Monday, March 31, 2014

Quilt Ministry Baby Quilts

**Photo Intensive Post**

Other than the 2 quilts I'd done for the twins born last year, I hadn't had opportunity to get many of the baby quilts finished.  A dear woman I serve with monthly is about to become a great-grandmother and that event (probably happening this week!) was a catalyst to not only quickly create a very special quilt for the soon-to-be-born great-grandson, but also to finish up some of the other projects I've had hanging around.
I do have one more large special project that isn't quite finished yet and that may get it's own post... or not... it's emotionally special for me and I may just keep that private.

First is the newest quilt - for Elijah Robert - who will (Lord willing) arrive safely later this week.




The quilt is an enlarged version of a block I had seen a long while back and I transformed it into a full size quilt pattern - sort of an intertwining ribbon design.  It is made with 100% cotton quilting fabrics for the top in animal/Africa/safari prints that I just love.  The back is an all-over animal print flannel that should be snuggly for a small boy.  It is quilted edge-to-edge on my New Joy Frame with the Janome 1600P, using KingTut "Pharoah's Treasure" variegated thread in shades of green/gold/burgundy in an all-over leaf pattern.  The top is machine pieced and the finish binding is done by hand.

Next are 4 quilts that haven't been made for anyone specific as far as I know, but have been prayed over for whatever precious child God will allow them to be given to in the future.
First up are two 'girlie' quilts.  Both were made when the quilt ministry was in the capable hands of others and I just had opportunity to work on and finish them.



This one was machine pieced and sent out to be quilted by another generous lady with a giving heart.  It is all cotton, pieced front and back with an all-over large meander design.






Here we have a simple design, machine pieced in sweet small print cottons and then hand quilted in double heart designs and some outline work on the chenilled blocks.




The colors in these photos are very off - the closest one is the last one.  This is a full flannel quilt - both front and back.  Simple 4 patch blocks are alternated with solid squares and machine pieced and quilted in a broad line grid. The colors are soft 'baby' greens, yellow and big eyed owls.  So cute!






This was such a fun quilt to make - I adapted a pattern I'd seen in a magazine and built the colors off the backing fabric.  When you are working with mostly donated materials, you sometimes have to wing it.  We had this large piece of John Deere themed fabric and it was great for a back.  I dug through the stash to find fabrics that would coordinate and put this together.  It is in an all-over 'raindrop' pattern (again on my New Joy/Janome set up) using KingTut "Sands of Time" variegated cream/beige thread.  All cotton fabrics, machine pieced and the binding is scrappy and hand-finished.

Special thanks to my very helpful daughter for helping me with all the photos out in the chilly sun-porch.

May God richly bless each little one who will be receiving these gifts of prayer.

Blessings,

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Chenille Dishtowel - scrap/stash buster project

A few weeks ago I was visiting a dear friend and she was so excited to show me this very awesome project that one of her sisters had created.  A chenille dishtowel!  So clever and handy and useful - just my idea of a perfect little project to use up odd pieces of leftover fabric (or that random piece of fabric that you really don't know what you were thinking when you acquired it).
When I got home I googled for a 'how-to' and what do you think?  The first link I found was to her sister's blog with the tutorial right there!  So marvelous! She has lots of clever and nifty things on her blog - you should absolutely check it out!  Olive Leaf Journal


So on to my attempt.  I randomly grabbed some fabric and roughly cut a big rectangle for the back then layered the 3 slightly smaller pieces on top.  I used my walking foot and stitched through all the layers in a diagonal row pattern - trying to keep them roughly even without measuring or marking.  The next one I make will absolutely have more real measuring and perhaps some marking. I then used my big shears to slash through the top 3 layers between the stitching lines - being careful to NOT cut the back piece (light purple w/ flowers).  After I had the cutting finished, I folded/pressed and stitched the backing as a binding.


Then I tossed it into the wash with a few times with other laundry to give it the chenille effect.

It came out great and I mailed it off (as a surprise) to my friend for her to use since she was the one who had given me the idea in the first place. :-)

Now I need to make a few for myself.

Happy sewing!