Laurie's Bow Pillow Tutorial

Laurie Matthews, a Boston Modern Quilt Guild member that has recently moved to Colorado, gave a cute bow pillow as a Yankee Swap gift at our holiday party.  Everyone loved that pillow -- especially me!  Laurie mentioned making a tutorial and I didn't let her forget it :)

True to her word, Laurie did write up a tutorial and I tested it for her.  I made the pillow cover and bow from Melissa Averinos' Swoon collection from a few years back.  I bought the fabric without knowing what I would do with it.  It makes a great pillow!  I thought it would be fun to switch the orientation of the print on the back.  I almost lined it up correctly. :}

Laurie has been working with Ann Kelle, creator of uber cute fabric collections.  You can find Laurie's tutorial here!

Linking up to Finish it up Friday!

Marimekko Unikko Curtains Complete!

This week I finished my Marimekko curtains!  I am quite proud of them.  This is my second time making curtains.  The first curtains were a bit of a disaster but were up for many years, I am not proud to say.  DH is quite proud of anything I make by hand, however, and faithfully opened and closed them even though their width just barely covered the windows.  They weren’t lined, either.

The Marimekko fabric was just wide enough to make the curtains 1.5 times as wide as the window.  Also, I used the small Unikko scale for the valance and the medium scale for the curtains.  Believe it or not, there is an even larger scale fabric that I bought.  That scale is too large for curtains but is perfect for a wall hanging or table runner.

This was also the first time I used the hemming foot on my sewing machine.  What took me so long?  It was easy once I got the hang of it.

This was my first time using grommets, too.  I suggest grommet practice for anyone who hasn’t installed them before.  

I love the selvedge so I left it in!

I was inspired by this post: http://bluesusanmakes.blogspot.com/2011/01/cafe-curtains-with-grommets.html

I used this tutorial to sew in the lining  http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2011/10/12/how-to-make-professional-lined-curtain-panels/

Linking up to Finish It Up Friday!

Wonky, Wonky Music is Complete!

Wonky, Wonky Music is finally complete!

I used the Bow Tie Required pattern by Lee of Freshly Pieced.  I loved this pattern the first time I saw it.  When I happened upon Andover's Music collection,  I knew the pairing would be perfect.  I made the quilt for my husband, who used to be a professional drummer.  That is why I put the main print in three blocks down the middle and featured the drum set.

I wanted to use all the fabrics in the colorway, so instead of using a single fabric for the bow ties, I used the orange and the red.  The background is Kona Silver.  I originally chose Kona Khaki but when it came in the mail I realized it was too yellow.  I used my Kona color card, too.  From that I have learned to order fat quarters based on the color cards and then audition them with the other fabrics.  I realize Kona Snow would have worked, too, (I used Snow for the Improv Monitor Cover) but I am happy I chose Silver.

I planned to use Kaufman's Spot On Steel for the back.  What I didn't realize was that I was going to have all these bow ties left over!  Of course, I had to use them so I decided to make them into a grid.  I love the pattern they make.  You can't tell they were originally bow ties!  The Spot On fabric clashed with the bow ties.  After looking at them, they just screamed Ash from Carolyn Friedlander's Botanics.  I thought the light gray binding would clash with the back but I think it gives it a nice frame.  What about those orange stripes, you ask?  I didn't buy enough of the Ash, so I had to do some quick improv piecing!  I think Ms. Denyse Schmidt would be proud of that!

I quilted it myself at Laurena's!  I was inspired by Lee's quilting on Bow Tie Required.  Her quilting is great -- she did not overlap any lines!  I was not as adventurous.  I overlapped my lines but I really love the effect.  I just wanted it to look improvisational, like jazz!  In addition, because drumming runs in the family, I quilted in the initials of DH's father, uncle and brother.  Don't look too hard for the initials, they are not in this shot!

Now DH has a quilt of his own.  I can't believe it took me so long to make one for him, but I just needed the right inspiration!  Maybe now he'll get those buttons sewn on his clothing he's been asking about.  Or, maybe not!

See what else is going on at Crazy Mom Quilts this Finish it Up Friday!

Finish It Up Friday: Improv Monitor Cover

Now the Improv Monitor Cover is complete!  The improvisational piecing took a crazy amount of time but I think it was worth it.  DH really likes it.  And it add some pizazz to his office / recording area.

I thought long and hard about how I was going to design this cover, but in the end, I just ended up making the cover wide enough to include the depth of the monitor, about an inch on each side.  When on the monitor, it just wraps around the edge.  Works for me!

I used Kona Cotton Snow for the back and the lining.  I lined the front to hide all those messy seams.  The hem of the back lies just above the monitor stand.

It feels really good to have something finished!  I am still tackling the main inspiration for the fabric -- Wonky, Wonky Music!

Linking up with Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts!

Finish It Up Friday - iPad Mini Sleeve

iPad Mini Sleeve?  Done!!

How gorgeous is this fabric from Timeless Treasures?  I love the play of the browns, reds and teals.

This is the laptop computer sleeve project from the spring 2013 issue of Modern Patchwork.  I am making it for my aunt's iPad mini, however, so I adjusted the measurements.  I made it big enough for an iPad mini with a smart cover and case.

Some construction details are here.

Finish It Up Friday - PB-Complete at the BMQG Show

Hello there, Friday Finishers, this is my first entry for Finish it up Friday!  Here is a picture of my finished quilt, PB-Complete.  It is made up completely of Lizzy House's Pearl Bracelet Line, with hexagons for each color released to date.  The colors are arranged in my idea of seasons, starting from top to bottom, winter, spring, summer and autumn.

It's currently a part of the Boston Modern Quilt Guild's show which is part of the Lowell Quilt Festival.  Our venue is held at Appleton Mills, 219 Jackson St, Lowell, MA.  Two additions to our show are the challenge quilts, in which members were challenged to make a small quilt of their own design and some of the Quilts for Boston, which members made for marathon bombing victims.

There are two shuttle buses which service the main show at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium and all the partner sites, including the New England Quilt Museum and the American Textile History Museum.  There is plenty to explore and an easy way to get around.  I hope those who are local can go and see all the quilty things going on in Lowell!