Tanzania-Inspired Baby Quilt

What quilter doesn't love making baby quilts? I had so much fun making this one for my nephew and his wife. We have been obsessed with African animals since last fall, so we were thrilled that the parents-to-be chose animals as their nursery theme. Lorna McMahon of Sew Fresh Quilts launched her Elephant Parade Quilt Along at just the right time! 

You know I couldn't just follow the pattern. I had to tweak it just a little and add my own details. I pieced fewer blocks and added a cute border. 

Our memories of our Tanzanian safari were stitched into this baby quilt. There's nothing sweeter than a mama and baby elephant!

I had done all the piecing of this quilt on my vintage Featherweight. When it came time to embroider the eyes, I didn't want to switch to the Bernina, so I tried free motion embroidery on the FW. It worked! I'll show you how I did it very soon.

I went with yellow for the birds because I was already planning to use it in the border, and because we saw these cute birds everywhere.

By the way, the blue elephant below was pieced from fabric leftover from the wedding quilt. 

I simplified Lorna's flower pattern (and used orange fabric from the wedding quilt)...

... to mimic the fireball lily.

The leopard tortoise makes an appearance.

 The border print is Peek-a-Zoo by Timeless Treasures. After cutting the directional borders for the front, I didn't have enough left for the back.

 

Since I had to piece the back anyway, I figured I may as well make this a 2-sided quilt. I super-sized Lorna's adorable giraffe. One of the leaves is the label, with a space left blank for the baby's name.

 

When I saw the picture of Lorna's design, I told her it reminded me of my favorite view of giraffes on safari. They are so funny and beautiful!

Heidi is a beautiful mom-to-be. Mark is ready to go with his new burp cloths.

Great Grandma crocheted a beautiful baby blanket. Mollie is thinking, "Hey, that looks just like mine!"

 

They had a surprise for us, too! Great Grandma cut into the gender reveal cake to find she'll be 6 for 6 with girls. No great grandsons yet.

 

So there you have it. Washed in Ivory Snow, all crinkly and soft.

 

Elephant Parade

 Started 4/9/15

Completed 4/16/15

43 X 52" (after washing)

Designed by Lorna McMahon of Sew Fresh Quilts

Mark & Heidi's Wedding Ring

 It's time for the big reveal...

Last June, I invited my nephew Mark and his fiancee Heidi to a quilt design consultation party. We looked at patterns and took a field trip to the LQS. We didn't find the focus fabric we were looking for, so we jumped online and found Kate Spain's Sunnyside line. Heidi wanted blues, and Mark wanted a bit of orange (note the Syracuse hat). I happened to have a mini charm pack of Sunnyside in my stash, and we decided on the main print from that 2.5" square!

Quite a few of the other prints in the quilt are from Sunnyside, but I needed to add in more blues for the gradation. I think I traveled to five or six quilt shops until I was happy with the fabrics.

If you've visited my blog before, you know I love paper piecing. Judy Neimeyer's patterns just make me happy! I love her methodical process and perfect patterns. This was my third time making a wedding ring star and I just love it. 

It's hard for me to complete a pattern without making some modifications. This time, I designed a border to echo the curve of the rings and added some simple applique. It took some time and consultation with my friend Maria to figure out a process for adding the scalloped border with bias edging. (I love Maria! We speak the same quilting language.)

The backing fabric was Plan B. My first purchase was a white on white that was just boring. I love this more modern option. (If I find the receipt, I'll add a link to the shop.) Oh, the binding! I cut up a whole yard of fabric into 2.25" strips. Overkill. I have extra, so you'll be seeing it again! I spent a few nights on the couch watching listening to TV while I hand stitched.

I'll step back and let the machine quilting by Pat Harrison speak for itself...

The queen size bed in Pete's room is dwarfed by this massive quilt.

My brother put me in this photo for scale! The portable quilt rack is just barely big enough. We had to bring it out on the deck for photos because our ceilings aren't high enough.

Mark & Heidi's Wedding Ring

Started June 2014

Completed April 2015

Working Time: 140 hours

Size: 112" square

Machine pieced and hand appliqued by Tina Craig, Seaside Stitches

Professionally machine quilted by Pat Harrison, Ocean Waves Quilting Co.

