First quilt top for February 2025...........

The first thing I'll say is that it is a lot prettier in person than I have been able to capture in a photo.  This little quilt top is all Kaffe Fassett collective fabrics.  I was able to use a pile of scraps and just a few pieces cut from yardage.  I would never have made this quilt if I didn't have a die to use for the cutting.  Its a Bow Tie die, with a wonderful secondary pattern.

I bought this cute piece of flannel on sale a couple months ago and I think it is perfect for the backing.

There are some really old Kaffe prints in this quilt top as well as newer ones.

This quilt top is 36" x 45".

Discovery time again.  I started making these yo-yos when I was the main driver for my elderly parents, 2008.  There was a lot of time to sit and wait.

They aren't very consistent in the centers.  

Some are made with batik, some Kaffe, and some other prints.

I bagged each size with its yo-yo maker so if I ever get the urge to make more, the parts are together.  I haven't made any with the jumbo maker but there are 2 circles cut and waiting.  On this post I showed an inspiration quilt and also a tutorial how to use the yo-yo makers.

Sewing it all together....

I couldn't figure out a good pressing plan if I sewed the blocks into strips or 4 patches, to get the seams going in opposite directions for matching in the construction of the top.  I decided I would just wing it and sew top together, webbing it.  First I laid out the 4 different corners fabrics in rows on my cabinet.

Then I started sewing it together alternating positions of the 4 different triangle fabrics.

I got all of the seams sewn in one direction and have 3 seams sewn in the other direction in this photo.  The rest is just hanging from the webbing threads.

This close up gives a better look at the sewn rows and the webbing technique.

I had miscounted the blocks that were sewn and had more than I thought.  I sewed the 20 that I cut yesterday morning and had enough to do a 12 x 15 layout.  The blocks are 3" finished.

Decisions, decisions................

Around noon I sewed the new pieces that I had cut earlier in the morning.  I have 125 blocks sewn now and need 144 minimum for the baby quilt, for a 36" square quilt.

Now I'm working on ideas of how to sew this quilt.  I have 4 different triangle fabrics.  One idea was to sew identical strips using the 4 triangle fabrics in the same position in every strip.  There would be many different sets of 4. The strips would then be spaced out throughout the quilt.

The second idea was just random groups, still using one of each of the triangle fabrics in each strip of 4 blocks, but not necessarily keeping them in the same order in every strip.

Maybe a combination of both methods would work.  

Meanwhile I cut some other fabrics for future projects while I did another load of laundry.  I have lots of cutting to do for the future quilts so it will be taking up a couple hours every day.  For people who don't make quilts, they don't realize how much time goes into fabric choices, pressing, and cutting the pieces.  

Not much progress.............

I did get some sewing done last night, all of the triangles sewn on that I had prepared the day before.    After I finished all of those I finished knitting the dishcloth that was on the needles.  I didn't get around to looking for more fabrics to finish the cutting so I'll do that today.

They have possible ice storms predicted for 2 days this week so I made another run to the grocery store and post office.  When I got home I did a load of laundry.  I can't remember what else I did but the day flew by.  It got up to 49 degrees in the early afternoon and then the temperature started dropping.  It will only be in the 20s today.

2 projects.......................

The colorwash wall hanging is still on the design wall and I'm enjoying it there.  To its left is the first few squares that are sewn for the new quilt.

I sewed all 32 of this button print to the larger pieces in the early afternoon yesterday.  

Here are the other three triangle prints with 32 of the larger pieces selected to sew to the triangles.  I still have a little cutting to do to have enough blocks for a baby quilt.

My sewing project last night was the hanging sleeve on one of the quilts for my grandson and his wife.

I got all of the hand sewing done last night.  This sleeve was about 40" long.  Now I have to do the 2 part hanging sleeve on the larger quilt which is 75" across.  The 2 part sleeve is black and the backing is a black background batik.  I might try to sew the top edge in place by machine with invisible or black thread.

Starting to cut.................

I started cutting a new project, most likely a baby quilt unless I have so much fun that I want to make it larger.

I showed a pile of pastel Kaffe collective fabric scraps a couple days ago.  Yesterday I pressed them and chose some corner fabrics and then had a cutting session.  I'm using the Bow Tie die but this quilt will be all light squares with a darker triangle corner.  I have seen this quilt on several blogs and liked it.

This is the whole selection I have cut so far.  I have one more triangle fabric to cut and may add a couple more if I can find some that have the same feel.

The rest of the day was a lot of thinking about new projects and doing laundry.

 

January 2025 monthly recap................

I'm happy to have one finish for January 2025 and I ditch quilted it on my Pfaff sewing machine.  I like designing with the little rectangles in my colorwash wall hangings.  I don't always work yellow into them but I got a good variety of it in this one.  It is 31.25" x 50.25".

I also finished 3 table runners.  I'm hoping to get a lot of little projects finished this year.  I have plenty of large quilts right now but I still need to make more baby quilts.  

Making baby quilts gives me a chance to try a lot of ideas without having to spend a lot of time on each quilt.  If I like an experiment well enough I can make a larger quilt with the pattern.  This year I am jotting down ideas for new quilts as I think about them, and keeping it all in one notebook for a change.  Every day I review the older pages after I add a new idea.

I'm going the wrong direction again with more new tops than finishes but I still have less than 30 waiting to be finished, so I'm happy.  On the left is a Plaid-ish quilt top (free pattern from Kitchen Table Quilting).  It is 46" x 64" and made of Kaffe Fassett collective fabrics.  On the right is a flannel baby quilt size top, 40" square.

I took my van for its weekly ride to keep the battery charged and did my grocery shopping while I was out.  It was a pretty low key day otherwise.