Thursday, June 6, 2013

Cool Improv

After I finished the commissioned baby quilts, I started an improv project.
 


This one I believe I'm going to hang on my sewing room wall.  It finished at 33x34.  I tried my hand at improv piecing.  I think it turned out ok, I mean I LOVE it.  It's so calming to me for some reason.  I think it's the blues and purples.  It feels like a river: cool, relaxing, and free.  

I backed this one with a magenta polka dot from Joann and leftover fabrics from the front and bound it with my favorite purple Dear Stella, Piper, Zigzags.  The tag on this one was from a test run at Spoonflower with my logo.  Luckily I didn't buy the 1 yard and just decided on the test swatch because I needed to adjust some things and now I'll try another test swatch and hopefully it'll be exactly what I'm looking for.

Thanks Tina for the fabric inspiration!











Crabtastic Quilt

I was able to finish up a couple projects before I went to the beach... Last year after the beach, I decided we needed a beach quilt.  I saw Faith's crabtastic patchwork quilt and wanted something like that.  I snatched up some Maude Asbury's, Crabtastic from Hawthorne Threads last year and it took until this May to finish it.





I adore this quilt.  Its so happy!  Luckily I finished it before the beach because I'm weird about comforters in hotels and rental properties... So, we used it every night to sleep under and woke up to cheerful beach prints!

The design came from a picture I saw on pinterest.  Unfortunately, I can't seem to get a great photo of it.  I'll keep trying!  Excuse my husband's feet.






I backed it in Joel Dewberry's, Floral Drop!  I love that print.  Bound in Amy Butler's, Full Moon.  The quilting took Forever!  I did 4 straight lines with my walking foot every 6" and then went back and added a triangular zigzag on both sides of the lines.  Probably the most quilting I've done on a quilt.  I'm really happy with this quilt even though it took a year to complete!  



Delectable Mountains

I have a couple really old quilt books.  I love looking through the books for ideas. My friend Megan is having a baby boy any day now so I had to make him a quilt!  She likes old quilts with a modern feel so that is what I was hoping for with my delectable mountains.






I used DS Chicopee and Tula Pink's meteor print, Kona Khaki for background fabric and machine bound with FS Designer Solids Bronze Green.  It turned out beautifully!  Backed it with ziggy medallion from chicopee and my favorite solid of the moment... Moda 211.  Free motion quilted a meander line.
 
Sometimes its difficult to give away the quilts I make.  But I know this one went to a family who appreciates art and handmade things.  I hope it gets passed down for years to come, since it is for Caesar the 5th.  I have been testing out several tags as of late and this one was machine embroidered by my friend, To: Baby Caesar, Handmade with Love By: Melissa May 2013


Baby Quilts


I've been on a roll lately with some commissioned baby quilts!  My mom asked me to make a quilt for a teacher she works with as a group gift.  I came up with a simple design after seeing Jeni's tutorial.  She just said light pink and light green.


I backed the quilt with a Kaffe Fasset stripe and the leftovers of the FQs I used on the front. Then, free motion quilted with a infinity loop.  I have also decided Quilter's Dream batting is my batting of choice.  It's so worth the extra $$!!  All of the quilts I've used it on are so incredibly soft to the touch.  I love it.    I have a custom listing for a quilt like this in my shop!
 


For the next baby quilt, my friends Mark and Samantha asked me to make them a quilt for their niece.  They told me pink and green (again) and so we decided on Posy by Aneela Hoey.






While driving one day I came up this design and jotted it down real quick on my son's index cards.  


I backed this one with a print from lizzy house's hello pilgrim, bound it with the text print from posy, quilted it with a meandering loop.  Again using quilters dream, and again SO soft.  It was so pretty!


And then the third one was for a friend of he family.  She needed a baby boy quilt.  That was all the direction I received.  So, I went with Allison Cole's, Festive Forest.  I  did four large pluses after much turmoil and changing my mind... Luckily I enjoy using leftovers for backing.  The back of this quilt I like better than the front!





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