Evening in the Garden Quilts

Adventures in Fabric Art


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The Last Zebra Finish

IMG_2861This is the last one of these, I promise.  I’m all out of the fabric, even the scraps (I have a few flannel giraffe squares, but that’s different.)  And this quilt may be my favorite.

IMG_2866This was not on my list to make right now, but when I saw Christa’s post about her scrappy half-square triangles, I knew that was the right technique to use with the scraps I had.  I combined them with a soft green print and a gray and white stripe, and I like how much softer the look is.

2017-07-09 18.26.32I quilted it all with the walking foot.  First I stitched in all the ditches using silver Bottom Line.  Then I auditioned three green variegated threads for the the decorative quilting.  I chose the So Fine (Superior) on the right, just because it was the lightest.  I always prefer bold, contrasting colors (hence all the dark threads in my collection), but I wanted to keep this soft and blending.  Light thread looks okay over darker fabric, but dark thread on light shows every wobble.

2017-07-10 16.40.16I like minimal, asymmetrical lines of quilting, so I kept thinking I was finished.  I did want to do enough to hold down all of the fabrics, including the small pieced triangles.  When I put the last rows of stitching in, it all came together and I knew I had it.

This one’s for sale in my Etsy shop.

Looking forward to seeing your finishes.

 

 


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Sunday Stash Report: 7/9/17

2017-07-08 11.53.58You know all that progress I had been making on destashing?  It went out the door this week.  I guess it could have been worse, since I was shopping at the fabulous Fabric Shack.  And they’ve just opened a new annex..  So I limited myself to these…17…yards.

I went for a few basics (the best prices on Kona solids), but also found the sale fabrics at the bottom of the photo for backs to a couple of current projects.  They’ll all get used pretty soon.  And I have half the year left to reduce my stash!

This week:  + 17 yards,  – 0  yards
This year:  + 74.25 yards,  – 79.25 yards
Net destashed added in 2017:  5 yards

2017-06-27 18.42.32Here’s a photo for you, in case you have too much color in your life.  Either it’s raining cats around here, or Yuri hopes he’s camouflaged while waiting for a chipmunk to come by.

Good luck on sewing up your stash!


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Piggy Bank Failure


So, last July, I counted up my “bank” (pitcher in the china cabinet), spent the money on Craftsy classes, and pledged to do even better this year.  And then I didn’t.

I didn’t notice at the time, but my spending/buying habits changed a lot.  I was still recovering from the first knee surgery, and then had the second in September, so I was driving less and shopping in stores less for most of the year.   I’m trying to declutter here, so I said no to lots of stuff while I was shopping.  When I did treat myself, it was to clothes and shoes, mostly bought online, so no change back.  I had fewer Etsy sales, so fewer trips to the Post Office and nearby coffee shop.

I think I probably saved a lot of money, but that poor pitcher stayed nearely empty!  So apparently this savings method is no longer for me.

Check out the Piggy Bank Challenge at Val’s Quilting Studio to find others who were much more successfull!


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WIP Wednesday: More Zebras!


I hope you all had a great weekend including those of you in the US, who were BBQing, parading, fireworking, etc.

I was tired from the extended weekend, and didn’t have firm plans to sew, until I saw Christa’s post this morning about her HST Remix.  Her scrappy half square triangles were exactly what I needed to turn the last of my zebra scraps into one more baby quilt!  I’ve pieced triangles before, out of necessity,  but always with the same fabric.  I don’t know why it never occurred to me make them scrappy!  So I shamelessly stole Christa’s idea and did just that.


All my scraps were already 6 7/8″ in width, but short of being squares.  I sewed them into one long strip, then cut that into squares to make the HSTs.  I paired them with pale green and gray fabrics.  I like how they soften it up.

I’m still arranging blocks.  The lower left corner is not as dark as in the photo, but I may sub out a lighter gray.

Anyway, thanks, Christa!


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June and July Goals


Happy July to everyone!  Happy Canada Day, too!  Congradulations on 150 years!

I was all set to give myself an A+ for completing my modest June goals, but I think I’m confused on the steps to the Layer Cake Explosion quilt-along.  It’s what I get for doing two group quilts at the same time!  Oh, well.  Progress was made.  It was good.

June Goals:

(Well, June is half over, so I’ll keep it brief.)

  1. Layer Cake Explosion, Clue 2 (Twilter Quilt-Along) Yes!  Here.
  2. Layer Cake Explosion, Clue 3  Um, no.  I think I got confused about the clues, and thought I was caught up.  Oh, well.
  3. Pacific Stars Mystery Quilt (by Charlotte Scott on Carol’s Quilts blog), Clue 1  Yes!
  4. Pacific Stars, Clue 2  Yes!  Here.

Bonus:  Zebra Baby Quilt

 

I’ll be traveling some in July, gardening, preserving, reading, summering, so these goals are modest, too.

July Goals

  1. Make blocks for Kat’s July/August Covered in Love block drive.
  2. Continue with Layer Cake Explosion, whichever step I’m on.
  3. Continue with Pacific Stars.
  4. Experiment with some kind of floral, layered art quilt thingy.  (Vague enough?)

