A Couple Charity Quilts

When I first started quilting about four years ago, I made a bunch of quilt tops but never finished them. This summer I cleaned out my sewing area and found them all. Not really knowing what to do with them I decided to finish them up for charity. I bought a sheet set (on sale!!) from Target to use as backings. My Great Aunt told me she always uses a sheet for the quilt backing, so I thought I would try it out. The grey pattern worked with three of the quilt tops so it was perfect, and it quilted the same with no issues. Here are the two that I got finished. 

BLUE SAMPLER:

This quilt was a lesson in fabric quantity. I wanted to make a scrappy quilt, so I bought a ton of fabrics in green, teal, and blue. Then started making up blocks. I needed up with enough blocks to make FOUR quilts, oops. Lesson learned. I kept one, my best friend from home got another, and my cousin got the third. That left me with one more! 

I used poly batting for the first time as well (great time to try out new things) and I love how much it make the quilting pop.  Although it's much lighter in weight than I am used too. For the quilting I stippled using a slate blue thread, then put the whole thing together with a scrappy binding. 

WATERMELON QUILT: 

This quilt was made with a variety of pink and green patterns so make up with watermelonish quilt. I don't remember much about the process or the inspiration. I went with straight line stitching for the quilting in a bright pink thread, once again using the Target sheet for the back and the poly batting. The binding is a pink polka dot I had cut into 2.5 inch strips a while back and I had enough of the same color to bind the whole thing. Sometimes things just work out :) 

Both of these quilts (and a pile more) are headed over to a local charity here in Southern New Hampshire called Marguerite's Place. They help woman and children in transition. Some of the students I have taught in the past have gone through this program to get out of a bad situation and back on their feet. Anyone else have a local charity near them that is a favorite donation spot?

- Patch & Chels 

Shop Hop Sunday Stash!

Um, that was fun! Last weekend the New Hampshire Modern Quilt Guild went on our first Shop Hop. We had four shops to visit with a scavenger hunt attached. Along the way we had things to find, places to go, and types of fabric that would get us points. The teams were made of four, ours was named TEAM WARP!  There was also Team Salvage, and Team Weft. 

The four stops along way: Button Box in Wellesley, Mass., Gather Here in Cambridge, Mass., Grey's Fabric & Notions in Boston, Mass., and Quilter's Way in Acton, Mass.  Each stop had a goodie bag there waiting for our arrival with cuts of fabric and other notions. Huge thank you to all the shops that let our craziness arrive. Also, Anna at Blackbird Donuts made us extra donuts so they wouldn't run out of their popular Blueberry Maple donut. We were also required to stop at the Happy Chocolatier for ice cream. Nothing beats fabric, donuts, and chocolate! 

Between all the shops we found a park with a four person teeder todder, which we capitalized on the opportunity. There was no shortage of fun happening. We all had quite the haul by the end of the day. Here is what I came home with ... 

Pinks, Art Gallery, Cotton and Steel, Dear Stella, Alison Glass

Backing cuts: Windham, Free Spirit 

Blues, Penny Rose, Moda, Dear Stella, Windham, Andover Chambray 

Low Volume & Greys, Moda, Cloud 9, Dear Stella, Lizzy House, Wyndham, Free Spirit 

And the days notions, I am pretty excited about all these new colors of No. 8 Perle thread! I have a Block of the Month quilt that needs some hand-quilting love. I also capitalized on Grey's being a Pfaff dealer and got a new open toe free motion foot! Also included in the picture is the swag we got from the shops! 

In total I ended up with an additional 19 yards of fabric!  I guess it's time to get sewing ... 

- Patch & Chels 

Stash Bee: September

Here is the next month for the Stash Bee. Michelle requested grey backgrounds with navy or orange plus signs. This quilt is going to come out awesome! Super easy block to make with charm squares, this might need to become a quilt for me :) 

Michelle asked how we store our stash.  Mine is color coded nicely folded in an IKEA rolling cart. I don't keep a very big stash, I like to clean it out frequently and keep it fresh.  Sorry I don't have a pictures (right now it's a disaster!)

-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