First Completed Quilt of 2023

In my December 29 post, I stated I had completed four quilt tops that I had not yet made backs for or gotten them quilted.  As of the end of January, I had two more.  So, after recovering from COVID, earlier this month, I was feeling somewhat overwhelmed.  Where to begin?  I have started on that pile of six quilt "tops".  I made four quilt backs in one day, but I cannot remember what day that was.  I connected with my long-arm quilter and delivered two of them to her.  I quilted one myself, and the other is waiting for me to handle the batting part.  

This is my alligator baby quilt, my first completed quilt of 2023.  Yesterday, A came over and we quilted/sewed for a few hours.  Here is what she said about the alligator quilt:  Oh, these are cute little alligators with hearts,  . . . and the mean alligators are in the center.  Mean alligators?  I guess the ones in the middle of the quilt are not as adorable as the ones in the outside borders.  The outside border alligators, my daughter got for me when she was present at a sewing festival in Luxembourg, a few a years ago.  I am serious about using the fabrics I already have.

Dani Jo's Baby Quilt

I completed the baby quilt for Dani Jo, who is just over three week old.  Her mom, Tammy, is bringing her for a visit sometime this week and I have her quilt all ready for her.

Mrs. Carpender, of Empire Way, let me hang the
Dani Jo quilt in her back yard so I could get a good
photo of it.  Her property was in the Boise Garden Tour.

I also took a close-up shot so you can see some the details.  Mrs. Carpender's yard was done up in 40s-50s and quilts theme.  We had a lovely time on the garden tour.  I was so glad I brought the quilt along and obtained some photos in a different setting.  Thank you, Mrs. Carpender.

cute bunnies fabric I got at the Twin Falls Quilt Show in April, part of a
jelly-roll, bubbles, and words fabrics make a wonderful design.

I got this darling backing fabric at the Craft Warehouse!

Fun Red and Blue Baby Quilt

About three years ago, I was looking at some quilting blogs and found a darling pink and white baby quilt that had an asymmetrical design.  I thought it was interesting and different and decided I would like to try making it.  I, eventually, used scraps from previous little boy baby quilts, to make the blocks and red border.  After I completed the top, it drifted around my quilting room for a couple years, before Teresa inspired me to use that gargantuan rick-rack that you find at quilt shops.  I guesstimated how much I would need and bought a bunch of red rick-rack.   I let Teresa do hers first, so I could learn from her mistakes.  I did forget that she rounded the corners on hers, until after I had cut mine after sewing it down one side. Too late now!  I used some dark blue flannel rocket ship fabric that I have had for 10 years.  After I turned it and whip-stitched the opening shut, I smoothed it out and pinned it all over, then I stitched-in-the-ditch and stitched two straight lines lengthwise on the blue fields that are on two sides.  It won't shift around and looks pretty good, if I do say so myself.

pinned it before quilting it with stitch-in-the-ditch

About the guesstimated rick-rack: I had 3 inches left over.

Up To My Neck in Projects

Hello.  I am working on an oceany quilt that is for a friend, so I can say no more.  I hope to have the quilt top finished tonight.  Then tomorrow I will need to clear off my quilt table to prepare the backing.  Doing the back is my least favorite part because of the need for squaring it up. 
I did just finish a sweet baby quilt on August 30.  It is constructed with nine exploding pineapple blocks, bold polka dot inner border, and scrappy outer border.  I am not a fan of Mickey Mouse, but I am amazed at how wonderful it turned out. Chase is the Mickey Mouse fan. It is his quilt now.

Baby quilt with space ships. I got the quilt top completed. I just need to find some backing fabric and get it quilted. I found another use for my summer bunting that I brought into the house for the winter: hang your small quilt tops from it with clothes pins, so you can take good photos of them.  I copied the odd border layout from a quilt I saw on someone else's blog. I can't remember who's. Tut tut, it looks like rain. That little glow is the pellet stove firing up in the corner of my room.



for baby James



At last, I am posting a photo of baby James quilt.  It is in blue and white, with a "ship" theme; sailing ships, rocket ships, and little white anchors all around the border.  Approximately 33X33 inches.  I did the cheaty binding I learned at the Hen House Quilting Retreat, but sewed it with the back facing up, so I could sew close to the edge of the binding strip, so there is no flapping about. I used dark blue thread so it matches and the top looks crisp and clean.

Totally finished! First quilt made on my new machine! It is a baby quilt, but was alot of fun to use the scraps from another quilt and totally use them up.