quilts and more quilts

Last year was a quilty year.
And here's some of the proof. And when I say some, I really mean smidgen. I have made so many quilts in the past 12 months that I'm actually a little embarrassed.
I'll begin with a quilt I made for my little grandson. Simple four patches were cut to become ...

Disappearing four patches. Here is a link to a tutorial by Material Girl which shows the block technique I used. The only difference with mine is that I didn't use a solid color with a print but instead two prints.

I made this quilt with my outdoorsy son-in-law in mind. Don't you love the little foxes in the blue fabric?

And here is baby Blake's blessing quilt made last September. I took this photo while visiting my daughter and her family for Christmas. The snow on the ground is reflecting some yellow onto the white. I hope that wasn't because .... you know what can make yellow snow!

Isn't baby precious all wrapped up in it?  The pattern is from The Big Book of Baby Quilts and is called "Wonder Baby".

Both of these quilts were backed with minky for extra warmth and snuggliness!

And my final quilt post of the day is of the gift I made for my son-in-law for Christmas.

The pattern was called Apple Crisp, but a Google search doesn't show this block for that name. Hmm.

This quilt was made from two runner kits that I had bought at the shop where I work. But I noticed that if I cut the strips very carefully, I could get 2.5" out of them instead of the intended 1.5". With bigger strips I could make bigger squares, in other words an actual quilt - albeit a scrappy one.  Because I couldn't get enough out of one strip length to complete the large square each time, I simply made occasional blocks a little hodge-podge scrappy.The solid black square in the center keeps it from looking too hobo. I hope.
Cody loved it, and that's the main thing. My daughter says he uses it almost every evening. Success!

More later ...

baby basics

Two flannel blankets and one little knit hat for the precious newborn grandson.
Just practical stuff, but usually the stuff you need and use the most!

This blanket I bought with the holes punched for crocheting from The Fabric Mill in Provo, Utah.  I'm so happy I didn't cut into the stitches when I snipped the final thread like I did with the last one I made.  Ouch!

This blanket's edge is non-flannel.  Next time I will square the corners since I hate cutting fabric on the bias (didn't) but also hate fighting the curve when its not a bias cut (did).
All items have been shipped and are hanging out with baby.
I sure wish I were!

i *heart* baby girls

A baby quilt top that I made a while ago finally became a gift for a little darling.

It all started when I bought a pack of 36 - 6" squares of Joel Dewberry fabrics from a random but nice person in Australia (gotta love the web!).

Because I wanted to showcase the dynamic fabric designs, I constructed 4 simple nine patch blocks.  I then cut through the centers to make 16 split/sliced/disappearing nine patches (Missouri Star Quilt Co. has a nice tutorial here).  The blocks are sashed with 1" strips of fabric (cut at 1.5") and the outer border is 5" (cut at 5.5").

Let me pause here to give a thank you to the sun for hiding so respectfully behind the clouds so that I could snap a decent photo or two!

 I had my friend quilt her darling loops to soften the hard edges of the squares.

Washed and dried, it measures about 37"x37".  Perfect for a stroller or car seat.

For the backing, I simply pieced together some leftover cuts of the fabric line that I had in my stash.

There's that tell-tale photo showing the quilt all rolled up and tied.  It always means one thing and one thing only.... the quilt is ready for a box and a label.  It will now become a belated happy birthday gift for a sweet little one-year-old girl.

a gently stated quilt

I'm inexplicably drawn to a certain style of patchwork that is found in Japanese craft books and magazines.  It's an understated look - low contrast, usually with delicate fabrics. When I saw this line of fabric, Woodland Trails by Riley Blake, I decided to try my own version of that style with this quilt.

I did have to add a couple of other fabrics to the 3 charm packs I had purchased - I didn't realize that Riley Blake doesn't put as many squares in a charm pack as Moda does. But now I know to pay attention to that little number on the back of the package!

The pattern is called Smitten by Rachel Griffith.  It's pictured with a white background, but wanting my background to blend more with the blocks for the look I was after, I chose beige with white dots instead.

