Flannel Duo: A Finished Quilt

I am so pleased with how this quilt turned out.  It is a great stash busting quilt, using an old stack of flannel I was given years ago.  

This stack was mostly half yard cuts of fabric.  From sixteen of the fabrics I cut two eight inch strips.  One was for the front and one for the back.  Some of the half yard cuts were generous enough that I was able to cut a three inch strip for the binding.  I also cut three extra strips for the backing.

The front became a big plus quilt made from eight inch squares in sixteen different fabrics.

The backing was sewn together using my chunky race quilt calculations.  It has eighteen different fabrics.  A couple of the plaids were so big that I didn't want them on the front.

 Sixteen and a half strips were used for the main part, and then two more strips were added to the side to make the backing wider than the top.

It is important to have the backing bigger when quilting on a long arm machine.

Keeping with the stash busting, I used some old low/medium loft polyester batting which my mom had on hand.  While I don't like using polyester batting when sitting down to quilt, it wasn't too bad to use on the long arm.  I just had to be extra careful not to stretch it when I was rolling the quilt.

This process made for a fun, masculine, double sided quilt.  That is why I decided to name the quilt "Flannel Duo."  It really is as snugly as it looks and will be donated somewhere sometime this year.

I really love these big plus quilts.  I can piece one in a couple hours.

I also love the chunky race quilts.  I can piece and press one in less than two hours.

I planned it so the two sides would end up skinny.  That kept the seams all from lining up with the seams on the top and getting too thick.  I like how the stripes are vertical on the backing.

I quilted it in a loopy spiral in a light tan thread.

And used only blues for the binding.

It really was a fun, fast, stash busting quilt!

Quilt Stats #174
Name: Flannel Duo
Pattern Top: Plus quilt from eight inch squares

Pattern Back:  Race Quilt Variation
Fabric: Eighteen different flannels
Amount Used: 9 yards
Batting: Mountain Mist Polyester
Size: About 60 x 75 inches
Date Finished: January 2016
What I learned:

• Double sided quilts are awesome!  

Next, I have more stash busting quilts to share.  

XX,

Jasmine

P.S.  I will be linking up with some of the parties on my sidebar.  Check them out to see what other quilters have been making.

Chaos Mini: A Finish

In my last post I mentioned that I had already used the scraps from my scrap quilt.  (That still makes me chuckle.)  I ended up with an extra block when I cut the scrap vortex into fourteen inch squares.  I decided to add 3 inch borders and quilt it the same way as I did my other Mini Vortex.  I even used the same shiny silver/gray thread.  It is the Exquisite polyester embroidery thread.  I really like the shimmer it gives the quilt.

Once again, I found a circle and started spiraling around it.  It is a pretty fun method to use on a mini quilt.  This one finishes about 20 inches square.

Another advantage to being here at my mom's house is the access to her stash.  She gave me the fabric for my backing.  She is so sweet.

It is a pretty Japanese screen print.

I decided to bind this in black like the border.  I thought about doing a red like the big one, but the red overpowered the smaller quilt.

I always love seeing the same block quilted in a different way.

XX,
Jasmine

P.S.  I will be linking up with some of the fun parties on my sidebar, including Oh Scrap.  Check them out to see what other quilters have been making.  

Chaos Controlled: A Finished Quilt

I had so much fun finishing Twister Twin that I wanted to make something with my black, white, and red scraps immediately.  I loved Cynthia's scrap vortex quilt in this color scheme, so I decided to make another scrap vortex quilt.

When I sew a scrap vortex quilt, I pay more attention to sizes than fabrics.  Once I get everything sewn into fours, I square the blocks up to the nearest quarter inch and stack them in piles according to size.

That makes sewing the blocks so much easier.  Once I had twenty blocks with about 32 pieces each, I laid them out on the design floor.

I felt like I was looking at chaos and my eyes were going buggy.  Plan B was to make blocks all the same size and add sashing.

Not only did I think it looked better, but it also made a bigger quilt.  Instead of a lap quilt about 60 x 70, it made an extra big, twin size cuddle quilt.  I cut the blocks at 14 inches and my sashing at 3.5 inches making the quilt about 72 x 88 inches.

I bought 90 inch wide minky for the backing and quilted it on my mom's Fusion long arm.

I felt like the black sashing helped to control the chaos, so I named the quilt, "Chaos Controlled."

My first instinct was to use a black binding so it would blend in, but my mom suggested a red binding.  I am so glad she did.  It really helps the reds in the blocks to pop.

I quilted it in black thread in swirls/spirals.

The black minky is hard to photograph, but here is a peek at the backing.

I love how it turned out and am definitely keeping it! And don't worry, all those white bits on the black is snow.  We have had a lot more of it this year.

Quilt Stats #173
Name:  Chaos Controlled
Pattern: Blocks from a Scrap Vortex Quilt
Fabric:  Scraps from 6 different quilts and other projects
Amount Used:  About 10 yards
Batting: Hobbs 80/20
Size: About 72 x 88 inches
Date Finished: January 2016
What I learned:

• Busy prints in crazy blocks need somewhere for your eye to rest.  
• Sometimes "Plan B" is best.  
• I sometimes like bold bindings instead of a blender binding.  
• Some fabrics look much busier in smaller pieces.  

