Friday, November 25, 2016

Denim Quilt - Quilted

I showed this quilt in July 2015 as a completed top, but not as a completed quilt. Here it is all quilted up!








Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Handy-Dandy Ruler Tote

I attended a small class with friends on Saturday and made this super handy ruler tote for attending retreats.

It measures 25.5" X 40" flat. It has two sleeves (25.5" X 22.5") on either side into which you can insert your 24" X 18" cutting matt, your sewing extension table, etc, etc. Onto these sleeves you sew pockets for your rulers and accessories.

I chose to sew only 3 pockets; one for my 24.5" X 6.5" ruler (my favourite ruler), a small one for my 6.5" X 6.5" ruler, and another for my rotary cutter. Most of the other attendees sewed many more pockets than I did. One of the benefits of fewer pockets is less weight; one of the obvious drawbacks is not having enough pockets. Time will tell.

In the meantime, I am delighted with the result. I noticed that I learned a lot from making the bowling bag that I used with this tote. For instance, I used a scant 1/8" seam to baste everything together knowing that my binding seam would be 1/4" and I didn't want the basting thread to show. You always learn something.

I have also noticed that I neglect to post in-progress photos on my blog. I'll try to make an effort to post more as I go photos.

 There is 24" X 18"cardboard in the sleeves to keep them stiff and ensure nothing gets warped or bent.
 Here is a photo of the items placed on top of the pockets.

 Here is one of the 2 large sleeves.
 Here is the other.

Here is the outer front of the bag.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

CooKoo Crazy For Denim Quilts

Have I mentioned lately that I am crazy about demin quilts?

Here is one I completed in spring. I used Natalia Bonner's instructions and laid it out like a hardwood floor. That allowed for maximum use of the jean legs with little waste.

I added some applique flowers (as no quilt is a "Melanie" quilt without embellishment) and rick-rack for the stems with sprout out of a jean pocket.

As the quilt is made up out of about 10 pairs of jeans, it is super heavy. The manager at my LQS recommended that I do not use batting and I am so glad that I took her suggestion as the quilt weighs about 10 pounds! I just added a flannel back and quilted her up using a loop-de-loop for the first time in a variegated thread.

Although it is a super simple design, I positively love this quilt. I love the look, the weight, the quilting, the thread, the backing - EVERYTHING. This is a family favourite!

Can't wait to make another and already have lots of jeans for the next one.






Monday, November 14, 2016

Another Jean Quilt

Well, I just can't get enough of them so I made another jean quilt.

A friend gave me all of her old jeans and I turned them into a quilt using Natalia Bonner's pattern/recommendation http://www.pieceandquilt.com/2010/01/simply-denim-quilt-tutorial.html

My friend is part of a female motorcycle club named the Chrome Divas, so that is what I appliqued on the quilt.

As always, I used a flannel back to keep it cuddly.

I did not use a batting on this one. It measures 78X80 and as it is made up of 10+ pairs of jeans, it is super heavy. A batting would make it feel like a ton of bricks!

I am happy with how the quilting turned out. Used a loop de loop in a variegated thread.

This is my second fully completed quilt  in 18 days! That is a personal record! Usually I'm pretty quick with getting the tops completed, and then they languish waiting to be quilted. Feeling very proud of myself!

Hope my friend likes it.







You can see my other jean quilts here:
http://www.pieceandquilt.com/2010/01/simply-denim-quilt-tutorial.html
http://lazylabquiltcompany.blogspot.ca/2015/07/jean-quilt.html

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Go Fish Quilt

I was going through my photos and realized that I have neglected to add them to the blog.

Here is my Go Fish quilt for my grandbaby, Brantley.

It is a pattern by a favourite designer, Erin Russek.

I love it and I hope he does, too.

I doubled up the batting (my first time doing that) and I really liked the "puffiness".

The backing is flannel to make it soft and cuddly.






Friday, November 4, 2016

Denim Alphabet Baby Quilt

The last 18 months have been all about denim for me. I just can't get enough denim quilts.

A friend of mine is soon to be a Grandmother for the first time, so I whipped up this Denim Alphabet Baby quilt using some 6 1/2" blocks. I like it and hope she does, too.

It was a quick project and I can't believe I got it finished before the baby was born! A quilting miracle in my books!

I backed it in navy Fireside by Moda. SOOOOO soft! Softer than flannel, which until now has been a personal favourite. It's kind of like minky, but without the hassle. I would definitely use it again.