A Re-Do

Despite the hours spent in making a new nativity quilt sample and pattern, I was not happy with the outcome. My fabric choices were too busy and the tones were not working well together. A little voice kept telling me to make another one and do a better job. So I asked a bigger voice and my hubby told me to make another one and do a better job (love that guy).

Actually, it was a bonus because I tried something new for me... using fusible that can be put through the printer and it worked so well that I am re-doing all the pattern instructions to include that option for those who want to avoid tedious tracing. 

Here is the outcome. The color is a bit off, but I will use a better camera for the final 'portrait' for Etsy. It is small but can be made any size and with a vast assortment of fabrics, such as using an ombre for the whole sky instead of smaller pieces. Of course the background fabric can be light, dark, or whatever works with the fabrics chosen. The pattern will include coloring sheets and a few ideas to make it unique to whoever makes it!

Now to get the pattern ready and put it on my Etsy page. I've lots on my plate right now and am hoping to get this task finished soon.

Yellow DONE!

This yellow improv is finished. I still have a few yellow scraps left even though the entire quilt, border and binding (but not the backing) was made from a tiny scrap bin. Amazing. 

This is the quilting on it (see previous two posts for more pictures). I used a panto with butterflies and it went perfectly with the gal who will be receiving this. The binding was hand-done, mostly because I sit with hubby to watch hockey games and hand-sewing keeps me from wanting to be doing something more productive. 

The photo was taken in low daylight and is not very yellow. Here is an earlier one of the bits and pieces that were slapped on my design wall weeks ago. It shows the color better -- except the blue. The one above gets it almost perfectly. I should take a photography course and find out what makes cameras and colors so unpredictable!!

I've also nearly finished a top in all reds. It worried me, but I am excited at the way it turned out so far. The borders go on next and I will post a photo.

Also, not happy with the second nativity quilt so am making another sample. It will go on my Etsy page. Theory: If I don't like it, my customers probably won't either. Photos coming soon. In the meantime, happy quilting...

And a joyous EASTER! 

Found wide backing...

 After searching dozens on online stores and finding nothing or "Sold Out" on the wide backings that appealed to me for my yellow scrap quilt (previous post) I went to a local fabric discount store and found wide backing, well, 108" for one and 60" for another, and also a piece of batik that I would have used but enough piecing already!

Here are the three. The top one is already on my longarm hence the funny shadow. I had to turn my camera upsidedown and hold it underneath to get the photo. The yellow works with the top and the oranges work with accents in the top. The gal who is getting this wanted "nature" in it, so flowers and butterflies seem a good choice. Yeah!

The second one was too funky to pass up. It is 108" wide and there was 4 meters left on the bolt so I bought it all. It will work on several things in my think tank. The background is white, don't know why it looks pink in this photo.

The last one is only normal width.  I just love it and wanted to show it to you. I've no plans, but my yellow and orange yellow stash is still here (the yellow quilt used scraps only) so it may wind up in another project... cheerful after a long winter! Please excuse the shadow of my arm across the middle! Never noticed it until it was uploaded here.

There is one store in our province that specializes in wide backings (no yellows/florals though) and one store in North Carolina that sells backings only called Backside Fabrics, but they didn't have one that worked for this quilt either. I did buy one for another quilt but with postage and customs (fabric was over $30 so Canadian customs hit me this time), it was very expensive.  The quilt is for our much-loved grandson and his wife, so don't mind spending the money.

My first totally improv quilt

This top is finished. It will go on the longarm in a day or two. I just love this one. The entire quilt is made from scraps that were in my scrap bins, finding a few other colors to spice it up. I love the shots of blue (not as dark as the photo, more of a teal) and the bits of orange and green. I pulled out a few yellow fat quarters but didn't use any of them. Even the binding is already cut from scraps and will be mostly the darker pieces in the quilt. The backing will likely be one that I bought on sale, but I may go find something more 'golden' to have the same warmth as the front. I'll use a panto with swirls and hearts to finish it off. This will go to a young woman who asked for a yellow quilt.

It is starting to feel like spring. Our parking area for visitors is ice with water on top and the birds are flitting around the yard. The air smells fresh, like it just rained. And I am finally rid of that 'covid' haircut (or lack thereof) and feel like a new person!

Still at it...

 I'm still not finished the yellow improv scrap quilt . . . but getting there. 

Just have a new pic of those wonderful orchids that our son gave me. Now there are 18 blooms on it and all are perfect. Such a delight to watch them come out! 

We are getting warmer weather, much welcome after a week or so of -40 with wind. The melting makes walking from our door out of the complex quite dangerous though. I'd like to go but need cleats!

Finally it is quilted and bound!

 This queen-size is make entirely of scraps from my stash, except for the black sashing and borders. I had to purchase that, but had some backing that worked and batting. Feels good to get this one done. I tend to procrastinate on the larger quilts because they are physically not much fun to man-handle into place on the longarm. This one was easy to keep square. It is about 76 x 94, not too huge.

The pantograph is called Featheration by Golden Threads. It is perfect for a bed quilt, not too dense and so pretty. I'm glad to have this one done. It seemed to take me forever to just get at it! 

Btw, all is well with our health. We are so busy with to-do stuff that it cannot catch us! LOL.

 

Sample nearly done

This is my sample for the next pattern that will go on Etsy -- as soon as the pattern is written. There is more quilting to do in the V-shape at the bottom and the light was awful when taking this picture. Hopefully good daylight will show it off better. The fabrics look much nicer in real life.

The pattern will be fun for creative people as I've included various color schemes to spark unique ways to make this one. Besides that, it lends itself well to embelishments such as beads, lace, crazy patterned fabric and so on. I rather like this dark version, more of a Silent Night feel, but since it is not realistic but stylized, it can have sky fabric or an ombre for the sky or palm trees instead of no-name trees. Also, light in the windows, etc.

Just one color option of several

I made a few mistakes in the sample and will just point out one of them... Joseph is leaning backwards. This will be noted as a "watch out that you don't do it too" in the pattern.