 

Truly hope all of you are enjoying your summer (or winter) and your sewing.


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WIP Wednesday: A Mystery


Yesterday I completed Clue #2 of Charlotte Scott’s mystery quilt, Pacific Stars, hosted by Carol’s Quilts.   It is very much a mystery to me how this will turn out.  I hope my fabrics turn out to be good choices.  Everything has been scraps or older fabrics (“stash dogs”), except for the light gray fabric, which I had to buy.  My “dark indigo” is very dark, almost black, which is probably why it’s still in my stash.  We’ll see.

So, I’m caught up on this quilt, and I’ve met my goal on Daisy’s quilt-along, Layer Cake Explosion.  Not too bad.

What do you have in progress?


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Sunday Stash Report: 6/25/17

IMG_2855My finish this week was this baby quilt for donation.  (If you need a Zebra quilt, you can find a very similar one in my Etsy shop.)  This was all fabric from the stash, mostly leftovers from the first Zebra quilt.

IMG_2856There are surprise flannel text patches mixed in on the front, but the backing is quilting cotton.

IMG_2860I had a pleasant time quilting ribbon candy and matchsticks across this using a pastel variegated Rainbows thread from Superior.

However, I added three yards of light gray fabric this week, so it was pretty much a wash.

This week:  + 3 yards,  – 3.5  yards
This year:  + 57.25 yards,  – 79.25 yards
Net destashed added in 2017:  22 yards

Hope you have time to sew, and that you’re using your stash.

This quilt is headed to Project Linus.  Linking up to Sew Some Love at Kat and Cat Quilts.


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WIP Wednesday


Today was a beautiful, cool day in the studio!  Lots of rain for the garden, and lots of sewing time for me.

First I cut and sewed Clue 3 for Layer Cake Explosion. 


Later, I was antsy and looking for some mindless sewing, so I pulled out these zebra blocks .  I may have made too many, okay, double, the number of blocks I needed for my last zebra baby quilt.  The green is prettier than this, I was losing my light.


These were already numbered and ready to sew together.  When I get back from traveling, I’ll quilt this up for donation.

Wishing all of you good sewing weather!


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Sunday Stash Report and May/June Goals

2017-05-27 16.08.17Finally, I have numbers for a Stash Report!  This was a secret gift project.  Most was home dec fabric, so I can only count half a yard out of the stash.  However, I also completed this quilt, Surrounded by Scraps, for a eleven and a half yards!

This week:  + 0 yards,  – 12  yards
This year:  + 54.25 yards,  – 75.75 yards
Net destashed added in 2017:  21.5 yards

This was my first One Hour Basket (Craftsy).  It took me an hour and fifteen minutes.  I added fleece to the handles, and did extra topstitching on the handles and around the top to give it more stability.

2017-05-29 15.10.26The pencil case (I cut the size down quite a bit) was The Worlds Fastest Pencil Case by thread riding hood, and it sure was!  If I had had this tutorial when I was teaching, my whole class would have gotten these every Christmas!  I wanted to use quilting weight fabric, so I cut two pieces and spray basted them wrong sides together.  This still only took me twenty minutes to make, finished edges inside, and no hand sewing!

The other piece is the Wide Open Zippered Pouch (Noodlehead), which I have made before.  I think I made her small size this time.

 

Wow, the first half of June really got away from me!  Family, the garden, the heat, everything has gotten in the way of sewing.  It’s a good thing I got a lot done in May!

May Goals:

  1. Make blocks for Kat’s May/June block drive.  Yes!  Here.  And mailed!
  2. Begin the Twilters! facebook group quilt along.  Yes, Clue 1 is complete, and I’m working on the the second.
  3. Make backing and sandwich Surrounded by Scraps.  Yes!  And in June I quilted and bound it.
  4. Make summer/patriotic wall hangings.  Yes!  Here.

Bonus:  I made an Elephant quilt for a customer.

 

June Goals:

(Well, June is half over, so I’ll keep it brief.)

  1. Layer Cake Explosion, Clue 2 (Twilter Quilt-Along)
  2. Layer Cake Explosion, Clue 3
  3. Pacific Stars Mystery Quilt (by Charlotte Scott on Carol’s Quilts blog), Clue 1
  4. Pacific Stars, Clue 2

 

I hope you’re enjoying your summer (or winter!)  and still getting some sewing done!


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Finish It Up… Saturday


I just really wanted to post this quilt, since it has been almost a month since I’ve talked to you, and since it feels like I’ve worked on this quilt forever.  I finished one secret gift, but mostly summer activities got in the way.  All finished now!


This is Charlotte Hawk’s 2017 mystery quilt, “Surrounded by Scraps“.


The back looks gray from a distance, but it’s really a tiny green and pink and purple patterned batik.



I quilted a grid of straight lines in the areas between the blocks, using silver Bottom Line thread.  Then I used a variegated green So Fine to quilt feathers in the center of the blocks and on the border.


This one is staying right here on our bed!

I’m linking up to Finish it up Friday and Whoop Whoop Friday
.