Double Trouble: Baby Boy Quilt Finishes

 

The best things come in pairs right? Quilts are no different and I seriously was not joking last Sunday when I proclaimed that I was in a super productive phase right now! So I'm going to post lots of photos here - just because I actually got a sunny morning to take pics and took loads, all of which I love! I'm really pleased with these two. **If you're looking for the ticket giveway for the Knitting and Stitching show Dublin, it's here**

First up - the Frogs and Snails quilt is done! This one was made for my MIL and is a gift to my husband's cousin who has a new arrival and I love the freshness and crispness of the triangles. I decided to free motion quilt it rather than quilt the diagonal lines and love the effect.

I had some tension issues on the back (and had to rip back about 1/3 of the quilting, eek!) but got them sorted by actaully adjusting the tension successfully (a major achievement for me, I am usually a "don't touch the manufacturer's standard tension" kinda girl) and flew through it.

I used a very soft blue and white gingham on the back and love how the quilting pattern shows up on it.

I found this little hearts fabric in my local store - its a really lightweight cotton and perfect for binding, I'm really pleased with it.

All in all a successful make.

Quilt Stats:

Name: Frogs and Snails baby quilt
Made For: Baby J, a new arrival in our extended family
Fabric: A wide variety from my stash - mostly from my scrap basket. Including Riley Blake's Hooty Hoot, Wheels, All Star 2, Saffron Craig Beetle Bugs, Moda Just Wing It, Ann Kelle's Urban Zoologie Owls and Whales, and Ready Set Go, and lots more!
Batting: Warm and White
Measures: 37" x 46" approx
Quilting: Meandering stipple by me
Pattern: Simple half square triangle design

Next up, the Autumn Baby quilt. This is one my friend A asked me to make some time ago and she was pretty clear on the colours she wanted - greens, browns and oranges. I have had this quilt in my list for a few months now, but wanted to wait till we hit autumn to make it - those colours being so seasonal and autumnal and perfect for a new baby arriving this time of year. I really was inspired by the falling leaves in the countryside around me and when baby F arrived a little earlier than I had expected last week, I was ready! And delighted, as originally I had planned it to be a gender neutral quilt but now I had a great opportunity to use some complimentary boy fabrics I had. I cut my fabric, did the layout and ran up the quilt top in the 2.5 hours I had free on Wednesday morning when E was in playschool. I basted it very quickly and last night I was just in zone and got it quilted completely (plus finished the Frogs and Snails one). The binding went on this morning (you know I love a machine bound quilt!) and I rushed out to get the pictures in the October sunlight, seeing as how it was the first sun we have seen for about 2 months here. So, like its friend above, its not all crinkly after washing and drying but its on its way to that right now :-)

I stuck to a simple 6" square design to let the fabric do the talking. This quilt came mostly from my stash too - there are some really precious fabrics in there - my 1001 peeps, the Spring Street, the Ann Kelle cars, my prized Saffron Craig Beetle Bugs and my last big pieces of Michael Millers Hedgehogs. I really love the interaction of the colours and how autumnal and natural it all looks.

I free motion quilted this one too with Gutterman cotton thread - the 919 colour which is a natural, ivory type shade. At first I wasn't sure about it over brown blocks but as I went on, it really grew on me.

I backed in it a piece of Amy Butler fabric from the Love range called Bali Gate. Not only was the colour perfect for what I wanted, but the feel of the pattern had that lovely natural, slightly bohemian type of feel to it that complimented the front. I appliqued  on the baby's name in some of the leftover brown fabric - and handstitched to secure. The handstitching gave a bit of texture around the edges of the letters, giving them a slightly "distressed" look which I like.

(For the curious, that's an Irish name pronounced Fee-un-awn -the Fee is a very short sound, emphasis on the last syllable!)

The binding is another lightweight cotton from my local store in a tan colour - not a colour I'd normally go for, but I wanted a neutral and a darker brown would have been too heavy against the rest of the quilt and overpowered it. I wasn't sure about this one till I put it on but am really loving it now.

So this one has been washed and is drying now, ready to be parcelled up and posted off to A in Germany tomorrow.

Quilt Stats:

Name: Autumn Baby quilt
Made For: My friend A
Fabric: As above - a total mix!
Batting: Warm and White
Size: 36" x 48"
Quilting: Free Motion quilting
Pattern: Simple squares

So, there you go. Two quilts in two weeks. And I'm working on a third, plus the Christmas table runner, no wonder I can't figure out where the weeks are going ;-)  Don't they look all squashy and lovely together on the chair?

I also did get to my Drop Art FMQ practice for Cindy but just couldn't get to post it over the weekend, with laptop trouble. So I'll save it and post it with next week's. Plus, I'm sorry I've been a bit flaky about visiting blogs, commenting and replying to comments the last couple of weeks - I'm spending so much time staring at a screen in work these days I'm finding it hard to turn on the laptop in the evenings, particularly when its being so temperamental. And I've been trying to clear the decks a bit sewing wise, and when I'm online, I'm not sewing! But another week or so and that should improve! And lastly, by popular request, I'll be starting up a Winter Sewing plan & linky in the next 2 weeks so get started thinking about what's on your lists and start preparing your posts :-)

So, having 2 quilt finishes, you can be sure I am going to be doing some serious linking up this week. Watch out for me hanging out with some really talented ladies over at Sew Modern Monday, Manic Monday, Fabric Tuesday, (buttons all here) and also I'm entering my Autumn Baby quilt in Celebrating Colour over at Stitched in Colour: