Pastel Baby Quilt

I did make good on my intention to use that very old pastel leftover fabric to construct another little baby quilt. This is what I came up with

...affectionately called 'The Ugly Duckling'

Not super fantastic, but that's all that I had. Cut the leftovers of the pastel fabric into 3-1/2in squares, added some whites and then put it into that very simple layout using up all of the dusty pink fabric.

Now to make it spectacular...

Used a ruler from Bethanne Nemesh to put some simple curves into the squares. The ruler is called Lilac Lines and got that S curve on the end. It fits both a 3in square and a 2in square.

Working with it is not difficult however given that you are working on such a smallish defined edge there is some slippage. I counter act that with having the Handiquilter grips on the back but in addition also put that white grippy material under it to make doubly sure that it does not slip.

You could of course do this design freehand but it just comes out so pristine with the ruler

Was reasonably fast as you can do this design continuously.

Looks really nice and even. Have done more work on it in the week, but forgot to take a photo. I filled the narrow sashing with strings of pearls, but then had to wait as I needed to order more thread in the particular colour Aurifil 50/2 (2420-Blush) I was quilting with. 

While the thread has arrived by now, I also have continued on my background filler project which has not been fun as it does not want to flow. Today I spent some more time planning that project out and did a bit more quilting on it, but it is going super slow. Will finish what is on that bobbin and then get back to the pastel quilt to finish off the border. Planning to put a playful feather arrangement into the border, which should be good fun.

Feeling slightly stressed with all the projects I have on the go (and I seem to be adding new ones as we speak). With Christmas approaching the weeks are getting busier and busier...so much to do! I am hoping to knock off the background filler project over the Christmas period as this is the one that is dragging me down and holding me up. Hopefully with all the planning I did around that today, it should get a bit easier!

Karin

To Do Tuesday #99

A few weeks ago I set the following goals:

- continue making those strippy blocks, so that I can get on cutting out the sashing and put all this together

- continue on the background filler project

Well, I did continue on the strippy quilt and managed to finish the quilt top

It turned out very bright and colourful and I was very happy to have persisted with the orange strips. Initially I thought it would not be enough fabric but then managed to think that through and work out exactly how I could make this work. Had about an inch left of the fabric after cutting! Nervewrecking, but paid off!

After that I did a bit of planning as I am somewhat overwhelmed with all the tasks that I am setting for myself. Also could not do any freemotionquilting as I had a stye in my eye, so could not actually focus on anything. 

My planning was fruitful: made a pledge to myself to dig into my scrap stash for 2025 (see post HERE). Over the last two days then I made a start with that very pastel fabric that I had left over from an earlier project. When I say earlier it usually means years ago and this was no exception. 

Cut the leftovers into 3-1/2in squares with my Accuquilt cutter and sewed it all together in a very simple layout.

Not great, but it is used! The colours are really very pastel, somewhere between pink and apricot and today I had to go hunting for some backing ( I had not bought this fabric myself but had won a whole stack of it in a quilt show years ago...definitely not my colours). This 'ugly, little duckling' will look spectacular once I am finished with it. Planning on enhancing this with some detailed freemotionquilting. At the moment I am thinking playful feathers in the border and curves to de-accentuate the squares. We'll see...

This will be the only quilt I am going to be working on before I get back to my background filler project. I have been stuck with that project for a bit, not just because of my eye but also because I did not like what I had originally planned to do. Yesterday then the solution came to me and I will now continue this probably from next week. I may or may not enter that into a show next year which now has a dead line of end of February so I actually need to get cracking on that. Always nerve wrecking as I am unsure whether that will turn out or not. But really, at the end of the day it does not really matter whether I enter or not. Finished will be great so I can continue with the other projects that I have got sitting there.

So, my tasks are a bit boring for next week:

- pin and baste the little pastel quilt and get started on quilting the center

- draw out a plan of attack for the background filler project, e.g. decide what elements go into what section of the quilt; if time allows, start with the next section that now has found its place.

- make some decisions on which quilt can go up for sale on Etsy and add them as a listing.

Apart from this I want to start preparing for Christmas rather than always leaving everything up to the last minute...haha, famous last words!

