Penguin Pillow Finish

My brother recently reminded me of his love for penguins. Since I'll be staying in his house for several days just before his 35th birthday I decided to whip him up this adorable penguin pillow. This is #2 on my Q3 FAL list.

Here's the first one I finished. It was LOVE! I mean seriously?! Penguins are one of my favorite animals too and this pattern is so adorable! It is Penguin Parade by Sugaridoo.

All finished complete and adorable with the pillow inserted. I super love this one and I had so much fun going through my stash picking out the perfect blacks and low volumes I know my brother will love.

This fat quarter from Cotton + Steel's latest Black and White line made the perfect backing fabric. I also poked on a little tag.

Here it is again without the pillow insert. You can see all the penguins and prints better this way. Each penguin got a different belly, black, and orange print but they all shared the same background so they stood out well. This one is going to be hard to give up but it was relatively painless so I'll just have to make another one for myself.

A closeup of the penguins. I had fun quilting this one with my favorite paisley motif again in Aurifil 50wt. I love how it blends so well but adds such awesome texture that doesn't overwhelm.

Quilt Stats:
Pattern - Penguin Parade by Sugaridoo
Fabric - Mixed designers stash with a lot fabric by Cotton + Steel and Carolyn Friedlander.
Thread - Pieced and quilted Aurifil 50wt
Quilting - paisley on my domestic Juki.
Size - Pillow 17" square
Stash Report - Project is 100% stash!

That's me for the week. Thanks for stopping by! I hope to have another project ready to share next week too. I'm working on a few fun things I'm really excited about. Until then I'm linking up with Finish It Up Friday.

Nativity Mini Quilt Finish

My Mom is turning sixty this year. To celebrate my whole family is getting together for a reunion. We haven't all been together in so long I'm really excited. My Mom collects nativities and has been asking me for a quilt nativity for a while and this seemed like a great time to whip one up for her. I super love this project! This is also my first finish from my Q3 FAL list.

Let me start by saying how this pattern was a bit out of my comfort zone. I adore paper piecing and do it often but have never attempted something so tiny! As it turns out it's not any harder than the bigger pieces. In fact it may be easier because you don't have to worry if your scrap is large enough to cover the area. Side note, I deliberately skipped piece five. It didn't really need it and I only had one good skin color on hand.

See how amazing this is!! I can't stand it I love it so much. The pattern is O Holy Night by Paper Panache. I did this all from stash and am so happy with how my pull turned out.

Here's a bit more of a zoomed in shot. While some of the pieces were small it went together really well. I started this project not knowing if I would finish in time to leave for the reunion as I only had a week. As it turns out this took me three days start to finish. My kids and house got pretty ignored but I think it was worth it.

I really love the quilting on this one. I did my favorite paisley again with Aurifil 50wt as always. I was worried that it might not blend well on the front but it totally blends and pops just like I'd hoped. This is the back and it looks so amazing!

One final shot of the tag, the binding, and a closeup of the quilting. I did my usual zigzag binding and love this tag with room for specifics.

Quilt Stats:
Pattern - O Holy Night by Paper Panache
Fabric - Mixed designers stash with fabric by Cotton + Steel for the back and binding.
Thread - Pieced and quilted Aurifil 50wt
Quilting - Free motion paisley on my domestic Juki.
Size - Wall about 16" by 17"
Stash Report - Project is 100% stash!

That's me for the week. Thanks for stopping by! I have another project ready to share next week too which I'm really excited about. Until then I'm linking up with Finish It Up Friday.

Scrappy Norway Quilt Finish

While not my usual style I am really happy with this one! It is a gift for a special someone and it is pretty spot on her style and perfect colors. It's funny because I had a Norway quilt on my FAL list but not this fabric so I'm not counting it and am excited to do this quilt again in different fabric for me.

Here it is, my scrappy Norway quilt. I bought the jelly roll I used here maybe four years ago and knew who it would be for but not what I would make with it. I'm so excited to have it be something now! The background fabric was also stash, it didn't match what I wanted it for - boo online shopping but hooray for stash!

I bought the backing and binding special for this project and am amazed it matches so well since the top was from a line so long ago by a different designer. 3Sister for Moda takes the win! You can also see the quilting here. I just did a simple serpentine stitch in gray to match the front. Easy, quick, and fun texture.

You can even see the fun stealth fighters in the bottom corner. My husband saw me piecing this one and he complimented me by saying, "I like the stealth fighters in the corner there. You're pretty talented to combine old lady fabric with modern aviation." HA! It cracked me up and it's all I see now.

