Sweetness and Light: A Fine, Fast Finish

I call this a fast finish because from first stitch to last it took 3 months, which is really fast for me.

Just to say, I love this quilt!  I love everything about it--the colors, the fabrics, the quilting, all of it.  It is a quilt I wish I had had to wrap up my own babies when they were little.  I hope my daughter likes it.  (We probably all know the mom and dad have to like the baby's gift or it never gets used.)

None of these photos are particularly wonderful but the first and last photos are probably the most accurate as far as colors, though maybe still just a little too creamy.  Some of the photos were taken with flash and some without.

Above and below show the whole quilt, bound, washed, and dried.  It measures 41" x 49".  It lost 3" in width and 4" in length between top to a washed and dried quilt.

I used Quilters Dream Cotton Select batting.  Quilters on the Facebook Celebrate Hand Quilting page recommended it.  After I purchased and layered the quilt I learned that Quilters Dream comes in different thicknesses.  The batting was thick enough that I was a little concerned the quilt would be more like a mat than a soft, pliable, cuddly quilt, but it's just perfect.

A few close-up photos.

Definitely taken without a flash, below, but you can see the quilting better.  As I was quilting I kept thinking of Xs and Os we use as symbols for hugs and kisses.  There are plenty of both in this quilt, if one wants to think of it that way.  I'm still thinking of this quilt as "Sweetness and Light."

Perhaps sometime I will get the lighting just perfect when taking photos of my quilts.  Even in natural light these photos look "shady."

This is the backing I used.  It is from Michael Miller called Best of Sarah Jane Flannel Dolls Soft.  When I bought it online I guess I wasn't paying attention to the length of the repeat and bought just barely enough to cover the back if I placed the figures upright going across the quilt instead of  the length of the quilt.  Maybe next time I'll avoid a directional fabric for backing.

This was a bear to quilt.  I don't know if it was the thickness of the batting, or the flannel, or all the seams in the top, or a combination of two or all three.  I used regular quilting thread but the stitches are longer than I'd like.  Even so, all three layers are fastened together and I don't think they will come apart except possibly after very hearty use.

I used Prismacolor colored pencils to mark the circles as I did on a previous, similar quilt.  Much of the marking was gone by the time I finished quilting, but not all.  I washed the quilt just once and most of the rest of color is gone.  What's left will wash out when my daughter washes the quilt the next time or two.

Do you keep notes about quilts you make?  I use a Cambridge notebook with quad ruled heavyweight bond paper.  Each quilt gets a page, both front and back if needed.  I like having this information for reference. 

I keep track of sizes, cutting measurements, dates I started and finished parts of the quilt, details about batting, fabrics, thread, binding, etc.   It's very useful to me.

A last look.

I'm linking this post to
> Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts
> Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
> TGIFF at Devoted Quilter
> Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More
> Beauties Pageant at From Bolt to Beauty
> Put Your Foot Down at For the Love of Geese
> Let's Make Baby Quilts at Michelle's Romantic Tangle
Thanks for hosting, ladies.

--Nancy.

They Miss Me and March's One Monthly Goal Finish

I'm pretty sure my sewing machine and my iron have missed me this month.  I haven't touched either for weeks and weeks. 

And I find myself singing that old Cole Porter song, Night and Day, as I hand quilt this baby quilt.  You know the song, "Night and Day, you are the one.  You, only you, under the sun," or something like that.  This quilt and I have become very good friends even though some of my fingerprints may never return.  But I love it!  (The photo below may show the colors a little more accurately.)

My One Monthly Goal for March was to get the blocks sewn together and applique the circles.  I'm so pleased to say that I've exceeded that a dozen times over by getting the quilt layered, basted, and most of it quilted.  I have 7 of what look like half blocks around the edges and 2 corner blocks to finish hand quilting.  If I continue as I've begun it will be finished before the baby arrives.  I keep telling myself I can't let up the pressure till it's all quilted, though.

My last decision for this quilt will be choosing binding.  I can't decide between the fabric I used for the sashing or a lighter color.  Not sure yet.

This volunteer tulip appeared near our peony plants a few weeks ago.  I haven't been out to look at it but I think it's probably about to bloom by now.

We've had beautiful spring weather--an early spring.  But folklore says there will be three more snows after the forsythia blooms, and I haven't seen one in bloom yet.  I love winter and snow but now that spring-like weather is here--with plants in bloom and buds on the trees--winter seems out of place and time.  I've mostly enjoyed the spring from inside, with a quilt on my lap and a needle between my fingers.  There's more spring to come so I'll enjoy it when the little quilt is finished and I'll spend more time with my sewing machine and iron.

