Finishing my Farm Girl Vintage quilt means that I get to check the last thing of my quarterly goals list for the 2016 Finish-A-Long. When I first started this, the blocks actually came together pretty quickly, but waiting for sashing fabric meant getting pushed to the backburner... then there was, of course, the issue of how to quilt it?
I really had to think long and hard about how I wanted to quilt this since this was my first border quilt, and I only quilt with my walking foot. I had originally thought about an all over pattern, but decided that it was not the best solution for this quilt. I eventually ended up quilting in the ditch around each motif, then addressed each block individually. (yup... that was a whole lot of turning under the machine!) Since each block is quilted differently, I thought it would be fun to also share them individually.
Fresh Pears Block: (My first block and still one of my favorites in this quilt)
Scrappy Strawberry Block:
Welcome Block: (I loved the way this block looked after I had made the first one that I ended up making two for this quilt! This goes into the blocks-to-repeat category for me!)
Patchwork Pumpkin Block:
Crops Block: (This is another favorite block... not necessarily to sew, but the end result)
Baking Day Block:
Kettle's On! Block:
Farmhouse Block: (When I first saw this block, I knew Cori Dantini's "The Makers" needed to be in the windows happily working away)
Spring Star Block:
Pie Cherries Block:
Welcome Block:
Canning Season Block:
Quilt pattern: Various blocks from "Farm Girl Vintage" book by Lori Holt
Started: August 2015
Fabrics: Alison Glass, Cotton & Steel, Basic Grey Grunge yellow border, and selected scraps from stash. Low volume background fabrics.
Finished quilt top size: ca. 51 x 62 in. (130 x 158 cm)
Linking up to Let's Bee Social and Sew Cute Tuesday.
It would seem that when I like a particular designer's work, I can gush on, and on, and on ( and on) about them. One designer's work that I keep coming back to time and time again is Cori Dantini. Almost every fabric line that she has put out, as soon as I see it, I have about twenty project ideas that come to mind. When I first saw her Joy & Wonder collection for Blend Fabrics, that was no exception. As I was drooling over studying her collection, it hit me... a paper piecing pattern was staring me right in the face! So, I approached Cori earlier in the year and asked if I could adapt her design into a paper piecing pattern... and now in the spirit of the season of giving, I am turning around and giving it to you too... the Deck the Halls Christmas Tree pattern!
I also drew inspiration from other elements in Cori's fabric line, and added a house and tower. Her fabrics are absolutely perfect for fussy cutting, don't you think?
For the stars I used the reverse applique method because I wanted to have a very clean and finished look, but did not want to remove excess fabric from the back of the small stars as you would for a freezer paper applique star.
Much of my quilting was simply shadow and straight line quilting, and I really wanted the stars to be focal points of the quilting as if they were really shining. You can see a good bit of the work in progress on my instagram feed.
...additionally, I wanted to say a big thank you Jessica, for helping me get this into a nice, cleaned up pdf format!
Area you busy working on Christmas projects for yourself, as decorations, or are you part of Santa's team and making presents for others?
Linking up this week to WIP Wednesday and Let's Bee Social.
When it comes to my quilting projects, I feel that I am somewhat of a realist. It's never been my goal, or intention, to whip out one quilt after the next as fast as one can blink... in fact I've actually intended my long term projects to be just that, and something that I work on throughout the year. I want to enjoy the process, and be satisfied that a quilt is not something that is just thrown together over a weekend. (well not at least for normal people anyway) I want the freedom to set something to the side if I am not feeling motivated or inspired, and pick it back up when if feels right. While finishing is so vital, setting time constraints for when is not. I've enjoyed moving at a snail's pace despite the fact that I know that such a pace does not exactly grow blog readership, but my projects are growing little by little, bit by bit... and believe it or not, I'm OK with that. As for the progress on my Facing East quilt... talk about a not-done-overnight quilt, yup, you're looking at the epitome of it!