Another pretty shot just because I can. I like how the quilting makes it all crinkly even before the wash. So much fun texture!

Quilt Stats:
Pattern - Norway by Thimble Blossoms
Fabric - Meadow by Blackbird Designs for Moda - backing and binding by 3Sisters for Moda.
Thread - Pieced and quilted Aurifil 50wt
Quilting - serpentine lines on my domestic Juki
Size - Jumbo Lap 78" square.
Stash Report - Top is 100% stash!

That's me for the week. Thanks for stopping by! I hope to have another one to share next week as I have a top ready to go but we'll see how it goes. Until then I'm linking up with Finish It Up Friday.

Circuit Quilt Finish

Years ago, three to be exact, I made each of my kids a twin-size quilt for their beds. I love the idea of them sleeping under handmade. They were still little then and I had less than 50 quilts under my belt. Being kids I knew there would be accidents of the sort that needed a bedding backup. I then set out to make them each a second quilt. The girls and my youngest son had some opinions on color and pattern but my eldest had no idea. This went on for years! Then a few months ago he found what he wanted. I put it on my Q2 FAL list and now have finally made his second twin quilt.

Here it is! I love it! This is the Circuit quilt pattern from Fat Quarter Style. I was flicking though the book and we saw it and Spencer fell in love with it. He got all jazzed and started talking about how cool it would be with Alison Glass and a low volume background. I thought to myself, I'm raising that boy right!

Some of the prints didn't offer as high a contrast as I was hoping they would but I still think it looks great and the pattern shows through nicely.

This one is super long so if he takes after his 6'6" dad, who's straining to hold the quilt here, he'll be more than covered - see what I did there?

You can see the quilting well here. He wanted me to repeat a design I did on my other boy's quilt. It's sort of a meandering square. It went well enough after I gave up the goal of computerized machine perfection. The backing fabric was a done deal long before we found a pattern. He knew he had a quilt coming to him and literally gasped when he saw this print in the store. It is from the Flyboy line for Windham Fabrics. I bought a little over four yards, what I usually use for a twin backing. It was a bit short in the end but I made do.

Part of making do meant taking a bit of my binding fabric and creating a pieced back. This left the option for some fun scrappy binding. I love it!! All the same print just four different colors.

 

Here's a fun shot of the binding all rolled together. You can kind of see the lime on the far corner there. I even switched thread color. It worked better on the front than the back but that's totally okay.

He's such a happy guy with it on his bed and was adorable enough to say that under it he had his best night's rest ever!

Quilt Stats:
Pattern - Circuit from Fat Quarter Style
Fabric - Scrappy Alison Glass prints with the background from Comma by Zen Chic for Moda and backing Flyboy for Windham Fabrics
Thread - Pieced and quilted Aurifil 50wt
Quilting - free motion meandering squares on my domestic Juki
Size - Twin 70" by 88"
Stash Report - 100% stash! Boy does that feel good.

That's me for the week. Thanks for stopping by! I hope to have another one to share next week as I have two tops ready to go but we'll see how it goes. Until then I'm linking up with Finish It Up Friday.

Blue Swiss Quilt Finish

Shortly after Camille of Thimble Blossoms released the Swiss Quilt Pattern I saw several different scrappy colored versions pop up. I especially loved the ones with dark blues. I dug through my stash and made it happen this quarter, which is a good thing because it is on my Q2FAL List.

Here's the whole quilt. I just love this one!! I made this for me as my favorite color is blue, especially these blues. I used a bunch of fun and interesting prints here to make the quilt more playful.

I adore all things Kate Spain and Sunnyside was one of my favorite lines of hers. So when a shop I love had this end of bolt that happened to be just the size I needed for this blue quilt it was just meant to be. You can also see the fun prints I used in this quilt. It's fun how some of them are a little wild but the whole quilt shot still reads really blue.

After the intense and limit pushing FMQ I've been doing lately I wanted something fast and simple for this quilt. I chose a variegated blue from Aurifil in 50wt and went to town with a large meander.

Here are my two Swiss quilts together. You can see more pics of the Red one here. I pieced these at the same time and was amazed at how fast and easy this quilt was, even times two.

I mentioned how fast and easy they were to my kids and now they each want one in their favorite color. We'll see how that goes.

