Poinsettia Quilt - On the Cover!

 

Poinsettias

40" x 40"

Original quilt designed and made by Connie Kauffman

My quilt Poinsettias is in the recent  Merry Christmas Quilting by Quilter's World.  It is one of several projects on the cover.

The greatest thing about this quilt is that it was all made from scraps!  Even the white fabrics.  It's amazing what you can create with the scraps you have on hand.  It's hard to see in the photo, but the poinsettias are embellished with yellow beads in the centers.

Here is the photo from inside (photos courtesy of Annie Publications).

The prize winner from my Pieced to Perfection blog post is Beth T.  Her prize of two half yards of Island Batik Chromatic are on their way!

I had so many great suggestions for names for my quilt.  It was very hard to choose.

I finally decided on the name  3D Hugs and Kisses.  Thanks for the suggestion!

Week 3 Pieced to Perfection Blog Hop

 

Check out the new fabrics and projects in this weeks Pieced to Perfection Blog Hop!

WEEK 3

September 18

Lana Russel, Lana Quilts

Lisa Pickering, Lisa’s Quilting Passion

September 19

Randi Jones, Randi’s Roost

Suzy Webster, Websterquilt

September 20

Mania Hatziioannidi, Mania for Quilts

Pamela Boatright, Pamela Quilts

Leah Malasky, Quilted Delights

September 21

Renee Atkinson, Pink Tulip Quilting

Reed Johnson, Blue Bear Quilts

September 22

End of Blog Hop + Final Round Up and Island Batik prize drawing - be sure to enter on the Island Batik Blog for one of two beautiful fabric bundles!

Week 2 Pieced to Perfection Blog Hop

 

WEEK 2

September 11

Brittany Fisher, Bobbin with Brittany

Gail Sheppard, Quilting Gail

September 12

Susan Deshensky, Lady Blue Quilts

Maryellen McAuliffe, Mary Mack Made Mine

September 13

Emily Leachman, The Darling Dogwood

Anorina Morris, Samelia’s Mum

Jennifer Thomas, Curlicue Creations

September 14

Claudia Porter, Create with Claudia

Victoria Johnson, Forever Quilting for You

September 15

Blog Hop Round-Up and Island Batik drawing

Be sure and enter the Island Batik drawing for one of the two bundles this week!

Sept. Pieced to Perfection Challenge/Blog Hop

 

                                                            

                                                            61" x 49"

September is the Pieced to Perfection Island Batik Ambassador Challenge.  We each received a bundle of half yard cuts of a new collection to use in a project using either paper piecing or English paper piecing.  It is ALWAYS amazing to work with a brand new collection!

The collection I received to work with is called Chromatic.  It is an Island Batik collection by the designer Studio 180 Design.  These fabrics ship to stores in September, so you can start looking for them now.

I also received a dark fabric from the collection in yardage and a light fabric in yardage from Foundations called Rice.

There are 22 fabrics in the collection and I used 19 of them.  Instead of the white color in the collection, I used the light bluish/gray fabric they sent in yardage - Rice from the Foundations as I needed more of the lighter color.  The two other fabrics I didn't use I'll be giving away in a drawing at the end of this post.

I decided on this block pattern because of the good contrast in light and dark fabrics in the collection.

I like to do paper piecing, so this is the way I decided to go.  I usually work very small in my paper piecing, but I wanted to showcase the fabrics so I decided to work with a larger block size.  My main block is 6" finished with only four sections.  For the middle border I took the same block and made it half size - 3" finished.  This is more like the size I like to work with.  I really like how these blocks worked in the border.  This is a simple block to paper piece.

Here are a couple works in progress photos.

One thing I like about this block design is that it gives an optical illusion.  You can easily see diagonal rows, but can you also see the squares that have indented sides?

I was able to piece the backing from the dark fabric they sent with the collection bundle.  It is actually one of the collection fabrics, so it looks really nice on the back.

I quilted with orange and dark blue Aurifil thread.  Hobbs Cotton batting gives it a nice drape.  I used Schmetz needles like always. I especially like the Microtex needles for sewing with batiks.

I had to make at least one block with smaller pieces like I normally do.  This block is 6 1/2".

I love how the black fabric makes the colors pop.  This may be a pattern you'll see more of in the future....

Here are a couple photos I took at Camp Alexander Mack in Milford IN.

DRAWING

I'm having a drawing for 2 half yard fabrics from the Chromatic Collection.  Leave a comment on what you would name my quilt.  I haven't decided on a name yet.  I will draw a winner at the end of the blog.

Make sure that I can contact you if you are the winner.  Entries only from the USA due to postage costs.

ISLAND BATIK DRAWING

Island Batik is having a fantastic drawing for two collection bundles.  These are fantastic- don't miss it!

Be sure to enter by going to their blog and entering the drawing there.

Many thanks to Island Batik,  Hobbs Batting, Schmetz Needles and Aurifil Thread for providing product for this project.

Pieced to Perfection Blog Hop

 

September is time for a new Island Batik Ambassadors Blog Hop.  This time each Ambassador was sent one of the latest Island Batik Collections and had one requirement- to make a paper pieced quilt.  I love paper piecing, so I looked forward to this challenge.  

Using as many fabrics in the collection is an added challenge.  I received the collection called Chromatic, so I set my mind on what to create.  My day to post is Thursday, so be sure and check it out!

Listed below are the Ambassadors and what collections they are working with and what days they will be posting for this week.

Be sure and go to the Island Batik blog and enter their drawing for two Island Batik bundles - Chromatic or Blushing Garden  You really need to enter- you can do amazing things with one of these bundles!

WEEK 1

September 5

Elita Sharpe, Busy Needle Quilting

Denise Looney, For the Love of Geese

September 6

Sandra Starley, Textile Time Travels

Sarah Pitcher, Pitcher’s Boutique

September 7

Connie Kauffman, Kauffman Designs

Brenda Alburl, Songbird Designs

Preeti Harris, Sew Preeti Quilts

September 8

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 1 and Giveaway

Sept - Finishing the Doll House Quilt

We are putting the finishing touches on the Doll House Quilt by Amy Bradley this month.  

First thing to do is to quilt it.  You can quilt in any way you want.  The only challenging part is about how to quilt where the pockets are.  You just need to quilt inside the pocket as far as you can go.  This adds a bit of a challenge to your quilting, but you can do it.

Here are some pictures of how I did the quilting.  It was fun to do a variety of quilting designs.

Next you can sew on the rest of the buttons.  I found it helpful to sometimes put a small dab of Elmers glue on the back of the buttons and place them where I wanted them and then sewed them on.  Especially places like the flower boxes where the buttons were in specific  places.  The glue holds them in place until you can get them sewn on.

Last, sew on the binding and a hanging sleeve.  You might want to personalize the quilt with a label on the back.  If you made the quilt for a daughter/granddaughter, or someone else, you really should add a label with your name and date and any other information you want.

Hope you love your houses!

It's hard to get a good full photo of the doll house.  Here's one I took outside

Here is a photo of my sister Jody's quilt top.  She's been a trooper and kept up with making a block or two each month!

My Friend Ande had made the Doll House Quilt earlier and she let me take a couple photos of her finished quilt.

I love how you can personalize your quilt.  Ande added lots of cats to her house and she even made a music room with a piano!

This post is the final one on making the doll house quilt.  I will have one more post next month about some of the dolls and animals that will fit in the pockets.  Stay tuned!

Amy Bradley's Doll House Pattern