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.

stacks. a twin quilt & pillow sham

I'm super excited to share my very first twin size quilt and pillow sham!

A friend commissioned both after I made a mini with the same color scheme.

The mini was a gift for her sister who was re-decorating a room to become her study/quiet space. From the quilt she picked a pretty lavender to paint the walls where the mini was then hung.  A twin size bed was going to remain in the room and they wanted the twin/pillow sham to match.  I was a bit concerned with quilting something bigger than anything I had made before. It was a challenge and I can't say there are many more large quilts in my future, but I'm happy with my results.

I felt like I needed a few more fabrics since I was designing three stacks and didn't want to repeat the same color/design too many times. I decided to pick up some of the pretty blues to give a pop of color which I thought would also look pretty in contrast to the larger, predominantly purple space (not what you see in these photographs as these were taken in my home, not hers).

I kept the same quilting scheme as in the mini, using quilting stitch number 45 on my Brother XR9500PRW which is my favorite.  It reminds me of a string of pearls or an embossing. I stitched each row on either side of the ditch then in the ditch around the stacks where I had attached the border. I added a second stitch outside this ditch for decorative purposes and consistency. For the purple blocks in the border I stitched top and bottom...in the ditch and on either side of the ditch.  It was a lot of work, but I just love the results of all those quilt lines.

Dragonflies are of special significance to these two sisters.  They particularly liked the purple dragonfly fabric which is why I thought to add the simple, single blocks in the border which will be visible on both sides of the twin upon entrance into the room.

I don't have a twin size bed in my home so I had to improvise to photograph it on a queen size. It was designed so the stacks would cover the top of the mattress only and the pretty, purple border long enough for the height of the mattress.

The pillow sham is, I believe, a perfect match. These are happy, pretty colors and definitely a fun pattern! I did my usual computer generated spreadsheet to get my sizes down for the stacks then let the fabric tell me where they should each go. It's a process that works for me!

the cutest thing ever!

this morning i finished my first little doll quilt and i positively love it! the fabrics are all from my scrap bin. i chose bright, happy colors and sweet designs. and i stitched, quilted and did the binding with my Brother XR9500PRW machine.

mini mod stripe doll quilt, front

mini mod stripe doll quilt, decorative quilting

mini mod stripe quilt, binding (back)

it's the best binding i've machine attached ever! i couldn't be happier!  yes, i still see my "imperfections." but with every piece i make, i learn something new and i improve my designs. that's a win-win in my book!

the rain has gone, the skies have cleared and the sun is shining bright and warm. life is beautiful. go live it!

mod blocks. wall hangings

lately i've really been into modern blocks for modern quilts. because we have so much wall space in our home and all this fabulous color from room to room, i decided it would be fun to do quilted wall hangings, turning the open space into a canvas of favorite things.

i'm also really liking white in my quilted projects which is pretty unusual for me. it looks fresh and color really pops in contrast.

i did this first one a couple of months ago now.

White Mod Blocks - Front

White Mod Blocks - Back

White Mod Blocks - Stitching

because it's a nice size, easy to maneuver around on my machine, i took my time and quilted squares and rectangles in various configurations. you can see the cute pattern it created in the second photo of the back.

this was the first time i cut my own binding and i realized how much easier it was to machine sew than the more stiff store bought.

this wall hanging will be in our hall when i repaint the walls something more like lavender than the "fuchsia" it is now. and super white for the trim.

there's a second one, quite a bit larger, for the same hall. i'll save photos for another post. it's pieced but not quilted yet.

the following photographs are of a wall hanging i just finished today that will be for our den. again, i've used colors that are a bit of a departure for me, but in our den we have these beautiful Native American framed masks that are red and black. and a snowscape i had professionally printed and mounted that i took on our adventure to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica. this will fill up the wall nicely.

Red and Black Mod Wall Hanging - Front

Red and Black Mod Wall Hanging - Back

Red and Black Mod Wall Hanging - Stitching

i pieced the blocks with my Husqvarna Viking Scandinavia 200, but quilted and did the binding with my Brother XR9500PRW. i used straight stitching as well as decorative stitching to quilt. because the fabric i chose for the back is rather busy, the various stitches aren't distracting. the stitching becomes part of the artistic design and personal expression. mine are far more simple than the amazing quilt designs i've seen on the net. some day it would be a pleasure and a privilege to witness artists at work on their extravagant designs created with or without a long arm machine.