Patchwork Projects: Garden Party Quilt

December 2, 2014 | terriaw

I am so excited to show you my finished Garden Party quilt!

A former quilting bee I used to belong to helped make some of the blocks using this tutorial for a “2.5 Times Around the Block” quilt block. I wish I could have made it a little bigger but my stash of the red mingling and ice mingling prints from the Garden Party fabrics designed by Anna Maria Horner was quite limited.

The backing is all about the turquoise centerpiece print!

My friend Julie, a professional long-arm quilter, did a beautiful job quilting it.

garden party quilting

I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am with this quilt! I started making it about three years ago with a quilting bee I belonged to at the time, and it’s one of the few quilt finishes I’ve had in a looong time. Projects like this are one of the many reasons I love sewing and wanted to learn how to design fabric, sewing patterns and surface patterns.

Terri

Stats:
Block: 2.5 Times Around the Block
Size: 42″ wide x 55″ high
Fabrics: Garden Party fabrics designed by Anna Maria Horner

Getting Caught Up

July 17, 2011July 17, 2011 | terriaw

I’ve been working hard the past week to get caught up. First on the list, I made a set of art cards for week 27 to remember my road trip to a quilting retreat.

I spent a good part of last week picking raspberries from our garden, getting about a pint each day.

I think I have over 2 quarts so far, and there’s probably another quart to be picked.

I made raspberry jam over the weekend, which I haven’t done in ages. I added a handful of strawberries that were getting a little old and mushy. Man, I can’t believe how much jam I have now! Guess I’ll be eating more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or making scones to spread raspberry jam on.

I’m SO happy I finally finished my chocolate lollipop quilt, after piecing it in Spring 2010 for Randi’s quilt-along.

I don’t know why I procrastinated doing free motion quilting on it because I love how it turned out. It measures 48 inches wide by 62 inches tall.

I’m surprised I even managed to finish the binding already, since I have three other quilts waiting for the binding to be handsewn to the back.

So these highlights are represented on my art cards for the week.

I copied the illustration style of Michelle‘s gorgeous strawberry card because I loved the look and because she always inspires me! It felt good do be drawing and painting again, since it’s been over a week that I’ve worked on any art projects. For my other card, I used a scrap piece of fabric and the selvage to record my new favorite quilt accomplishment.

I have so many project ideas I want to work on, but I also want to get caught upon my unfinished projects so I can move on.

Blogger’s Quilt Festival

October 29, 2010 | terriaw

Have you heard of Amy‘s Blogger’s Quilt Festival? It’s an online festival for bloggers to feature a quilt they made. It takes place during the semi-annual Quilt Festival, a trade show where wholesale fabric companies and designers gather to sell their wares to quilting industry businesses.

Amy's Creative Side - Blogger's Quilt Festival

This is the fourth festival, and my fourth time playing along. This time, I would like to feature my Halloween quilt.

About six years ago, I made this quilt at the request/demand of my husband Dave. He makes me a better person, pushes me to challenge myself, and cheers for my successes. When he asked me to make a quilt for his favorite holiday, I seized the moment!

He really designed this quilt himself, starting with picking out all the fabrics – black cats on orange, spiderwebs on green for the binding, purple night scene for the backing.

He even picked out the pattern he wanted me to use, chosen from this book.

I know it’s not the most “modern” quilt by some people’s standards, but I love this quilt because it was fun to make, and especially because I made it for my amazing husband. He is my rock!

Thanks so much for stopping by to see my quilt!

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I also wanted to mention that my shop is a sponsor for the quilt festival!

If you enter your quilt, you will be entered to win something from a selection of prizes. I donated this project bag for a lucky person. I made it to be the perfect size to hold your needle case, scissors, hand sewing (or knitting) supplies, rotary cutter or whatever you travel with. It also has a pocket inside to store your small, loose items like a box of pins or stitch markers.

Now go check out all the other great quilts being featured in blogland!

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Here are the quilts I shared previously:

Spring 2009

Fall 2009

Spring 2010

My Entry into the Fall Quilt Festival

October 10, 2009 | terriaw

Have you seen all the gorgeous quilts at the Blogger’s Quilt Festival? Amazing work being displayed out there!

I was torn between two of my recent favorite quilt projects, but ultimately I decided to enter this one into the festival. I made it as part of the coin quilt piece-along earlier this year. I was a little intimidated to machine quilt it myself, so it took me until July to finally finish it.

I planned to use a pattern, but as is typical for me, I cut the coins the wrong size. So I ended up making my own pattern to finish this one, and it turned out just fine. Sometimes I just not good at following directions or staying within the lines! The finished quilt measures 48-inches x 67-inches.

I love Jennifer Paganelli‘s fabrics, you know her, of the Sis Boom fame. I love the colors in the Bell Bottoms collection, which make me feel like lounging on the beach with a book and a cocktail. I haven’t machine quilted very many of my own quilts, so for this one, I wanted to keep it simple with lines in the white sashing. I added a patchwork binding with the scraps.

I was so humbled when Jennifer actually noticed my quilt and gave it a shout out.

Thanks so much for stopping by to see my favorite quilt. By the way, my etsy shop is also a sponsor in the festival so be sure to sign up to win some of the great giveaways being offered.

Remember My Candy Quilt?

September 12, 2009 | terriaw

Remember earlier this year when I made this quilt top? I was in a design class at the time, so I didn’t have a lot of extra time to teach myself to machine quilt this one. I shipped the quilt top off to a friend of mines who owns a long-arm quilting business.

In the meantime, I taught myself how to machine quilt and even do free motion quilting, so if I had been more patient, which is definitely not one of my strengths, I could have finished this one myself.

About six months later, I got it back! I couldn’t have quilted it this good myself, especially with those adorable little flowers in there.

