A Princess and Fairy Quilt For My Niece!

Our 7-year-old niece wanted a princess or Barbie bedspread for her birthday.  We couldn't find any Barbie fabric locally, so Millie and I picked out Disney princesses and fairies.

One side is princesses and one side is fairies.  We chose different colors for each side so she could flip it over and have a whole new look ... giving her the option of changing her mind!!

It is a very simple quilt with a strip of solid fabric bordering the prints down the middle. I chose a high-loft polyester batting for her quilt so it would be thick and cozy.  This is the first time I have used a high-loft batting with Mrs.Singer {aside from a disastrous attempt at using fusible polyester batting}.  She did just fine!  I will definitely be using high-loft batting again, although I would like to find a cotton version since it is a natural fiber.  Is there such a thing as cotton high-loft batting? I researched using polyester batting with cotton fabrics and whether or not I needed to preshrink the fabric since the fabric would shrink and the polyester batting would not, but I could not find an answer.  I prewashed the fabric, and I do believe this was the best choice.  I will not wash the quilt before I give it to my niece, so I cannot show you what it looks like after washing.  Since all of the shrinking is done, I can't imagine there will be problems, but there might be if I hadn't prewashed the fabric.   If you have some experience using polyester batting in your quilting, would you chime in here and share what you know with me ... please?!?

Quilt Stats:

• Pattern:  Solid strips on three sides of a focus fabric.
• Size:  Bunkbed twin, a tad smaller than a traditional twin so there isn't so much overhang.
• Fabric:  Disney princesses and fairies, solids; all from JoAnn Fabric.
• Batting:  High-loft polyester batting.
• Quilting:  All over meandering in white polyester thread on Mrs. Singer, my vintage 1896 31-15 mounted on a long-arm quilting frame {yes, she is electric!}
• Binding:  Double layer solid yellow, attached with mitered corners and attached by machine for durability {important for a kid!}
• Value:  Fit for a princess!!

The Backing That Became a Quilt Top Which Became a Quilt!

It all started out with this quilt.

I began piecing together leftover pieces for the backing and came up with this.

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Which became this ... A quilt in itself ... Too delicious to be the backing!

The backing on the quilt where the backing became a quilt top!

Quilt Stats:

• Name:  Calm Serenity
• Pattern:  Random strippy deliciousness.
• Size:  58" x 60"
• Fabric Top:  Connecting Threads, Moda Bella White 
• Backing:  Connecting Threads, Moda Bella White, and Anthropology
• Batting:  100% organic cotton
• Quilting:  All-over meandering stitch done on Mrs.Singer, my vintage 1896 31-15 mounted on a long-arm quilting frame.  {Yes, she is electric!}
• Value:  Cool and calm!

This quilt is for sale in my Etsy Shop, Busy Hands Quilts!

Custom Lap-Sized Barn Raising Quilt - Finished!!

Freshly finished is this cheerful Barn Raising lap quilt. I love this pattern! Maybe some day I will make one for myself ... with a black background instead of white!! This is a custom quilt sold in my Etsy shop, Busy Hands Quilts.

Quilt Stats:

• Pattern:  30s Barn Raising from the Moda Bake Shop
• Size:  57" square
• Fabric:  Kona New Brights Roll-Up and Kona White for the quilt top
• Backing:  Connecting Threads stripe
• Binding:  Connecting Threads stripe, double fold with mitered corners, attached by machine for durability
• Batting:  100% organic cotton
• Quilting:  All over meander done on my vintage 1896 Singer 31-15 which is mounted on a 12-foot long-arm quilting frame. 
• Value:  Cheery!

This quilt is available in any size and many color combinations in my Etsy shop, Busy Hands Quilts.

Linking to:

Richard and Tanya Quilts
Crazy Mom Quilts

Custom Lap-Sized Barn Raising Quilt Progress #1 - Nearly Done!

One of several current projects is a custom lap-sized Barn Raising Quilt.  This luscious fabric is Kona New Brights.  Below are the segments laid out and ready to assemble into blocks.  Don't forget there are many colors you cannot see in the stacks!

Below is the stack of blocks ready to go up on the design wall for block placement.  This pile of blocks seems rather small after making this same quilt in a queen size over the last month!  It was a breath of fresh air to have them go together so quickly!

And, go figure, I had the same problem with seam directions that I did in the last quilt!  I studied and figured and re-figured some more before beginning to piece them together, and the seams were still facing away from the needle, which is the wrong way for easily butting the seams together without pinning.  I haven't given up, yet, and next time I make a 9-patch block I plan to see if the direction I iron them is the culprit.  The up side, however, is that I am getting good at sewing with the fabric on the right side of the presser foot, and I was able to keep both feet on the floor rather than one over my shoulder like I did in this quilt!

And here are the 100 blocks up on the design wall and ready to be sewn together, which I plan to work on this afternoon while a friend is here for a sewing bee.  When this quilt is finished up and washed, she will measure approximately 56" square.

This customer would like a rod pocket at the top back for easy hanging.  Here's to hoping I remember before I put the binding on!  :}

This quilt is a custom quilt order in the 30s Barn Raising Pattern which is free at the Moda Bake Shop.  If you would like a quilt like this in any size and many color combinations, please visit my Etsy shop, Busy Hands Quilts.