Three 16-Patch Cuzco Lap Quilts | Finished or Not Friday Linky Party

Welcome to Finished or Not Friday where you can share your finished {or not} projects!

My finishes are three 16-patch quilts in Cuzco, one in purples, one in blues, and one in oranges and pinks; all mixed with Kona Shadow.

Some of these blocks were leftover from this quilt I made in 2013, making additional blocks out of the rest of the Cuzco fabric I had in my stash.

Each one is quilted differently, and some of the blocks are made with two prints instead of a single print since I was using up what I had on hand from the collection.

The purple quilt has swirls with navy Word Find fabric.  I didn't have a purple print in my stash that was big enough for backing and finally settled on this print.

While I like quilts in many colors, I realize that many people do not and would prefer a quilt with a single color theme.  After making these, I tend to agree that a single or two-color quilt is quite relaxing.

The blue one is quilted in a diagonal bias plaid design, and the backing is a blue Cuzco print.

And finally the orange and pink version!

This one is quilted in orange peels, and this time I quilted them small enough to get the modern look I'd seen on other quilts online.  One of the hardest decisions when quilting digitally is what size to make the design so it achieves the look I'm after.

I was tickled to look at the fabric on my shelves and spot a Cuzco orange and pink print!  This print is what gave me the idea to make single or two-color quilts from the Cuzco.

Quilt Stats:

Pattern:  Traditional 16 patch, strip pieced
Size:  56" x 69"
Fabric:  Cuzco by Kate Spain
Batting:  Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 cotton/poly
Quilting:  As indicated above, all on Gratitude
Backing:  As indicated above.
Binding:  Purple dot, blue Cuzco and orange/pink Cuzco prints.

These quilts will be for sale in my quilt shop!

Last week's features!

Princess Quilt by Homesewn by Us!

And anyone who finishes a Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt needs a shoutout here!  They are loads of little pieces and a lot of work.  Great job, Maggie at Making a Lather!

If you want your quilt featured here next week, be sure to put a link back to this post in your post or sidebar, or tag @busyhandsquilts on Instagram, AND link directly to your blog post so I don't have to hunt it down.

There's still time to join the SPLASH of Color Quilt Along!

Read about it here!

Fat Quarter Shop's annual Quilt Along benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is gearing up to begin in January and run through July 2018.  The Clementine Quilt Along features Mama's Cottage by April Rosenthal, but of course you can make yours in any fabric you choose.  Read more about it here!

Follow Busy Hands Quilts!

It's your turn to share your finish {or not}!  What's welcome at this party?  

• Any in-progress or finished project made with fabric, yarn, or thread.
• Projects from this week only.
• ♥ ♥ PLEASE!  Link to the actual blog post, not your home page.  
• LINK BACK with the Finished or Not Friday button or a text link.

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An InLinkz Link-up

Linking to:
♥ Finish It Up Friday ♥ 

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Custom Twin Checkerboard Quilt {Finished!}

This quilt is made from the shirts of my customer's husband who passed away. This is the first of two identical twin memory quilts.  It turned out so snuggly!

Cutting shirts into usable fabric takes quite a bit of time, and I was so thankful for my Accuquilt GO! which made cutting perfect strips a breeze after I had disassembled the shirts.  I bought the 2" finished strip die specifically for this project and will be using it on a regular basis.  It may become my favorite die!  Those perfect strips are fantastic, especially after recently working with some jelly rolls that were not exactly 2.5" wide.

Quilt Stats:

• Pattern:  Checkerboard using 16-patches made from 2.5" strips.
• Fabric:  Mens shirts and Kona Snow
• Size:  66" x 90", generous twin
• Batting:  100% cotton
• Quilting:  Allover medium meandering stitch on Mrs.Singer, my antique 31-15 mounted on a long-arm quilting frame.
• Binding:  Vintage Travel Blue Crackle Texture by Deborah Edwards for Northcott Fabrics
• Backing:  Vintage Travel Cream Advertisements by Deborah Edwards for Northcott Fabrics
• Value:  Warm memories!

This quilt is a custom order.  I will be making another twin identical to it but will be using either 9- or 25-patches rather than 16-patches because the seams should nest together better than with 16-patches.  I am leaning toward 25-patches because more sewing is done at the strip stage {my preference} than at the block piecing stage.  The difference in 9 vs. 16 vs. 25 is that using odd-numbered patches requires two different blocks, and even-numbered patches use only one identical block.  Alternating two different blocks means seams can nest together when all of the seams are pressed in a certain way.  It all comes down to whether I remember which way to press the seams.  I'm using this tutorial at Red Pepper Quilts for guidance.

