Quilting time.

I have finally made the decision on the next quilt. I'm asking for these items for Christmas (a mere 4 months away) and therefore won't be able to start until I (hopefully) have them. This pattern I found on Etsy takes either 6 charm packs or 2 layer cakes and I've decided on the Moda Folklore fabric. I think it will go great with my bedroom color of a very light grey. The quilt pattern can be found on Etsy,  and the Folklore fabric is all over - Amazon, Moda, local shops.

No, I haven't finished the previous quilt yet. The top is completed but I've yet to have it quilted. I'll be doing that for Christmas and I'm going to get a lightly printed fabric for the back. It's definitely not perfect but it's completed.

The next quilt....

Does anyone else think about the next quilting pattern before they've completed the one they're currently working on? I am already there. Maybe since this pattern has been difficult as I kind of made it up as I went since I lost the original pattern. It's ended up as a 65x65 so more a lap quilt than the original king size I was going for, for my rather tall brother. But with the fabric issue (crap fabric = not getting the same shade each time and thus making me insane), and my less than ideal cutting skills this will be the largest quilt I've ever completed. It also helps that it won't cost quite so much to have it quilted which is great news since I've still got to buy batting, binding and the backing fabric.

Next Spring we are hoping to buy a new mattress, a king size, so I'm contemplating a king size in a 12x12 beginner pattern in my favorite colors - blues, greens, turquoise. I found this on Pinterest and I think it really identifies the colors I have in my bedroom already.

 

My bedroom is a lighter shade of grey than the one above but my drapes are almost the color of the third teal color. So this is a rough comparison. I can't find the original image I pinned. Boo. I hate when that happens. I'm a little nervous about fabric hunting and I'd prefer a charm pack or jelly roll for this but I can't find one in these colors - anyone else out there have a similar problem? Or maybe can direct me to something?

I'm not sure if this is still available, but I think these would work beautifully since I don't have any patterns in our room, the drapes are just a solid color.

The "Framed Pinwheel," is a beginner pattern although it is an 8x8. My cutting skills are pretty wack so the triangles may lead to tears. But I keep coming back to this pattern. 

On Monday I received a call from my cabinet maker and installer that he wanted to get pictures of my cabinets to feature on his website(!!), I'm gonna be famous. I'm not quite ready for that. ;-) So onto the cleaning!

Advice?

I'm finally back to working on my Zig-Zag Quilt, but I'm thinking of the future. Here's the front:

For the back, I'm thinking something a little simple and less busy. Here's my sad attempt at Photoshop.

Black binding, that's thin. It's based on the football team for the University of Alabama.

My ZigZag or Chevron Quilt

I've come to a conclusion: triangles are the devil. I can't, for the life of me, cut one without destroying it. Is it my blade? My uncoordinated attempts to be quick with cutting? The set up? A pesky dog sitting at my feet hiding from an ever growing boy. So with that, out the window went my original designs. In a way. I managed to find a chevron or "zigzag" quilt with  no triangles. Hallelujah. Sweet victory. However, the design is no longer available. It just poof; disappeared. I've searched for the exact directions again but I still haven't been able to find them even on another blog, they just link back to the missing origional design. I remember writing the size of the blocks and how it was pieced so I'm doing most of it from memory.

There is another way to cut the fabric that makes it more efficient but seriously that's just not my way. I prefer to do the tedious work of individually cutting them - it keeps me measuring and when I want to "guess," it always always always ends in me having a piranha plant.

My measurements are for the entire block, 5.5 inches. So that means individually the pieces are 3x 5 1/2 inch rectangles that sew together in the center to make a square with a quarter inch (1/4) seam. Then I put them together on an angle. The size I want to make is very large and the original design wasn't as big as mine. So I am still figuring how many blocks I'll need to reach my goal size: 108x 96. The original size included a 2 inch border all around but now I'm thinking it will just take away from the entirety of the effect of a chevron. So, I think I'll scrap that.

Here is how it's going so far. This picture was a few days ago so I've managed to make it to the 4th row which is where you sew together eight (8) blocks. Each row, I've found, is based on two blocks. I started counting by twos and right now I only have enough to reach 8 rows. That's where I am now. I go back and forth between creating squares and sewing half the quilt. The back half will be a bit more complex of a design in theory but not really complicated to put together - I hope. Famous last words, right?

 

I do see the mistake in the layout - a friend pointed it out!  

This will actually be professionally quilted but I'm making the front and back.

Here's to more quilting.

Choosing a Quilt Size

After reading the Inspector Armond Gamache series by Louise Penny(I strongly urge you to listen to the audiobook!) I have been inspired again, friends. My mind is constantly racing with thoughts needing to be put to paper. I am simply loving it. Generally I get stuck after a few things but I feel like after two years of nothing, something is finally coming. During my pregnancy I had planned to write, after all I had the time. Pre-eclampsia came along and stole that from me, and although I did have a lovely pregnancy (until the third trimester) and enjoyed it (and often find myself thinking about becoming pregnant again; thinking!) I was just hanging on for those last three months with no energy for anything while I baked. I basically lived on the couch, thankful that I had no other littles to chase after because I was concerned for the babe's safety as well as my own and thinking about another, yeesh! Thankfully the Lord knows what we can handle. (Can I get an amen?)

My little mister is as busy as ever. Not yet walking but I am in no rush. Today he is 14 months old. It's hard to believe in a year that so much has changed. I catch myself, almost nightly, studying him as he sleeps. Thinking about where we came from - difficult delivery, postpartum depression and healing,  lots of sleepless nights, SVT diagnosis, and finally settling into our own rhythm. The last few days have found him so loud and talkative I'm wondering if actual words will be happening soon. Still hesitant to take his first steps, if you try to "walk" with him, he'll just sit down. Not quite confident enough but as curious as ever.

My main reason for this post was to share a quilt that I am working on for a family member. I've changed a few things around (with math, oh boy, and confirmed by the husband) so it's now safe to share with others I think. Also, a few resources for me to keep on hand, shall I need it for further use.

I found a few links that were quite helpful in determining sizes of quilts. I think each site is a little bit different so you have to do what essentially looks best with what you've got as a design.

The back will be a chevron of similar colors, via here.

Quilt and Mattress Sizes

Quilt Sizes - Ruth McCormick
Idiots Guide - Calculating Fabric Amounts


I'll be beginning this in July! I can't wait to tackle it. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. Once I have completed the top and bottom I will actually be having the quilt, quilted by a professional since I don't have the space to do it properly and I want it to look amazing. Both are skills I haven't yet mastered.