Another Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements Quilt (#27)

My second quilt made with Tim Holtz's Eclectic Elements, but this time I used 24 fat eighths, modifying my favorite pattern Easy Bake from Cluck Cluck Sew. (here is the link to my first Eclectic Elements quilt made with 10" squares)

I ended up with 48 blocks, obviously smaller than the original pattern that used 10" squares since I cut mine 8.5" x 8.5". A fat eighth is supposed to be 9"x21" but some pieces were a little shy of 9 inches so I played it safe and cut 8.5" x 8.5".

To fill out the quilt to the desired size - the remaining fabric was cut into small 4" squares and added to Michael Miller's Cotton Couture in Nite. (some sites recommend using Midnight blue but I used the Nite on both Eclectic Elements quilts since I had it in my stash - it lightens it up and while Midnight would look good - the vibe overall would be  'heavier & darker')
 Quilting was done with a  loose broken zig zag stitch in Aurifil 50wt. light sand on the top and blue cobalt on the bottom.  

The back is dimple dot minky in Midnight blue from Fabric.com - with a layer of JoAnn's bleached muslin in between the quilt top & minky.

I keep my minky quilts to  maximum 60" wide so I don't have to piece the back - and buy 2 1/4 yards - which leaves me a little wiggle room when laying it out and trimming it square.

Finished size is 58"x69"
July 2014

Chillingsworth ... ready to quilt

Inspired by a picture from Pinterest (from the International Quilt Market), this Chillingsworth quilt top is finished and ready to sandwich. 
The back will be beige minky and quilted using Aurifil 50wt. light sand for the top and bottom bobbin around the skeleton -  and then a combo of light sand & smoke for for rest of the quilt.  I don't want to take any chances that a darker bottom thread might peak through in the light areas due to bottom bobbin issues.

The square blocks are cut at 6" and the Half Square Triangles also started out at 6" - made and trimmed to 5" finished size.

Black & White Accuquilt Tumbler (#26)

10 different black and white fabrics were cut using the Accuquilt tumbler die and 'trapped' in a border of Kona jet black.

13 tumblers wide, and 12 rows long ... the backing is black dimple dot minky - and binding is Timeless Treasures Sketch black. A layer of JoAnn's bleached muslin is the middle layer between the quilted top & minky back.

Quilted with Gutermann's Sew all grey on top and black on the bottom, following the tumbler shape and going across the rows as well, using the large broken zig zag stitch.  

The pictures don't exactly capture how black the fabrics are - but they are elegant and classic... like a LBD  (little black dress).

April 2014
Size:  57 x 72"

Tim Holtz's Eclectic Elements Quilt(#25)

I fell hard for this Eclectic Elements fabric collection by renowned paper crafter, Tim Holtz.  Tim is the Creative Director for Ranger Industries and all you have to do is go down an aisle at a Michael's or JoAnn's and see walls of his wonderful product creations.

 

This is his first fabric collection, and it comprises of 3 design categories:  Documentation, Labels, & Melange.  In order to retain all the good scrapbook/grunge/steampunk vibe - I used my trusty pattern:  Easy Bake from Cluck Cluck Sew.

It was not easy to find the entire collection (24 fat quarters total) and I wanted to use every bit of it. After making the bulk of the quilt -  I measured the remaining fabric and found that 4" square gave me the most pieces.  These squares were put on the front sides and back.

My first time making a quilt with a cotton top, traditional batting & a cotton back - (used Warm and Natural batting  / pre-washed and dried before quilting).  The back is Michael Miller's couture cotton in Nite -  which comes in 85 colors - and has a wonderful soft drape -  (while it looks rather bright in the pictures, it blends well overall - another option could be the Midnight Blue which is darker).

Quilted top and bottom with  Aurifil 50 wt. ( light sand #2000 & dark cobalt #2740).  Spray basted (and ironed to fuse them even more), I had a few hiccups (and 3 rows to rip out) as the bottom tension went all wonky - but a few turns on the bottom bobbin case screw worked fine.  Each time I re-loaded the bobbin - I had to make minor adjustments. 

April 2014
Size:  60 x 72"

Gypsy Caravan Tumbler (#24)

 A beautiful chic quilt featuring Amy Butler's Gypsy Caravan, cut with the large Accuquilt tumbler die.  12 tumblers across by 12 rows down with a 3" border on the sides in matching periwinkle.  

  Binding in periwinkle and backed with vanilla dimple dot minky.  The middle layer is JoAnn's bleached muslin, prewashed and all layers spray basted.  I usually pin and spray baste - but had success with spray basting only and ironing the layers together, pressing on the cotton top portion and totally avoiding the minkey - it melts!

