Porch Swing Quilts: 2QFAL 2014

Showing posts with label 2QFAL 2014. Show all posts

01 July 2014

Fabric Tuesday: Scrumptious Kaleidoscope Pillow

Now my bed is complete. Well, almost. I need to quilt my Swoon quilt, and then it will be perfect! And I need a real bed. Like, a headboard and such. And nightstands. But at least my quilts are pretty!

Right about now, you'd expect a pretty bed shot. Not happening. The law graduate/bar studier is sleeping, and there is no way I'm waking him up for a bed photo shoot. Hope you understand.

Still, I'm happy with this little pillow.

I used the Kaleidoscope blocks from Red Pepper Quilts (free over at Craftsy).

Bound in the red bias stripe from the Scrumptious line. Happily sitting on my bed. My husband doesn't quite get the purpose of a throw pillow, other than we throw it off the bed at night. I've stopped trying to help him understand.

Question though: I'm a total throw pillow virgin, so how do I make it nice and plump throughout the pillow? Right now, the corners are kinda flat and it looks like a rectangle, even though it's not. What to do! Help a newbie out!

Linking up, and crossing off the 2QFAL list.

27 June 2014

Finish it up Friday: Lucy's Crab Shack Patchwork Weekender

I can quit any time.

No really. I just need one more of these. Or two. Or twelve. For all the vacations I don't take right now. But the law graduate is studying hard for the bar, and applying for jobs, so I just might, in the near future, get to go somewhere!

But seriously, who doesn't love the cuteness of these patchwork Weekender bags, even if I do only stay home and gaze adoringly at them?

Okay, as promised, here are my tips and tricks and links and love for the Amy Butler Weekender bag, even if I'm not such a fan of the designer.

1. Cut it all out in one sitting, if you can. Everything. Interfacing. Handles. Piping. It's the worst part of the whole thing, I promise. When that's done, have some chocolate and go to bed. I don't care if it's in the middle of the day. Go to bed. You've earned it. Also, cut your fusible fleece 1/2" smaller all around (trust me, you don't want that extra bulk in your seams!).

2. Related to #1: You will need the following for a patchwork bag just like mine:

274 2.5" squares - that's less than 2 charm packs worth! One jelly roll will make 2 bags!
Canvas duck cloth - you will be cutting out two main panels, two pocket panels and two end pockets
Fusible fleece - cut the same as the duck cloth, but 1/2" small all around
Fabric for handles, piping, top zipper panels, and bottom panel (unless you want to piece this part too, which I didn't, so you're on your own there)
Fabric for lining, false bottom, inside zippy pockets
Cording
Lots and lots of needles
More chocolate. And Dr. Pepper for me.

3. Heat n Bond. 3/8" wide X 10 yards. Just do it. You can even get it at Walmart. It makes the whole piping process that much easier. And you'll have enough for two bags!

4. Zippers - zipit is my favorite shop for zippers. Great prices. Great colors. Fast shipping. I get the 30" long double pull zippers for my Weekenders.

5. I cut my handles a bit longer than Amy tells you to. Mine are 5" wide by 60" long. I like it to fit over my shoulder.

6. The patchwork pieces: the main panels are 8X9, the large pockets are 5X9, and the small pockets are 4X5. Remember, these are 2.5" squares.

6. The quilting: Set your stitch length to 3.5ish. I like the look of this one. UPDATE: I've started using Isacord Polyester thread for my quilting, topstitching, and then when I piece the outer bag. Skipped stitches were plaguing me, and I tried EVERYTHING! Needle changes, hammering the thickness (no joke!). This was the only thing that worked.

7. Piping foot. I got my set off e-bay, because my machine needs high shank feet. I love this little box o' piping and zipper feet. Figure out what you need and get it. The closer you can get, the tighter your seam next to the piping.

8. Here's me, making the piping using the Heat n Bond. Gorgeous stuff, that Heat n Bond.

8. If you haven't heard this before GO SLOW! Take your time. I go around the whole bag a few times, just in case I skip a stitch or something. It's okay.

9. Okay, I'm going to disagree with Amy on her pattern. She has you sew the lining with a 1" seam allowance (the outer bag is 1/2"). Trouble is, it doesn't fit very well. Just a smidge too small. I've found 3/4" is a pretty happy medium. Just my two cents.

9. Inside zippy pockets: this is my favorite tutorial for these.

10. I topstitch my lining to the outer bag at the zipper seam. I still handstitch the lining to the outer bag and the seams (the piping covers it all up), but I like the sturdiness I get from doing that bit of machine stitching.

11. After that, I handstitch the lining at the inside seams underneath the piping so it really doesn't show. Get comfy, pick some favorite TV shows (Bobby Flay's Throwdown, and some Pioneer Woman for me!). I tried desperately to get a picture, but darn it, my stitching was just so great, you couldn't see it through the camera! :)

12. Last of all: your false bottom piece. If you're lucky like me, and you've got a husband with bizarre hobbies, this stuff is out in the garage and you just need to find a razor blade (yeah right) and cut your piece. If not, pick some up at Joann's, or even Home Depot. It's the pretty thick, sturdy template plastic. It really helps the bag hold it's shape.

Linking up at Crazy Mom Quilts, and Confessions of a Fabric Addict. And probably Fabric Tuesday next week. Because I'm pretty much in love with this bag. Now I just need a vacation. Does a camping trip 45 minutes away count?

