A Half-Year of Schnibbles

So I missed the "memo" about a Year of Schnibbles. I recently discovered these darling "little quilts" -- and even made my first one before I knew it was quite the rage among quilting bloggers.

I finished this top just before Christmas 2009.

For this quilt I went through my scrap basket and used lots of small scraps. I didn't have enough lights so did have to use a few fabrics from my FQ stash to finish all of the blocks -- but this was a great project for using the miscellaneous pieces that were piling up.

I have since bought many of the other patterns and more than my share of charm packs. So, I'm hoping to make one a month for the next several months. I haven't done much machine quilting, but these are just the right size for me to hone my skills.

Time to make another 30s quilt?

I've made two quilts with 30s reproduction fabrics. My niece was the recipient of one of them when she got married. The pic below is before it was quilted. This is the link to see the finished quilt.

I still have the other quilt, which is a sampler with both 12-inch and 6-inch blocks, and a "piano key" border.

The quilt underneath my quilt is the quilt my grandmother made for my mother when she was married in 1952. It's a scrappy double-wedding ring quilt with coral and aqua in the 4-patch units that connect the pieced melons. Of course, it's hand-quilted, but my mom can look at it and pick out fabrics that were used in clothes she wore as a child or aprons my grandmother wore. It's a true heirloom that I treasure. You can see a hint of the edge of the quilt and how my grandmother kept the scallop-y edge.

Anyway, I still have loads of 30s fabrics and a full bolt of good-quality white fabric. So, in the true spirit of stash-busting, I guess it's time to make another 30s quilt -- although there are so many new 30s prints that I haven't seen before that I might be tempted to buy a few.

Here are a few quilts I've noticed lately that will serve as inspiration to get started:

From freshcutquilts.blogspot.com

I LOVE this darling apron quilt.

From Lori Holt,  Bee In My Bonnet

 

I'm thinking this is the one I'm going to make!! From www.fabricessentials.com

 

 From www.threadbear.com.au

 From http://www.kinderhausblankets.com/ 

From Moda Bakeshop

Spinning Stars

I ran across a unique block in the Connecting Threads catalog. Their quilt is called Bedford Skies:

The block is a variable star, with a square-in-square center. I played with the block in Electric Quilt, made the center square the same color as one set of the star points, and it has a somewhat different look, which I really like. The other change I made was to use the same fabric for all of the background pieces.

This is one possible layout -- straight set with sashing as the inspiration quilt.

Then I decided to set the block on point without sashing, and ta-dah -- this is the version I'll probably make.  I'll make it scrappy except for the background. If I make it with 12-inch blocks as big as I plan, I will need to buy a background fabric because it will need about 4.25 yards. (Rats -- I'll have to go to the quilt fabric store this weekend!)  The center quilt area, without borders, measures 68" by 85".

I definitely want to figure something different for the outer border -- perhaps work in a portion of the design from the block.  If and when I figure that out, I'll post it.

Quilting during the holidays

I took off from work the week between Christmas and New Year's, and spent a lot of time in my sewing room. One of the quilt tops I made had been featured on the cover of the January/February 2009 McCall's Quilting Magazine. You can see the magazine details here.

So, I  made the quilt completely from stash and scrap fabrics -- except for the border. I probably could have made the quilt from stash, but I didn't  pay attention to the fact that the fabric yardage requirements assumed that  I would cut the final border from the length of fabric, rather than piece it from width of fabric. So, that was the only fabric I purchased new. Here is a photo of my finished quilt top. I am planning to have this one quilted for me!

Here is  a  closeup that shows the 4 borders. Although sewing borders on the quilt is my least favorite part of quilt-top-making, these borders are what make the quilt. And I had the perfect fabrics to replicate the original design. In fact, I like my fabric choices even better!

My backing fabric is from my yardage stash as well. It's a fabric I've had for several years.

It is called "American Baby" by Little Quilts, manufactured by Peter Pan Fabrics. The name doesn't sound like it will fit the style of the quilt, but there is so much gold in the quilt blocks, that I think it will be fine.  I'll probably bind the quilt with the same fabric as the final border.

Now I just need to get the backing prepared and get the quilt to the machine quilter.  I may replace the quilt I have hanging over my stairwell with this one instead, although it is a bit smaller.