Baby Quilt Saga Continues

I could have had this quilt done earlier in the week, but I was busy with the boning for the wedding dress. This was what I was trying to finish yesterday when I had disaster #1. Despite all of the activity surrounding it, this quilt was easy to construct and went pretty quickly. I had actually created the four blocks at the same time as I did another set back in November when my DD; the knitting sister and had a Thanksgiving quilt-a-thon. The other quilt was just like this but with a blue cap and red shoes.

The inner border is a 2 X 2 block similar to what I did with the skull quilt and the outer border is a modified log cabin round. This border is nice because each side is the same length and width and you don't need corner blocks. The trick is to measure the length of the center quilt -- in this case 24 1/2 inches; adding the width of your planned strip -- for this quilt 7 inches; and less the two 1/4 inch seam widths. So the size of the strip was 31 inches X 7 inches.

The second trick to constructing the quilt is that the first side must be sewn part way in a method known as "partial seam construction." Kind of obvious, right? Since I am too busy to do a tutorial myself, I found one that I think is really well done on Fresh Lemons to share with you. She has done an excellent job of explaining the technique -- I think you will find it very easy to follow.

Next in line will be another girl quilt which is also using up blocks from the Thanksgiving quilt-a-thon.

Happy quilting!

Fishing for compliments?

So, what do you think? Here is the completed quilt top for "Go Fish!" which I showed you partially finished a couple of posts ago. The 39 inch square quilt features 16 fish swimming in formation with each border the same fabric as one of the fish. Yes, it is colorful and the borders are completely crazy, but it is finished! The recipient is a baby boy that was born in April.

Skull Quilt Blocks

I posted a couple of these pictures on the Quilting Board that I occasionally frequent along with the message that I was making this quilt for a baby and got some very different opinions. Some people were horrified that I would make a skull quilt for a baby and some people thought it was very fresh and "out of the box". While a skull quilt for a baby has its nay-sayers, it is what the mom of the baby likes and she has already decorated with skulls. A somewhat older sibling (6-ish) is also just "gaga" over skulls.

Skulls are everywhere, on t-shirts for both genders for all ages (and even dogs), on shoes, the subject of video games for girls, on fabric, and toys such as stuffed skulls, etc. This trend has been out in pop culture for quite a few years now. I thought it would die off quickly, but no. I have done a bit of internet reading and there are two lines of thought as to where this trend came from: 1) popularity of pirates and 2) the Mexican holiday of Day of the Dead or El Dia de Muertos.

If you have an opinion on why skulls are popular or if a skull baby quilt is horrific or cute, I'd love to hear your comments. Regardless of why skulls are popular, I don't think it will disappear overnight especially for this baby's mom. I think it will be an interesting baby quilt, and if the baby is scared of it -- I know mom will love it. I will post more pictures when the quilt is finished.

Happy quilting.

Come Fly with Me! Let's Fly, Let's Fly Away. . .

"Flying In Formation" is on its way to the quilter! Obviously, I did finally decide on a name for the yet-to-be-named-quilt. While I was sewing the quilt top, I kept singing a song made famous by Frank Sinatra:

          Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away
          If you can use some exotic booze
          There's a bar in far Bombay
          Come on and fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away. . .

I had fun with the boarders and used a different fabric for each side that matched an airplane in the quilt. I little easier than piecing all of the wonky piano keys that have been on the last four or 5 quilts. Hopefully, this quilt and the too pink quilt will be back quickly and I can get them out to their respective owners!

Happy quilting!

Quilt Ready for Delivery No. 3

"Cars go Vroom" is the name of this quilt. Same format, different subject. Enjoy the photos!

Happy Quilting!

Quilt Ready for Delivery No. 2

Quilt No. 2 is called "Captain of the Team". I love the little shoes. I found the coloring page on-line, but they didn't look right. So, I got on line again and looked up the Converse logo and added the star on the shoe. Now it looks right!