Chaos Controlled with Twister Twin. 

I'm still not done with this color scheme.  I have already used the scraps from the scrap quilt and purchased some Ever After by Deb Strain (which adds pink to the mix).  

XX,
Jasmine

P.S.  I will be linking up with some of the fun parties on my sidebar (including Oh Scrap).  Check them out for lots of inspiration.

Twister Twin: A Finished Quilt

I recently finished this twister quilt which I have named, "Twister Twin."  I named it that because it is almost identical to a twister quilt I made in 2014.

I moved around a few of the blocks and put black minky on the back instead.  The first quilt was given to family who live out of state, and the second is a gift for a friend.

I pieced this quilt using the method I came up with which doesn't use the special ruler.  All the twister pieces are cut and the blocks are sewn like a crazy 4-patch.  It goes together so quickly and has very little waste.

I quilted it on my Janome because the backing wasn't big enough to put it on my mom's Fusion and I don't have space for my Tiara.  It was fun using this older machine.

I quilted it with swirls and curls like I did on the first one.

I really love how it turned out, and it will be a little hard to part with it.  I may just have to make a black, white and red twister quilt for me sometime.  (I have already made another cuddle quilt out of the scraps.)

Quilt Stats # 172
Name: Twister Twin
Pattern: Twister quilt from 10 inch squares made my way
Fabric: Mostly StudioE Essentials 8 & 9 and Kona Black
Amount Used: 6.5 yards
Batting: Hobbs 80/20
Size: About 53 x 70 inches
Date Finished: January 2016
What I Learned:

• It is okay to make nearly identical quilts, especially if they will live in different states.  
• I can quilt with a minky backing on my Janome machine.

I had to tell the boys' snowman that he couldn't keep the quilt.  

 XX,

Jasmine

P.S.  I will be linking up with some of the fun parties on my sidebar.  Check them out for lots of quilty inspiration.  

Four: A Mini Quilt

I recently finished this mini quilt which I started at Quilt Bliss last November.  It was from a class teaching four different methods to applique circles.

It was pretty boring until I added the quilting.  I love the texture from the quilting!

I used a Hobbs 80/20 batting and Aurifil thread in gray and aqua.  I quilted spirals on the circles with the walking foot on my Pfaff, and then quilted stacked swirls in the background.

I stitched the binding down by hand to the back using a ladder stitch, and I love the simple mini.

XX,
Jasmine

P.S.  Thanks to everyone who has wished me well with the move and building a house.  I have been spending as much time as possible in my temporary sewing room, but haven't had much time for the computer.  I have a few more finishes I hope to share soon.  :)

My craft room is the bonus room over the garage.

More Forest Friends: A Finished Quilt

I am happy to say that this quilt for my father is finished!  I made a smaller quilt with the same fabrics for my husband last March.  My dad saw it and said he wanted one just like it, but bigger.  My mom bought the fabrics last summer, but I didn't get around to cutting them until November.  I made the large blocks at the Quilt Bliss Retreat.

I finished the quilt top here at my parent's house, and quilted it with my mom's long arm machine.

I quilted it simply with a large meander to keep it cuddly.

I did the binding by machine, but cut it out at 2.25 inches instead of my usual 2.5 inches.  It worked well with the narrow pieces in the blocks.

I am so pleased with how it turned out.

There are moose, deer, bears, birds, leaves, and pine cones on the front.  There are elk on the back.

Just ignore the funny shadows on the quilt from this tree.  I was happy for some sunshine for the pictures.

Quilt Stats #171
Name:  More Forest Friends
Pattern:  Square in a Square
Fabrics Used:   Pine Ridge Panel
Amount Used:  9 yards
Batting:  Hobbs 80/20
Size:  About 60 x 80 inches
Date Finished:  January 2016
What I learned:

• I am getting faster putting quilts on my mom's frames, but it is still much easier with a helper.  

I made a drawstring bag for my dad with some of the leftover backing fabric.

However, I couldn't make just one.  Lol.  These bags are great for using up larger scraps, and I only had one left from my batches last year.

My dad loves the quilt and looks forward to using it at his cabin.  He plans to keep his headphones in his new bag, and I love seeing things I make used.

XX,
Jasmine

P.S.  I will be linking up with some of the fun parties on my sidebar.  Check them out to see what other quilters are up to.

My Temporary Craft Room

Things have been crazy busy, but I have made time to sew in my temporary craft room.  It is actually an open area at the bottom of the stairs.  I love my sewing cabinet that can close and lock when people come to visit my parents.  And I have really appreciated the Ott Light my husband surprised me with for Christmas.

Through the door you can see is the storage room that houses my mom's Fusion and now a lot of my sewing supplies.

I pull out my old ironing board and block the storage room doors when I need to iron.  The second door leads to the cold storage.

Here is another view of the sewing nook.  You can see the play area for Monkey right behind my chair (along with the evidence that he uses it).  The third door leads to the exercise/library/game room.

It is so nice making the time to sew,  and I love my creative space at my mom's house.  She is so understanding and supportive of my quilting, even when I end up taking over the kitchen table or the living room design floor.

I hope to share my first big finish later this week.

XX,
Jasmine