ETA:  Oh, humbug, in reading this post, it appears that seams will nest on a 16-patch if I press them right!  Quilt more, learn more!

It's true - Spend more time sewing and less time cutting with an Accuquilt!

Linking to: ♥ Let's Bee Social ♥ Needle & Thread Thursday ♥ Finish It Up Friday ♥ WIPs Be Gone ♥ Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?!? ♥ TGIFF ♥ Link a Finish Friday ♥ Fabric Frenzy Friday ♥ Creative Goodness ♥ MOP Mondays ♥ Whoomp There It Is ♥ 

Get a Free Quilt Pattern!

Get a free pattern when you sign up to receive the latest info on what's happening in my studio, new quilt patterns, subscriber-only sales and Giveaways, quilty window shopping, and other fun news!

Click here to sign up!

Bee My Honey Table Runners or Window Valances { x Two }

I love to collect odd works of art for the shelves above my windows in the living room.  The weirder the better!  The tall chicken in the red skirt, bowtie and hat was a gift from one of my sisters!  

Oh, yes, we're here to talk about quilts!

Two matching Bee My Honey table runners or window valances.   

 They coordinate with the Twisted Irish Chain Lap Quilt I recently made.

Isn't Mrs.Owl so happy?! 

 The HUGE red B no longer resides on the shelf.  She recently jumped off in the middle of the night, scaring the dog to death, and I can't quite figure out how to get her to stand up without falling down again.

Quilt Stats { x 2 }:

Pattern:  None really, 16 patches with some half-square triangles thrown in.

Size:  12.5" x 52.5" generous table runner length

Fabric:  Bee My Honey by Moda and Kona Snow

Batting:  Cotton

Backing:  Solid white with wide rod pocket for hanging

Quilting:  Allover small meandering stitch in white thread on Mrs.Bernina, my old 830 which was my grandmother's.

Binding:  Double fold, attached by machine in a Bee My Honey multicolor coordinate.

Value:  Won't you Bee My Honey?

These quilts are for sale in my Etsy shop, Busy Hands Quilts!

Linking to:

Crazy Mom Quilts

A Wedding Gift - 16 Patch Lap Quilt in Cuzco

I have long wanted to make a 16-patch quilt, and a last-minute wedding gift for some friends provided the perfect opportunity.  The 16-patch is a quick and easy block with big squares to let the delicious fabrics shine.  Of course I waited until the week before their wedding to begin it because the custom Seahawks / Broncos quilt was due!  It was barely out of the dryer before they came over, so the pictures are pretty lame.  I didn't even spread it out flat because I had no time! It ended up in a sort of rainbow order, though the color order is not the usual because there were a lot more blue blocks than the other colors.  It goes yellow, green, teal, blue, purple, orange, and pink - all toned down and blended together with delicious Moda Zen Gray. I finally cut into the Cuzco FQ bundle I bought over a year ago!  There are 15 blocks leftover, plus I have fabric to make 40 more blocks for a huge bed quilt to sell in my shop - someday!  Or two lap quilts, but my mind always thinks BIG quilts!
I am just not a random girl.  I like a bit of order to my quilts.  This was how the quilt looked on my design wall when I first put it up - random and blech-y.

Another pic to wash your eyes out after that mess. Oops, forgot to take a picture of the back of the quilt, so here is a fabric sample.  It sorta matches ... but not really! Quilt Stats:

• Pattern:  16-Patch
• Size:  68" square after washing
• Fabric: Cuzco by Moda and Moda Zen Gray
• Batting:  100% cotton, thin
• Backing:  Lazy Stripe in Pond from The Birds and The Bees by Tula Pink {how appropriate for a wedding gift!}
• Quilting:  Allover medium-small meandering in gray Gutermann polyester thread on Mrs.Singer, my antique 31-15 mounted on a 12-foot long quilting frame.
• Binding:  Moda Zen Gray, double fold, attached by machine.
• Value:  Warming!  The happy couple lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, where it is currently 17 degrees below zero - 62 degrees colder than here!  

Linking to:
 

Wintery Quilted Table Runner

Fun wintery quilted table runner - perfect for Christmas and beyond!

Quilt Stats:

• Fabric:  Connecting Threads Winter Collection with solid white and Moda Marble in deep navy.
• Size:  15" x 49"
• Batting:  Cotton.
• Binding:  Moda Marble in deep navy, double fold, attached by machine.
• Value:  Warming for a cold, blustery day!

For sale at Busy Hands Quilts on Etsy!

Linking to:
Crazy Mom Quilts

  

Postage-Stamp Lap Quilt Finished!