I was anxious to finish the binding so I could use this one, just for a picnic quilt or lap quilt.

The chocolate lollipop fabrics remain one of my all time favorite collections. I still have a big stack of these fabrics in my stash, and I’m hoarding cherishing them.

I would love to make more projects with them, and I know where I can buy more, but I have been trying to cut down on fabric purchases. Don’t ask me why. Just because.

Join Me For a Picnic?

May 29, 2009 | terriaw

Remember a couple weeks ago when I was telling you about that kindness package I received from Jennifer Paganelli? I was compelled to make something right away with those fabrics, rather than hoarding them in my stash.

Inspired by the picnic quilt in this quilting book, I decided to make my own version, since I love dining al fresco.

I just love how it turned out! It measures to a 50 inch square, and could be used as a tablecloth as well. I think these fabrics were destined for this project because I had just a few small scraps left, pieces that measure about 8 inches x 16 inches.

I am going to use a solid blue fabric for the backing, and I’m going to quilt it with flannel instead of batting so we can use it as a table cloth too.

I only have a half yard of this blue Moda solid, so I guess I need to go fabric shopping.

By the way, I will be closing my giveaway on Sunday, May 31, in case you haven’t entered yet.

My Favorite Quilt…

April 21, 2009 | terriaw

Ever since the announcement came out about the Bloggers Quilt Festival, I knew I wanted to participate.

I spent the past several days trying to figure out which quilt to share with you. Besides the three quilt tops I have waiting to be quilted, I have been spending more time making other sewing projects, like bags and pillow covers and table linens and curtains, oh my. I had a light-bulb moment this afternoon, and realized which one it had to be. I hope it’s not too late to make my contribution to the festival!

This is the Bittersweet Autumn quilt I made several years ago. Actually, I started it in 2002 when I took a class with Judy Hasheider, the designer of this pattern. It took me about five years to finish. Yes, five years. (I get side-tracked easily!)

Bittersweet Branch

I pieced together each block right away. Next I cut out all the leaves from hand-dyed wool and fused them to the blocks. Then I started hand-sewing each leaf onto the block with a blanket stitch, on and off for the next several years.

Finally, in late 2007, I finished it! And I love it! I would love to make another one with spring green leaves, which would be fun to share for the next quilt festival. But I need to be realistic about when I will have time for that project since, like many of you, I have a zillion other projects in the works.

In the meantime, I will continue to cherish this one. I just haven’t settled on the right wall to hang it, so I carry it around the house, periodically draping it over the back of a different chair.

Candy Quilt

February 25, 2009 | terriaw

Remember the patchwork I was working on last week?

I finished the piecing and border of my new quilt top with the chocolate lollipop fabrics for the patchwork and quilting solids for the borders!

I think it looks like a bowl of candy so I’m calling it my candy quilt.

I couldn’t finish it this weekend because I didn’t have a piece of batting big enough and because I had homework for my design class. I have the binding ready to attach but it will have to wait until next weekend.

I would like to stipple this quilt, but I still haven’t figured out how to attach the free motion quilting foot onto my machine. I could also do some kind of grid and use the walking foot, which would be safer since I haven’t tried stippling yet.

It makes me happy just looking at this piece of patchwork in it’s unfinished stage, so I can’t wait to use it!

My Year In Review

January 1, 2009 | terriaw

I’m not one to look back or dwell in the past, especially since 2008 feels like a bittersweet year. But I am forcing myself to appreciate what happened and focus on progress that WAS made over the year.

In January, I hosted a ladies tea party for my aunts, cousins and their daughters. The little girls enjoyed dressing up in their princess dresses more than pretending to drink tea.

In late winter, we went to my parents cottage in northern Wisconsin for a winter retreat and had a great time snowshoeing on Lake Michigan on a sunny but very cold weekend. We also went to Upper Michigan for one last ski trip for the winter.

We celebrated our seven-year anniversary in May with a vacation to Destin, Florida.

In summer, we had a few great trips to my parents’ cottage in Door County, biking, boating and enjoying the outdoors. We also went to the amazing Art Fair in Madison.

In August, Dave started his new job, a permanent full time job! It was a blessing for us because he has been working as a consultant for over three years. And because of what was to come in the economy and job market for the months following. My sister was in town for the family reunion party we hosted at our house before she and her family moved to China.

In September, I went to the Madison Quilt Expo, which was inspiring but a little disappointing. Why don’t any of the local shops carry my favorite modern fabric degignerss, like Anna Maria Horner and Heather Bailey and Sandi Henderson? We also went to a Civil War festival which was quite interesting, especially to see how the people dressed in those days, and to see a battle reenactment.

In October, we hosted a Halloween dinner party at our house, and my apron pattern review was published on Sew,Mama,Sew.

In November, I celebrated a big birthday in New York City. I felt lucky to visit Purl, MJTrimmings, Mood Fabrics, the Guggenheim, the Met, and a few Irish pubs in between.

In December, I participated in the Holiday Traditions Exchange with RaeAnn, and we hosted a Holiday Open House for our family and neighbors.

Chocolate Lollipop Pillows Picnic Pillow with Handle Garden Party Pillowcases Garden Quilt - Front My Lola Apron Apron for Holiday Traditions Exchange 08 Close-up of Gothic Rose Valance Christmasy Patchwork Bag Close-up of Freshcut Valance Garden Party Tablecloth Portable Cushions My New Laptop Cover

In between all that, I made a bunch of pillows, a couple quilts, participated in a placemat swap, two sets of curtains, a couple tablecloths, picnic cushions, picnic pillows, two adorable padded footstools, a laptop bag, and a lot of other projects I am quite proud of.

Whew, that recap was good therapy and now I feel like 2008 was a good year.

Terri's Notebook

Illustration, Art and Design

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