The Quilt Whose Backing Became a Quilt Top Which Became a Quilt Finally Got Quilted!

Do you remember The Backing Which Became a Quilt Top Which Became a Quilt?  I finally finished the quilt which got robbed of her backing! {blush}

The clothesline is most often used to photograph quilts!

The backing is a stash buster!

And here are some less official pictures from the photo shoot.  Mrs. Floppy Comb wanted to pose with the quilt, so here she is. And while she is here with us, I'll tell you her story. One of her legs got squished about three weeks ago. Like squished, bad.  No blood, but hurt badly inside.  Her leg got caught under chicken tractor on accident when it was being moved,  and, needless to say, she wouldn't move the leg or walk at all.  A chicken tractor is a portable coop that is moved everyday so the chickens have fresh grass and bugs to eat, and so their deadly poop doesn't kill the grass.  It keeps them safe from eagles.  We lost two to an eagle earlier this year in May {my husband saw the second attack}.  It is disappointing to pen them in after 2.5 years of allowing our chickens free range on several acres.  In that time we lost only one chicken to an eagle, and she was half-blind {Mrs.Special}. {Back to} Mrs. Floppy Comb who has been living in the chicken infirmary in our garage ever since said leg incident happened.  We have learned from past leg mishaps not to give up too easily, that they take at least two weeks to heal, if not more. {One chicken hung herself by the leg on a nail - don't ask how - suffice it to say, they have very small brains.}  But back to Mrs. Floppy Comb.  We put her in the backyard for sunshine, fresh air, grass, and bugs everyday, and she is even becoming a bit tame and friendly to her captors.  She has slowly improved and is getting around fairly well but still has a hitch in her get-along, so she isn't quite ready to be put back with the rest of the chickens.  She should be ready to be put back in a few days, and she will be very happy for their company again, I am sure.  There's nothing like spending 20 hours a day in a box by yourself to help you appreciate your squawking, pecking neighbors.  
Her redeeming grace for not heading to the soup pot is that she has laid an egg nearly everyday while in the infirmary, plus the fact that no one on our homestead butchers chickens, and it is too far to the butcher to take only one!  Besides, I might hurt my leg one day, and I want the kids to learn that we show compassion not the chopping block when one is injured!

Ah, yes, this is a post about a quilt!

Quilt Stats:

• Pattern:  Log Cabin Big Blocks
• Measures:  61" square
• Fabric:  Connecting Threads mix with Moda Bella White
• Batting: 100% cotton
• Quilting:  Allover medium meander on Mrs.Singer, my antique 1896 Singer 31-15 mounted on a quilting frame
• Binding:  Double fold of the same fabrics, attached by machine
• Value:  Old-fashioned charm!

This quilt is for sale in my Etsy shop, BusyHandsQuilts!

In the Meadow Table Runner

Yesterday was our first day of homeschool for the 2013-2014 year!  We survived, and our weather was true to form that when school starts so does the rain!  We really enjoyed the new scheduling program I started this year!  I'm seriously wondering why I didn't use one sooner - like years ago! On a quilting note, I'm trying to finish up WIPs and am making good headway! This has been on my quilting table for a bit over a month ... not too long.
Quilt Stats:

• Pattern:  Amazing Jelly Roll Quilt Pattern by 3 Dudes, posted by MissouriQuiltCo on YouTube
• Size:  14" wide x 34" long
• Fabric:  Meadow by Blackbird Designs for Moda, front and binding; Fleur Rouge by Anna Griffin, backing
• Batting:  100% cotton
• Quilting:  Allover dense meandering in cream thread on Mrs.Bernina, my old 830 which was my grandmother's.
• Binding:  Scrappy, double fold, attached by machine using the light fabrics in Meadow by Blackbird Designs for Moda
• Value:  Simply homey!

This quilt is for sale in my Etsy shop, BusyHandsQuilts!

Gray Matters Yellow and Gray Quilt - A Graduation Gift

Have you seen Gray Matters?  When I found out my niece's favorite color is yellow, I was delighted to find Gray Matters by Jackie McFee for Camelot Fabrics, a perfect blend of yellows and grays for a very modern homey quilt!  I had been planning on making a disappearing nine-patch quilt but decided to see what others have made with gray and yellow fabric.  I could not find ANY quilts made with this collection {maybe it is too new?}, so turned to Google images and searched "gray and yellow quilt".  Below is the most beautiful quilt yellow and gray quilt I found!  This is what I will be making for my niece! Photo Credit Be sure you check out that Photo Credit link - there are amazing before and after guest room pictures! Never one to work on a single project at a time, I have begun cutting the pieces already!  The quilt will be a full size, and there should be enough fabric left to make another good-sized quilt, maybe a twin.  The backing will be the dot fabric in the middle of the bottom row, and the binding will be the stripe.  To get more fabric variety, I have added five prints from my LQS. Another project to show you soon!

