Love Potion No. 9

Number 9 is here!  That's baby number 9 for my cousin and his wife!  Can you imagine?  Anyway, I have been working on Number Nine's quilt for the past few weeks.  And now it is finally finished just in time for the baby's arrival this morning!  I made this quilt using Vintage Modern Mini Charms from Bonnie and Camille as well as white and red 2 1/2" squares in order to create the Disappearing Nine Patch blocks.

The finished quilt measures 36" X 52."   It is squishy perfectness!  Well, it's not perfect.  Some of my squares didn't match up perfectly, but hey, it's a handmade gift made with love!

  

I quilted using my free motion foot.  This was only the second time I have done this, but I find it kind of relaxing.  Once you get into a "groove," it's fun and easy!

Number 9 has been the most intricate and detailed quilt I've completed thus far.  It was frustrating at times, but I am proud of myself for designing the quilt and figuring out all the MATH involved in order to calculate how much fabric I needed as well as how to actually construct the blocks.  Considering this is literally the NINTH quilt I've made, I think I'm doing alright!

Congratulations to Matt and Stephanie!  You are great people and great parents!  Best wishes to you and your family, including little Number 9!

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An Art Quilt

It's official.  I've got the quilting bug.  Since finishing my Baby Bird and Bunting quilt, I've been searching out and reading up on directions, designs, and patterns for my next project.  I've checked out library books and even watched a few quilting shows on television.  Honestly, I've wanted to make a quilt forever, but have been too scared of messing up to even try.  Since finishing the baby quilt, however, I've gotten a bit of a confidence boost and am now ready to go "all in" on quilting.  As a matter of fact, I've made my first art quilt.  It's a small wall hanging that was inspired by this mini quilt I saw on the back of one of my Sew Somerset magazines.

Isn't that adorable!  I've probably seen that picture a hundred times, but never thought about attempting it until now.  I started by sketching the girl and table.

Next, I had to decide on colors and fabrics.  Again, for me, the hardest part of the process!  I traced my sketches onto freezer paper and ironed each piece to fabrics.  I pieced the red and white fabrics together and then ironed fusible batting to the backside.  I then used a decorative stitch on my machine to "draw" soft gray lines vertically on the white fabric.  I stitched straight black horizontal lines on the red fabric.  I positioned the freezer paper pieces on top and determined placement and then stitched the black lines for the bunting.

The bunting triangles actually took forever to sew around.  Before sewing, I adhered them to the fabric using fusible web.  Big help!  After completing the bunting, I sewed around the girl, table and cake.  

I eventually sewed more lines to add depth and texture to the dress.  I stamped "Live for Today" on a piece of fabric and sewed it to the bottom of the quilt.  I spray basted a back piece of fabric to the top and quilted it using invisible thread.  I bound it using the fold over technique.  And the result....

See the little button on her waist?  It is vintage and was a gift from a super special friend of mine.  Love it!

Have a great weekend!

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