Last week I shared my Scrappy Windmill quilt top finish, and after peeling all those papers out of the seams, I was more than ready to set it aside. Since it came together so quickly, I gave myself the liberty to do so, not to mention that I am waiting on the batting to finish it. My husband graciously took our two little guys for the weekend, and I was able to have some time to myself. Usually my sewing room is an explosion after being granted such freedom, but I had several things to ponder in my heart... thoughts of change, unanswered questions, and what if's. Things are shifting and moving, and the quiet and stillness was just what I needed. But nonetheless, after working so intensely on the quilt top, I just wasn't ready to pull out one of my tedious, long-term quilts.
You may remember me adding a few,... er, well, ahumm, several... ok, ok, a huge stack of fabrics that I hauled back recently from vacation. And while in the land of fabrics, I found that I simply could not resist the Farm Girl Vintage book from Lori Holt either. While these blocks are a little off the beaten path from my usual style, I found myself gravitating back to it.
You might notice several of those fabrics all sliced, diced, and sewn up together in these blocks. Working with low volumes with a little touch of color has been on my to do list, and up until now, my low volume's have essentially been black in the black/white category.
Somehow I'm still stuck on going for a fresh and juicy look... I really want to have colors that just pop! When I first saw the Word find fabric from Melody Miller's Playful collection, I have to admit that I wasn't too impressed... until I saw it live! Talk about a story change... for me THIS is the absolute perfect shade of pink!
... and my little house block ends up boasting not just one, but several favorites of mine... Alison Glass, Heather Ross, Cori Dantini, and I am just as smitten with the Eric & Julie Comstock Baby Jane in yellow.
What's your approach on long-term quilting? Do you take on year-long (or longer) projects or do you prefer quilts that don't need as much time to finish?
Linking up this week to WIP Wednesday and Let's Bee Social.
Through my children attending kindergarden, I have naturally picked up on a few "standard" songs that everyone knows here in Germany... big and small alike. Even though "Vogelhochzeit" is perhaps my all time favorite German children's music, one particularly cute song that crosses the lips of just about every child almost as soon as they can form words is "Alle Vögel sind schon da" (translated, all the birds are already there... spring wants to march in!)
... and these sweet winged creatures were the inspiration for my latest projects as featured in the June issue of Anna Magazin. (Oz Verlag, Germany)
For me, there is nothing more delightful than to sit with my morning tea and marvel at my little feathered friends busily hopping, fluttering, and flying from place to place.
Occasionally a bushy-tailed, four-legged squirrel scampering around at the same busy, yet happy pace....
I was actually able to "borrow" a couple design elements from the fabric itself as the inspiration for my embellishments... simply free motion outlining on felt.
Patterns & Sewing Instructions: Allison Richter as featured in Anna Magazin (Germany)
Fabrics: Cori Dantini, Good Company for Blend Fabrics, "Alle Vögel sind schon da" fabric kits available in Germany here.
Sometimes you stumble onto an artist's work that really speaks to you.... as if your heart actually hears something, even though you may not even be able to put it into words what exactly you heard. For me Cori Dantini is one of those artists. And as if it weren't enough to have her work featured all throughout my whole entire house, what's more than exciting to me is that Cori puts her brilliant little pieces of art onto my medium of choice... fabric, swoon... and then comes the best part, getting the chance to create something fun with it!
Her latest fabric collection "The Makers" series holds a special place in my heart, especially since it covers a certain theme that is near and dear to me...
I had to sneak a sweet little freezer paper gift tag in there somewhere just for fun...
Sewing Techniques: Simple piecing. Window - paper pieced, girl - freezer paper applique or alternative raw edge applique.
Fabrics: Cori Dantini "The Makers", Art Gallery: "Makers", Penquin & Fish.
House: Depot (Germany)
Paint Finish: acrylic/sand paper, decoupage
.... and because everyone needs friends:
I've had this sweet little miniature set that I had gotten from a friend a while back, and I've been waiting for just the right spot to feature these tiny little notions... I think they've found their new home, don't you?
Sewing Techniques: simple patchwork background, girl - freezer paper applique or alternative raw edge applique.
Fabrics: Cori Dantini "The Makers", various scraps from stash
House: Depot (Germany)
Paint Finish: acrylic/sand paper, decoupage
.... are you a maker too?
