2020 in quilts...and a rag doll

i choose to document this extraordinary year through my creative endeavors, from quilts to rag dolls and mixed media journals, not facemasks. i didn't sew any facemasks and i certainly didn't take any photos of people...not us or anyone else...in facemasks.

faces are important.

i made three quilts this year and pieced together a top for a fourth.

i previously posted about my pacific northwest t-shirt quilt. it was the first of the year.

this was my second...

my third was for my sister and it matches her bedroom perfectly...

and here's that quilt top i plan to finish in 2021...

i took a little break from the quilting to make a rag doll. here's emma...

i have six photos of my mixed media journals. i'll save those for a separate blog post i'll publish tomorrow to wrap up 2020.

2018 quilts

i made two quilts in 2018. the first is what i'm calling a couch quilt because i specifically sized and designed it to fit an old leather couch that i didn't want to replace quite yet, but had some unsightly rips in the seat cushions.

it was a great project because not only do i get a few more years out of my couch, but i used up a bunch of batiks i had in my fabric stash. the back is a solid dark blue so the quilt is actually reversible. when the front gets dingy or frayed, after a good wash, i can flip it over and have a "new" quilt.

the second quilt was a "three across" lap quilt using more scraps and pieces of fabric from previous projects.

i'm still sewing/quilting on an inexpensive Brother XR9500PRW machine that i've had a few years now. it's proven super dependable, suits my needs and fits my space. i am limited, however, to size. that's why i prefer to keep my projects small, like lap quilt size, and I design my quilts in blocks or rows (as opposed to hourglasses or flying geese, for example) so i can more easily quilt in straight lines, either stitching-in-the-ditch or using the ditch as my guide. it works for me. less stress is best.

t-shirt quilts

i had absolutely no intention of ever making a t-shirt quilt because i had no idea how. but, when i received a special request, i accepted the challenge.

that was late 2017. since then i've made three more.

i don't have permission from one of the owners to share her quilt of great sentimental value, but i think it'll be ok to use a photo that highlights my quilt lines and binding.

my third quilt was for the same, beautiful being that requested my very first, pictured at top. i loved being a girl scout so this one was super fun for me.

i basically used the same "pattern" for the commissioned quilts because the logos i had were different sizes and quite eclectic. i wanted to bring in as many different fabrics and coordinating colors as possible. every step of the way i consulted with my clients and enjoyed the process as well as working relationship.

feeling more confident, i decided to make a quilt with some of my own special t-shirts that have been stored in boxes for too many years. i had several from my first trip to the pacific northwest in 1995 with similar colors and themes that would be perfect for a quilt. i went more "traditional" with the layout, trimming my logos per row. i didn't have very many logos so i decided to mimic more by using larger blocks of fabric in coordinating designs. it's different, but i like it.

i'll be digging through more of my t-shirts for a nice collection i can turn into another lap quilt and continue to explore layouts and designs.

a purple lap quilt for her

my sweet niece is in her second semester of her freshman year of university. she's adjusted so well and has become quite independent. it's a blessing to see dear babes become responsible, happy adults.

i remember many, many years ago how wonderful it was to receive a "care" package from home, or from a friend, when i was in college.

hopefully we've not completely lost such kind gestures because of this age of technology.

after making a lap quilt for an older niece who is in her own apartment and has returned to study nursing, i wanted to make one for our freshman.  i asked her what her favorite colors were. she said she would like purple and light purple. the child knows how to get straight quick to this heart of mine. i really like purple. it's just plain fun.

i found fat quarters and fabric yardage in awesome shades of purple, threw in some white and decided on a nice, striped pattern.

and added blocks for the borders, keeping it simple since the fabric was so rich.

for the back I found this 118" quilting fabric of lavender daylilies here.

i had every intention of quilting, but ended up tying the entire quilt, using a curved needle to thread DMC embroidery floss at the corners of each block in each strip and in the border blocks. i was trying to stitch in the ditch, but i could not feed the quilt, all bundled up and rolled, adequately through my machine to get nice, straight lines with tidy stitches. after it took me two hours to rip out two lines, i knew i needed to stop, take a deep breath, and tie.

then it took me between ten and twelve hours to tie. i even woke up one morning at 2:30 AM and tied for 2.5 hours. i couldn't sleep, wondering why i was having such problems when i hadn't before. in those early morning hours, i relaxed and let the stress roll off my back.

the binding went on quite easily. i've heard and read about nightmares regarding machine stitching binding, but i actually like it! i cut my own which i've realized goes on much straighter with no wrinkles then the store bought i had previously used.

as i mentioned in the previous post, i like to use a decorative stitch to secure and give my binding, front and back, a finished look. i am so very happy with the end result!

i've the perfect sized box ready to package this baby off, send it on its way.

and i've decided i'm going to stick to smaller quilting projects, things i can do fun designs with, in sizes my machine can handle. like this wall hanging i did before the holidays...

Sewing should be fun, not stressful! And if I do decide to do something bigger, like lap size, I'll resign myself to tie it from the beginning. It's just as secure and the knots are cute anyway.