Outlined Plus

How many of my quilt peeps are doing the Outlined Plus Quilt Along with Hyacinth's Quilt Designs?

According to what's happening at #outlinedplusquilt many people have joined the fun.

It's been awesome to see everyone's choice in color. I will admit to frequently geeking out about color and analyzing colors though other people's choices.

You can see I took a very scrappy approach to this quilt sticking with an aqua/teal, plum/magenta, low volume theme. 

Still working through the camera struggle .... :(

Someday's I just want to dig out my old camera and know how it all works, like having tea with an old friend.

Although, I am really trying hard to get to know this shinny, fancy, new friend who likes expresso! Just not my style yet.

Sigh, maybe I'll just go buy fabric to find my balance.

HST Quilt Along

Over the last year my guild has been doing a half square quilt along. There are 72 different patterns in all, but I only did 29. Instead of making them 8 inches, I scaled up and did 12 inches instead. This made the quilt come together much faster.  I also went with 1 inch sashing, it worked out perfect! It might just be my new favorite sashing width. Just enough to separate the blocks but not too much that it creates too much white space. 

For fabric I used a fat quarter pack of Gypsy Caravan by Amy Butler. They are not my "typical" colors but I was drawn to the color palette as a whole. For the background I used Kona Bone. The red and blue blocks are my favorite patterns in the bunch.

Over the summer I was at a discount fabric store and spotted some of the line for this quilt. At $4.99 a yard it was going to be the backing! The quilt was originally going to be 5 by 6 blocks but I hated one of the blocks, so the front became 5 by 5, and I used the other four in the backing. It ended up working out perfectly with the yardage I already purchased. 

Check another quilt off my WIP list! Now I can bring this one into my next guild meeting to share/brag to my guild mates this quilt along is done. Next, I just need to get started on my Patchwork City blocks .... 

- Patch & Chels

1930's Sunday Stash

Is anyone else as excited about the 1930's Farmer's Wife Sew Along hosted by Gnome Angel, Marti Michell, and Fat Quarter Shop? Let's say I squealed with glee when this was posted a while back. I quickly pulled all the 1930's print I had on hand. Then purchased a few more (shhh!). All the orange, yellow, and green prints got removed as I refined my final sections.

Here is the final line up, I did keep the aqua/teal colors but removed anything that was green.  I also included some brown and neutral prints to tone down the rest of the colors. Then I found a layer cake of Storytime Prints, circa 1930, so I added them to the stash.  This layer cake included some of those cute character prints that I love so much.  It was such a great free find! 

Then I pulled this chalkboard out and painted it a mint color. I had a wooden chalkboard for my 1920's Farmer's Wife Quilt, it got passed along as the "Traveling Chalkboard" so a new mint colored chalkboard is necessary for the 1930's round. 

My copy of Farmer's Wife 1930's Sampler Quilt by Laurie Aaron Hird has arrived in the mail, and I have patently waited to start my blocks. Lets just say I am ready to take on this challenge! 

Anyone else joining in the fun?

-Patch & Chels

HST Quilt Along

Well, I finished all the Half Square Triangle (HST) blocks, all 30 of them. Then decided that I hated one of them and pulled it out. The other four are going to get pieced on the back. I also decided that I hate HST's. Wait, I already knew that. Now I just hate them more. 

After laying all the blocks out together, it needed something to break up each block. Each block is different and I wanted to showcase that no two where the same. On the inside blocks, I added the one inch sashing. The one inch sashing is quickly becoming my favorite. 

Now I am not sure how to finish the edges. So far my thoughts are a thicker border in the background color, then bind it. What do you all think?

- Patch & Chels

HST Update

This year the New Hampshire Modern Quilt Guild is hosting a Modern HST Quilt Along. Of course, because I do nothing the correct way, I made my blocks 12 inches instead of 8 inches (who has time for those tiny HST??). This project is moving along quite nicely because I settled on 30 blocks instead of the 72 some of my (crazy) guild mates signed on for!

For fabrics I picked up a fat quarter bundle of Gypsy Caravan by Amy Butler, and paired each fabric with Kona Bone. Each fat quarter makes two blocks with some extra fabric for the scrap bin or for corner-blocks in the sashing (not sure about sashing yet). So far I love the colors in this line even though it strays from my typical colors. 

Only ten more blocks to go :) 

-Patch & Chels

More HST for Quilt Along

Another update on the NHMQG HST Quilt Along. As of now I am half way done with 15 blocks completed. It's never been a secret that I despise squaring half square triangles, so I am not sure why I agreed to this quilt. Although these are not my typical colors I am loving them more and more. 

Before this picture I was thinking these blocks don't need sashing. After seeing all them all laid out, they definitely need sashing! Guess I will be changing my plans. 

-Patch & Chels

HST Quilt Along Update

The NHMQG is doing a HST Quilt along. This past weekend while at retreat I was able to get more of the blocks done. There are 6 more trimmed but I have yet found time to assemble them. 

When I first purchased this FQ pack of Amy Butler's Gypsy Caravan, I was very unsure what I would do. These are not  my typical colors so it was out of my "normal" although I love how they look with the Kona Snow and am excited to see how they all come together. 

This last block is my favorite so far of the bunch. As of now 9 done, 6 trimmed, and 15 more to go! Hopefully, another update soon when I get those other blocks together. 

-Patch & Chels 

HST Quilt Along at NHMQG

Recently, I picked up this bundle of Gypsy Caravan by Amy Butler on a ridiculous sale at Craftsy. No plans, and no strings attached. It was sitting in my sewing area as I picked my fabrics for our HST Quilt Along at NHMQG. As nothing was working I sat there and kept looking over until I made the decision, this bundle is it! Paired with a Kona Bone for the background and I was good to go :)

The whole quilt is going to made from HST so, it was easiest to get all the fat quarters and background cut into 8.5 inch blocks, as I am using the 8 HST at a time method. If you are interested it's linked here. All the squares are cut and ready to go. The first four blocks went pretty fast minus having to square every one of them!

HST are the death of me, they are so tedious.  Good thing I have a whole year to complete the rest of the quilt!

-Patch & Chels