Music in the Air

My poor keyboard spends way too much time collecting dust, so I wanted to whip up something rainbow-y and musical to help protect it.  I started by trying to work up some music notes, but they just weren't feeling quite right.  In the end I found myself liking the simpler designs, and the final pattern mimics the black keys on a keyboard by grouping the colored fabrics into alternating twos and threes.

The quilting was done on my long arm and the pattern is called modern stars revisited - it reminds me of notes on a staff.  I like how it ended up musical, but a bit abstract.

The backing is Robert Kaufman All That Jazz with one stripe of color to separate the extra piece of fabric needed to make the back long enough.

This runner finishes at 10.5 x 52".

Linking up with Let's Bee Social.

Celtic Knots - A Finish

One last Christmas finish, running a little late.  Good thing I'll have another opportunity to see this quilt on it's way soon!

There are three different designs quilted into this piece - a Celtic twist pattern in the border, a Celtic knot pattern in the dark diamonds, and stitch in the ditch done around the pieced knots.  That design is easiest to see from the back.













I learned that trying to center a design on the back is more complicated than I thought it would be.  Despite pinning the edges of the back where the top should lie, the large knot is a little off center. But the design didn't run off the edge, so I'm still happy with how it turned out.

I had debated using the blue to wrap it up, but I think the cream frames it nicely and adds an extra little pop!

Linking up with Let's Bee Social.

An Evergreen Finish

I've wanted some quilted Christmas decorations around the house for several years now, but actually making them has kept getting pushed off for one reason or another.  However, not so this year!

This year I have two new holiday pieces up on display!  My first finish was a holiday frost table runner (shown here), and the second is an evergreen tree advent calendar.  The top (inspired by this tree by Turid of densyendehimmel.) was completed in May.  Then it was quilted with a holly and berry motif and bound in one of the gold fabrics used in the stars.

There are small green buttons sewn on the tree as hanging hardware that blend in better than I hoped.  The one downside is that I think the ornaments might have been easier to hang if I had put the buttons on backwards - there's not a lot of room for the twine to rest, as is, and not all of the ornaments can be hung at all spots.  Still, it's a pretty minor problem and something I could fix in the future if need be!

The ornament buttons were collected over the past year, and there is one for every day of December leading up to Christmas.  Some peppermint twine pulled from my stash seemed a perfect touch!  It's a lot of fun to watch this little tree fill up!

Linking up with Let's Bee Social.

Rainbow Batiks - A Finish!

My rainbow batik top is finished! Now I just have to figure out what to call it.  Rainbow Trails perhaps?

I had originally planned on using a wide back but when I found this batik it was meant to be - despite needing a seam.  It reminds me of fall leaves!

This was my first time using a scrappy binding.  Picking a binding thread to go with all the different fabrics was hard, but I think it came out pretty well.  I may have to see about stitching up my old binding odds and ends that are laying around!

Linking up with Finish it up and Fabric Frenzy Fridays.

A Neutral Finish

I had been holding on to these log cabins until I felt comfortable enough to try quilting a block by block design on my long arm.  I really wanted to showcase the diagonal stripes on this quilt, and here they are!

The tans seemed to want to wash out a bit, despite trying to get a picture in both the sun and the shade, but the sun did help to show off the quilting!  The dark side of the cabins were done with a stitch in the ditch style pattern and the light sides were done with a pattern called Swan Triangle.  The patterns even went together in such a way that the square in the center pops out on the back!

Now all it needs is a name and it's ready to leave the nest!

Linking up with Fabric Frenzy and Finish it Up Fridays.

Bountiful Berries

The first piece that I stitched up on my long arm was built from a fat quarter of berry fabric that my husband had picked out many moons ago.

I started by picking a green dot fat quarter from my stash, to use for the back, and put the two fat quarters on the machine with a double layer of cotton batting between them.  Then I found this berry design that fit perfectly and stitched it up with Superior Omni Light Sage thread.

When the piece was fully stitched, I took it off the machine and brought it back to the cutting board for trimming.  You can easily get four 7 inch squares from one set of fat quarters!

They weren't completely made from my stash, because I turned up shy on coordinating fabrics to bind with, but now all four squares have the first machine binding stage completed and I am slowly working on hand stitching the binding to the back.  I even took them out on the deck because the day was just to lovely to sit inside!

First Block Finished!

Linking up with Let's Be Social and Slow Sunday Stitching.

June Finishes

I had two goals I wanted to work on in June: to assemble my crochet blanket, and to sew a piece up on my long arm.  And I was able to check off both!


The piece that I worked on the machine ended up not being the the runner I had intended, but a piece of strawberry fabric destined to be cut up for some pot holders.  The choice was ultimately dictated by a lack of free bobbins on which I could load the grey thread, so I quickly fired off an order for a dozen more bobbins and stitched up some yummy berries in the meantime.

Stitching on the last square!

And in slow stitching, I successfully finished my first crochet blanket!  In part because of how long it took, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment just for making it to the end!  I just attached the last square, tied off the remaining threads, and gave it a good cuddle test.  It passes!  I think I'll just hang out under here until dinner!

Linking up with Slow Stitching Sunday.

Long Arm Trials

For some time now, the winter weather has been getting in the way of my ability to go try out some of the long arms I have been considering... but at the very end of last week, the forecast was cold and clear.  So I quickly whipped up a small quilt top from my stash and packed my bags for a trip to the Gammill dealer!

Apparently my stash is light on solids and neutrals, a fact which might need to be remedied for the future, but this black and white dot sashing worked out nicely!

The people at the Gammill dealer were very fun and knowledgable, and it was a pleasure to work with them.  I spent all of Saturday working my way through the quilting process and I am really excited about how my little quilt turned out!  There may be a Gammill machine in my future!

Linking up with Let's Bee Social.