KatyQuilts

Design Wall Monday

Posted on April 7, 2014 by katyquilts

This is what is on my design wall today:

Not a finished product by any means. I had the cross blocks left over from the cross quilt and I am toying with the idea of adding a either these or some other blocks to break up the design a bit. What do you think?

I didn’t sew much on Sunday, spent it with the family instead. I did make some hexie progress.

Daughter #1 loved the crib sheet and bumper pads I made for Baby Q.>

Because of the way the crib is made, I couldn’t use traditional ties to attach the bumper pads. I like this look better anyway and she does too! I know what I want to do for the crib quilt also, just need to get to work!

I am linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times for DWM and Marelize at Stitch by Stitch for Anything Goes Monday.

Posted in Design Wall Monday, Fresh Modern Quilts, Uncategorized | 9 Comments

Sunday Stitches

Posted on April 5, 2014 by katyquilts

I hope you all had a great day yesterday. I sure did! I did a bit of sewing and a little shopping with Mr. Wonderful and Daughter #3. It was so nice just to be together.

This is what I hope to work on today, a little fast stitching and a little slow stitching.

I got all the blocks made for the Noteworthy quilt yesterday.

I would really love to get that top together and in the frame by Monday but church and family are my priorities on Sundays. I also hope to spend a little time reading this new book that just came in the mail:

I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!

I am linking up with Kathy Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Ps. 34:8

Posted in Civil War Repro Quilts, Fresh Modern Quilts, Hand piecing, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

A New Project

Posted on April 5, 2014 by katyquilts

I have a cousin getting married at the end of May and I decided to make a nap quilt for a wedding gift. I had plenty of Noteworthy by Sweetwater left over from the cross quilt I made for my friend in January and some of the leftover cut pieces would be perfect.

The piecing is going pretty quickly.

I also washed the little triangle quilt I made from vintage fabrics. This time I used a couple drops of Dawn dish detergent. The first picture below is the “Before” and the second one is “After.”

Not much difference here. I may do another quick wash with the Restoration product just to see what will happen. I love experiments!

And lastly, while working in the sewing room this week, I watched this series that I think first came out on PBS:

I have been enjoying it. I was able to get a copy to watch from the library. They have an interesting discussion regarding the Gee’s Bend quilts.

It is supposed to be a lovely day here today so hopefully I can get some good pictures of my finished shirtings quilt to share.

Posted in Doll Quilts, Fresh Modern Quilts, Uncategorized, Vintage Fabrics | 2 Comments

Finish it up Friday

Posted on April 4, 2014 by katyquilts

I had three small finishes and one big one this week. My bigger finish is the shirting quilt I was working on but since the weather is so nasty, I don’t have pictures yet. I finished two more small quilts with my vintage scraps in addition to the April SQT challenge quilt I showed yesterday.

Remember the tiny triangles I showed you?

I used them!

I even hand quilted it! It finished up at 6″ by 7″. I turned the backing to the front and stitched it down for a self binding.
I had planned to make all my SQT challenge quilts this year from vintage fabrics but when March came along, I forgot! So I made another one this week.

This one measures about 9″ square. I am going to just rinse this one in cool water and see what happens.

Thanks for all the comments on the little quilt I showed yesterday! Someone asked where I get vintage scraps. I have purchased some on eBay, some at antique shops and garage sales. Some bits came from very damaged quilt blocks or tops. Most of the really old stuff I would not use in anything bigger than a wall or doll quilt. They are just too fragile. The early dyes often caused deterioration in the fabrics themselves. By the turn of the last century, they had made many improvements. 1930s fabrics are generally sturdy enough to use in a quilt that will be used and washed.

I am linking up with:

Amanda at Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday

Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I get a Whoop Whoop!

Richard and Tanya for Link a Finish Friday

QuokkaQuilts for TGIFF

Posted in Doll Quilts, Finishes, Uncategorized, Vintage Fabrics | 11 Comments

Working with Vintage Fabrics

Posted on April 3, 2014 by katyquilts

I love vintage fabrics and have collected bits and pieces for years. I enjoy making small quilts out of treasured bits. But they can be a challenge to use and you just never know how things will turn out. I just finished this little quilt for the SQT challenge.

I used all vintage fabrics even though some had discolorations. I decided when I finished, I would give it a quick, gentle wash in this:

I have used this product many times to remove age related stains from vintage textiles and am very satisfied with it. However, old fabrics can misbehave like a toddler. Here is the same little quilt after a quick hand wash.

