Rail Fence quilt

Recently I pulled out my collection of fabrics from Africa.  I had some yardage pieces, plus the scraps that I blogged about here.  (Was that really three years ago?!)
A few of the bits have found their way into small projects such as the International Birds in this post.  But there was still a good selection and it felt like the time had come to actually USE some of these precious pieces.

After some experimenting with Electric Quilt software and a few trial blocks I decided that this 8” block would make best use of my fabrics.  Larger pieces of fabric would be featured in the rail pieces, and smaller pieces could be used in the triangles.  Solid black was used for the alternating triangles and for the small accent strip.  I found a gorgeous piece of Moda fabric for the constant fabric and borders. 

With that plan in mind I got to work and made half a dozen blocks.  I put them up on the wall – and thought, Oh no!  The word “cacophony” came to mind -- all those exuberant prints seemed to fight with one another.  I left them on the wall and went away for a while.  When I came back they seemed much happier together.  I made more, then enough for an entire quilt top.  Each time I put blocks up on the wall I wondered just what I was thinking when I planned this.  Each time I took another look and realized it DID work! 
I added borders of the constant fabric, then a narrow inset border using more of the African prints.  I used some of the smallest pieces in this 1” border, not wanting to waste anything. 


The quilt is backed with another African fabric that I had set aside thinking it might some day become a garment.  I think the quilt is much happier wearing those flowers than I would ever be!





Quilting was done with more-or-less straight, pretty close to parallel lines, about 1” (give or take a little) apart.  
Every time I try to take a picture of this quilt the wind is blowing.  Those fabrics just want to dance!

Technorati Tags: Africa fabric,Rail fence

Summer Citrus

 

 

 

I must have had oranges and lemons and limes on my mind when I pulled fabrics for this baby quilt.

 

 

A quilt had been requested that was “gender neutral” and I think I achieved that by keeping to the orange side of the reds and by emphasizing the greens in the border and binding. 

The blocks worked up quickly using two-inch strips cut from the citrus fabrics and from the crisp white used for the background.

Now I need a glass of lemonade!

Technorati Tags: baby quilt,scrappy quilt

Random Rails -- finished!

Nearly two years ago I made a quilt top that has been just sitting there, patiently waiting, ever since.  I blogged about it here.

Recently I needed a baby quilt.  I pulled out that Random Rails top and decided the colours were perfect, but the top wasn't quite big enough.  I added a couple of borders -- more random strips for the inner border and blue for the outer one.

A Bubbles pattern was perfect for the quilting and orange binding finished it off.

The result makes me very happy.  I liked the top, but I love the finished product!

Little quilts

The stack of blocks made as "leaders and enders" never seems to go down!  It is always fun to try to use some of them up, though.

I took some  9-patch blocks and some spool blocks and made them into two doll-sized quilts.

Three-inch 9-patch blocks with half-square triangles and plain blocks

Three-inch spool blocks with borders

These went together quickly  -- it is easy when the blocks are already made!  I quilted them simply and they are ready for wrapping around some beloved dolls or stuffed animal friends.