Friday Finish - Not a Nautical Disaster

There seems to be a nautical theme around these parts lately!

I know, I know! No posts for months and then multiple in a week?! The reality is that there's been sewing and quilting, just not blogging, so there's a backlog of quilty goodness lurking in my hard drive. This finish was from way back in April at our Maritime Modern Quilt Guild Retreat at White Point Beach Resort.  I'm calling this one Not a Nautical Disaster (a little nod to a Canadian treasure... the Tragically Hip). A proud grandmother told me that a special new grandson would have a nautical themed nursery and, if big sis has a quilt, little bro needs one too!)

After making DT's Polaroid quilt, I've had them on the brain. But they're a tonne of work. And lots of trimming. Instead, I went for fussy cut sea creatures with a narrow border of Kona Silver or Kona Nautical and a second larger border of a variety of prints. I bought some fun prints at Patch Halifax (gotta love those octopi!) and hit the stash for some of my favs. These blocks of my own invention finish at 8 inches square. 
Wasn't it nice of this surfer to leave his board as a prop for me?

There's just something about a cobble beach that I love, love, love. I feel the same way about a pieced back. If you've not made one, go for it. I find it really freeing. I don't end up hoarding scrap bundles from projects I really like. I use as much of the fabric as I possibly can (and avoid buying backing!)

If there's a dory around, a quilt has to end up on it. Fitting given the fabric! It also gives you a glimpse of  Dear Stella Into the Reef Painted Anchors binding with a corner of Kona Nautical.

Wavy organic (the official quilting style of MMQG ☺) seemed fitting for this ocean themed quilt. I used a light grey... you know I'm not brave enough for high contrast quilting!

The Deets  
Title: Not a Nautical Disaster
Size:40 by 48 inches
Fabric Used: Fussy cut nautical prints (lots from Rae Ritchie's Into the Reef) and blenders in teal, blue, navy, and grey
Konas Used: Nautical, Silver
Quilting: Wavy organic in light grey
Binding: Dear Stella Into the Reef Painted Anchor, Kona Nautical 
Backing: Pieced with prints from the quilt top

Favourite Part(s): fussy cutting all those sea creatures and hitting my stash for coordinating blenders

I blogged about the early stages of this quilt here.

Writing this post has inspired me. Time to get to the post office and send this to its recipient before he's too big to sleep under it! I'm also linking up with some of my Friday favs - TGIFF @ Celtic Stitches and Finish up Friday @ Crazy Mom Quilts. Head on over and check out some lovely finishes!

J

Mini mini Monday - Polaroids... again!

Yup. There are always more mini minis being created around here! This week's featured mini mini was for our Maritime Modern Quilt Guild swap a couple weeks ago. It's a blind swap - bring one, get one!

I was struggling to come up with an idea when I got to thinking about the Polaroid quilt I made recently. Honestly, I might now be as obsessed with fussy cutting as I am with mini mini quilts.

First step was to find some wee little things to fussy cut. And they happened to be spring-y in theme!

As often happens when I get carried away with a project, I missed taking a pic of just the Polaroid stage. Suffice it to say that the white strips are very, very small. Since the prints made me think of spring, I went with Kona Peridot, a nice rich green, as my background.

 The centres of the Polaroids finished up at 1 wee little inch!

 I quilted the Kona Peridot very densely to really get the Polaroids to pop.

For the binding, I once again used Crazy Mom Quilts' Binding Tiny Things Tutorial. I considered using the Peridot, but thought those little polka dots would liven things up!

For the backing, I used the same polka dots and I used my trusty Pigma pen to sign it. "Snapshots of Spring"... how's that for a name? ☺

How about you? Have you jumped on the mini mini bandwagon? Are you swapping?

J

P.S. I'm trying out a new (to me) Monday link-up, Main Crush Monday @ Cooking Up Quilts. Pop on over and see what others are crushing on this Monday!

Finished! - Alice in Woodsy-land

My first Finish up Friday of 2014! Alice in Woodsy-land!

This has now made it's way across the country to its new home in Calgary, I can fully reveal it to all of you! I blogged about it here already. As I've said before, I don't normally go for cutesy prints, but this one called to me. Knowing that little Miss Alice's nursery is decorated with animals gave me a little push!

It's quilted in lime green, orange, blue, and brown to match the Konas (Chartreuse, Kumquat, Capri, and Bison if you're marking your score card!) I can't really decide which of the animals I like best, but the hedgehog is definitely in the running!

Now that my machine's back in working order, I can do fun little things like this!

 And this!

More straight line quilting. Not super original on my part, but I wanted to break up the print blocks and emphasize the fussy cut animals.

 I even bought enough of the print to do the back... none left on that bolt!

 I especially love the scrappy binding - more Kona, of course!

Here's hoping Miss Alice and her parents like it as much as I do!

J

P.S. Please excuse the lighting in some of these pics. Though I did go outdoors, it was a grey Nova Scotian day!

Tardy...

Ack! I've been doing such a good job keeping up to date with my ModQImprov blocks, but I've just not been giving the same attention to the blocks from my other on-line endeavour, the Global Scrap Bee. I just realized that I haven't even mailed the block I completed for October.

The Queen Bee was thinking ahead to Christmas and asked us to make any 'ole block we liked in Christmas prints. When I made this, I knew what it was called. A few months later... not so much.
Next up...Leigh Ann over at  Ella's Cottage (a sister member of the MMQG!) requested log cabin blocks. Each of the bee mates was to choose a colour. I opted for orange!

I wasn't sure which way to press the seams... toward the white felt natural, but I was afraid the orange would show through. So, another experiment - pressing the seams open. The verdict? Time consuming, but perhaps worth it on small projects.

 And here they are all finished, posing in the Hawaii Suite (a.k.a - the spare room).

And then I went all crazy! I was so excited about the December block that I couldn't help myself. Polaroids! Check out a tutorial here. I was so excited to get going that I failed to read the Queen Bee's full instructions and the fabrics I selected weren't quite right. She requested girl-y prints for an I Spy style quilt for her daughters.

 Back to the cutting mat! These are a little more girl-y!

Even though only one block was requested, I made a bunch. They're tiny (3.5 by 4 inches) and very quick to put together. I couldn't resist cutting into some fabric destined for another baby quilt. I do love a good hedgehog!

These blocks are traveling all the way to Italy to live with Nesta of Ella & Nesta's Little Room.

Off to the post office I go tomorrow!

J