La Maison - A wrap up...

I can hardly believe that today is March 30th and I've just finished my first quilt for the year.  I've made a couple of quilt tops, but this is the first one I've managed to actually get quilted.  This is the January Schnibbles quilt from Another Year of Schnibbles.  I'm calling mine La Maison.

La Maison Quilt

The quilt is based on the pattern Full House by Carrie Nelson.  I used 2 charm packs of Pom Pom de Paris  and changed the layout a bit.  I finished the top in January, but I've easily spent many more times quilting it than I did piecing it.  After stitching in the ditch, I quilted cobblestones where I pictured pathways.  That step took anywhere from 10 to 15 hours, but I love the effect of it.

Quilting the cobblestones

After finishing those, I quilted flowers in each of the 4-patches.  I traced the flower design onto quilting paper and quilted over it.

Quilting flowers in the flower beds.

A lot of the quilting is easier to see from the back of the quilt...

Back of the quilt

Next, I added chimneys to some of the houses and quilted the roofs.  I also added door knobs and a few windows.

Back of the quilt showing chimneys, roofs and door knobs.

The final step was the feather border around the outside.  I recently purchased one of the new Frixion pens from my local quilt store.  After trying it on scrap fabric, I used it to mark the feathers.  I drew them free hand and then quilted right on the lines.  Afterwards, I ironed over it and the pen disappeared.  It was so easy that I'll definitely be using this pen again!

Drawn feather border and the pen.

I knew if I put the extra time into quilting this, I would be happy I did when I finally finished.  And I am.  Now that it's done, I can say it was definitely worth it.  (But I'm also very glad to be done with it.)

So, here are the stats for this quilt:

• Size: 40" square
• Fabrics: 2 Charm Packs of Pom Pom de Paris, a mystery solid for the sashing, Basic Grey red grunge print for the backing and binding
• Batting: Warm &White
• Thread: Aurifil (piecing), YLI #100 silk thread for quilting the top and Aurifil in the bobbin
• Pattern: Full House by Carrie Nelson
• Quilting: Custom
• Started: January 2012
• Completed: March 30, 2012
• Recipient: Hanging in my sun room

Mr. Quilting Bug was sweet enough to hang this for me today.  The colors go perfectly with the walls and furniture in our sun room.  Did I mention how happy I am to have finished this?

Until later...

Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. 

Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)

Finished the cobblestones!

After innumerable hours, I've finally finished quilting the cobblestones on La Maison.

Backside of La Maison, showing the cobblestone pathways

Truth be told, the number is probably somewhere between 10 and 15 hours.  I'd work on them in 43 minute increments.  That happens to be the length of an episode of Stargate SG1.  (Mr. Quilting Bug and I are sci-fi fans.)  I'm currently working my way through all 10 seasons.  I'm on Season 9 and not sure what I'll watch when I'm done with these.  Any recommendations?

Closeup of the cobblestones (from the back)

I like the texture this quilting adds to the sashing of this quilt.  It shows really well in the solid color fabric.  For the most part, the rest of the quilting I'm planning will be done on prints and won't be as obvious.

I still need to add chimneys, and door knobs, and flowers to the garden.  I'd also like to add some character to many of the houses.  As you can see, they're rather plain right now...

However, if I'm to have any chance of finishing the February Schnibbles quilt, I'm going to have to put this one aside and get busy on it.  The pattern this time is called I.S.T.H. by Carrie Nelson and I'm making a few changes to it.  I'll share some progress photos soon I hope, but I can tell you that I'm doing mine out of Little Gatherings fabric.

On a different note, we sleep with a heated mattress pad on our bed.  (I love that thing!)  Can you tell that Mr. Quilting Bug forgot to turn his side off one day...

Until later...

“Making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” 

Proverbs 2:2-5 (ESV)

Stash Report Week #3 & 4...

January 22 - February 4, 2012

Not much change this week.  Most recently I finished the top for La Maison.  I used 2.5 yards for this little quilt.

La Maison Quilt Top

I had really hoped to have it quilted by now, but several things have gotten in the way.  Most notably, I came up with what I now realize is an insane quilting plan that will literally take me forever.  OK, that's a slight exaggeration.  I thought that quilting a stone walkway in the cream sashing would set off the 'garden' part of the quilt.  My intention is to do this in the center of the quilt as well as each corner.  I started with one of the corners...

Quilting a cobblestone path

The quilting isn't particularly challenging, just very, very time consuming.  It took me 45 minutes to do the first block - which is only about 6" big.

One corner down, 3 more to go

It's exactly the look I was going for, so I know once I'm done, I'll be so pleased I spent the extra time on it.  Until then, I'll probably dream about quilting stones in my dreams.  So far, I've finished all of the corners and am now working on the center.

Backside of the quilt

I also have big plans for the rest of the quilting.  I just need to make sure I have enough energy after finishing this portion to continue working on it.  Realistically I don't expect to finish this one for several weeks now.

I sure hope Mr. Quilting Bug lets me hang it in the sun room when I'm done!  That's the only place in the house where it could possibly go and I don't want to fold this one away in a closet after this much effort.  It will easily take me more than twice as long to quilt it as it did to piece it, but I keep reminding myself that it will be worth it!

So...
Purchased-this-week: 0 yards
Used-this-week: 2.5 yards
Purchased-to-date: 4.75 yards
Used-to-date: 16.25 yards
Net used: 11.5 yards

As usual, Sam has been keeping me company while I'm quilting.  She's such a good egg.

Sam napping in the sewing room

Until later...

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” 

Proverbs 21:5 (ESV)

La Maison...

Guess what?  It's done.  And just in time.  At least the top is.  I've been working hard on my Full House quilt for AYOS (Another Year of Schnibbles).  I had also hoped to have it quilted by the end of the month.  I spent a couple of hours stitching in the ditch, but the free motion work I want to do is going to take longer than a couple of days.  I'm calling mine La Maison, which means 'home' in French.  (Or at least that's what Google Translate told me.)

La Maison Quilt Top

I used 2 charm packs of Pom Pom de Paris to make the houses and gardens and a mystery background fabric I had in my stash.  I had a yard of it and figured that would be enough.  When all was said and done, I only had a few scraps left over.  It was very, very close.

Leftover background fabric

I had to result to some pretty creative cutting to make it work.  I made all of the houses just as Carrie details in the pattern.  Then I deviated from the rest of the pattern and made a bunch of 4 patches for the center.  I was picturing a garden with pathways around the different parts.

The quilt turned out to be 41" square, which I'm hoping will be perfect to hand in my sun room.  All in all, it was an easy and fun pattern to make.  I can't wait to see what they pick for February!

Until later...

“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.” 

1 John 4:7 (NLT)