I'm linking this post to One Monthly Goal March Finish Link-up at Elm Street Quilts.  Thanks for hosting, Patty. 

--Nancy.

Baby Quilt - March's One Monthly Goal

This is the baby quilt, in pieces, for my coming grandbaby, and this is how the blocks looked yesterday morning.  About half were sewn, the rest needed two seams to become blocks.

By bedtime last night, all the blocks had been sewn and pressed.  I didn't have enough of Edyta Sitar's Hops fabric for sashing, couldn't find it locally, and knew that ordering it would set me back at least a week.  So I used a red/pink/white striped sashing that had been a shirt.  In real life it's really close to, just a tad darker than the color of the Hops fabric.  I like it and am happy with it.

This morning I laid out the blocks.  I truly wish I could get a good photograph of these blocks:  they are full of light.  There are a few that I may replace--darker ones--(or not) or rearrange (probably).  As I look at the blocks now I see that I could have sewn four squares together and added the sashing and cornerstones around the outside of them.  It probably would have helped with color balance.  That's a lesson to use next time.

After the blocks are sewn I'll decide the size of the circles to be appliqued to the center of each four blocks.  It's hard to tell which size will be best because the unsewn top is not the real size, but if I had to decide right now I would use the smaller circles which have 3" diameters or the medium which is 3½" in diameter. 

There's plenty of pinning, sewing, and pressing before I try out circles with real fabric, though.

I searched for flannel at the local quilt shop and found the perfect fabric--in a bib, with none of it on a bolt.  So I came home and searched online (for a long time) before I found this, from Michael Miller at fabric.com.  (What an efficient and speedy company!)  To give you an idea of size of the images, the bunny in the buggy with the girl is about 3" wide. It's hard to tell about fabric when looking online.  For some reason I didn't realize that the orientation of the images was vertical.  I bought enough and extra for the back but I envisioned cutting the length into two pieces, sewing them together, and having the seam go horizontally across the quilt instead of the length of the quilt.  I'll probably have to match the motifs for the quilt back for continuity, which I would have had to do anyway.

I like this fabric a lot but I continue to question the wisdom of using flannel.  I want the softness of flannel but my experience has been that it often balls, which would be horrible after spending time quilting it.  The ladies at the Celebrate Hand Quilting Facebook page tell me that quality flannel won't ball and several said that's all they use for the back of their quilts.  I'll know more after I wash and dry it.  If worse comes to worst, I'll buy regular cotton at the quilt shop.  What is your experience and opinion using flannel for quilts?

I'm all set with batting and thread.  I bought Quilters Dream Cotton Select batting at the recommendation of others.  The batting I've used in the past is no longer available, at least not where I used to buy it.  When this one is recommended by others, how bad can it be?

All this to say that my One Monthly Goal for March is to
> sew those 30 blocks, above, into a quilt top
> decide whether or not to applique circles and if so,
> prepare and applique them to the top. 
It would be great if I could have this layered and basted, ready to quilt sooner (which could happen) but that's not part of my goal this month.

I'm linking this to One Monthly Goal March link-up at Elm Street Quilts.  Thanks for hosting, Patty.  I really appreciate having this motivation to work a little faster than I otherwise might.

--Nancy.

A Goal Completed, A Pause to Reevaluate

Often, or at least sometimes, I think I have the plan of a quilt worked out, especially if it's a simple quilt, and then I lay out the blocks, take a look, and realize that maybe, just maybe, I need to reevaluate--stop making blocks, pull other possible fabrics, reconsider--and possibly change direction.  That's what I'm doing now with this baby quilt.  Maybe this will go in the direction I started but maybe not.  (A few words about the photos:  they were all take with a flash, which may tell you how light these blocks really are!)

It's a calm, gentle quilt.  Light, sweet, almost not there.  But isn't that what I had in mind, at least for the background, I ask myself.  Calm, soothing, sweetness and light?

All along I'd envisioned groups of four blocks with sashing, specifically of the fabric below, an Edyta Sitar print called "Hops" from her Super Bloom collection,

with circles of this fabric below (the exact size yet to be decided) in the center of the four squares formed by the sashing when four blocks are sewn together. 

