Finally, a Finish!

Well, it's been a while, hasn't it? Have been traveling a lot (Israel-Florida-Baltimore-Pittsburgh-Baltimore-Florida...twice!) and have been kept extra busy with family on both sides of the Atlantic/Mediterranean. Finished a number of small projects--I still love making those minis. And this week I finished one bed-sized quilt, for Grandson #2. I started piecing the blocks a couple of years ago, but got side-tracked and forgot about them. Picked the project  back  up, and my grandson helped me figure out color combinations for the blocks that still needed to be pieced. This week I finally got the quilting done, and I think it came out pretty cute! The quilting in the center was done in a "barn raising" pattern, and the borders were quilted with a cable design. Had a good time making this one!

The 36-patch blocks were pieced following a tutorial from Amanda Jean at www.crazymomquilts.blogspot.com. I know there are other ways of doing this, but her method worked just fine for me. 

Enjoy your weekend!

Susan

Another little quilt

My second little quilt is finished. This darling quilt was a Monthly Mini from Temecula Quilt Company. Their Monthly Minis make sure that I always have a project to work on and I'm never bored! I finish one, and the next one arrives!
I don't remember what this one is called. All I know is, it had Flying Geese, it had an easy-peasy red and cream checkerboard, and it had great country colors. And it was fun to hand quilt, waiting for my flight to Miami. What could be better?
Have a great weekend. Happy Purim to all my quilting friends in Israel!

Sweet Pea Quilt

Have been traveling in the States, visiting with family. Spent a week with my parents in Florida, and now I'm in Baltimore. Going to Pittsburgh in a couple of weeks to visit with my daughter and her family, and maybe I'll go up to Boston to see my sister and her husband.
Have mostly been taking care of sick family members, but they are all feeling better now. In my spare time (and while waiting for flights at the airport) I've managed to do a fair amount of hand stitching.

This was an adorable pattern from Kathleen Tracy.  Finished up the quilting and put on the binding in Baltimore.

Am in the process of sewing on the binding for another little quilt. Will post a picture of that one when it's finished.

Sending love to all my quilting ladies in Israel. I miss you all!

Credit Where Credit is Due

You may recall that yesterday I posted a picture of a finished little quilt.

It was a busy day, and I didn't have a chance to write anything about it, so I'm back today to give you some background. I came across the original on Pinterest some time back. It was made by Martha at Qisforquilter, and I had wanted to make it for a while now. However, there was no way I could make it the way Martha did--she cut all 160 triangles, good for her! I am in awe of quilters who can do that! Klutz that I am, there was no way I could sew on 160 little triangles and have them come out right...bias edges and I just do not get along. So I cut out little squares and used the "corner square" method. This worked out just fine, and voila! An adorable little doll quilt made with reproduction 1930s fabrics! Martha, thanks for the inspiration!

Wordless Wednesday

Fresh Traditions

I've had a basket of 3" feedsack squares hanging around forever. When I saw the Fresh Traditions doll quilt pattern from American Patchwork & Quilting, I knew it would be perfect for those feedsacks. I think it came out adorable!

A Friday Finish

Even though this was a busy week, I still managed to get some quilting in. I had one finish, one of the Monthly Minis from Temecula Quilt Company. 

In the lead-up to July 4th, all the quilt blogs and Instagram were filled with patriotic quilts. By the time the 4th rolled around, I was bitten by the patriotic bug and needed to make something red, white, and blue. So out came all my red, white, and blue fabrics and by Tuesday this top was pieced. I had pinned a quilt from Purl Soho on Pinterest a while back, and used her pattern to make it. I used the no-waste Flying Geese method, and it was easy-peasy!

The quilt top measures 24" x 24", which is a nice size to work on while traveling (my next trip to the States is in the planning stages). I'm going to "big-stitch" quilt it with perle cotton. That should be fun. 
A lot of babysitting has gone on recently. Spent a good part of Wednesday with Tali, who is 2 years old and a little dolly. She's the first girl after 4 boys, and she is very girly! 

Wishing everyone a peaceful weekend. Hope you sew something great! 

Monday Making

Scrappy Little Stars. Made from the tiniest scraps.

Little Logs

My latest Monthly Mini from Temecula Quilt Company. Goes together fast-instant gratification!

Having FUN!

Last night, I had a great time. My friend, Chana, and I went to the monthly meeting of the Baltimore Heritage Quilt Guild. This was my old guild from before we moved to Israel 20 years ago. I recognized some of the ladies I had known 20 years ago. Even my friend, Susan Minster, was there. 

The guest speaker at the meeting was quilter extraordinaire, Sujata Shah. 

You may have read her blog, The Root Connection, or seen her book, Cultural Fusions. 

Sujata started off with a slide show. She presented pictures from her native India, showing how her approach to color and pattern were influenced by her experience growing up there. She talked about the way she works, and how her working style evolved. 

She was influenced by the block-printing process in India. 

She takes traditional quilt blocks and uses them in her own colors and style.

African textiles have been a source of inspiration.

It was a pleasure to see the cover quilt from her book in real life.

Sujata's Crazy Quilt. She has learned a lot from Gwen Marston and the Gee's Bend quilters.

For some reason, this is one of my favorite quilts. I guess because she cut her triangles free-form, it has the scrappy look I love, and the solid halves of the HSTs are all different shades of earth tones. 

More free-form triangles. Sujata says that one of the things she loves about art in India is that is full of imperfections, giving a true hand-made feel. She strives for this in her own work. 

Hourglass blocks, the Sujata way. Lots of variation in shapes and shades. She wanted to create a quilt that would look like it was hanging on the line and blowing in the wind, the way the quilts are hung on the line in her native India. There is so much movement in this quilt!

Organized Chaos...

The quilt Sujata will be teaching in her workshop for the guild today

And finally, the guild's raffle quilt. The top is stitched together, and the quilt will be ready in time for the guild's show, some time next year. Isn't she a beauty?

Thanks for enjoying the guild meeting along with me. And thank you, Chana, for showing me your quilts at your house after the meeting. That was the best part of the evening!