I love the strip layers around the edge of the quilt.  These are not part of the line and I can't remember now who manufactures them.  They are tiny checks that read as a solid unless you're looking closely.  The backing fabric is one of Denyse Schmidt's lovelies and was purchased at JoAnn's.  I chose leaves as the quilting pattern to complement the outdoorsy, animal fabrics.

When our family went on vacation to Yosemite this past August, I took this quilt along to sew on the binding while we drove.  Once I finished it, my little grandson used it to lay on to watch Stuart Little (a movie he simply calls "mouse").
I think it's a sweet quilt and quite love it.

baby flower power

 

Yesterday, I sewed a baby dress as a gift for a baby shower I attended this morning.  I used a fabric that I had already purchased from JoAnn's Fabrics a few months ago. It is very light weight, almost a lawn, which makes it a rare find indeed!  I bought about three yards of it...which was all that was remaining on the bolt. I probably would have bought ten yards if they'd have had it!!

 

Along with the gift, I included the white hanger - one of a few that I own and have purchased from Etsy for this very purpose.

 Also from Etsy was the OOP McCall's pattern that I used, dated 1999.  While the construction process is still fresh in my mind, I think I'll make one more dress (from a different fabric) to have on hand for the next baby shower .... or granddaughter .... whichever comes first!

happy distraction

 

It was time to start a new semi-brainless knitting project now that So You Think You Can Dance will air this Thursday (*happy face*).  Working on this blanket will get me through those irritating but necessary commercials pain-free.  The free pattern from Knit Culture Studio titled Zig Zag Baby Blanket is found here.  

  

bibs for babes

 My little grandson needed some bigger bibs now that he's gotten bigger himself!  Two of his favorite things are cars and dogs, so I hunted down these darling fabrics.  The dogs are from JoAnn's and the cars are from a new line by Riley Blake which I bought at my local fabric store, Quilter's Cottage.

I always use snaps when making bibs so that the little darlings can't pull the bib off themselves.  The pattern I used is a free download and found here.

Andra's Quilt

 This is the finished quilt that I made for my son-in-law's sister.  While she was pregnant, I had her choose a pieced quilt top from those which I had posted pictures of on this blog.

The quilt took me longer to finish than anticipated because I just couldn't decide what design to quilt on the four patch blocks.  Then after a choice was made, I had to pick the thread color.  And getting advice from other quilters didn't help because each had a differing opinion!  It was funny how skiddish I became about the whole thing, but in the end, I decided on red (my own choice).

Now that the quilt is quilted and washed, I'm pleased with the result.  Hopefully little Andra will feel happy and warm wrapped in it.  The best part of making and giving a baby quilt is imagining the little darling snuggled inside!

modern churn dash/framed four patch

While my grandson was here for Christmas, his mother used the cowboy quilt I had made about a month ago. It measures 36"x36" and is a great size to use with a larger baby while in the car or stroller.  Because my daughter likes a more modern looking quilt, I made this one (same size, different blocks)  for her to use with little Evan 
on their daily trips to Target!

This close-up of the churn dash and framed four patch blocks better shows how I combined the fabrics.  I obviously didn't worry about making the print on the center square symmetrical, and overall it's not noticeable.  My machine quilting is sparse so that the quilt stays flexible and is better able to wrap around baby.  The back is blue flannel with green threads - a perfect match!

 

terry burp cloths

In preparation for a service project with my church for military (new) mom’s, I’ve started playing around with some burp cloth ideas. I think that my favorite combination of fabrics is terry on one side and flannel on the other. This way they are absorbent but soft. Plus the terrycloth fabric is a little grippy and should stay on mom’s shoulder better than flannel or a diaper. Today I bought the terry cloth and should have enough flannel on hand to make quite a few!

Holiday Bibs

Yesterday I made some bibs for my grandson. For a pattern, I traced around an old bib I had tucked away in a kitchen drawer. The fabric store only had black snaps, so I'm going to have to go internet shopping for more color options. FYI, I prefer snaps to Velcro because then baby is not able to pull off his bib!

