WIP: Scrappy geese (and then some)

So, it's been awhile since I have shared anything here.

I'm back with a doozy, though!

About seven weeks ago, I posted this pile of fabric on instagram:

The stack happened by accident. I was rearranging my yellow fabrics, and then, well... If you have a fabric stash (or any other medium), you know what I mean.

I started by pairing fabrics and making flying geese in a variety of sizes, and then just started piecing things together. I'm using the HSTs made off the geese corners, as well as strips and scraps.

And of course, I had to add a few bear paws.

Olias and Fiztgerald (and Bella, too, although no photo here) helped, as cats do.

This project is really coming together now, although I didn't have a specific size planned when I started.

It won't be long now!

On making quilt backs

I know a lot of quilters dislike making quilt backs, but it is one of my favorite parts of the quilting experience. On occasion, I will use a sheet or a wideback, but more often than not, I make a scrappy back. It is a nice improvisational exercise, once the quilt top is finished.

In some cases, I like to use leftover blocks as a starting point.

Do.Good Stitches quilt, finished 2012

A quilt for my cousin Kahlan, 2014

Lazy Sunday Quilt, 2015

Second Scrappy Trip, 2015

And sometimes, it is just fun to pull a pile of favorite and/or lingering prints in a coordinating palette.

Florette, 2015 Quilt backs are a great way to use your stash.

Bridges, 2013

Churned, 2014

If you haven't already, I hope you will consider the quilt back to be just as fun as the quilt top!

FO: Show Pillow

Elliott called this 'the Show pillow' when I first finished it (months ago), and it stuck.
I think what he meant by the comment is that it's fancy.
Good enough for company!

It makes me smile everytime I look at it, and I guess that's what's important.

I started this pillow in May of 2012, at the Houston MQG retreat. I just started quilting Liberty scraps, using a soft pink thread.

The project lingered for a long time. I would quilt a few and set it down again. Then late last year (maybe September or October), I finished in a frenzy.

I bound it in this favorite black and white.

I love how it looks in our living room.

Natalie's FQV

Last month, I worked on Natalie's fantastic quilt voyage.

Her theme was inspired by nature and I decided to make some improv sunny blocks. I used scraps that Natalie sent, along with a few additional pieces from the stash, and made these four blocks, which I sewed into a long strip.

I really love them, and I hope Natalie does, too.

I attached my strip to Nicke's diamond blocks, and sent Natalie's quilt on to the next person.

Nicke's Fantastic Quilt Voyage

I just finished my contribution to Nicke's Fantastic Quilt Voyage, and it was inspiring! Nicke's pinterest board is full of soothing images with a very limited palette. I was particularly moved to recreate this image by Brandon Heller on flickr.

I made four string blocks (two shorter by 1.5") to recreate the door panels. I then joined them using additional string scraps.

I really love how the block turned out, and I can't wait to see how this quilt takes shape. Oh, and if you haven't already, you should definitely check out what Holly made for this quilt. AMAZING.

FO: Wonky Bee Traveling Quilt

I love every square inch of this quilt. And I love the wonky bee girls (Nicke, Sara, Melissa, Jessica and Amanda) that helped stitch it.

The patchwork is eclectic and improvisational. The colors are bold and happy.

THe quilting is dense and in yellow thread.

I'm not sure how I could love this more.

You can read more about this quilt here and here.

FO: Geodes

I really, really, love this quilt. This started with Penny's Improv curve tutorial, and my desire to make a fall-colored quilt. The do.Good Stitches Love circle made lovely blocks!

Assembling the curvy blocks was fun, but I especially enjoyed building the patchwork background. I used a variety of Art Gallery solids and sewed together strips, chopped, then repeated.

I stuck to simple quilting on the curvy blocks, just outlining in red thread. But I let the quilting shine on all that negative space, with a boxy free motion stitch.

The back features a couple of blocks, and some mixed neutral prints from the stash.
I machine-bound the quilt. I usually prefer to handsew the binding, but I wanted to practice doing it on the machine, and I think I did pretty well.

I actually finished this a month ago, but after washing, there was a small hole on one of the curves (where a seam was cut a little short). I let it marinate for a few weeks, while I decided how best to mend it.
Amy suggested a simple zig zag, which is what I ended up doing. It's not noticeable, and it will ensure that the recipient will have a lovely quilt!

