Outfoxed Forest

Outfoxed Forest was started while on retreat with KMQG in October 2014.  Just started with some fun paper pieced wonky triangles from Nancy Purvis.  Pattern here.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclingjanes/16489693233/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclingjanes/16922281610/in/dateposted-public/

Started: October 2014
Finished: April 2015
Fabrics: Lizzy House, Outfoxed, Pearl Bracelets Coordinating prints from Tula Pink, Denyse Schmidt, Carolyn Friedlander, Sarah Watson, solid scraps
Batting: Pellon, Nature's Touch, 100% cotton with scrim, white
Binding: Sunburst stripe, wheat, Dear Stella
Quilted: by me, dense alternating zigzag
Thread: Aurifil 50, 4653, Spring Prairie, variegated

This quilt was a fun exploration of improv.  I wanted to highlight the foxes and hedgehogs from Lizzy House's fabric line, Outfoxed.  I had a lot of fun making this quilt and moving it around on my design wall before piecing the low volume background around it.  This quilt hung in the 2015 Smoky Mountain Quilter's Quilt Show and won Honorable Mention in the Modern Category.  The part I love most about this quilt is how vintage it feels and soft.  It is for sale in my etsy shop.

Transparency Quilt 1

I wish I could keep better records of my quilts, so I'm going to try and get some details down before I forget!  

Started: January 2016

Finished:  March 2016

Fabrics: Kona oyster (background), assorted solids from my stash, freespirit, Bella, modern solids from Alissa H. Carlton, moda crossweaves, cotton couture.  I don't discriminate. Wink wink.

Backing: Amy Butler, Meadow Bloom in Minty and Lizzy House Tonal Pearl Bracelet

Binding: Kona Oyster

Batting: Pellon natures touch, white, 100% cotton with scrim (my favorite, very low loft, love the drape)

Thread: Aurifil 50, 2000, light sand

Pieced and quilted by myself.

(Photo below by Alison McQuain Photography, quilt hanging in KMQG Show at Striped Light)

I made this quilt based on a design from my friend, Ashley Pace's Color Theory class.  She teaches classes at the University of Tennessee, College of Art and Design.  I love the designs that come from her classes.  She uses Color Aid papers to create color illusions.  (I hope to make more transparency quilts!-- but, I'm getting ahead of myself.)

I decided on four colors and used the shape from her class as my jump off point.

I also decided, I wanted it to be very organic and free, so I went ruler free for cutting.  This included trimming around the edge before binding.  For each color block, I started by drawing on paper the overlapping rectangles.  This helped me to visualize the end result.  After I made the four color blocks, I had thought I'd over lap those four again.  See below:

But I wasn't sold on it.  I struggled and just waited a bit.  During February, Season Evans, had a challenge with the Mighty Lucky Quilting Club.  She spoke about subtraction and minimalism.  I knew at that moment, the middle had to come out.  Stephanie Ruyle (spontaneousthreads) suggested I off center the colored blocks within the background, of course I listened!  So, I subtracted the middle and cut more Kona oyster and repieced the top.  I've never regretted it.

Then, it came down to the quilting...  I looked into other Josef Albers works (thanks Michelle Bolt!) to help with inspiration for the free motion quilting design.  I found several that led me to my final design:

I love this quilt.  I'm hoping to enter it in the 2017 QuiltCon show.  Fingers crossed.

Secret Garden Posy Patrol Quilt

Finished October 2015

I started this quilt at a workshop with the pattern writer, Dana Bolyard.  KMQG had her in to teach us more about curves.  I was pregnant with Cole and not planning on going to the workshop bc I had been so sick and tired.  But I'm so glad I jones in the fun.  Dana was a lot of fun and even brought home baked goods for us to snack on!  (Perfect for the pregnant lady!) 

I used lots of greens from my stash and then used lots of leftover greens for the backing.

I'm glad I was able to use up some pieces of extra I had... No need to purchase backing fabric for this one!  Yay!

I quilted with a FMQ swirl that turned out really nice.  I love the quilting on this one. I was making this to sell at an upcoming event at The Hive but I think I've decided to sell the Vertebrae quilt.  Always a difficult decision.  But I think this one fits into our home a little better!  And I love it.

I used pellon cotton batting and aurifil thread, and bound with some leftover raindrops and flowers from the lighter prints I used.

Nerdy Nine Patch Tutorial

Well, I just completed a quilt in under a week's time!  It was a simple one but great for using up some FQs of your favorite prints that are just sitting on your shelf waiting for you to cut into.  I purchased a Geekly Chic Bundle from Stash Fabrics a while ago and then Geekly Chic Returns just came out with some new prints, so I added in some high tops, cameras and swatch watches (my fave) to round out the assortment.  In a last minute decision to create one more quilt before the upcoming craft fair this Saturday, I knew it had to be a quick, simple design.  And that is how Nerdy Nine Patch came to be.

