Patty's Nest 2024 Intention

 When Patty asked me what was my 2024 Intention... The word that was going to be my inspiration or challenge this year I confessed I had not even thought about it! 

She told me the word NEST was whispering to her... She thought it meant to focus on her home and family this year. 

This is a small quilt....maybe a table topper. It has a nest made from brown twigs and little green grasses. Inside the nest are three beautiful and unique blue eggs. 

Surrounding the nest are green leaves and glimpses of blue sky. 

The border are beautiful Japanese fabric flowers. 

It was densely quilted on the Juki, free motion easily due to the small size.

I then asked COPILOT, The Google AI, to compose a poem about a nest being a home. It rendered about 16 stanzas. I selected a few of the verses and tweaked them a bit and wrote them on the back. 

For within these walls made of leaf straw and feather,

Lies the heart of a family bound tightly together.

It holds a sweet promise of safety and rest,

A symbol profound. Home above the rest.

For home is not just where we lay down our head,

It's where we are loved, and our spirits are fed. 

45 Day Sobriety Chip

 A brave friend of mine started her personal quest for sobriety and opened up to her friends at her 30 day mark, when she earned her 30 day coin.

On day 45 she mused that she wished she had a 45 day chip ....

I love the little Ohio Star Block in the tutorial: https://youtu.be/Dh6K4zUnfw8?si=YCmkOezCCFSwEMxF

Congratulations my dear Cat. I am so proud of you!

Half and Half Twist

 This bright little quilt was inspired by Missouri Star Quilts tutorial:

https://youtu.be/GGL2wZwb1H8?si=QOL-G6HInQ7KQbtu

I gathered up a bag of my tone on tone fabrics purchased some time ago in Anaheim and combined them each with the same simple white on white

 Each block starts with a 10" color and a 10" white square and is made into 4 HST blocks. Each block is then cut into quarters and reassembled. ( Thus the TWIST title.) I quickly decided all 4 quarters the SAME was a little dull and mixed them up with a partner. 

I decided to place like colors close, and go with a lap size. The back has a label, a tan on white floral and the binding is a rainbow. 

I quilted a clamshell using the 3" blocks as a rough guide. 

This one used a thin fleece blanket instead of batting, keeping my overall cost to make it quite low. 

For sale on Etsy

Happy Red Pinwheels

 Happy Lap Quilt made from 2 1/2" strips and pinwheels made from strips. Based on a tutorial from MSQC. 

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD5EF21A981F69C28&si=w2WCbytmz1WhK1Z7

Quilted on the frame with the Juli for borders I did a simple loop in the body with feathers and curves in the borders. 

I placed a whole line of leftover 2 1/2 inch scraps on the back. 

Finished the quilting on the frame and the borders on the juki. 

Listed for sale on Etsy!

Hayley's T Shirt Quilt

 Patty's daughter Hayley asked me to see her collection of high school T shirts into a memory quilt. I had only made 1 other T Shirt Quilt and it's not my favorite BUT of course I wanted to make it for Hayley!

Hayley's T shirts included high school soccer, her years of JROTC, participation in a Sister City program and her graduating high school class roster!

I was able to include EVERY T Shirt she gave me by using several on the back. 

I didn't use interfacing but surrounded every T Shirt piece with a border of strips. I then arranged to gem and added strips or orphan blocks as needed to make them fit like a jigsaw puzzle. 

Each T Shirt Quilt is a little more fun! Who knows? I might make another one some day!

The different fabric textures make for a bit of a quilting challenge. Just go slow!

Quartered Stripes Baby Boy

 Inspired by this thin stripe and the quilt tutorial about using stripes to make blocks, this quilt came to be. 

https://youtu.be/l8xgM1H2X18?si=kJjApt_wU1WdBKmj

Although I made it a few years ago I just finished it and like it a lot more finished than I ever did before. I tried using a thin fleece blanket instead of batting and it makes for a very soft, cozy quilt!

Quilted then on the frame with a square in a square pattern then fun in the solid borders. 

I love to do borders free hand free motion. Very different from the body where I have a larger area to work on within the frame. 

For sale on etsy

Pinwheels

 I started this project with an idea and a fabric pull. Blue small scale florals purchased together in Anaheim and pinks from stash. 

Fun Fact: The purple/pink fabric, that ended up on the border, was purchased by me in the 80s. I made myself some beloved MC Hammer Pants that I wore until they fell apart!

Started cutting, piecing and deciding which pinks with which blues. Added a pink, removed a pink. I followed the Missouri Star tutorial except I started with 4" squares instead of 5". 

https://youtu.be/hyff7OGG5YI?si=lWeXGH5Jdv7MwFaK

It came together nicely! I put it on the frame and thread scribbled on it. I tried out some quilting rulers (they worked sort of) but QUICKLY felt restricted so just free handed it. 

Backed, listed and on to my next project!