Tied Baby Quilt

A few months ago, I was glad for the opportunity to make some quilts for charity and gained something in the process. Because it was what was required for finishing, I had to learn the simple technique of tying a quilt. Building on the momentum of that project, I made a little blanket for "grandma's house". Two pieces of fabric, one a heavy cotton and the other a cotton flannel; cotton batting; a little wool yarn; and a purchased applique are all that it took to make this simple baby quilt. It was the perfect play mat during my grandson's recent visit!

Seamless Bolero

I loved knitting this easy one piece bolero by Debbie Bliss found in her book Simply Baby as well as free here. Knit with Cotton Ease yarn on size 7 and 8 needles. A little bulky, so if I make one again, I'll make a larger size for a bigger child to wear.

Easy Baby Toy

From the book "Pretty Little Presents". I added some ribbon and zig-zagged across the ends of the petals to give it more dimension. The toy is made by sewing a casing at the squared end of the petals and joining them all with a piece of elastic. I chose the contrasting colors of red, white, and black so that the toy was appealing to a young baby.
PS: There are little bells inside the stuffing which makes for a muted jingle sound. Sweet.

Earflap Baby Hat

The only boy item I've made recently that didn't find it's way into Evan's wardrobe! My daughter, Natalie, claimed this for her future firstborn son while I was knitting it to simply try out the pattern. I used Sublime's machine washable silk and bamboo DK yarn (although I'd hand wash any hand knit item)! 
A basic earflap hat pattern is free at Hey Julie or Ravelry.

Evan's Blessing Outfit

I loved making a blessing outfit for my grandson, Evan! Sadly the pin tucks I made on the bodice are covered completely by the mock vest front. The little elephant in the train car applique was purchased from Uniport Industries.

Because I still have not mastered photographing white fabrics, I back lit this outfit to avoid the inevitable pinkish color that crops up. Could it be I have problems because I am only using my phone camera for all my photography?!

Don't be fooled by the innocent look of this little white dress! I had purchased the embroidered fabric about four months ago; but because I had only bought a yard (pricey), I didn't have enough to make the sleeves. I ended up using a dot fabric I had in my fabric cupboard and feel it did not do the embroidered fabric justice.
But the main problem wasn't the fabric debacle. It was the pattern. So fussy and unprofessionally constructed! I ended up ripping out, redoing, lining, and binding. I will keep the pattern for the cute little capri pants but will throw away the pieces for the dress. Sorry pretty embroidery fabric. I hope the gold trim I put at the bottom convinces you that you're worth so much more than your crazy construction and dot sleeves!

Finally the gray jumper and blouse are to my satisfaction (they've morphed a couple of times!). The jumper is lined with a cotton stripe in the bodice and a pale gray silky fabric in the skirt. I know the gray for the jumper seems a little blah, but I wanted the top stitching to make a statement.
Because the jumper seemed a little too full for a six month old baby, I added ties to the back so the dress can be pulled in some.
The blouse fabric is a 30's or 40's reprint fabric (maybe flour sack inspired?). The combination of gray and floral was inspired by some Japanese clothing books that I had browsed at Mitsuwa. Someday, I hope to acquire a couple of them for my very own!

Jumper: New Look 6367
Blouse: vintage pattern

Sophie

A darling poncho pattern named Sophie by Vickie Howell for Caron yarn. I instead used a skein of a Lion Brand yarn I had purchased called Tweed Stripes and knit the pattern in the larger size (24 mo). Now to find a coordinating fabric and sew a little dress....

I had seen some adorable little balls made from quilting fabrics and decided to try a larger version. What an easy project! Inside I placed a large jingle bell which has a wonderful mellow ring, and at the ends are sewn felt buttons to hide the messy seam ends. I used the free pattern for small balls at Grand Revival and simply enlarged it. The fabrics on the first ball are canvas (Japanese fabric), satin, and flannel. The second ball is made from cotton chenille. Each has a fun texture that baby would love!