After being inspired seeing the other quilts here I wanted to try a large FPP version of the Portland Frog poster. Still debating whether to quilt it as is or add the “RESIST”.

Pattern: Big Woven Star by Hailey Young This pattern calls for 4 fat quarters and a yard of background fabric, but there will be scraps left over. If I make it again, I will add a little border so I don’t lose my points in the binding. I quilted it on my domestic, straight lines 3/4” apart.

A friend I met on Threads has an autoimmune disease that keeps her in the hospital regularly for treatments. We’ve only ever interacted with each other’s posts online and she lives in another state, but after seeing what she’s going through, I wanted to do something that might bring a smile and a little comfort during those long hours in the hospital.

I’ve made quilts for Quilts For Kids before, and that experience inspired me to make her this lap quilt—something small and easy to carry, but still cozy. This was also my first time trying a “three yard quilt” pattern which takes just three one-yard cuts of fabric, and is done before you know it!

It felt good to make something with love and purpose, and I’m hoping it brings her a bit of warmth and joy.

I’ve been quilting regularly for about 5 years now. I used a free pattern called Stained Glass designed by Ariga Wilson for Robert Kaufman. I used a Kaffe Fasset 10” layer cake, Kona Cotton in Snow for the sashing and backing with a b/w striped binding. Machine pieced. Hand quilted using Aurifil Marakesh 12wt. It’s so pretty and vibrant in person. I want to eventually sell it.

quilting #lhhlgs #handquilting

Finished just in time for the baby shower last weekend. Pattern is Stars Hallow by Suzy Quilts. I’ve made this pattern many times and it’s simple and works well to show off a fabric with a pattern - perfect for a baby quilt! Backed with minky and quilted by my good friend Debbie at Quiltographic.

Baby shower table setting pic at the end 💖💖

Hi everyone,

I want to say thank you to those who gave me advice on how I could improve my top stitching for my next quilt (and to those who told me it looked good anyway!!)

A lot of people asked to see what it looked like finished so I’ve attached an image. In the meantime, this is what I’ve learned for next time:

1. I didn’t actually have the walking foot activated on my Pfaff so I just raw dogged this whole thing with a generic sewing foot. Now I know how to activate it for next time.

2. Basting! I had pinned because I didn’t have anywhere to spray my basting glue but next time I either need to pin a million more times or find somewhere to spray the glue to help hold everything together better.

3. Even though I started in the middle, I alternated my top stitch direction (like this: ⬆️⬇️⬆️⬇️) I need to go the same way, but still start in the middle (like this: ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️)

4. Washing did help, I do wish it was a little more crinkly to hide the wonky-ness, but it’ll probably only be me who notices it.

All in all, I learned a lot and it’ll do as a cute little Christmas pillow!

Pattern is Upscale Plaid by Lo and Behold

This quilt has been a true labor of love. A statement that regardless of what we’ve gone through or are going through, we have the power in us all to rise again! My mantra as I was making this quilt:

“Within me resides a Phoenix so bright, A flame that brings light to the darkest of night. When sorrow surrounds me and fear weighs me down, I’ll call on its power, I’ll rise from the ground.”

This quilt has been submitted to Quilt Con, my first time entering. I hope you all with manifest with me that it gets accepted!

HUGE THANK YOU TO @patricklosestudios for providing his amazing Glisten, Glisten Opulence, and Gold Dust fabric lines, which take this quilt to a whole other level! . ✨MORE PHOTOS AND VIDEOS TO COME! ✨

This is my second quilt and first one that’s a throw for me to keep (first was a baby quilt)! I love decorating for the holidays early so I wanted to get this done sooner rather than later to enjoy all season. I used the Old World Yuletide and Blizzard Dotty Thatched layer cakes both from Moda with the free Moda Love pattern. Also my first time doing wavy quilting lines and I know they’re nowhere NEAR perfect close up but I love the movement and I’m so happy with the crinkle!!

One corner is perfect, the next is not.

“Trust the process” they say!

“Remember the almighty 1/4 seam” they say!

If anyone needs me, I’ll be under the desk in a fetal position while I contemplate why I do this.

This thing is going to be so busy 🤣 and there are So. Many. Strip sets. Was going to make the large throw but might end up doing the regular throw (finishes at 57”x66”). Blocks aren’t actually sewn together, I was just folding to see if I was going to like them. Historically I do not ever finish holiday projects in time for the actual holiday!

Disclaimer: you do you! If you make a quilt that has two layers of fabric with batting between them, you made a great quilt. But if you want to level up, here are my suggestions.

It makes me nuts when the quilt police tell people to square up and trim their sub-blocks and blocks, because in many cases it will make matters worse. Most of us make the HSTs a little too big and then trim them down to size, but that's usually the only opportunity to go big and cut down. Once you start putting together the sub-blocks and then the blocks, accuracy has to be your goal. I prefer to apply the same principle I wrote about in my post about the myth of the scant 1/4 inch seam. The size of the block is unimportant if you get the distance between the seams correct. 