Pretty amazing, huh? Here is a close up of the change in the border fabric.

I knew there were risks when I made and washed this. And I am not at all unhappy with how it turned out. In fact, it looks even more like an antique now! Please understand, I am not at all unhappy with the product, this is just the nature of the beast when working with vintage textiles. These fabrics are probably late 1800s so they are truly old!

I am glad I took before and after pics just so you could see what can happen.

I am linking up with Kelly at My Quilt a Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday and Gemma at Pretty Bobbins for I Quilt.

Posted in Doll Quilts, Finishes, Uncategorized, Vintage Quilts | 10 Comments

Work in progress Wednesday

Posted on April 1, 2014 by katyquilts

I have a couple works in progress right now. First, the quilting on my shirtings quilt.

I also started working on this months SQT challenge. By the way, SQT stands for the Small Quilt Talk group on Yahoo. I amusing vintage fabrics. The blocks will finish at 4 inches.

While pulling fabric for this, I found some tiny half square triangles I had saved. How small is too small?

These measure about 3/4 of an inch unfinished!

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday.

Posted in Free Motion Quilting, Fresh Modern Quilts, Uncategorized | 12 Comments

FAL 2014 and March/April Goals

Posted on April 1, 2014 by katyquilts

Today the link ups are starting for the Finish A Long 2014 over at The Littlest Thistle. So if you signed up, don’t forget to add your links! There are some great prizes out there for finishes. I originally had 5 things on my list to finish this quarter. I finished a lot more than that but for me this was about finishing some long standing UFOs. Here is my original post.

I made my March list fairly short, knowing I would spend half the month in Arizona. Here is the list:

1. Compete the March challenge quilt for the SQT group. Done! Finished the binding on the way to Arizona!

2. Complete a QOV for the HMQS Quilting Treasures challenge. Done and mailed out last Friday.

3. Make crib skirt, bumper pads, crib sheets, and quilt for baby Q’s baby shower. The crib skirt, bumper pads, and sheet are done. Now to make a quilt to match.

4. Finish the last 20 Album blocks. I think I made 5 this month and am plenty bored with them!

April goals:

1. Baby quilt to match the rest of the bedding.

2. Finish shirting quilt.

3. SQT Challenge quilt.

4. Make 3 presentation cases for QOVs and label all three.

5. Finish the album blocks.

6. Remake the March SQT challenge quilt in vintage fabrics.

I also need to set my Quarter 2 FAL Goals. These will again be long standing UFOs that need to get done. Hmmmm….the album quilt might find a spot here!
Linking up with Lily for Fresh Sewing Day.

Posted in FAL 2014, Goals | 4 Comments

Shirting quilt and Sewing for Baby Q

Posted on April 1, 2014 by katyquilts

I got the top of my shirting quilt done last night.

It didn’t change too much from the layout I was working with over the weekend.

I even got it loaded into the frame and hope to start quilting before work today.

I finished the bumper pads and also made a sheet for Baby Q. Now I can start the fun part, making a quilt to match the rest of the bedding! I will post a picture when it is all on the crib.

It was a beautiful day out and I was able to hang my sheets and towels out on the clothesline. I love that!

I am linking up with Connie at Free Motion by the River for Linky Tuesday and Quilt Story for Fabric Tuesday.

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Design Wall Monday

Posted on March 31, 2014 by katyquilts

I am happy to say I got some sewing time in this weekend! I have been playing a bit with my shirting pieces and they are on the design wall today.

Still not sure yet about this arrangement.

I also made some baby bibs for Baby L. Here is one:

I actually turned a few of the burp cloths I made into bibs using a knit ribbing for the neckline.

I got the crib skirt made for Baby Q and started the rest of the bedding.

This will be bumper pads. I forgot to take pics of the crib skirt before I took it over to my daughters house. I will also make sheets and another quilt.

I pulled this vintage top out yesterday. I am trying to decide how I will quilt it.

So much to do, so little time!

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times for DWM and Marelize at Stitch by Stitch for Anything Goes Monday.

Posted in Crafty Things, Design Wall Monday, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Sunday

Posted on March 30, 2014 by katyquilts

Remember these?

They turned into this:

Which turned into this:

I took some pictures at an angle so hopefully the quilting will show. Even though this only measures 22″ square, I still quilted it with the long arm. Sometimes it is nice to sneak in a quick little project that can be finished quickly.