Good Fortune Baby Quilt or Tablecloth

Good Fortune by Kate Spain is such a fun collection to work with and makes such a pretty baby quilt.  It has a bit of an Oriental / Japanese flair to it.  I ♥ the mix of flowers and dragonflies and really ♥ purple and orange together!  This quilt would also be very striking as a table top quilt or wall hanging. The pattern looks very basic, but it takes care to get the strips straight - 'cause if you don't, it sure shows. Coordinating two-tone wave backing in vivid blue. This fabric also waves at you in the quilt front. The quilt top ended up larger than baby size, so I left off three rows of squares sashed in white from this project, and I am making them into a table runner, hopefully this week. She'll look sweet anywhere - rolled up in the diaper bag, flung over a chair, or lying in a heap on the floor, drenched in cracker crumbs. Quilt Stats:

• Fabric:  Good Fortune by Kate Spain for Moda and Kona White
• Pattern:  Rows of squares sashed in white
• Size:  37.5" x 38.5"
• Batting:  100% cotton
• Quilting:  Dense allover meandering stitch in white polyester thread on Mrs.Bernina, my old 830 which was my grandmother's
• Binding:  Double fold, attached by machine with Good Fortune fabric
• Value:  Modern sweetness!

This modern patchwork quilt is for sale in my Etsy shop for under 100 bucks!

Botanical Beauty Churn Dash Quilt WIP

I'm loving Botanical Beauty by Connecting Threads!  I received several BB layer cakes as a birthday gift and decided it was perfect for a churn dash quilt.  I am using MissouriQuiltCo's Churn Dash Tutorial on YouTube, and it is sew simple!  It uses layer cakes.
/ Here is my test block. Layer cake squares cut into 5" squares. 5" squares pinned to white squares for quick chain sewing.  I pinned at the top of each side to make it very simple to sit down and sew without having to re-adjust every set.  I chain sewed down one side of all of the sets, and then turned them around and chain sewed down the other side without cutting them apart.  
I'll keep you posted as the quilt comes together.  I am not sure what size the quilt will be, yet.  I have enough fabric to make at least a queen, and I really do love making big quilts the best, rather than table runners and lap quilts.  I am so thankful for Mrs.Singer who has opened wide the door of quilting large quilts!

Spring Promise Baby Quilt

I am still around! My sewing machines and thus the blog have been very quiet while we got the last hurrays of summer in. I have also been super busy getting our new homeschool year planned out. I may post about the curriculum we are using this year since I am no longer maintaining a homeschool blog and would like to tell someone! Then you'll see why my eyes are crossed and my head is spinning!

This year I have grades 12 {yes, a SENIOR!}, 10, and 7, which I can hardly believe! Seven years ago I started with grades 5, 3, and Kindergarten ... the years have flown by in a blur!

Sewing is always therapy for me, and I decided I needed a break from planning, and I thought I should start with the fabric I purchased that was in a box under my sewing desk. Why was it there, you ask? Because it wouldn't fit in the closet!

Spring Promise is such a sweet baby quilt!   I ♥ backings from the collection of the quilt top!  I don't often use them because I don't usually purchase yardage, but I did with Spring Promise! The coat rack in the entry way makes a great place to hang quilts! I also ♥ scrappy binding from the collection! Spring Promise designs are flowers, dots, stripes, and swirls in light teal, lime green, orange, yellow, light blue, and pink with a hint of white. Quilt Stats:

• Pattern:  Traditional Patchwork
• Size: 34" x 39", perfect for a new baby!
• Fabric:  Spring Promise by Ana Davis
• Backing:  Spring Promise by Ana Davis
• Batting:  100% cotton
• Binding:  Scrappy in Spring Promise by Ana Davis
• Quilting:  Dense allover meandering on Mrs.Bernina, my old 830 which was my grandmother's.
• Value:  Super sweet!

Spring Promise Baby Quilt is for sale in my Etsy Shop, BusyHandsQuilts!!

Linking to:
Crazy Mom Quilts

Custom Twin-Sized Rainbow Wave Quilt - Finished!!

Off to my customer is this custom twin-sized Rainbow Wave Quilt!
Yummy pink backing in the sunshine!


Quilt Stats:

• Pattern:  Rainbow Wave by Oh Fransson!
• Size:  65" x 80"
• Fabric:  Kona Cotton Solids, quilt top, backing and binding
• Quilting:  Waves in white thread on Mrs.Singer, my vintage 1896 Singer 31-15 mounted on a long-arm quilting frame.
• Batting:  100% cotton
• Value:  Happy-making!!

This quilt was a custom order in my Etsy shop, BusyHandsQuilts.

Linking to:
Crazy Mom Quilts