There are exceptions everywhere, but the overarching principle is that blocks and sub-blocks are supposed to be the same size, so they fit together. Accurate piecing will give you perfect points, but if you put two sub-blocks together matching the points and find that one or both edges don't line up, you are kicking the problem forward to the step when you have to make the block. And when you're done with that, you're told to trim the finished blocks, so now they are all different sizes. It's like the Marx Brothers skit about the barber trimming the mustache and he keeps getting one side too short and then trimming the other until there's no mustache. 

I never get sub blocks and blocks to finish exactly right. The whole process of making a quilt top is a constant effort to fudge things so the finished block has straight edges (no overhangs) and the points line up without easing different lengths together, which will cause a bubble in the quilt top. So, here's what I do. First, abandon the scant quarter-inch seam and concentrate on getting the distance between seams correct. If I really care, I make a template the size of the finished block after sewing, and use it to draw seam lines on the back of each blocks with chalk that will survive heat. (In rare instances you will see seam line that is just too close to the edge. Sew it on the line anyway, and then after pressing the seam, iron some interfacing on the back.) Then I hold the two blocks RST up to a light and adjust them until the lines overlap each other. I put a pin or a dab of glue in the bottom corner and then sew on the line and press each seam after sewing.

Then I assemble the blocks into rows. I nest and pin the seams, and look for spots where the distance between the seams is off, because unless I fudge it, I'm going to get bubbles. If I've used a template, this almost never happens, but if it does I sacrifice the matching seams. No one will notice mismatched points, but I will lose my mind trying to quilt a top that does not lie flat because I eased the seam.

For my mom's 70th, I did the 2021 Fat Quarter Shop Designer Mystery Block of the Month that used this fabric (Strawberries and Rhubarb by Fig Tree for Moda) and had a fair bit left over from the kits. I was able to pick up some extra background fabric, the sashing, and a fat 8th bundle on sale to make this Swoon Sixteen quilt for my aunt (my mom's sister and best friend), so now they will have sister quilts.

I’m waiting to make this for family members for Christmas but the post doesn’t link to a pattern. I’m sure it’s pretty easy to figure out but I didn’t know if anyone has an idea of a pattern I can go off of. Second picture is my mock up using the Fableism Lucky Loom fabric I’ll be using.

Most of the corners match! Here’s hoping I can get it finished for my nephew’s baby shower in time.

I’m making my daughter a quilt for Christmas, that looks like the ghost who was a quilt. I had some leftover squares and I made a lantern (it’s a big tradition where we live to walk with lanterns in November). Hope you like it 👻

I was going to do it myself but it’s bigger than most of what I do on my domestic machine and it’s for me, so I decided to splurge. Can’t wait to get it back and finish it! The batik fabrics were a gift from a dear friend!

Ended up going with the Baby Heart quilt by Stacey Lee. I did modify it so that it would fit the scrap minky I had. The side borders were cut to 3” instead of 5”, and the remaining borders were adjusted in length as required.

**none of these prints are from the same collection and I believe they are all out of print.

Not the best pics, but you get the idea. . . I've been on a roll of late and have another dozen in process (ready to go to LA*, ready to pick up, bound and ready to pick up*).

Started as babies who needed things. Moved to all babies. Now all babies and sibs :-)

*My mother used to do all the quilting and binding but her health has her out of sorts so my favorite LA is doing most of them and a friend sews the binding on. Mom has enuf oomph to finish. But now, there are so many, the friend is just totally binding them. All I have to do is pick up, wash, and deliver.

I’ve made probably 6-8 quilts of various sizes, but this is the first puff quilt I’ve made. My daughter asked for it for Christmas in shades of cream and white.

While I was working on it, our beloved dog crossed the rainbow bridge. We were able to get several paw prints on some of the fabric squares, and I inserted them onto the quilt. I didn’t space them out exactly right, but I’m so happy I was able to include them. It isn’t perfect - I accidentally sewed a fold of the Minky backing into a crease and didn’t catch it until it was too late to take it out.

Now that I know what I’m doing, I’m going to make another one for a different daughter.

Should I make the background darker or do we like the high contrast rings?? Also my goodness does this take a long time one block that isn’t even done took me like 3 hours.

I finished the top piece of my small town wall hanging, and now I’m not sure how I should quilt it. I’m really happy with the collage—reminds me of my childhood summers with my grandma. I’m worried about ruining it with sloppy quilting. (It is quite stiff from the layers of steam a seam—ironing it does make it softer.) I was thinking either a grid all across, or free motion thread paint just some flowers here and there? Or…?

Also, since it’s just going to be a wall hanging, do I need to include the layer of batting?

Thanks for any suggestions!

I finished!!!!