Butterfly Dance Quilt is Finished!

 

I will say, I am not getting things done as fast as I would like or as fast as I did when I was younger.  This stage of life is kicking me in the butt.  So many changes, and I may be in what some people call a mid-life crisis.  I am 45 - wow!  I still feel like I am 20 in my mind but my body is telling me different stories. 

 

So, a win is a win and when I finish a quilt and finally get to sharing it, I hope you appreciate what it takes to motivate me, lol.  

I'm kidding, I am kidding.... am I? 

 

I used to blog as soon as I finished a quilt, but now it takes me weeks.  I am so sorry about that! 

 

This darling quilt, Butterfly Dance, is part of my second line Juju's Petals, fabric release. It's a little crazy that I don't have the fabric to make the quilt sample before the line comes out and I have to rely on digital images to sell the pattern. However, this is what I have to work with and when the quilt is finished, it's fun to share.  

 

Making a quilt using the fabric that I have designed is always fun, but at the same time, this pattern is a timeless one.  It can be used with any fabric line and is fat quarter friendly. I enjoyed piecing this quilt with all the different kinds of blocks, especially the butterfly blocks. 

 

When it comes to the quilting on this one, I just did a free motion feather swirl.  I do have this design as an edge to edge design, found here, but on this quilt it was just more fun for me to free motion the design. 

 

Recently I have been using a soft fabric for the backing on my quilts, especially the ones I plan on cuddling with, or to gift to others so they can cuddle as well.  The minky backing is my favorite and because the fabric is so thick, I only use one layer of batting.  The quilt is still very heavy, but over time with love and cuddles it is soft and pliable. 

 

The lilac color isn't an exact match, but the cuddle factor makes up for that. 

 

I think I just love every aspect of this quilt and the cute blocks, fabric, and the quilting.  It's just a fun quilt that makes me happy.  I hope you enjoy making your own version! 

 

Juju's Petals Quilt Finished

It's getting crazier for me juggling time in the studio and time in the office. Because I own Green Fairy Quilts with my husband, Clint - and it's a family run business, I spend a lot of time working in the office.  It's a good system for our family, but it does interrupt my creative time. I keep thinking that in life there are times and seasons, and this season is not meant for me to be in my studio as often as I would like.  

Because of that, I usually end up snapping pictures in split moments of free time.  Thankfully this morning the sun was shining and I was able to get my son to help me a bit. These pictures are not professional at all, I have never been able to master that part of my quilting business, but I think the rugged look shows a reality that is important to remember in a day of perfectionism, hmm - AI. I want to keep things real, even though it would be fun to have a professional set up.

When I started designing for Riley Blake, I needed to learn how to create quilt images with my fabric lines in advance of the fabric releasing. It has been fun to be able to see what a quilt will look like before I actually piece it. The above picture is my computerized image of my Juju's Petal Quilt.  This image shows how I used the fabrics from my second fabric collection, also called Juju's Petals.  I still have some yardage available at Green Fairy Quilts from this beautiful fabric line.

When I work on a quilt, I spend so much time on the quilted details that I feel just "done" when the quilt is finished. I forget that the overall design of the quilting is really what makes the quilt. This quilt was no different in the sense that it took longer than I planned, but that in the end, I loved it. It really comes down to a love/hate relationship for me. 

 I really wanted the quilt blocks to shine, cue in the sunlight, lol! When I am custom quilting I like the blocks to be shown off in a way that doesn't take away from the piecing design.  The best way to do that is to create barrier lines around the blocks.  In this case I did that with a spaced 1/4" line quilted all around the block. I keep the overall design of the block by using straight lines in a very distinct way.  Take a minute to look at all of the straight lines, each one of them are placed on purpose to emphasize the piecing.

 The checkerboard background is one of my favorite designs to incorporate into a quilt. It takes more time, but in the end, it's worth it. Also, because of the way the blocks are pieced in this design, the background quilting, came naturally for me. The on-point squares in the large borders worked out perfectly using my Quick Mark Ruler to draw it out. The 1" pieced squares also made for a fun "rail" design. 

I think the most beautiful part about this quilt is that it isn't perfect.  Looking now I can see my own learning mistakes in the piecing, but at the same time, it makes it human. I love it. We live in a world full of perfect expectations and I just don't think that is how it should be.  

What is a quilting post without showing off the backing? This quilt was well worth the time to custom quilt and I will treasure it.   

The pattern itself does not include the quilting instructions, but please take ideas from my own quilt shown in the pictures in this post. The thing I loved most about this quilt was the piecing was fun and challenging in the sense that I learned a new skill.  That is all explained in the pattern, so I do hope you will give it a try.  

 

Happy April! Let's have a $5 dollar pattern celebration!

I know that this quilt is a recent finish of mine, but this pattern is so fun to put together.  April is the perfect month for fresh starts and new beginnings.  So, this pattern is being offered as my gift to you for $5 for the entire month of April. 

