Simply Solids Bee

I've posted a few pictures of blocks I've made for the Simply Solids Bee on the past couple of months. Lucky for me, April was my month. I picked April because I knew it would be an absolutely crazy month for me and I probably wouldn't have time to make something myself.

I've been inspired by all sorts of improve quilts and low-volume quilts and decided to combine the two. I sent folks a bunch of cream and white neutrals and a couple of pops of color in lime, pink and navy to be used sparingly throughout the quilt. I asked folks to make completely improve blocks and this is what I got back!

I'm still waiting for one more block and then I need to figure out how to lay everything out. I'm probably going to add quite a bit more neutral fabrics to balance everything out. At the end of the day, I don't want it to be noticeable that these were a bunch of blocks pieced together. I want the quilt to have more of an organic feel to it.

Low Volume Pin Cushions

With some of my leftover 1" squares from the Modern She Made Swap pillow, I decided to make a couple of matching pincushions.

They're just simple postage stamp style pincushions, but I think they're cute.  One will be going to my MSMS partner and the other will either be kept by me or used for the MQG pincushion swap that the BMQG is participating in.  I have a plan for a different pincushion for that swap, if I have the time to execute on it. I hope I do because I think it will be really cool.

Modern She Made Swap Round 2 - Completed Pillow

I really had a very productive sewing day on Sunday.  In addition to getting some binding on some quilts (and actually quilting one) I also finished my Modern She Made Swap pillow cover.

I'm really pleased with how it turned out.  It really aligns with the vision I had for the pillow in the beginning. The pillow I stuffed inside this one is a bit too small, but it's the correct size that my partner wanted.

It's easier to see the machine quilting on the back of the pillow before I assembled it.  I did some straight line quilting on the outer most part and did a wood grain quilting in the center, around the leaf since I thought it fit well with the look of the pillow.  I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I hope my partner likes it.

Almost back in the swing of things

Things have been crazy lately.  I'm completely redoing my guest bedroom right now, which is taking a lot of time. I'm almost at the final stages.  I'm just repairing one of the walls before I can finish painting and adding the final details.

It's a really bad picture (from my phone), but the room will be a blue color and will have some green and raspberry pink accents to it. I ordered a super girly, but modest in size, crystal chandelier for the room too!  I can't wait to see this room all together.

As a result, not a lot of sewing has taken place since everything from this room is being stored in my quilting room while I complete this.

I did manage to sew on the appliqued leaf to my pillow cover while at the BMQG meeting this weekend.  Now I just need to quilt it and assemble everything. 

And while I was watching the Patriots game yesterday (don't get me started on how they played - awful despite a win), I was busy sewing on the hanging sleeve to my Storm at Sea quilt so that my parents can finally hang it up in their beach house.

I have a crazy busy week at work this week, but hopefully after this week I will finally be able to move everything out of my quilting room by this weekend and will get my mojo back.

WIP Wednesday: MSM Swap Pillow Cover

This week I've been working on my Modern She Made swap project. I'm making a pillow cover for my partner.

I started with this selection of low-volume prints, mainly text prints, for the background. 

I then cut a whole bunch, okay 14, of 1.5" strips and sewed them into pairs.

I subcut those strips into 1.5" sections.  I turned these into four patches and slowly began piecing the background of the pillow together.

Slowly the background began to take shape.  I love how the Route 66 shows up well here.  It's a fun little aspect of the background.

And after more cutting of 1.5" squares for the colored border, the top is almost done.  I just need to piece and applique a leaf to go in the center of that frame.  You'll notice the HSTs in each corner of the colored frame.  That's to meet the requirement of the swap to have at least one triangle in your item. 

This pillow cover will finish at 20" square.  Right now it has a total of 404 pieces of fabric that have been cut and sewn back together.  Sometimes I think we, as quilters, are crazy.  But, I love it and wouldn't change a thing.