Bali Wedding Star Pattern by Judy Neimeyer, Quiltworx

Original border design by Tina Craig

Process blog posts:

Fabric selection

Block 1 and mockup

Piecing Arcs

Progress

Melons

Piecing done

Border applique

Top done

Binding

Awards:
Ninigret Quilters, October 2015:
Best Large Pieced Quilt
NQA Certified Judges Ribbon
Vendor Choice-Bob's Featherweights

Narragansett Bay Quilters Association, April 2016:
Best of Show
1st Place Exemplary Machine Quilting- Track
1st Place Exemplary Use of Color
2nd Place Exemplary Piecing

Friday Catch Up

Has it really been two weeks since I've posted? It's easy to fall off the blogging grid when Instagram is so quick and easy. My apologies to those of you who follow along here, but not there.

I've been quite busy, stitching up a storm! I'll give you a sneaky peak of the two quilts that will be gifted tomorrow. Many more pics coming soon!

The wedding ring star for my nephew and his wife is done and it is massive!

The same couple is having a baby in July, and their baby quilt is done, too! Stay tuned for more, including a tutorial for free motion embroidery on a Featherweight.

I always like to do something extra for baby showers. This time, I made burp cloths using this tutorial on Made. I've been wanting to try them for a while, but couldn't find terry cloth that I liked. One day strolling through JoAnn's, the baby terry caught my eye. The gray chevron flannel matches the sheets on the baby registry. I strongly recommend pre-washing both fabrics as the flannel shrinks like crazy. They are super soft and cuddly. It's a good day when I remember to add my labels!

This week, I've been working on the center medallion for a guild raffle quilt. Since it was my bright idea to put a mariner's compass in the center, it was only fair that I should piece it. 

Julia was home last weekend to attend the ROTC military ball with boyfriend, Fred. She lucked out and found the dress for $19 at Marshall's. It took longer to find the shoes ($59). Not my best hemming job (somehow the lining was 1" too short) but it works. Her best friends did her hair, makeup and nails while I was at a quilt class. (FTW) They are a great couple and so happy together!

Yes, I did take that job. I will be training as a dental assistant, working two days a week. I spent way too much money at the uniform shop, but I love my fancy new scrubs. I'm going to try sneakers for a while. I'm not ready for Dansko clogs just yet. Yes, I'll probably start making my own scrub tops soon!

OK! That's all for now. It's time to get ready for a fun family weekend packed with a concert, baby shower, and first communion. Can we squeeze in a quick birding hike?

Sew Random Thursday

 Hello, Friends! I'm still here, sewing away the days. So many projects, not enough time to blog.

Let's start with the finishes. My sister texted me a few weeks ago and asked for a drawstring bag for her granddaughter's magnetic letters. Why use a plastic baggie when you can have something so much cuter! I had to use the scrabble print that I bought for "Sis" a few years ago. I used Jeni Baker's tutorial for a lined drawstring bag, and it was just perfect.

 I was able to finish another charity quilt last week, despite thread breakage issues. I have been in contact with Superior's thread techs. I'll let you know what we figure out. And I'll show you more of this quilt soon.

These three quilts are ready to be delivered to a Habitat for Humanity home dedication this Saturday. The one in the middle is my Bears in the Suburbs. The other two were pieced by other guild members. It just worked out that I quilted this whole batch.

Last week, I delivered this t-shirt quilt to a friend and Girl Scout leader. Julia and I helped her troop make this traveling quilt. They are seniors in high school, and plan to pass the quilt to each other when they go off to college in the Fall. We used up most of my remaining Girl Scout fabric stash. My friend was able to acquire donated backing and batting which brought their cost down to zero. The girls sewed the sashing around their shirts and tied the quilt. It is super cozy and fun!

There are lots of projects in progress...

The wedding quilt came home from the quilter on Monday. The binding was made on Tuesday, attached yesterday, and is being hand stitched while I watch TV at night. I was able to get one full side of this king-sized monster done last night. Stay tuned for the big reveal!

There's a baby on the way, so a quilt must be made! I'll be using Lorna's Elephant Parade pattern, but have modified it so I can add this fun print as a border. It needs to be done for the family party/shower at the end of April.

I started a stacked squares quilt for a cousin who is battling cancer. I'll get back to this one as soon as possible.

 When I'm not binding at night, I'm working on these Patchwork of the Crosses blocks. They make me happy!

Oh, and I have to hem a gown for Julia to wear to the ROTC military ball. It will be a challenge. The dress is lined and has a slit up the back. Wish me luck!

Lastly, I was offered a part-time job in a field I never imagined myself working in. I'll be making a decision next Monday, after a few hours of shadowing. It's exciting and scary and just plain weird all at the same time.

I'm off to piece some elephants. Have a great day!