Mama Tillie is one of those quilts that is easy enough to piece, but has enough play area in the quilt to make a statement with the quilting.  The pattern doesn't include the quilting instructions, but I do have a complete Youtube series on how I quilted this beauty.  You can find those videos, here. 

I have this pattern available in paper and PDF form.  

Current Projects!

Life is a little bit crazy for me right now.  Who knew that having grown children would require more time than when they were little? Lol - I think I was warned about this, but the time it takes to walk through life as they are figuring out their own is a joyous and sad journey. Life is a good and beautiful mess and while we try to focus on the good, it doesn't mean there are never hard times.  Anyway, with a lot weighing on my mind and heart, I am getting little to no projects finished.  It's frustrating, but at the same time, it makes the finishes more exciting!  I have been trying to get through each one of the pieced quilts for my Juju's Petals Fabric Collection. 

The blocks above are from my Butterfly Dance quilt.  This pattern is so fun!  There is a lot of piecing in this quilt, but the instructions are so easy to follow.  I know you will enjoy piecing this quilt, and I look forward to sharing this finished project soon. 

I am also working on the quilting of my Juju's Petals quilt.  This pattern was a lot of fun, I loved piecing this quilt, it is traditionally pieced without "Y" seams, but there is a new method to piece the corners on each of the blocks.  It is explained well in the pattern and I hope you enjoy the challenge of learning something new.  The quilting has been a lot of fun and it's really showcasing/highlighting the blocks.  It is always fun for me to be able to "go to town" so to speak with the quilting. I hope to be able to finish this project soon.

Happy Quilting!! 

 

Mama Tillie is finished!

 

Mama Tillie has been one of those quilts that I intended to finish a long time ago, but with the year I had last year, it didn't happen.  I started a quilt along #mamatilliequiltingqal for the quilting part of this project, you can find 7 videos, on my Youtube channel. I go through the detailed elements of the quilting.

It's really fun, so I hope you join in on your own time. 

 

This quilt was designed to showcase the quilting.  I made sure that the borders were large enough so that I could play, and boy, did I play!  It was a lot of fun using all my rulers, including my QuickMarkCurve for this project.  This quilt is made with my own fabric, Curated Blooms, which is my first fabric line. I wanted to showcase the fabric as well as the quilting, so you will see that in the blocks, the quilting is more simple with straight lines. 

Every time I piece a quilt I am thinking of the quilting possibilities. This quilt was no different. The quilting in the pieced blocks is mostly straight lines emphasizing the elements in the piecing.  This also helps when you have a detailed fabric, it isn't worth doing detailed quilting if you cannot see it. 

The border though, holy moly! - I love how it came together.  I used my A1 ruler and my QuickMarkRuler with my purple marker to draw and quilt all the lines in this quilt. 

 

I used two layers of batting for this quilt.  It does make the quilt heavy, but it definitely isn't stiff.  It feels really nice and the quilting design shines through.

 

 

It has been a while since the sun has been shining enough for me to get a good shot of this quilt, so I was thrilled when the sun shone through the back of the quilt to show all the piecing.  It really is fun to look at how I quilt beyond the lines of the piecing.  Look at the center and the corners in the borders, this on-point square design is so fun. 

 

This is awesome - another view with the piecing.  I am pretty happy with how the piecing allowed me to press most of the seams to one side.  It takes a little longer to figure out which direction the seams get pressed to, but it is so worth it when you take the time because traveling in the ditch is a lot easier for me.

If in doubt though, press your seams open.  I admit, I have been pressing my seams open a lot more lately. 

 

 

I used a neutral 108" backing from Riley Blake Designs.  The fabric is marbled and so gorgeous.  It shows off the quilting fabulously. 

You will be proud of me, the binding was hand sewn and now that I see it, it was worth the time it took. 

 

 

There is something magical about seeing the front and the back of the quilt together. It's like a beautiful symphony, can you hear it? Lol.

The pattern for the pieced quilt is available here.  I will have it available for $5 for a limited time. 

I also have a few kits left, that link is here: Mama Tillie Quilt Kit

 

Butterfly Kisses Quilt Completed

Butterfly Kisses!

The interesting part of designing fabric and using my own fabric is that I don't get to make my patterns until the fabric comes in.  Juju's Petals fabric line came out in September this year and I absolutely love this collection.  It's perfect if you care for butterflies and a cute color palette and the patterns that go with it are so much fun. 

I have had a lot going on this year, including the marriage of my daughter and so quilting has been on the back burner for a bit.  I am happy to get back into the swing of things and on Saturday I finished up this darling quilt. 

The butterfly blocks are so much fun and really showcase Juju's Petals well. I used my Flower Swirl panto for the quilting on this quilt, and it is just gorgeous! 

I used a teal fabric for the backing and the purple stripe for the binding.

The pattern is available in paper and PDF form. 

Carry All Tote, a fun new project using Curated Blooms fabric.

Time for a new project! 