Quilting was a smaller broken zig zag going across the rows and following the tumbler shapes from top to bottom.

I used Aurifil beige 50 wt. for both the top and bottom with a No. 12 universal needle and it was smooth  and consistent. 
Size: 57 x 71"
April 2014 

Sabby Chic Accuquilt Tumbler (#23)

The goal was to make a shabby chic quilt. Using different 6 fabric patterns, including Paris Flea market by 3 Sisters and Petal by Tany Whelan - this quilt is all that.  

The photos don't capture  how well all these colors & tones meld and harmonize with the blush minkey dimple dot - which photographs like a salmon color - but in real life they look great together. 

Using the Accuquilt large tumbler die, minkey back and muslin in the middle so you can't feel the seams - I quilted it using Gutermann pinks with the broken zig zag stitch following the tumbler shapes from top to bottom - and across the tumbler rows from side to side.
Size:  57x72"
April 2014

Buried Treasure ... Again (#22)

Using the rest of the Buried Treasure fabric and cutting it into 5" squares - I made a colorful middle (11 across by  11 down) - and filled in the rest of the space with Moda's Countdown to Christmas in black.

Binding is Marmalade stripes and zig zag stitches quilt the layers in a gold Gutermann sew all thread.  The back is JoAnn's aqua minkey (which doesn't shred as much as Dimple dot, but its not as plush either).  To compensate for the thinner minkey, the middle layer is a Robert Kaufman flannel.  
Size: 58 x 69"
April 2014

Marmalade Charm Pack Quilt (#21)

Using 5" Kona white as sashing & 2 charm packs of Marmalade by Moda.

10 squares uncut in each row - with half charms in between to make 7 long strips.

A layer of muslin in between the cotton top, & minky dimple dot in white on the back.   Straight line quilting a little under 2" each row.

 Next time I will follow the minky dots on the back rather than quilt from the front using a quilt guide bar (which only works from the right.)   Quilted with Isacord #40 in white.                                             Size:  59" wide by 71" long

March 2014

California Girl Coin Quilt (#20)

 My first stacked coin quilt made from Fig Tree Quilts' California Girl fabric collection.  Using a 4" wide quilt ruler I cut the entire jelly roll into individual pieces 4" long x 2.5" wide.

 This is a tedious way, versus sewing long strips together and then cutting - but I liked it because I had complete control of where each color went and how long to make the 'coin strips'.  This was a 'make up the  size as you go' type of quilt for me (using Crazy Mom Quilts stacked coin quilt tutorial as a basic guide).

 The top and bottom were fun because I randomly sewed the 2.5" edges together into one giant length - then cut it into the widths I wanted, making sure that each row was 'off-set' with the one below it.

A summer coverlet weight, this is backed with Michael Miller's Dumb Dot flannel in beige and the 'batting' is muslin.  Kona white accents and California Girl 'daisy' in ocean for the binding. Quilting was done with a smaller ragged zig zag stitch using Isacord 40 wt. top and bottom with a walking foot.  Binding attached with my first time use of Aurifil 50 wt. beige - both threads were nice and smooth.

I have a Janome DC2013 which has 50 stitches - and this ragged zig zag is the only stitch that 'covers' both sides of the seam.  Since I always press my seams open - it catches a little of each side and can be adjusted for size & width depending on the quilt.  This dainty quilt needed a smaller size zig zag - the Buried Treasure a larger & wider one.  It's very forgiving if you stray off the seam line, which is your guide as you quilt.  win/win:)

Size:  56" x 68"
March 2014

A Walk in the Woods (#19)

I have loved making 3 different style quilts out of Aneela Hoey's A Walk in the Woods.  It looked good as a tumbler, a disappearing 9 patch - and just as pretty using Cluck Cluck Sew's Easy Bake pattern ($7.45 for a PDF).

One layer cake (42 10x10" squares) makes a lap quilt that measures 54" x 62". 
 Backed with my favorite flannel from Robert Kaufman (cozy cotton in Sky) from Beverly's and  the middle layer with 90" Quilter's Flannel from Fabric.com.

Large broken zig zag stitch done with a walking foot - using the seam as a guide.  
Since I press my seams open this works great and is fast.
  Quilted with Isacord #40 both front and back in white.

Size: 54" wide by 62" long
February 2014

Buried Treasure (#18)

A layer cake (and a little more) of Buried Treasure  by Benartex,  Kona white jelly roll for sashing and a simple four square combination, is pretty striking when all put together.  

