Playing with Made-Fabric

        While I am trying to decide what type of border to add next to my hexagon quilt,

   I spent time playing with made-fabric for another quilt border. 

Thinking that I wanted to create some free-formed nine patches, first I made-fabric by sewing together neutral strips of various widths.

Then I cut out 10.5” squares and layered them with whole 10.5” squares. Next I sliced twice, shuffled and sewed them back together.

Next I stacked and sliced again. 

Then shuffled and sewed.  I trimmed these to 6.5” squares.

I sewed together pieces that had been trimmed off to create more squares.

Here is the border on the top. 

      The center star was made using a technique called “fast-and-easy made-fabric” from Victoria Findlay Wolfe’s book 15 Minutes of Play: Improvisational Quilts on page 44. 

This top is about 48" by 54" so it is a good size for small lap or baby quilt and not too large for a wall-hanging.  

Hope you find 15 minutes or more to play with fabric. 

Update on Projects

     As the holiday season begins with Thanksgiving this week and Christmas close behind, I am distracted by events and my work on quilting projects may be more erratic.  I took the time to finish piecing another child’s comfort quilt top.  It used all scraps.  Some irregular, some standard size cuts like 3 ½ squares and 2 ½” strips. I just sewed what I knew would make a 12” finished block.

 I actually have 4 more squares left which will be the start of another top. 

    I also enjoyed some time working on my made-fabric hexagon top. ( Check out the work of Victoria Findlay Wolfe.) I added a breaker border, round of made-fabric flying geese and another breaker border.  I want this quilt to be full or queen size so it needs a couple more rounds.  I am still searching or considering what new technique to try for the next round. 

     Friday after Thanksgiving is the special day if you are looking forward to seeing how Bonnie Hunter’s mystery quilt for this year will start.  I hope to find a few minutes to sew or quilt each day even if I don’t find time to post. 

Enjoy a wonderful day of Thanksgiving!

“Pennant Love” Quilt

     Today was very cold so it was the perfect day to stay inside and sew and quilt all day.  I just need to add the binding and my lap size class sample of “Pennant Love” will be complete.

This will be a 4 day class in February for JoAnn Fabrics.  I wanted to quilt with the walking foot since the class is mostly for beginners.   Marking the design for quilting was helpful. It did not take long. 

    I also finished piecing a child’s comfort quilt top. 

A while back Bonnie Hunter was making similar ones on Quilt Cam (July 30,2014) - the link also has  the video.  She called hers “Carolina Chain”.  I pieced light and dark 6” finished blocks using 2 ½” squares and 2 ½ by 4 ½” rectangles.

  I really like the on-point setting and these are great easy blocks for using scraps. I have a collection of pieces cut up into 2 ½” squares and 2 ½ by 4 ½” rectangles so this block was perfect.