Eli's January Quilt

I started this quilt early in 2015 using Liz Havartine's pattern for LAMQG block of the month, January.  I put in a lot of hours on this bad boy: starting with cutting the crazy templates to piecing LOTS of curves.  

I made 42 blocks and added a border to make sure it was a good FULL sized quilt to fit his bed.  I went with something super scrappy but with limited colors in orange, teal, lime, brown, black, navy.

I sent the quilt to Christina Lane, sometimescrafter for custom quilting.

It turned out so perfect!  It's bound and washed an was on his bed by the end of December. -- More of a Christmas present to myself than my 4 year old. 

Sam's Classics Quilt

Started:  August 24, 2015

Completed:  August 31, 2015

I love making quilts for friends!  And every once and a while I get an order on etsy.  I've been hesitant to take on too much with Cole and Eli running around but several of these commissions came without a deadline.  It's exciting to know ppl are enjoying my crazy quilting obsession.  

Next up is a quilt for baby Sam.  I've just recently gotten the privilege to meet and enjoy the Eaton family.  They are very into DIY!  And Lesley makes amazing beautiful paper artwork.  (3 of which hang in Cole's room!).  This quilt is for her sister and she wanted something happy, and colorful.  I knew Lesley liked scrappy from previous convos and she'd probably be totally fine with some improv... Which makes me so excited these days!!  So I suggested a design like something I had seen in Quilt Now (mag) this month by Nick Ball.  And she went for it!  I'm so glad she did and I'm so excited to say, I've made this one completely from my stash, and even one step further, the front is made completely from scraps from my scrap bins.

Notes from my Economy Block Quilt

I made my son, what I was calling, a 'Square in a Square' quilt for his second birthday in September.  I bought some great Kokka prints from FreshModernFabrics on etsy.  Now, seeing everyone's gorgeous 'economy blocks', I thought I'd share my experience making 8.5" unfinished blocks. 

 

  I didn't do paper piecing.  I started by cutting lots of squares in the following measurements:

48- 4 3/8" squares for the centers

96- 3 3/4" squares for the middle square (2 of each 48 prints)

96- 5" squares for the outer square (2 of each 48 prints)

I did cut extra of the outer layers so I could pick and choose and change things as I wanted.  I used the fabric values to create my blocks: dark center, light middle, dark outside OR light, dark, light.  But then it was getting super busy.  So I added solid white to try and slow things down.

 

I made my blocks like Rita @ RedPepperQuilts but used different measurements, and trimmed to a larger size.  My blocks finished at 8.5" with very little trimming necessary.  I was able to use a 1/4" seam throughout.

The only thing that bothers me about this quilt is the backing.  I don't like it.  But I LOVE my quilting on this one.  You can't really see it but it makes the coolest secondary pattern.  It finished at 45x60 after washing.  Good luck everyone working on these great economy blocks!  I love seeing them.