it's binding time again

Two of my recent quilt makes have come back home

and I will be busy adding the bindings sometime over the Easter weekend.

My 'camomile' quilt was custom quilted and looks wonderful

Floral binding? yes please!

- backing closeup pic

And my 'moda love' quilt is quilted in an edge to edge lacy pattern called phoebe . . .

stripey binding? yes please!
- but which one?

My choices are a toss up between an Amy Butler stripey lookalike or a pretty Tilda cream stripe

- backing closeup pic

I ended up using this wonderful Tula stripe in pink & gold, perfect! 

The magic of Leeanne's quilting has just made the whole quiltmaking process so much quicker!
And she's getting to know my quilting preferences really well. 

She has lots more pics of my latest two quilts over here on her ig feed

Linking up with Cynthia for 'oh scrap' here at quiltingismorefunthanhousework

Happy Easter everyone

little miss sawtooth quilt top

Here's a few progress photos from over the past week . . .

- on the design floor

 #5 Olivia

#1 Millie

#6 Ava

#2 Josephine

Quilt Stats: 'little miss sawtooth star' quilt top

I found that this quilt was a great way to use up some of my stash. I'm usually all about colour, lots of colour, but I must say I've so enjoyed this softer look featuring low volume fabrics. I used loads of low volumes, and you may notice that I've weaved just a little bit of more colour into my selections. 

And, I also tried to get a good scrappy assortment of medium prints, with the occasional darker/brighter one to help the colours 'pop' just a little more.

The Sawtooth Star (which goes way back to the 1860’s apparently) is a very versatile star, it can be made different just by simply changing up the centre. I've used 6 different sawtooth star blocks, and repeated a few favourites. These have been alternated with the background filler squares to give a total of 30 blocks, free pattern here by Melanie from southerncharmquilts.

My version is slightly different to the pattern - I made all my star points scrappy. In the pattern, the 8 points in each block are from the same fabric.

Finished top measures 60" × 72″  It feels so good to have made this quilt top all from my stash. 

Linking up with Cynthia for 'oh scrap' over here at quiltingismorefunthanhousework, and with Kelly for 'needle and thread Thursday' here. And with Myra here at busyhandsquilts for 'finished {or not} friday'.

- until next time
Linda

EDIT: there seems to be a wee problem with gmail just now, 
and some of my replies aren't going through.
Thanks so much for all your interest & lovely comments.

still stuck on stars

I'm just a little bit stuck on making stars at present.

I'm using this free pattern here by Melanie from southerncharmquilts. It's one with lots of variety in the sawtooth stars, just by using a different star center (the 6.5″ middle part) you can completely change how the sawtooth star looks.
They are teamed up with lots & lots of scrappy low volume filler blocks. I'm loving this look more & more, a little bit of negative space which doesn’t crowd the star blocks and it seems to give a more modern feel.

I definitely want to make this a scrappy quilt, soft & pretty with little 'pops' of colour. So I had a little play today and came up with my colour palette and a few 'rules'. I've decided to make all my star points in a variety of scrappy fabrics in any one colour, with my centres in a contrasting colour. And I'm planning on using lots of different neutrals, some fabrics with slight colour, some cream, some whiteonwhite, etc.
Here's a few progress photos . . .

#1 Millie

#2 Josephine

super scrappy in peach

#3 Sadie

- my favourite so far

Hope all these come together as I've planned!

Linking up with Kelly for 'needle and thread Thursday' here at myquiltinfatuation
and with Wendy for this weeks 'peacock party' over here at wendysquiltsandmore

mixing it up

Well, after breaking up a fabric stack, 

I began searching through my scrappy baskets to find fabrics that would mix things up a bit

Lots of large florals and cheeky stripes.

Here's last weeks progress shots.

Loving all the little unexpected 'pops' of red in this
See back here for details about my inspiration & fabrics choices

Linking up with Cynthia for 'oh scrap' here

until next time

Linda

currently ...

Currently sewing . . . more floral & stripe blocks this weekend. I started chopping into a fabric stack last week, I think another 'sawtooth star' quilt is in order. I tend to cut a few out at a time, then when I have more time I have a little sewing session. Here's this weeks progress shots . . .

Loving these floral & stripe combos
and here's two more blocks . . .

Also currently planning . . . my next 'flowers on pink' block. I'm featuring some of these lovely AMH fabrics, mixed up with my scrappy stash

I'm currently reading . . . Michele W. Miller's latest book, "widows-in-law'. It's a gripping tale of mothers & daughters, wives & ex-wives, a story about the women left behind to clean up the messes (some) men make. Update: I stayed up very late last night to finish it

And I know blogging interest seems to fluctuate with many,
however I'm still a big fan, there's so much inspiration out there

I've currently been loving . . . all the colour over here at rachaeldaisy from bluemountaindaisy 

and all the EPP happenings over here at talesofcloth.

There's also a QAL, yep another one, about to start on April 8th - vintage lace quilt along. The 'Vintage Lace' quilt was inspired by the beautiful intricacies of an old piece of lace. I've not made an all-solid quilt yet, so tempted, and that's why this one really caught my eye. More pics over here at loandbeholdstitchery

Hm-m-m I have the pattern, but am really quite busy with all my other projects.

So I'll be happy to follow along watching from the sidelines,
for now anyway!

And how about you, what are you currently working on or reading?

Until next time, Linda

breaking up a bundle ... or not

I've had this fat 1/4 bundle of Rifle Paper co. fabrics 'english garden' for a quite a while now. It's a pretty mix of florals, dark and light colors, with stripes too.They look so lovely all stacked up in the bundle together. But it can't stay in a bundle up on the shelf much longer, this is my year of using my stash.

Over the past few months I've been so tempted to pull out one or three fabrics and add them into the scrappy mix of other projects. But I haven't. yet.
And, I've seen quilts made exclusively from curated fabric collections. Such a good option for some, a great way to ensure a coordinated color palette with built-in contrast.

Oh my, I have I stalled for ages trying to decide what to do, either to break up my bundle and scatter the fabrics amongst my colour baskets for using as desired or to use it, maybe as a starter pack for something.

So all this brings me to my new project, I do love new beginnings.
You weren't surprised were you?

I'm a scrappy quilter at heart, and I decided to use this curated bundle as my starting point and try to make up blocks that looked interesting, and not too matchey-matchey.

I tossed up between making 'sawtooth' blocks like these all set on low volumes, or going a bit bolder with maybe 16 patch 'St Louis' blocks.
After a couple of trial blocks, I decided to stick with the rather traditional 'sawtooth' design. I'm using Amy from diaryofaquilter's tutorial for the block sizings, it's one I've used many times.
And, inpsired by a quilt I spotted over here early last year sometime, I figured the classic combo of assorted stripes & florals could turn this fabric bundle into something that's a little more me, more scrappy and vintagey.

 I'm sure as I progress, there'll be a few rogue big florals from everywhere thrown in too
- I won't be able to help myself!
Linking up with Cynthia for 'oh scrap' here
and with Wendy over here for this weeks 'peacock party'