A is for.....

A happy little 4-patch quilt for snuggling in the summer time.  made with a harm pack names "A is for" and some 4 1/2 inch white and red 4-patch blocks. A 4 1/2 inch border, a thin softly draped poly batting, simply quilted both horizontally/vertically and diagonally through the 4-patch block.

Amber Stars

This quilt changed a LOT from idea to final quilt.  It started as a black/grey zipper quilt made with a charm pack. But oh!  Too somber!  So into a cupboard it went awaiting further inspiration.

Then I decided to raw edge applique some circles on it in bright colors to wake it up.  Better....

Showed it to my son and asked if Amber might like it.  He said "Add some stars and it's perfect!" So I did!

About a month later they delighted me with the news that I would be a grandma!  So out it came to be finished and presented.  A celebration of the mother of my first grandbaby!

May God Protect You

I found these linens at an estate sale for around 3 or 4 dollars.  I loved their simplicity, the great school bus yellow color, and the foreign language words which I didn't know what they said.  I loved the hand crocheted lace all around as well. I was also delighted by the "signature" of the woman I assume did the cross stitch, who completed it in 1939 at age 73.  Based on the similarity, I assume both were made by the same mystery woman from times past.

I asked around, and learned it is in German, and reads "May God Protect You." So I hand stitched each one to a piece of muslin, washed it in gentle soap, and will use them as table runners.

Christmas Quilt

Small, wall or table quilt.  Charm squares with jewel squares in the intersections.  A simple quilt I have made several times. The edge of this quilt is scalloped, an experiment in making it more interesting.

Vintage Squares by Ruth & Anne

While visiting my Dad and his wife Ruth, I found a block in the pile Ruth had going "to the craft club." It was the one with yellow and orange. She told me it was an unfinished doll-house quilt.  She didn't remember when she made it, but maybe in the 60's?  When I said I'd take it home and make it into a table runner, she rustled around and found a few more unfinished blocks.  They were in various stages of finished, colors that had nothing to do with each other, related only by the fact that she made them many years earlier.
So here they are!

I added a few strips from the scrap bin, looking for circa 60's things. I love what it is now!  Do you?

Ocean Berry Half Square Triangles

I WANTED to buy some charm packs, solid collections from Connecting Threads named "Ocean" and "Berry."  But I was on Lent Fabric Diet, so I didn't.  Then WHAT DO YOU THINK?  I found a box labeled "solid charms" and there they were!  I already OWNED these charm packs!

So I sewed them right up into HST's.... Half Square Triangles.  More or less I paired a light and a dark charm, and made each set of 2 charms become 4 HST's on the bias.  Nice technique.  And they go together well, since you can slightly stretch or contract them to come together sharply!

I made 2 sets:  Ocean, and Berry.  Then I went to the design table and started playing around.

I really like it! Each block is around 3", so the quilt is around 36 X 45. Dark blue, mottled binding, also a clearance find at Connecting Threads.  I quilted along the diagonals.

Happy with my little quilt!

Update: In 2021 I started selling quilts from my collection. Time to make more room to make more quilts. This quilt sold to another artist who remade nit into a gorgeous jacket! 

Economy Blocks

Square-in-a-square, or economy block. Solid, traditional blocks, made with charm squares as per a tutorial on Missouri Star quilts.  I simply sorted my dots/stars charms into "light" and "dark" piles.  Each block has 3 charms, so I alternated centers, one was light-dark-light, the next dark-light-dark.  Then the idea was to place a dark centered one next to a light centered one.  Uhhhhh, oops.  Somehow I mixed them all up by the time I carried them to the sewing machine!  So their placement is truly random.  By design, YEAH! I meant to randomize them!

I made enough blocks till I ran out of charms.  (I think I had 3 odd-numbered charm packs.) and then decided to place them in an asymmetrical light grey border.  Light grey......... I KNOW I had a piece of ligh grey in my stash!  Oh well, this sagey green says "SPRING!" nicely, so I used it!  I did diagonal stitches and in-the-ditch between blocks, then I just sort of quilted the border as I went along,

Since it's Springy, I used a very light weight polyester batting, so it has nice fluffy cuddle-ability!

I have not yet decided who this quilt is for, but I have someone in mind!