Quilt Stats:
Pattern - Swiss by Camille of Thimble Blossoms
Fabric - Scrappy blues by various designers backed in Sunnyside by Kate Spain for Moda
Thread - Pieced and quilted Aurifil 50wt
Quilting - free motion meander on my domestic Juki
Size - Lap 56" by 64"
Stash Report - The top and binding of this quilt were all stash. The backing came from my new favorite Etsy shop Handmade is Heartmade.


I'm Linking up with Finish It Up Friday.

Little Ruby Swiss Quilt Finish

When Camille from Bonnie and Camille posted previews of Little Ruby I knew I had to have it. Then when I saw the Swiss Quilt pattern all done in reds and white I knew my little Ruby needed one in her life. I so love how it turned out and as a bonus it was so fast and easy I've made two! I share the blue version next week. For now the red one...

Love!! There are not words for how I feel about this one. It is so perfect for my sweet girl and she loves it as much as I do.

I had so much fun with the quilting on this one!! I always quilt with Aurifil 50wt on my domestic juki. This time I tried a bit of a flower design. I'd never done this one before but after drawing it a few times on some blank paper I was ready to roll. The red thread seems like a bold choice but since the backing and most of the quilt was red it really hid my mistakes well.

I love the backing and binding on this one too!! Those biased scallops have my heart and this floral print was my favorite in the original Ruby as is even better all little! The tag fits so well and came from yardage by Sweetwater for Moda.

 

My little Ruby just loves it!! She kept coming over and giving it loving pats as it was in progress and then when it was finished she did lots of hopping and jumping and said, "It's so comfy and rosey!!"

Here are my Ruby's two ruby quilts together. The top is from the original Ruby line and was made in anticipation of her birth. They are so fun together!

Another shot of the two ruby quilts.

Here are the backings of the two quilts together. When Bonnie and Camille first told everyone about Little Ruby they said how it was sweet and miniature, here you can see the size difference between the two.

Quilt Stats:
Pattern - Swiss by Camille of Thimble Blossoms
Fabric - Little Ruby by Bonnie and Camille for Moda and Bella solids 98
Thread - Pieced and quilted Aurifil 50wt
Quilting - free motion flowers on my domestic Juki
Size - Lap 56" by 64"
Stash Report - 0% stash. In fact the whole thing came in a kit from my new favorite Etsy shop Handmade is Heartmade.

Thanks for stopping by and checking this one out. I'm excited to show you the blue version next week but until then I'm linking up with Finish It Up Friday.

Black and White Mini and AG Hexi Pouch Finishes

I have two fun finishes to share this week with the promise of more next week. I'm in a black and white mini swap hosted on Instagram and I finished up my mini this week as well as a surprise for a quilty friend who needed some love. First, the mini...

I love how this light shows off the quilting. I had a lot of fun with this one quilting straight(ish) lines with Aurifil 50wt on my domestic Juki. I think it helped carry the feel of the pattern.

For this mini I used all Cotton and Steel prints, mostly from the Black and White 2 collection. They were so fun to play with and I love the pop of color. The pattern is Sweet Tooth by Canoe Ridge Creations.

I used the left overs from three fat quarters to do the back and binding of this mini. Two of these are my partners favorite prints and it was fun to include a little bit more of them for her. I also love my little tag from yardage by Sweetwater for Moda.

So, I have a quilting friend on IG who made a whole bunch of things for a birthday swap and then got left behind during her month. It was sad and she wasn't feeling too great. Her sister rallied a bunch of us together and we each made her something to help her feel loved. She loves Alison Glass (me too!!) so I thought this hexi pouch would be a fun and quick make for her. I used the Open Wide Pouch pattern and threw some one inch hexies on the front - she loved it!

That's me for the week. Thanks for stopping by! I have three tops ready to baste and quilt this week so hopefully I finish one by next Friday. Until then I'm linking up with Finish It Up Friday.

100th Quilt! Patchwork Swoon Finish

I'm excited to share my 100th quilt finish!! You can see them all in one place on my Quilts/Tops page. That's counting all quilts baby size or larger, pillows and minis have a different count. I have had so much fun making these and can't believe how far I've come! I think this one really shows off my skills, especially in the quilting department. It is also on my Q2FAL list.

Here it is! Quilt #100!! I can't believe I'm already at 100 quilts. I have been quilting since I was about 14 but have really been quite prolific the last six years. Before that it was maybe one quilt a year. I used a Horizon jelly roll by Kate Spain for Moda that I got for Christmas 2014. I used more Horizon yardage for the front back and binding as well as some Kona solids.

