Hello, Bear Toddler Quilt Flimsy

The quilt flimsy for my great-great nephew is complete - now all I have to do is decide on backing and binding!

The Hello, Bear fabric line by Art Gallery is just adorable.

I added sashing in coordinating fabrics, and this gray and cream checked French Farmhouse by Andover Fabrics made a nice neutral contrast. Sadly I can't find any more of it!

Jack is always in on quilting decisions.

Moorland Blanket CAL 2017

Instagram is going to be the source of bankruptcy for us. I see many creative ideas and opportunities to purchase patterns, fabrics, and most recently - yarn! One of the quilters I follow is also a crocheter, and she had purchased yarns for a Crochet-Along with Lucy who blogs at Attic24. Lucy is a crocheter from the UK who features gorgeous photos of crochet projects as well as scenery from one of my favorite places - the Yorkshire Dales.

(Attic24 photos)

She created a pattern with yarns reflective of the colors of a summer moorland vista. The yarns she chose for the project were available as a set for purchase at Wool Warehouse in the UK. They were reasonably priced even with shipping, and I loved all the colors so I ordered them. They arrived in incredibly fast time!

Jack can't wait to get at the skeins and play with them!

The yarns are soft and supple, and the colors are gorgeous! The ripply pattern looks pretty simple using double, half-triple, and triple crochet stitches. In spite of having at least two quilting projects in the works, I want to maintain my connection to crochet, and the CAL seemed like a good incentive. The tutorial is available here. The CAL is featured every Friday on Lucy's blog. I am already two weeks behind, but I have good excuses (LIFE!) and I'm not pushing myself.

Bits and Pieces, Soup, Stranger Things, and Life

I am finally cutting into the Hello, Bear by Bonnie Christine for Art Gallery Fabrics that I purchased for a baby quilt for my great-great nephew (I think that's right). The fact that he is 3 should tell you what a procrastinator I am. I am hoping that he is still young enough to enjoy the forest-y nature of the quilt!

Last month I bought myself a new acrylic ruler. I started my quilting life in 2010 with a Big Daddy (24-inch) and Big Mama (12-inch) both by Trudie Hughes. I loved them but had noticed lately there was a bit of a warp to the larger one, and I wanted one that wouldn't slip on the fabric, so I purchased an Olfa frosted ruler. I love it! It stays put beautifully when I cut fabric, and I like the frosted feature - it seems to help me see what I'm cutting a little better. I've already ordered the 12-inch size as well, to replace my old one.

In a strange turn of events, my husband, who has never wanted to eat broccoli or cauliflower, tried them both raw in a salad at a cafeteria and now wants us to make those salads at home. Finally I get to make my sister-in-law's recipe that I have had so many years! While my husband is out of town I made Closet Cooking's Roasted Cauliflower Mushroom Soup. It was delicious and I will definitely try this on my husband to see if he likes cooked cauliflower!

While we have had many blessings the last two years - love, family, a new granddaughter, good health, stray kitties, a move to a beautiful 5 acres in a national forest - an ongoing distressing situation will finally get some resolution, and it looks like 2017 is going to be a much better year for us. Joy is on its way back into our lives!

First Finish of 2017 - A Baby Quilt

I made this for a friend's baby, who was born on December 27. I finished it last night, so I'm only a little bit late!

I only had this photo of their nursery to go by, so I pulled prints and auditioned them on my design board with my iPhone held next to them. I was able to find everything I needed in my stash.

I decided I wanted a truly improvisational quilt, so I simply started cutting blocks and fitting them together like a puzzle. It was not as easy as I thought it would be, but I enjoyed the process. To give it a little bit of uniformity I added a row of blocks in the middle.

I utilized some fabrics I've hoarded for ages - Patio Lights from Flight Patterns Collection by Tamara Kate for Michael Miller and part of a panel of I Heart You by Moon Cookie Gallery for In The Beginning

I had enough of Patio Lights for the backing.

Last night I added a low-volume border of black dots on white, an aqua binding, and a label.

I'm very happy that I now have a fence and pretty scenery for photos!

QUILT STATS:
Size:
42 x 32

Fabrics used:
Patio Lights from Flight Patterns Collection by Tamara Kate for Michael Miller
I Heart You by Moon Cookie Gallery for In The Beginning
Kona Solids
Gooseberry by Lella Boutique for Moda
Downton Abbey Lady Rose Collection for Andover
Ebony Pinhead by Michael Miller

Thread:
So Fine by Superior Threads #50 Genoa Gray
Purple embroidery thread

Things I Learned:
Improvisational piecing