The goal is a quiet, calm quilt.  But I'm wondering if this is too calm, if this print will completely disappear amongst the little light squares (and if it does, would I mind that?).  So I tried a different potential sashing fabric

and pulled two other fabrics that might work for the circles (folded in the centers of the blocks in the first photo, below, and along the side in the second photo).  I'm also questioning the white cornerstones.  White?  Unless the cornerstones are a darker color, I think white is the only color that will stand out against the lights in the blocks.

There are so many considerations when making a quilt.  Fabric, colors, prints/plains/plaids, size, layout, and on and on.  Sometimes maybe I spend too much time thinking about the details.  When the quilt is finished, will it matter if I use that particular pink fabric for the sashing, or that particular fabric for the circles, etc.?  I admire people who can just choose and sew.  It's a talent I don't have.

I've increased the size to 45" x 54" or 5 blocks by 6 blocks.  Not such a baby quilt but a quilt a baby can use when little and grow into, too.  I will need 120 little squares and have sewn 93 of them.  I've started adding a little white to some of the blocks.  I think I can do that without it seeming odd because I have a fourth of the blocks yet to sew.  

I'm still dithering about the backing fabric, too.  Flannel or not, or what is softer than regular cotton but not flannel?  I never trust that flannel won't get bally (except if it's in a shirt that's already been worn and washed and hasn't gotten bally by the time it gets to the thrift store, but who can find enough of the same shirts in the perfect fabric for a back?).  And even though I've searched at stores and online I haven't found a flannel I think would look great on the back of this quilt.  People tell me Robert Kaufman flannels are good quality.  What other cotton is soft?  What has been your experience with flannels or other soft fabrics?

I can't delay making decisions too long because I may have to order fabric and the baby's arrival is in just over two months.  I don't work well under pressure so I tell myself that it's not really a problem to give a baby a quilt when she's a month or two old.  (But better when she's first born, of course.)

I'm linking this post to One Monthly Goal February Finish link-up at Elm Street Quilts.  My goal was to begin this quilt and the original post is here.  Thanks for hosting, Patty. 

--Nancy.

ScrapHappy Day in February

Today (very late today!) I'm joining Kate of Tales from Chiconia and a group of others who post what they're making with scraps (and only scraps).  I'm pleased to have an honest-to-goodness scrap post today! 
A week ago I began sewing light and pastel scraps for a quilt for my yet-to-arrive grandbaby girl, a color range agreed upon by my daughter and me.  When I look at these blocks in real life I see sweetness and light but I'm not sure my camera's lens captured that effect.

Below are close-ups of a few of the blocks.  They are 4½" square and will be 4" after sewn.  This set of blocks below has too many pink stripes, fabrics I've decided I've used enough of for this quilt.  Too many stripes is just too many!

The blocks look cobbled together and I like them a lot.  I enjoy sewing this way to make a scrap quilt.  I think these blocks will work well as background for some applique.  If my plan goes as I imagine, every four blocks will receive sashing and a corner square.  Then all the blocks will be sewn together and I'll add applique to some of the large squares created by the sashing.  (I made a similar quilt with mostly cream fabrics a few years ago and it's become my absolute favorite.)

The blocks with sashing will finish at 9".  For the size quilt I'm considering I'll need 80 4½" blocks and have 41 yet to sew.  The baby's birth date is around the end of April.  I guess I should get back to sewing!

I'm also linking this post to
> Finished (or not) Friday at Alycia Quilts
> Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More
Thanks for hosting, ladies.

--Nancy.

Beginning a New Baby Quilt

I've always thought bright, colorful quilts are best for babies.  When their little eyes can focus, they gravitate toward those bright colors.  But this new grandgirl who is due to arrive near the end of April has four creative, active, energetic older siblings.  Her mom and I agree that a light, calm, pastel quilt might be best for this baby.

With that in mind, my One Monthly Goal is to begin a scrappy baby quilt with all or some of these fabrics.

I have an idea or two -- pink, but not too much pink; light, airy, welcoming, warm -- but not an exact plan.  I'll begin with scrappy but I'm open to making traditional blocks, too.  It will be interesting to see which and how many of these fabrics play well together.  I have more I can pull but I'll start with these (and some other small scraps).

So my One Monthly Goal for February is to begin a baby quilt.  And now it's playtime for me!

I'm linking this post to One Monthly Goal February Link-up at Elm Street Quilts.  Thank you for hosting, Patty.   Be sure to click the link to see the goals others have chosen for February.

--Nancy.