse should look as realistic as possible!  I used THIS pattern.

Fast forward to when I cut out all the pieces of pattern and nearly died at what I had in front of me!  But I am SO glad I didn't chicken out and just jumped in.  I am absolutely in love with the finished product and can't wait to send it off to the customer.  I used a multitude of fabrics and pieced and quilted it using 40wt Aurifil threads in brown, turquoise and pink.

And a little Wee Wander for the backing!

Phew.  That's it - for now!

Blue Hues

I love making quilts.  I'm pretty sure I've made that clear?  I love making quilts for customers, especially when said customers leave all the finer details to me.  Last Tuesday, one of the Mums at school asked me if I had time to make a quilt for her by the 27th of July?  "Sure" I said - "Colours?  Style?"  The only specifications I got were "Blue is the recipient's favourite colour and can you please embroider some names on it?"  Ok.

Now because I literally had the s*its with the world over the epic disaster that was my machine's tantrums, I went straight home and pulled out my entire stash of blue fabric, and went to town.  By lunchtime I had all the fabric cut out and placed on my design floor (read: my loungeroom floor).  I stopped for lunch and was then ecstatic to find my machine's tantrum had ceased and she was ready to participate in some sewing.  A couple of hours later, I had a quilt top.  And the following day, a finished quilt.......

 

All the pretty shades of blue come together to make the most amazing sea of yumminess!  I snuck a little grey in and a delightful little white spot, which both blend beautifully with Valori's butterflies, Tula's eye drops and Art Gallery's florals.  There's a little Violet Craft in there too.

 

I grabbed my handy bolt of Ikea backing, which I think worked well.  Bella the cat thinks so anyway!

The squares are 6.5" in size, which really just makes cutting so quick and easy!  And when it came to featuring the names on the quilt, I went with some little wonky stars, made from 2.5" squares and embroidered the names using Aurifil #2810 Turquoise.  I kept the quilting of the blocks nice and simple - straight lines using Aurifil #2605, my favourite silver/grey thread!

And the very pretty binding is a great Spotlight print I bought last year and love!

This is a super easy quilt to make, and really effective when the right combination of prints are used!  If you are ever in need of a speedy gift - here's your go-to pattern!  Finished size is perfect for a lap quilt - 48.5" x 66".

I think I managed to both surprise and delight the customer by having her order delivered three days after she placed it?!!?

Baby Blue Quilt

Remember those Sphere charm packs I showed you on Sunday?  Well, don't say I don't work fast people!  This delightful little creation is for a new customer.  Emily messaged me a couple of weeks ago and enquired about ordering a cot quilt for a friend.  We went back and forth discussing colour options, and when I showed her the Sphere by Zen Chic range, she loved it!  We edited out the yellows and dark greens, and stuck mostly with the blues, greys and the multi-colour print with a splash of yellow.  I managed to whip this baby up in a couple of days - which is good seeing as though it has to be in the post by the end of this week to make it to its destination!

I've mixed in a little white Homespun and it's bound with a gorgeous blue Homespun also.

I've incorporated a couple of the fabulous Botanics prints by Carolyn Friedlander.  They blend in beautifully!  Aurifil #2810 - turquoise blue - was pulled out to straight line quilt 1/4" either sides of each square.

And the aptly names "baby blue" homespun was chosen for the backing.

I took a number of different photos of the quilt, and as I was walking back inside popped the quilt down on the steps whilst I grabbed something - and realised the the colours really popped against the ageing concrete!  Voila!

The Stats - 40" x 55"

Fabric - Sphere, Botanics & Homespun

Thread - Pieced with Aurifil #2024 50wt, Quilted with Aurifil #2810 50wt by Me

I am seriously in love with this one (what's new?) and will have trouble popping it in the post!  But I will!  Now - what's next on my project list.........

I'm linking up - You can too!

P.S. - Don't forget about my 500 Giveaway!  Check out the post HERE.