2023 finishes

Welcome to this eclectic assortment of 13 finished quilts for 2023.

Retro Star quilt

Finished Dec 2023

I used the #brightstarquilt pattern as my starting point, from Christine @clvlasic. Mix and match style of choosing fabrics.  E2E quilting by Leeanne @quiltmekiwi. Finished quilt measures 68" x 58". 

Pinwheels & stars in pastel quilt

started in Sept 2022 - finished Nov 2023

I went with a vintage inspired whisper palette in pink, mustard & blues, with little accents of raspberry. The backgrounds are a selection of different whites, 

all of which give a tiny bit of movement and bit of a make-do look to the quilt.

The quilt back is a sweet vintage sheet, a super way to repurpose a vintage sheet 

and I just love the worn-in feel it automatically gives to a quilt!

I machine quilted lots & lots of simple straight lines. 

For my binding I chose an AMH pretty floral stripe in pale pink, with its larger-scale darker floral design breaking up nicely in the narrow segments of the binding. 

Finished quilt measures 60" x 48".

Kaleidoscope quilt

finished Nov 2023

I used a large selection of multi-coloured AMH florals in these blocks - using the good stuff first - along with a few other light bits & pieces that are essential to get that delightful secondary pattern happening.

I pieced together a few larger pieces of fabrics for the backing #party in the quilt back!

I chose 'ripples' an E2E pattern for the machine quilting by Leeanne at quiltmekiwi.

Finished quilt measures 65" x 56".

 'overlapping octagons' quilt

Started 2019 finished September 2023

 A fun string quilt to make. 

I actually pieced this scrappy top as part of a little challenge for adhoc improvquilts, 

and it has taken 4 years to evolve into a finished quilt.

I used a variety of prints and had a go at having 'red' as my new neutral. Contrast is everything, right? 

Leeanne from quiltmekiwi quilted it for me in 'Baptist Fan' panto, 

a gentle nod to the era of the original quilt found in the U & U book.

- inspiration quilt on the right

 'cross' quilt

Finished September 2023

Another quilt inspired by Roderick Kiracofe's book #unconventionalandunexpected

I went scrappy with these blocks, using just what I had on hand. 

I narrowed down my colour story though, 

to a range of pinks-plum, teal, blues, sage, orange, and yellow-golds. 

I had it finished off with edge-to-edge quilting in a 'ripples' panto.

Donated to Hospice

- inspiration quilt on the right

Daylesford quilt #2

started July 2023 & finished September 2023

The #daylesfordquilt is the perfect one to let your imagination run wild with. 
I love the play of colour in this quilt, especially the deep pink & teal combo. I hunted high & low in my sewing baskets for some of my most treasured fabrics for that mood I was looking for palette-wise. So, it's a real mix of fabrics, old & new, designer, florals & geometrics!
For my backing I used a wide back Tula Pink sateen. 

Machine quilted by Cheryl at allthingsbernina in a simple leaf & vine pattern.
And I opted for a Kaffe teal/blues stripe for my binding. 
The finished quilt has a lovely soft drape, very cuddly, and measures 60" x 68".

Pinwheel with a Twist quilt

started November 2020 finished August 2023

Bonbonerie, a pattern by Christine Vlasic, is a scrap quilt combining plains and prints to make a classic pinwheel, set on point to create lots of movement and visual appeal.
I used all different genres and eras of scraps in these scrappy pinwheel blocks. I also used a selection of mixed floral fabrics for a scrappy backing too. I decided to send a couple of quilts out to Leeanne for longarm quilting, and this was one of them. I just love how the circular element contrasts with the straight lines of the blocks.
And I found a Kaffe stripe for my binding, it really pulls all the reds & warm colours out nicely.
Finished quilt measures 50" x 62". Gifted to a nurse at Hospice.

Nine Little Trips quilt

started June 2022 - finished July 2023

Loving this delightful vintage-y pink/blue/brown combo. I teamed up an eclectic mix of fabrics, old & new. {wink wink} You may spot the odd perfectly imperfect block here!
I used a sweet vintage sheet for my backing. And am really happy with my simple straight-line quilting, very soft & snuggly. A narrow blue & white stripe was perfect for my binding.
Finished quilt measures 60" x 60".

Origins quilt

finished June 2023

This pattern from @liftinglimitsquilting was a really fun one to play with, and perfect for using up some of my fat quarters that had been sitting on the shelf for a while.
Going rogue (again) with mixing colour & pattern and thinking of a summertime vibe! Lots of pastels in purple, some paler neutrals tossed in with brighter pinks & green, and a little punch of dark blue. The fabrics are a mix of designers I had in my stash, a little AMH, some Kaffes, along few Jennifer Paganelli fabrics.
I matched up a large bit of leftover wide AMH backing with a blending blue solid for my backing. I sent my quilt off for a spot of longarm quilting by Leeanne from quiltmekiwi, an E2E pattern called 'totally mod circles'. I used a multi-coloured Kaffe stripe that worked well with both back & front for the binding. Finished quilt measures 60" x 60". Donated to Hospice.

1000 flowers quilt

started Feb 2023 & finished in May 2023

Super happy with this whispery palette, inspired by a vintage quilt.There's a really great mix of florals in this quilt - Kaffe, Tilda, Outback Wife, a little AMH, and a couple of nameless bits & bobs from my stash. This quilt earned a trip to the "quilt spa" for longarm quilting treatment by Leeanne from quiltmekiwi. For the backing I pieced together a few large strips of muted grey florals.
I chose an {oldish} small floral print in plum for my binding, 1000 Henley Flowers from Makower. It draws out all the warm pink colours nicely and I loved the idea of lots & lots of flowers back & front, hence the quilt name!

Evie quilt

started way back in August 2021 finished April 2023

My "Evie" quilt is a sweet string quilt using a vintage inspired pattern I downloaded by Tara @quiltdistrict {see here}. Lots of strings and scraps in checks, spots, vintage florals and leftover pieces were used in this scrappy delight! I had it machine quilted in an edge-to-edge pattern called 'Van Gogh' by Leeanne from quiltmekiwi. And I finished everything off with a blending teal binding.

Pas De Deux quilt

started Jan 2022 & finished April 2023

I thoroughly enjoyed exploring Rachel’s fabulous pattern, pas-de-deux-bom. There is so much scope for creativity and I’ve had great fun playing with colour & value.
It all began with a rainbow fabric pull which changed over the first few months as other sections were added. It's a scrappy, sparkling quilt, and I think what really helped was the cohesive nature of the Anna Maria Horner’s fabrics which I mixed in with my other fabrics.

I had it machine quilted by Leeanne, {from quiltmekiwi. I chose a clean, diagonal straight line, called Mirage. The quilt back is a fabulous Tula Pink print, 'Wonder'. And for my binding I chose a light fabric, 'Social Climber' in teal by AMH. Finished quilt measures approx. 64" x 77".

Scattered Petals quilt

started September 2015 & finished April 2023

Using Sujata Shan's guidelines, I made a bundle of practice free-form blocks - no ruler, no templates - and then joined them together into a small quilt!
I used a scrappy selection of stash fabrics including Amy Butler, assorted solids (some cotton, some silk), along with a little bit of Kaffe and AMH. For my backing I used a lovely early soft green floral chintz. I did a bit of simple straight-line machine quilting to secure the whole quilt ... and then started adding in some hand quilting using no. 8 perle thread. Finished quilt size 58" x 48" Donated to Hospice.