Oh, and can I just say, Elliott is so sweet to help me photograph my quilts. He is a tall dude, and was totally ducking in these shots.

FO: Improv Berries Mini Quilt

This mini quilt (right in photo) started during a skype session (seven weeks ago) with two of my favorite friends. We each worked on a brand new project during the chat.
It is always exciting to start something brand new.

I went through my solid scrap bag (an abundance), and then chose a couple of fat quarter prints to use.

I just started improv piecing, which always makes me happy. Before the end of our phone call, the top was finished.
And then, as usual, it sat for awhile. But this week, I quilted and bound it.

It is a tiny mini quilt, finishing at 15.5" x 15". It definitely has a springtime feel. I used a Lizzy House berry print from Hello Pilgrim on the back, and it's bound with a neutral snakeskin from Dear Stella. I did a combination of free-motion and straight line quilting.

FO: Improv Citrus Quilt

How about a finished quilt to start off the week?

The members of the do.Good Stitches Love circle made scrappy improv blocks in bright, citrus colors. I assembled the blocks, which were of various sizes, using stashed solids and prints.

The makers sent me an abundance of blocks, so I was able to make a nice-sized throw quilt, and used a few blocks for the back.

I quilted straight lines in one direction at varying widths in orange thread. It's bound in a Dear Stella basketweave.

This was my first time to quilt for do.Good Stitches, although I've been a member for just under two years. It's been a great experience, and this project was joyful. I love this quilt so much, and I intend to use citrus colors in a project to keep very soon.

Elliott was sweet enough to drive around with me yesterday to find this lovely location for photographing the quilt. And those are his feet.

This will be heading off to our chosen charity, Wrap Them in Love.

Have a great day, friends!

in the works

I feel like I have a lot of pots on the stove right now, but in the best possible way.

This weekend, I finally sat down with the citrus improv blocks from the do.Good Stitches love circle. Since the blocks were all different sizes, I had a lot of fun putting the puzzle together.

I ended up with LOTS of blocks, and the quilt will end up being about 60" x 60". I used several blocks for a back section as well.

This picture shows most of the quilt top, but I'll be sure to share a picture once it's finished. These colors are so happy; I'm going to have to make a citrus-y quilt for myself at some point!

Oh, do you see that bold, kelly green solid (almost forms a border around a block in the bottom right)? That is my new favorite solid, from the new KONA colors. This one is appropriately called Leprechaun. It's the perfect shade of green, I think.

The binding has also been attached to the front of this baby quilt.

Scrappy citrus

June is my very first month to be a quilter in do.Good Stitches.

I'm excited, especially after seeing all of these lovely blocks appear in my mailbox! I asked for scrappy improv blocks in citrus colors, and I couldn't be more pleased with the results! I haven't made any myself, as I wanted to see how many I ended up with first. Since they are varying sizes, a few stitchers made extra! I might end up with enough for a bigger quilt than I originally intended! It was especially exciting to receive blocks in person from both Ara Jane and Maureen at the retreat! I'll share progress as soon as all blocks are received.

FO: Improv quilt

Thanks to everyone who has entered the Stash Fabric giveaway! There's still a couple of days to enter here if you wish!

So, I have to tell you, I am over. the. moon for this quilt! It's so exciting to finish a quilt, but even more so when it really feels like you. And this one does. Feel like me, I mean. It's actually been finished for over a week, and has already been well loved and tested by both kitties.

The colors, the modern fabrics, the improvised blocks, the contrast binding, the large patchwork on the back, and the quilting are all happy-making choices. Speaking of the quilting, I have a confession to make. As per my usual, when people started raving about spray-basting, I refused to get on-board of that train.
"I like my pins!"
"Basting is soothing!"
And other such nonsense. Seriously? I spray basted this baby, with help from my sweet husband, and the quilting went so smoothly; I couldn't believe it. I saw a noticeable difference in the quality of my quilting.

You can also see I quilted this pretty densely, in one direction. I usually get tired of the quilting process, so I skimp on it. Truth be told, dense quilting is my favorite, but I never had the patience for it. I know many quilters use 505, but I was quite happy with the June Taylor brand I purchased.

As you may remember, this quilt was kick-started by a do.Good Stitches assignment from my pal Natalie to make improv chevron blocks and her lovely color palette. I started playing with the scraps from those blocks (because as Sara pointed out, there is some waste with the blocks, especially on the first attempt).

I'm so happy to have this one finished, so I can enjoy it!