Linking up to To Do Tuesday #99 over at Quilt Schmilt

Karin

Taking Stock And Planning Ahead For 2025

I have been working on my background filler project

Finished a couple of sections and then I got a stye in my upper eyelid...inside of all places. So painful and obviously put a stop to freemotionquilting for the last week. My eye was so swollen I had to go to the doctor to get some antibiotics.

Managed to do a few little things though after a few days...not sure whether I mentioned it before, but I joined Lisa Calle's Quilter's Groove Design Society. It is very affordable and there is a bucketload of things to explore. Joining, I now have access to a very comprehensive class library, plus Decision Dilemma library (i.e how to quilt your quilt), guest tutors and zoom meetings. I cannot participate in the zoom meetings due to my time zone but I watch the recorded session afterwards. A very jolly bunch of ladies...very enjoyable to watch and to see what other people are working on. Must say there are some very talented piecers out there! Anyway, the group has decided to do a scrap quilt challenge and decided on a scrappy log cabin pattern. This is supposed to start in January. Log cabins are not really my favourite but I thought I give it a crack the other day.

OMG, how addictive that turned out. I could not stop making them...so very relaxing and enjoyable. Spent an entire afternoon just making these.

I followed a tutorial from 'The Diary of a Quilter'. No measuring, limited cutting, just putting strips together and making sure you stay straight as you do it. This little exercise prompted me to look at my scraps which are stored away all over the place. I got several shoe boxes full of them dating back to 2006! Must say that this was a trip down memory lane...discovered some really old favourites and also saw that I obviously keep every single little scrap. Perfect for this exercise!

In the meantime I finished the scrap quilt I was working on.

This quilt top came out at approx. 50in x70in and I must say it did not make any dent in the scrap department. I had a different sashing in mind originally and discovered that I did not have enough fabric to complete it...I nearly went to the shop to buy new fabric but then worked out that the orange fabric might just work if I planned it out. This made me nervous but in the end I just made it with the orange fabric, had maybe 1in of fabric left after cutting the strips and one strip had to be pieced together from cut offs of the other strips! I might even sew some yardage together for the backing rather than buy more fabric. The binding is already sorted as I can put scrap binding together to cover the dimension of this quilt.

I cannot believe how many scraps I have accumulated over the years...it is actually overwhelming. While making this I discovered some 'button' fabric from years ago when my daughter was younger and still at school. She bought the fabric to make pencil cases...remembered that activity and the pencil cases she made. We had to go and find cute little buttons and elastic...

She engineered a super functional pencil case, with the elastic for pencils, a zipper and inside are pockets for smaller things. There is another pencil case somewhere with the 'button' fabric where she tried out a lot of the decorative stitches on my Pfaff machine. Too cute! Can't remember how much fabric we bought but it is still hanging around.

That was just one example of my trip down memory lane. Discovered such odd fabric (strawberry fabric) and sometimes was left wondering where I had acquired it but with most pieces I could tell exactly the project I was working on.

What also happened...I sold one of my quilts in my Etsy shop a few weeks ago which is always great as I am running out of space and this week the lady send me some feedback. Must say it was the nicest review I have ever received and it gave me some renewed energy to keep making these baby quilts. Discovered that I still had some of that particular fabric and wondered why it was still sitting there.

It's very pastel which is probably the reason I have not done anything with it. Decided to use this up and make another simple pastel baby quilt/play mat...somebody will like it and maybe appreciate it like this lady did.

I feel completely overwhelmed with all the scraps, but as well with the unfinished things I have got sitting in my cupboards (I have three more panels to quilt up and put on Etsy), the new pattern that is sitting right next to the sewing machine and the UFOs that shall not be named.

So I decided that for 2025 I am going to concentrate on reducing the scrap department. I will make the scrappy log cabin quilt in a dark/light arrangement for the challenge and then probably do another one or two maybe concentrating on one colour or doing it completely scrappy. Once that is done, I will decide on a different pattern, maybe another house quilt. In addition I am undertaking to start clearing the fabric cupboard, starting with the panels...they just need to go. As for Etsy, I probably will list a few more actual quilts rather than patterns (although I do need to stitch out that pattern I got) as I am truly running out of room for storing them. It's getting a bit ridiculous.

So that is my New Years resolution...use those scraps (or throw them away...which no quilter is going to do easily) and start clearing the cupboards.

I am going to be super busy...😂 as I still will need to be doing my freemotionquilting. Get very grumpy if I have not stitched for a while.

Karin