Backing fabric is minky cuddle dimple dot in camel - and the inside layer is quilter's flannel.  My last batch of this white 90" flannel was thinner than usual, so I took a chance to use it instead of my regular middle layer of bleached muslin. 

 The flannel did make it slightly heavier but it is hard to say how much, since the size of this 'lap' quilt covers a full sized bed.  

Quilting with a wide & long broken zig zag worked out great, using Isacord #40 for the top and Gutterman all sew on the bottom bobbin. 
Since I press open all my seams, stitching in the ditch wouldn't work (and I am not that precise), so the 'ragged' zig zag hides all imperfections as it floats over the seam. (This made the quilting less stressful and very fun).

Size:  64" x 84"
February 2014

Good Fortune - Happy Weekender Quilt (#17)

Using Kate Spain's Good Fortune charm packs, this pattern is called Happy Weekender from the Moda Bake Shop.  The only change I made was to add 13 charms to the top & bottom rows for added color, instead of a solid white strip as the 'recipe' states. Total charm packs used: 3

Thanks go to Kim who created this easy & fun pattern - check out more of her beautiful creations at My Go Go Life.

Robert Kaufman's cozy cotton toile flannel for the back, (hard to find so I pieced every inch I could find) with a layer of muslin in the middle.

  Quilted with a larger stitch (#3) using Isacord #40 white thread.  Binding is Amy Butler's periwinkle solid. Accents are Kona white. 

Quilt size:  58" wide by 66" long.
January 2014

Lucy's Crab Shack Charm Pack (#16)

Lucy's Crab Shack quilt from Moda (Sweetwater).  4 charm packs in a repeat design make the bulk of this - plus another charm pack that is not toally used up, but needed for the border.  Each 'square' was made with 6 charms across by 7 charms down - and then sewn all together into one big square.  (count from the white bikes on the top left as a starting point to see pattern)

The back is Burgundy (or Crimson) dot to dot minky - with a layer of muslin between the quilt top & minky.

Charm squares cut in half and made into strips, then combined with Kona white accents (smaller white divider was cut 1.5" and the border was cut 2.5" and trimmed to 2").

Simple quilting making an 'x' through all the squares was done with a larger stitch - and slowly sewn with a walking foot.
Binding was the coordinating aqua blue with bikes - machine stitched on the back first, and then the front.  

Finished size: 55" wide x 72" long.
This means that a minky purchase of 2.25 yards will back this quilt - as it comes in 60" wide.  

Good Fortune by Kate Spain (#15)

Using a 9 patch pattern from the Moda Bakeshop courtesy of Jera at Quilting in the Rain - I used Kate Spain's Good Fortune charm packs, Kona Ash and a dimple dot minky (some post it as silver - but it's light grey).

    14 blocks, trimmed to 12" square.  Sashing between blocks was cut either 4.5" or 1.5".  I used the center row as the longest row and cut everything else to fit (my years doing magazine paste up finally paid off!).

    I bought 2.5 yards of minky for the back to be sure and had a little left over.  Gutterman #102 sew all thread quilted the cotton top, muslin middle and minky back. Spray basting and pinning, the hardest part was straight line stitching since my walking foot only has a guide for the right - so the entire quilt had to go into the throat of the sewing machine - it was slippery and tight - but the end result was worth it.
October 2013    54" wide by 66" long.

Folklore Sugar Skulls by Timeless Treasures (#14)

When a friend drops by with 2 yards of fabric and says, "make me a blanket now" - this is your pattern.

Folklore Sugar Skulls in white by Timeless Treasures - cut off the selvage and sew a 3" flannel border down the side.  (This will later be trimmed to 2.5" inches.)   Cut fabric lengthwise - 55" inches.

Lay out washed minky first - painter's tape it to the floor - add double napped flannel (Quilters flannel 90" wide from Fabric.com) that has been washed and ironed.  Use fabric spray lightly - and then add the ironed skull fabric - using fabric spray again. Pin all layers.

Quilt between the skulls - straight line with a #14 universal needle, Gutermann sew all thread white on top, lavender on the bottom - using with a walking foot: a larger stitch, and at a slow speed.

Binding with  flannel - using the methods described above.  

I don't usually make a blanket this heavy or large for a baby quilt - but it was going back East  - a perfect weight for a lap blanket for anyone.  2 yards of fabric for each piece (top, minky and flannel inside ) - gives you some spare fabric when finished - although you need to piece some fabric for the side borders.

Washed fabric before making - pictures are after machine washing in warm and drying on medium - will make this again.  :)

August 2013    Finished size:  46"x55"