Christmas in July quilt top

 My Christmas in July quilt top is finished. I selected the fabric from my stash, sometimes I am amazed with what I have ..... Was not sure if I was going to turn this in to a quilt or a table cloth. So asked my two sons and both agreed that this would nice for our dining table as decoration. 

Over the weekend went to the fabric shop, I haven't gone there in the longest time ... between confinement, summer time, .... new restrictions, ....... and ended up buying way to much. I had forgotten my notes with what I needed. So I ended up buying too much backing (enough for many many matching napkins) and forgot sashing for another quilt that I will start next week ...... So now this week finishing off the backing and deciding on the quilting. Maybe time to try some FMQ motifs that I have been doodling,or some diagonal lines ...

 The pattern is from the Fat Quarter Shop "Jelly Snowflake Mystery" as part of the Christmas in July quilt along.

Linking up with Patty at Elm Street Quilts towards my September OMG.

OMG September - Christmas in July ......

Christmas in July is something I had never heard off before I started quilting. Then I assumed it was a way for quilters to get ready in time for Christmas. I could not have been more wrong. This cultural phenomena started in the South of the US, in North Carolina, in a summer camp for girls. Nowadays, this has become a real party all over the world - I must have been sleeping all these years .....

In July I started the sew-a-long organized by the Fat Quarter Shop, "the Jelly Snowflake Mystery Quilt". One of my resolutions for this year was to use fabrics from my stash (as much as possible). So this QAL was a good opportunity as I have some Christmassy fabrics. 

There are four different blocks in total to make, in different colours. So as the blocks became available, I wrote the instructions down and cut the fabric for the first three blocks. In August I managed to make the four No. 1 blocks and two colour ways of block number 2 (still two colour ways pending). September is here and this will be my OMG September project organized by Patty at Elm Street Quilts: finish all blocks, sew all together including the border. And then I will decide if will make this into a table cloth or finalize with batting. Either way, this project calls for some nice FMQ.

Five quilted postcards sent (6 made)

This month I participated in a postcard swap organized by Sparklestash. We were to send out five cards. This was a perfect OMG for August as I had planned to take some time away with the family. In a few afternoons I made the cards. I used the instructions from Patty over at Elm Street Quilts - in 2018 I participated in a postcard swap she had organized. 

Card #1 East meets West

These are all African Batiks from Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria

Card #2 Symphony in green

Green fabrics from Mali, Ivory Coast, US and UK

 

Card #3

For this card I used fabric from African designer Woodin, this one I bought in Burkina Faso (years ago)

 

Card #4

For this card I also used fabric from African designer Woodin, bought in Burkina Faso. This is one of my favourite fabrics - unfortunately not much left of the 6 yards bundle. 

Card #5

Initially I made a card with Indonesian batik, and did not like the end result. So decided to make a new one using Tula Pink scraps. Liked the result up to the moment that I was going to use my overlocker to trim and sew the edges - she decided not to collaborate .... grrrr ....

On instagram (where we all had our "own" group of postcardswappers I raised the question which card was better .... the Tula Pink card won. One my co-postcardswappers suggested I do a zigzag stitch covering the overlock stitches. Still not convinced with this card, just could not make a third card as card #5 ....

Card #6 the not-sent-card

One card stayed at home .... not sure yet what I will do with this one ....

Linking up with OMG August at Elm Street Quilts.

OMG August Five Postcards

This month I am participating in a post card swap. I participated once and really enjoyed making a card. Through Instagram I found this exchange organized by SparkleStash.

I need to make five cards and send out before August 30th. This will be my perfect OMG for August.

Linking with Patty at Elm Street Quilts.

Green twist table topper

Let's twist again, like we did this summer .....

A second twist table topper finished in Green. And the good thing about this second twist? I made it all from fabric on hand. Early summer I had made one with red batics, and the second one on request in green. The end of the month this will be gifted. Before the end of the year I think I might make a third one and change the lay-out.

My green twist is my OMG for July
organized by Patty at Elm Street fabric.

