Fragments

One of the great things about quilt camp at Camp Tecumseh is the fact that they always host a vendor who sets up a mini quilt store for the quilters to use in the lobby of the building. The quilt shops will have fabric, books, fabric, notions, and more fabric. It's fun to go shopping at 3 am. Or if you're in the middle of a project and you run out of something (or need additional fabric), it's nice to walk up a set of stairs and have lots of options to help complete your project.

At the January camp more than two years ago, I came across a fat quarter bundle that I fell in love with. I bought the bundle and it sat in my sewing room, untouched, for about year. I finally found a project for the bundle and started putting it together. Because it was an "extra" project - as in it wasn't designated for anyone - I worked on this project in pieces, finally putting the top together in April.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do with the quilt but when I received an invitation to my dad's, wife's, granddaughters high school graduation open house, I knew I wanted to finish the quilt for her. (I guess that makes her my step-niece?) I was able to layer and quilt this project in a weekend so that I could finish it in time for her party.

Tenacity is pretty cool kid and she totally deserves this beautiful quilt. 

It was hard to part with it - especially since I loved the fat quarter bundle so much - but I'm happy Tenacity was the recipient. Especially after receiving this text from her:

Tenacity is headed to Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis this fall. She'll make a great Jaguar!

The Stars Align

When I first jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon, I saw a quilt block that I loved, loved, loved from Ellison Lane Quilts. I finally got around to making my own quilt with this starflower block. (Which is more than I can say for most of the other quilts I've pinned!)

(I just looked at the above photo and realized how awesome my piecing looks. Go me! I feel like a grown up quilter.)

I made several blocks and laid out the quilt. Of course, it's never quite as big as you want.

Luckily, I had plenty of the white on white fabric that I was able to use for sashing and a border. I love the floating stars affect of this quilt.

I'm donating this quilt to a cancer survivor walk in honor of a friend from work. So it's only fitting that I took a photo of this beautiful quilt on campus. 

One last photo.... I completed this project over spring break. My mom was visiting me and although I only had one finish for the week; she had THREE. Go mom! Here's our collage of finished projects:

I did spend a good amount of time over spring break working on a massive quilting project. The quilting is now completed - yay! - but I'm finishing the binding. I can't wait to show you that quilt.

North by Midwest

I've talked about the quilt block exchange I did with my guild in 2009. We made blocks out of black and white material and though my blocks sat untouched for several years, I finally put them together for a quilt for my cousin's graduation.

Those blocks are still in circulation! My mom also did the exchange. She used eight of her 20 blocks for a quilt several years ago. When we found out my cousin (a different one; I have A LOT of cousins!) was getting married and wanted a quilt in black and white, she pulled out her remaining 12 blocks for us to put together. We added some color for pop. I call this North by Midwest.

I think we've finally used all of our black and white blocks.

And since I have neglected my personal blog for so long, I thought I'd throw in this photo from the wedding. It was a fun night.

Covered in Threads 2013 Guild Challenge

As in past years, the women I quilt with decided on an annual challenge for our Covered in Threads quilt guild. You'll recall that the 2013 challenge was to create a polka dot quilt. Last weekend we gathered at my house for a few days of sewing during which we showed our polka dot projects. It's always fun to see what people come up with:

We also decided on our 2014 challenge. After several suggestions and a group vote, we decided that our next project will be a log cabin quilt.

This will be the sixth year we have a challenge. I love that we've been able to keep the tradition going.

Jungle Safari

This quilt was finished last summer but I just received the photos. It's a baby quilt for my husband's cousin's son, Max.

My mother-in-law and I worked on this quilt together. We decided to use the pattern I'd chosen for my solid's quilt challenge. The blocks are bit wonkier and it's cool to see how the prints play in to the quilt compared to all solids.

Here's a photo of me taken while we were measuring the batting during a spring quilt retreat.
 

I was uncertain of the colors. Max's mom had sent a photo of the jungle safari bedding she wanted us to try and match. It seemed like a lot of different prints and colors. But I think they work against the khaki and green.

We also found the great fabric for the back. It had all the prints and colors and matched everything perfectly. Most will think we matched the fabric on the front to the back which isn't the case; it just worked out that way.

 And here is my quilt partner, modeling the project.

Sparklepunch for Auna

I know I've said this before but I love making baby quilts for friends - especially those who truly appreciate the time and effort that goes in to the process. My friend, Jessica, is pregnant with her second baby and when I asked what colors she wanted, she practically jumped for joy. Because it was her second, she didn't want to ask me for a quilt. (I had just made a quilt for her first, born in 2012.) Nonsense, I told her. ALL babies deserve their own quilt, regardless of birth order!

Baby #2 is a girl and Jessica requested purples and greens. I love this color combo! I sent her several photos and asked her to choose the pattern she wanted.

She picked Sparklepunch. This quilt pattern is courtesy of Elizabeth from Oh, Fransson! I had seen the quilt on her blog and then it was featured in a quilting magazine I received. I could have made the quilt without the pattern but it was nice to have the measurements. It's the type of quilt tha tyou have to lay it out as you go. All the pieces are intermixed for the pattern.

I love the finished product and hopefully little baby Auna will love it, too!

I quilted this with an overall free motion pattern of stars and loops - one of my original go-to free motion patterns.

This is the 101st quilt I've ever made. Bazinga!

Chezney's Quilt

I was thrilled to learn my cousin's daughter was accepted and planned to attend IU. It's always great to have another Hoosier in the family! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend her high school graduation party earlier this summer but my mom and I planned to make her a quilt for her dorm room.

She requested hot pink, gold, and black. My mom wanted to do a log cabin and since she had a lot of pink scraps and I had a lot of gold scraps, I suggested we make them wonky. I was a little unsure of the color scheme but after putting together some blocks and laying it out, I fell in love.

These colors look awesome together!

We didn't finish the quilt in time for Chezney's move-in to the residence hall but luckily we were all together for the first IU tailgate to give it to her.