Here's what you need to make a nice lap size quilt:  (after washing mine measures at 63inx63in)

11 Print  FQs
5 Coordinating Solid FQs

Cut each FQ into 9-6" squares

For each nine patch block you will need 5 of the same fabric and 4 of the same fabric, therefore cutting 9 of each FQ will yield each fabric to be in two blocks.  You need 16 total blocks, for a 4x4 layout.  (Of course I cut too many solids and had extra to play around with)

Next, lay out your 9 patch blocks with high contrasting fabrics to create each block.  Think about the values when making your blocks especially the ones that don't have a solid.  Only 10 of the 16 nine patch blocks will have a solid.

Sew your 6" squares into 9 patch blocks together.  Press.  The blocks should measure at 17" unfinished.  Press, then rearrange until you are happy with your layout.  Mine changed from the beginning layout to the final.

Lastly, sew all your 9 patch blocks together. Press, baste, quilt, bind, wash!

I just thought I'd share an easy one with very little waste!  

Happy SPRING sewing!  

(Follow me on Instagram as cyclingjanes)

Melissa

Out to Sea Modern Chevron

I had a roommate from college come visit me in the fall for a football game reunion weekend.  The same weekend, I participated on my first Farmer's Market in downtown Knoxville.  It was probably a great weekend to be there, with the home football game and perfect weather.

Anyway, she decided she wanted a quilt for her soon to be niece.  I love custom quilts and putting together new ideas for people.  So, we started with crabs and lobsters but decided on Sarah Jane's out to sea line.  I'm so glad she fell in love with that fabric bc I love it too.  While looking around for inspiration on what pattern, quilt market was happening and I spied a quilt from sassafrass lane, called wiley way.  It's a really great, quick pattern.  It only comes in one size and I wanted to do a big baby quilt so I shank it down a little using percentages... I had to trim up the ends a little but everything matched up beautifully!

I tried a new (to me) thin pink polyester thread from superior threads.  It worked great and looked really pretty.  

I attempted a paisley shape from Angela Walters book.  I thought it turned out SO perfect!  I will use this quilting design again!  I did practice drawing it a couple days in a row before I sat down to quilt. 

I bound it with a navy polka dot from Joann's.  They picked out the backing fabric but I added a crab and lobster... The baby's parents have an inside joke about which is better, Maryland crab or Maine lobster.

It made it safely to its new home and they love it!

Learning the Hard Way

As part of the Modern Quilt Guild, there is a Riley Blake Challenge going on right now.  Our guild, Knoxville, just finished our challenge and I wanted to share my experience with fusible web.  

We had to use curves on a piece no larger than 24x24.  So I decided on pillow and sunset.

Then, I went crazy and decided on an appliqué sun.  But after I had applied fusible web once I changed my mind... And changed my mind again... And maybe a third time... So when I finally decided to leave it alone I had this left:

I did a little research and decide to test alcohol on scrap pieces of my kona solids.  They didn't seem to be affected so I dove in and started scrubbing.  I used a towel and my fingers to get as much off as possible.  I was worried but it came off!  And you couldn't tell unless you saw me scrubbing the hell out of it.

This project took wayyyy longer than expected.  But I really love the appliqué with black thread, free motioned on.  Inspired by Amber @ oneshabbychickhawaii! 

Grandpa's Crown of Thorns Quilt

So, a friend from my quilt guild inspired me to make a quilt for my grandfather, after I saw the amazing quilt she was making for her grandmother for Christmas.  I decided to start this project after Thanksgiving dinner---giving me a little less than a month to get it ready for Grandpa. 

I enlisted help from my whole family.  I thought it would be better if we could say that we all worked on it.  I started brainstorming colors and wanted it to be masculine.  And found this one from my color combo board on pinterest.  And started pulling fabrics.  It was actually really nice to have a stash built so that I could pull fabrics and not have to purchase any... or so I tried. 

 

 

I ended up with a few other Denyse Schmidt prints and some gold, amber and cinnamon Cotton Couture solids (my favorite!!)

 

Then, my friend Emily reminded me about a pattern for a crown of thorns quilt that was in Quilty mar/april 2013.  Cause I had my heart set on crown of thorns.  

We cut everything one night and the next day finished a quilt top!  Mostly just the women of the family helped but my brother enjoyed picking out color combos for the blocks, he even added the backwards one with the dark fabrics on the opposite side of the light ones.

(Don't tell my brother and sister I posted these photos!  In her pjs and he didn't want it ever to be known that he was playing with fabrics.)

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!

.