The pattern is from Carole at "From my Carolyna home"

OMG July - Green twist

I hesitated on the title of my post: rhapsody in green or green twist and choose for the second option in the end. If all goes well I might travel home for a few days to visit my parents. Last year I was to make a table runner for my father and his wife, time got in the way and the table runner never happened. This year am trying again and as I was very pleased with my red batik twist dance table topper that I decided to make a second one. I asked what colour they preferred .. red ... blue ... green .... I knew the answer was going to be green ....

Second question - table runner or table topper? Table topper. I will not add batting as this will need to be taken in their camping car so the less volume the better.

I went through my stash looking for green fabric, and much my surprise had more green than I thought I had. These colours seem to go well together and the background will be white. With Covid-19 still around am not in a hurry to try to find a matching green background. For the backing most likely will use the second fabric from the bottom as still have quite a lot from that. What a great way to get some stash moving.

Linking up with Patty's OMG for July over at Elm Street Quilts

Confinement quilt backing

My second goal for OMG June was to finish the backing of my confinement quilt. Originally I was going to order some nice wide-backing ... however with the confinement going on, supplies were low everywhere and the ones I liked were not available. (Note to self to purchase some wide backing fabric up front to add to stash). In the end I ordered some Kona fabric in a matching purple colour on-line in France. I had some left overs from the rail fence blocks and I made six more rail fence blocks with black corners. The black fabric being the same as the one in the top. With left overs I made a colourful border around the purple top and finished off with a black border. I had to be creative as realized I had not ordered enough purple fabric.

When done I rinsed the backing as was full of wool from my carpet ... I definitely need a design wall dedicated to my quilts, only I have no wall I can dedicate to that. Rinsing the backing was not the best idea I had; the fabric frayed and I had to cut off all the little loose ends as the quilt was supposed to go to a long-arm quilter ... oh well .. lesson learned. I cut loose threads, checked all the seams and gave it a good press.

At first I was not happy with the backing and almost almost ended up looking online ... I took a picture and then realized that the backing wasn't that bad at all. Maybe time to be less critical of my creations .....

Both the top and backing are on their way to the long-arm quilter Rachel Hauser of Stitched in Color

Linking up with Patty at Elm Street Quilts for my July OMG.

My goal this month included two projects and happy to say that have managed to achieve both the table topper and the confinement backing.

Table topper finish

The red and white tabletopper is finished. I added the border, the backing, stitched in the ditches and done. The twist dance looks really nice and will make at least a green one ... and then one babyquilt size ......

This is part one of my OMG for June organized by Patty at Elm Street quilts.

OMG June - table topper, quilt backing ...

June is here, the start of a new month. And not the start of new projects .... there are a few I need to finish .... so what best way to make these my OMG. My mind is already on new projects .... so no ... am strict with myself.

1: Finish my tabletopper - scrap dance twist quilted table topper. Choose the fabric for the backing and finalize

2: Finish the backing for my confinement quilt. The top was finalized in April and I have left over blocks and scraps to make the backing. I discovered a mix up in the front. Spent time thinking if I really want to undo a lot ... no .... the colours still blend in very well and the secondary motive is still visible.

Bonus project

I started a baby quilt using scraps and making triangles. So far have made a few rows. Ideally I will finish the top. Not sure how work is involved in finalizing the top. Hence a bonus project this will be.

Scrap dance twist mystery tabletopper

My OMG for the month of May was to finish my table topper.

The mystery quilt "Scrap dance twist" was organized by Carolina over at From my Carolina home. I still don't know how I stumbled on her blog .... a few years ago. Each year she organizes a scrap dance and this year I decided to participate as have so many scraps and fabric and while waiting for the fabric I ordered online to make the backing of my confinement quilt.

I really like the end result, and will make a few more as they make nice gifts.

Next step making the backing - I think I will use some red fabric. Not sure if I will add batting, as this will be a tabletopper a flat top will be easier to handle.

Linking with Patty's OMG for May over at Elm Street Quilts.

A good thing my OMG was "just" the tabletopper as I ended making a bunch of masks for my kids, secondary school started last week on a voluntary basis and they go four days a week. It makes teleworking definitely a lot easier.