I am SUPER proud of the quilting on this one. I had tried this paisley motif on several minis but enlarged it for this quilt. It felt a little risky because I'd never tried it on this scale before but it turned out so well! Even the back looks fabulous! I think I'm getting the hang of this free motion quilting thing.

I love this angle on the quilt. It's from a corner so not how you usually see it. I'm so happy with my corners on this one and really think I broke out all my skills making this quilt.

For the backing and binding I went a little unexpected with purple. There is some purple in this line and I thought it was such a fun pop that I wanted to carry it over. I just love a pop of color or something unexpected on bindings! You can also see my cute little tag from yardage by Sweetwater for Moda.

Quilt Stats:
Pattern - Patchwork Swoon by Camille of Thimble Blossoms
Fabric - Horizon by Kate Spain for Moda and a couple of Kona solids
Thread - Pieced and quilted Aurifil 50wt
Quilting - medium scale paisley motif by me on my domestic Juki
Size - Large Lap 72" square
Stash Report - Patchwork pieces came from a stash jelly roll, as well as the center star and all the white. Otherwise new for this special project.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing this milestone with me! I'm already well on my way with my next quilts and have at least 100 more on my wishlist. Until then I'll be linking up with Finish It Up Friday.

Crochet Hot Pad Finishes

So, with my move my kids became car riders to and from school instead of bus riders. The pickup line is long and not my favorite. To pass the time I started doing crochet hot pads in the car. They are so forgiving as I don't have to remember a pattern or what round I'm on. These were on my Q2FAL list so I could finish up the six balls I had. Well, I did way more than six! Take a peek...

A little car crochet. I have a project bag that I grab on my way out and can do several rounds a day as I wait in line. That really adds up!

I have finished these 14 hot pads in less than two months. I only work on them in pickup lines and while watching shows with my family. I planned on giving them as teacher gifts but now I have too many so I think I'll also give them to family as we go on our big trip this Summer.

I love seeing and working with all this fun color! You can buy these in little balls or giant cones. Each ball makes one hot pad. I came up with the tutorial on my own after looking at a friend's hot pad. You can find my hot pad tutorial here.

Here's a little sneak peek shot for next week. I am nearly done quilting this one and just have to finish and poke on some binding. I hope to be able to share it next week.

That's me for the week. Thanks for stopping by! If you'd like to keep up with me more find me on Instagram @julieschloemer where I post nearly every day. Until then I'm linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday.

Sparklettes Quilt Finish

I am so excited to share this finish and to have it off my WiP list. I knew I wanted to make this quilt a few years ago and then I had to collect all the right fabrics and wait for it to come up in the priority list. It was made for my middle child. My girl and I are so happy for it to me done. This is #10 on my Q2 FAL list.

Here it is! This is the Sparklettes quilt from the book Fat Quarter Style. I seriously adore this book and have made many patterns from it. I especially love how there are so many size options for each quilt. For this one I used Bella bleached white for the background and Far Far Away 2 by Heather Ross and Cotton and Steel Basics.

This is an in progress shot but it shows off the binding so well I had to include it. I love a fun binding, especially for kid quilts, and these snails sure fit the bill. You can also see the quilting really well here. Amelia, my daughter, requested pink thread and "the waves lines because they make little puffy spots that I can poke with my finger."

I knew I wanted the bed print (which is crazy upside down in this picture) for the back but my favorite LQS didn't have enough for the whole back. I tried some thing fairly rare for me - a pieced backing. I love it! Especially how it ties the front of the quilt into the back.

Just a fun shot where you can see the back, right side up this time, and the binding together. These colors are so fun!

Here it is on her bed. It was fun because she didn't know I was going to finish it up so quickly and I surprised her with it when she came home from school. She has since declared it the "best quilt ever!"

Quilt Stats:
Pattern - Sparklettes from Fat Quarter Style
Fabric - Far Far Away 2 and Cotton and Steel Basics
Thread - Pieced and quilted Aurifil 50wt
Quilting - Meander by me on my domestic Juki
Size - Twin - 70" by 86"
Stash Report - Mostly stash! Background fabric was from a bolt I bought earlier this month and I needed an extra yard for the back. Otherwise - stash!

Thanks for stopping by! It's been a busy week and I'm on fire with more finishes to share next week. I'll be linking up with Finish It Up Friday tomorrow. I just had to get a jump on the post when I had a minute.