Cross this little lady off the 2QFAL list. Because I can refer to a bag as a little lady if I want to.

Also, a public service announcement. If you read my blog, and leave me comments, I will reply to you. Even if it's just a "Hey thanks, have a great weekend," I will respond. UNLESS you are a no-reply blogger and don't leave an e-mail. And it makes me so sad that I can't reply to you!

So if you haven't heard from me, EVER, guess what! You're a no-reply blogger and I can't send you a message. And you can't win any prizes, which is awful! So check it out, and fix it!

20 June 2014

Finish it up Friday: Delft Blue Dutch Pinwheels

This was, quite possibly, my oldest WIP.

Started it in Seattle. That was over 3 years ago.

Methinks I'll be donating this one to Mitchell's Journey. I'm a follower on Facebook, and the sweet, tender words of this heartbroken father are always amazing reminders of what should really matter, especially to me. So anything I can do to lift a burden, I'm going to try to do.

By the way, let's talk labels.

I want some custom ones. Anyone else had some made? I like the ones that look like library cards personally. I wish I was talented enough to create one. Grrrr. Any ideas?

Linking up - crazymomquilts has a stunning machine quilting sampler quilt today. Go check it out!

And checking it off the 2QFAL list.

13 June 2014

Friday Finish: Strawberry Fields Shortcake quilt

I'm becoming a giver of quilts, y'all!

I've done one for a nephew, one for an aunt, several for my kids, two for my husband, one for some great friends, and another two for some more great friends.

And now this one is for my cousin (normally I'd say pardon the middle of the day shots, but I wanted you to see the quilting because I'm kinda proud of most of those strawberries - the turnips, not so much!).

Growing up, we didn't live close to each other, and I wish we had. This cousin of mine is a kindred spirit, I have no doubt. She's smart, funny, a great mom, and a good friend. Oh how I wish we'd had Facebook back then.

Still, she's a good Facebook buddy and I wanted to make her a quilt. Turns out, some of her favorite colors are in the Fig Tree Strawberry Fields line. And I happened to have made a quilt out of this line.

I quilted it allover with some loopy swirls and strawberries and big flowers. Easy and fun. Had to search for something just right to bind it with. Which ended up being a boring solid, but it works and I'm happy with it.

All done, and packed in a box as a belated birthday gift.

Checking this baby off the 2QFAL list. I'm hoping to get at least one more done in June. My list, as always, will be long again in the 3Q, but I'm trying to get the smaller projects done: my chair (funny, that this is a "small" project), my daughter's pillow, my Lucy's Crab Shack Weekender. Get a few flimsies pieced to add to the pile. And just enjoy summer. Because that's what you're supposed to do. Oh, and pray the husband passes the bar and gets a job close to any one of you!

Linking up @ crazymomquilts, who has added the divided basket to my endless "I want to make that" list. But since it's summer and I'm focusing on smaller projects, maybe I'll actually get one done!

23 May 2014

Friday Finish: Truly Scrumptious

I hated that movie, by the way. Sorry if you loved it. But that song gets stuck in my head every time I make anything with this fabric.

But I still love these pinwheel shams. Boy were they a pain to quilt. Those bulky centers! I really need to learn how to do those really cool swirled backs.

I backed them in the orange paisley because, well, I can. Love this orange too.

Checking this off the 2QFAL list. I'm not making a lot of progress, but some is better than nothing!

Linking up!

16 May 2014

Friday Finish, episode 1: The Scrumptious Trip

If happy girls are the prettiest, than this quilt is a happy girl. Because she is some kind of gorgeous.

I know, you're thinking, "Wow, Jen, brag much?" But I'll be the first to tell you I have the cutest kids, the smartest husband and the best friends,and I love this quilt almost as much as I love my kids, husband and friends. She makes me happy. Not nearly as much as my little peanuts, but pretty happy.

Bound in the awesome red bias stripe. Ready for my bed, to join the pillowcases and shams and throw pillow I've made. My bed is actually going to match. Intentionally. For the first time in 13 years! It's a miracle!

Good thing the law student 1) is studying for the bar and perhaps won't notice the bedroom linen coup I just completed and 2) doesn't really care what the quilt looks like as long as it's warm and he can hog most of it.

Linking up! And I think I'll enter her in the Blogger's Quilt Festival. There's no big lesson, or deep meaning in this quilt. I made it on my much needed retreat this winter.

I did have to do some finangling to make eight extra blocks, but no biggie. The challenge came when I quilted it the first time. Serious tension issues, and it was on my birthday. Miserable me! So I picked it all out, had to replace a few blocks, and all was well! I quilted it on my sis-in-law's longarm in an allover, loopy with some big flowers. No tension issues! Hooray.

As this quilt is 384" around (96X96), I'd say she qualifies for the Large Quilt category. Join in the fun. Vote. Pick me! I never win these things, but it's okay. It's fun to find more inspiration for more beautiful quilts.

Oh, and crossing this one off the 2QFAL list. One down, eleventy billion to go!

08 April 2014

Make a BIG List Tuesday: 2QFAL

In the off-chance that I score some serious quilting time, I figured I'd better put it all on the list. Especially the finished flimsies. I've negotiated a trade with the law student. He takes one Saturday a month for a three-gun shoot, so I figured I'd ask for an equal amount of quilting time (not necessarily on a Saturday). Sounds great, right?

And so, I give you the monster, mother of a list! In alphabetical order, no less. I know. Be impressed.

Alpine Wonderland – READY TO QUILT