Again, just like quilt No. 1 I've done lately, four blocks and a wonky piano key border. Kind of formulaic, but it works. Stay tuned for Quilt No. 3.

Happy Quilting!

Quilt Ready for Delivery No. 1

This is one of the "semi-mass-produced" quilts that I have been trying to complete for the now thirteen (yes, you heard correct: 13) babies that I need to create quilts for. Two of them are for a girlfriend of my daughter and she has done some of the work on them. The balance of the eleven are all co-workers that have had or are having babies. Must be something in the water.

This quilt is named "I <3 U" (or I heart you) and is for a co-worker's daughter  who turned 1 year old last month. OK, yes, absolutely, I am a little behind on the job, but they will be catching up here quickly as I finally got a fire lit under my quilting patootie. I had some issues getting started and finding inspiration; there has been a lot of knitting and then the remodeling efforts.

These are easy fast quilt tops for me to construct, even with "quilters block". Notice, however, that it is very similar to "Is There Enough Pink in This Quilt?" I do need to come up with something a little different or every little girl born to someone in my office will have pretty much the same quilt. I had the airplane idea, but I have to come up with something else new. Ugh, why can't I think?


Happy quilting!

The "Yet-to-be-Named" Quilt

I am slowly working my way through the blanket stitching on the airplanes of this quilt. This is the quilt that I mentioned the other day that will be for the baby brother of the recipient of "Bunny Bright". I have been through a long list of quilt names, but have not settled on any. How about "Flying in Formation", "Air Traffic Controlled", or "Come Fly With Me"? Do you have any suggestions?

 Some of these fabrics have been in my stash for years and have never been used. This one I remember purchasing with one featuring safety pins (which I cannot find) to make a sewing bag. But since the bag is long gone off of my to do list, I might as well use it on a baby quilt. I love fun and funky fabrics on baby quilts! (Note the carrot fabric airplane above!)

 This fabric is a left over from a baby quilt that I did for a great niece
several years ago. It made a fun and funky striped border then and now it is a fun and funky striped airplane.

This airplane is being flown by a turtle! He'll never break any speed records. Again, left-over fabric from a baby quilt of long ago.

I have not yet decided what I will do for the borders on this quilt. I do have plenty of fabric of some of the airplanes left, so I may do each side as a different fabric just to tweak up the level of fun on this quilt.

Happy quilting!

Newest Baby Quilt

I was able to get another baby quilt top completed this week. I have named it: "Is There Enough Pink in This Quilt?" It is along the same lines as my other semi-mass produced quilts. This is for a "co-worker" in our Florida offices who has been a great help to me in my work. She is also the person for whom I knitted the cutest baby dress last summer. Wonderfully, I found out that there is yet another baby due in my office late in this year. I gotta get another job! LOL!

I am also working on another boy quilt that is not of the mass produced group. This one is for the newborn brother of the recipient of "Bunny Bright" that I put together a couple of years ago before I even started this blog. "Bunny Bright" was probably my very favorite baby quilt of all time and was one of the first quilts that I did using online coloring pages as patterns. I even used a set of alphabet coloring pages as the template for the title.

The new baby boy's quilt will feature airplanes and even has some of the same fabrics that are in "Bunny Bright". I will post photos of it later in the weekend when I have gotten a bit more accomplished on it.

In the mean time, Happy Quilting!!

Busy Busy Busy

I have three quilts to make in short order. Of course, I am working in my favorite style -- fused applique. If you look at a number of quilts that I do for baby quilts; I use 3 X 3, 3 X 4 or 4 X 4 pattern of a specific motif. Something simple, like this modernized version of a heart within a heart, is fast and easy to put together -- especially when you use an uncut piece of fabric for the back ground.  Next step is to begin machine blanket stitching around each heart with a colored thread. I use Mettler 100% Cotton Silk Finish 50 weight tread to do the blanket stitch. I like the smooth appearance of the thread and they have a variety of colors.