This quilt, which I began in January as part of a Quilt-A-Long over at p.s.i quilt {scroll down to the Postage Stamp Quilt Along}, has finally rolled off the quilting machine!  Mrs. Singer had a problem with thread breaking, but after a trip to the repairman and some handy work by Mr. Hearts on one of her brackets, she has been sewing again!  Yeah! 

This quilt is now quilted and bound and given as a gift.  I forgot to take a picture of her before I gave her away!  OOPS!  Hopefully I'll be able to get a picture of the quilt from the recipients.

Quilt stats:

• Size:  Twin size at approx. 60"x80".
• Quilt top fabrics:  Sip of Summer Collection from Connecting Threads and white tone-on-tone from Northcott Studio.
• Backing fabric:  Lemonade Daffodil from Sip of Summer Collection by Connecting Threads.
• Batting: Hobb's Thermore 100% polyester, ultra low loft {pure white to keep the white fabric in the quilt top looking white}
• Binding: Lemonade Daffodil from Sip of Summer Collection by Connecting Threads, double fold binding attached by machine for durability
• Pattern:  From p.s. i quilt Postage Stamp quilt-a-long
• Quilting:  All-over meandering stitch with white Cotton Essentials thread on my 1896 Singer long-arm quilting machine

Linking to:

Tuesday Archives

A Quilt For My Sister, My Friend

This Postage Stamp table runner is for another one of my sisters.  Her kitchen walls are purple, so I knew the scraps left over from this project would be just right for a quilt for her kitchen.  I plan to make her a few quilted functional hot pads out of more of these squares, also.  Functional hot pads are made with several layers of heat-resistant batting.

This sister lives 1500 miles from me, and we are enjoying some time together right now during blueberry harvest at our parents' blueberry farm.  It is hot, sweaty, back-breaking work, and we're hoping to have some time to sew some purses together before she leaves, and I'll be sure to share them with you if we do.

Linking to:
Nifty Thrifty Things
Saturday Spotlight
Homemaker By Choice
Fireflies and Jellybeans
Made By You Monday
Chic On A Shoestring
QuiltStory

1930s Reproduction Quilt Top

Another QIP.  I have followed along with a Quilt Along over at Happy Quilting.  The instructions given in the Quilt Along are extremely helpful and very detailed. 

Here are my blocks awaiting assembly and finishing.  This block is made in an unusual way, and I found it to be the funnest block I have ever made.  Also, it goes together quite quickly, and you can make a fairly large quilt in less time because the pieces are a nice size and not overly small.  I look forward to using this block to attack more of my stash.  I'm not totally sure what I am going to do with this quilt once she is done; whether she'll be for sale or not.  It measures approximately 31" x 50".

I'm linking to Quiltstory!

Postage Stamp Quilt Along Week 3

Week 3 of the Postage Stamp Quilt Along had me assembling the strip sets into blocks.  Phew, I don't think I have ever made a quilt top this size this fast!

Here are the blocks on my design wall.  Do you see the pattern?  Ha, ha, there isn't one!  As far as I know, there are only two places in the entire quilt where two of the same fabric squares are diagonal to each other.  She measures 60" x 80".

I'm on to sewing the blocks together to complete the quilt top next!

Postage Stamp Quilt Along Week 2

Week 2 of the Postage Stamp Quilt Along had me assembling strip sets.  This took a long time, because I pinned every strip before sewing rather than laying them together and hoping they would stay together correctly as they were sewed.  When pressing each seam, I lined up the outside strip with the edge of the ironing board to be sure they stayed straight when pressed.  I am very pleased with how they turned out! 

Here's how they look now.  I'm on to cutting and assembling next!

Postage Stamp Quilt Along

I'm participating in p.s. i quilt's Postage Stamp Quilt Along!  Maybe you'd like to join us in making a Postage Stamp Quilt like this.  In this quilt pattern, every other square is made of colored fabric with alternating squares of a solid fabric, like white or cream.


Below is a peek at the fabrics I will be using.  These colors don't match anything in my house, but they sure make me happy!

I purchased the colored jelly roll fabric strips during crazy Cyber Monday after Thanksgiving for a whopping $8.50!!!  And I'm keeping true to my commitment to use my stash by pulling the white fabric from my shelf.  There was a tearful farewell in the closet today as the delicious red fabrics that thought they were going to be sewn into a Double Irish Chain quilt with this white fabric said 'goodbye' to her.  It was very touching.  I understand their sorrow, really, I do.  It is not always easy to say 'goodbye' to our own plans and ideas for our lives when God has planned something different.

Why don't you stop back and see the weekly progress on my Postage Stamp Quilt!?