There is something fun about making tote bags and I still just love my pattern, Carry All Tote.  It's such a fun and relatively easy pattern. 

The first thing to do is to sew a bunch of 2 1/2" strips together, I used one Rolie Polie (jelly roll) of my Curated Blooms fabric.  I really loved piecing the strips together in what looks like a natural ombre effect.  I also did a little bit of strip piecing and moving those strips in a kind of bargello effect for parts of the bag.  You can see in the photo above how the piecing looked.

I love how it turned out with the piecing and the quilting. I used a simple muslin for the backing, knowing it would be covered up, and one layer of batting.  I did a quick and simple edge to edge swirl on my computerized quilting machine.  

The outside of the bag has a fun little pocket and I got to add my favorite green fabric as a nice little accent. It goes well with the bargello look. 

It is so fun having all 21 patterns of Curated Blooms fabric line in one project like this.  The orientation of the bag and the flap complement each other nicely. 

I admit I was a little worried about the flap of the bag going well with the back of the bag, the side with the green shown above, but once I got the whole bag situated it looked a lot better. 

The main cream print of Curated Blooms is perfect for the inside of the bag.  I really love how it came together with the auburn and blush prints. 

This bag is perfect for me to carry my computer and my graph paper for writing patterns.  I take it with me when I travel. 

It really is a fun and simple pattern and it was so lovely being able to finish a project.  I don't get into the studio as much as I would like to, so this was a treat. 

 

 

Blooms!!

I am so excited to share with you my newest finish, Blooms!! This quilt features my first fabric line, Curated Blooms, so well!  Let's take a closer look..

When designing the quilt, I  had so much fun taking the blocks all the way to the edge. This layout is new for me, but wow, the impact is stunning. It is almost as if there is a secondary design going on with the sashing being used as "blocks" as well. 

 One thing I have had to learn to juggle is writing and planning my patterns to go along with my fabric designs well in advance of the fabric actually coming out.  Once the fabric comes out, then I make the quilts.  

 I found with this quilt in particular that I was a bit off on the fabric requirements.  That has been corrected on my pattern page, here.  But just so you know, the 67 x 67 inch quilt will definitely need at least 2 of my fat quarter bundles if you are going for a scrappy quilt and not doing the exact fabric placement as my own quilt. 

 What I love most about this quilt are the sashing blocks.  My word, the blocks just came together so great.  The piecing is not for the faint of heart, I can promise you that.  This is one of the most intense piecing quilts I have ever designed and pieced. However, the instructions are done well and you will be able to make this.  The pattern is recommended for intermediate to advanced quilters.

 I really wanted to showcase the fabric as well as the piecing in this quilt. For that reason I kept the quilting "simple." At least my kind of simple....  It was almost more challenging for me to keep it simple because I had to do the same thing over and over again. 

In the blocks I simply added straight lines with a little bit of free motion.  I really love how the blocks turned out.  It definitely shows the fabrics well, which is another bonus, especially with it being my own designs!  Woohoo! 

As you can see, I incorporated the sash blocks with the Blooms blocks. I drew out and quilted a line to mimic the shapes of both, shown in the picture as a 1/2" spaced line. 

 In the background space, I quilted a tight and loose bubble/shell/swirl filler. Every other block got the tight filler, as well as the loose one. 

Here's a close up of the tight filler. This takes a lot of time, but I love the effect it has.  I used cream 60wt thread for both the top and bobbin, including in the dark fabrics. I don't like changing my thread colors, lol! 

 The back!  Oh, isn't it so beautiful?  I love how it turned out. I used two layers of batting, which helps with thread tension as well as showcasing the detailed quilting. 

The pattern is available in paper and PDF format. I cannot wait to see your version of this beautiful quilt. 

 I had to take a picture of my helper, Micah, my oldest son.  He is such a joy to me, so grown up at 17, yet such a tease. He is so great to help me whenever I need to hang up my quilts and anything else I ask of him. He's my little buddy who is 6'3" - where did the time go?  He's leaving on a mission for our church in June - so I am definitely soaking in all the time I can with him.  

Happy Quilting y'all! 

 

 

Introducing Curated!

I have it on good authority that Curated Blooms is shipping out to fabric stores right now! This is such great news!  It's time I introduce to you another fun pattern, Curated, that I designed to go along with my fabric.

 

This quilt is super fun to piece. It is an easy, traditionally pieced quilt top that is perfect for showing off those fun fabrics you have in your stash. In this case, the quilt is showing off Curated Blooms fabric just perfectly. 

I love the frame blocks setting the stage in front with the sashing being used as another area for placing blocks. It really creates a fun look.

I pieced this with a light background, not my traditionally white background, and I really like the look of it. I feel it gives the quilt a softer feel.

 

Speaking of soft, I used minky for the back and I love it. It is the perfect cuddle quilt. The quilting was done by me, using the Whisper edge to edge design. 

 

 Pattern is available now in paper and PDF versions.