Quilts in the Pumpkin Patch Blog Hop

We are all cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out. 

Ray Bradbury

Sheri over at Sunshine in the Attic has put together a wonderful Fall Blog Hop and today is my day.  If you haven't visited her go check it out.  She has been offering a great giveaway each day and there is still time to get in on ALL of them!  Each blogger on the hop has been sharing a Fall Project.

I decided to finish up one of my many UFOs.  I had 3 projects that would have been nice to finish but I picked this one.  If you have been reading my blog very long you know that I have made a number of quilts using panel prints.  I usually add something to them to make them a little more interesting than just the 'off the bolt' look.  This was not a panel but instead was a fat quarter of a repeating stripe.  Here is another one like the one I used.

I added a few rows of checkerboard piecing and a strip of orange fabric.  This made it a little longer.  A narrow black border finished it off.

Here is a view from the back.  You can see the seams where I added the piecing.  Not every project has to be complicated, easy and fast works just fine sometimes.  LOL  This only took a couple of afternoons to make and now these cute little scarecrows will be making me smile all Fall!

I did a lot of stitching in the ditch.  The scarecrows are outlined and the checkerboard and two little rows of leaves have some diagonal stitching.  It was fun to do something on my domestic machine with the walking foot for a change.  Usually I am quilting on my Innova longarm these days.

I used a coordinating print on the back.  Now if you would like to be in a drawing for one of the two fat quarters of the stripe that I have left leave me a comment about why you like to read or what you like to read about on quilting blogs.  

Giveaway is now closed.

Now I said in my last post I would tell you where I went last week.  I had a good time and will be sharing some details soon.  In the meantime this is where I went.

You can catch the previous Blog Hop posts by clicking on the links below:

September 19th:  Sheri - Sunshine in the Attic

September 20th: Maggie - Maggie's Empty Nest

September 21st:  Susie - Susie's Sunroom

September 22nd:  Celine - Espritpatch

September 23rd:  Yevette - Evindie

September 24th:  Judy - Judy's Fabric Addiction

September 25th Elaine - Summercrafter

September 26th Patricia - Quilting Lines That's Me!

Linking with these wonderful blogs: Richard and Tanya Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Crazy Mom Quilts

Oh! Tweety Baby!

When I was a young man, I didn't think about having a family. My wife and I were too poor to have babies. Then all of a sudden, one came along and scared the hell out of us because we had no money. Once the baby arrives, you make do somehow. You fall in love with the baby and life adjusts itself. You find you don't need as much money as you thought. When that happens, you can ask the questions that should have come before the baby. 

Ray Bradbury

I thought I'd take a few minutes to share one of my finishes for the month.  I've been trying to get better acquainted with Aislin Joy my new Innova longarm.  We have been getting along pretty well so far.  I finished this charity baby quilt and tried several new things on it.

This is the second panel like this that I've quilted.  I shared the other one a while back.

What's not to love about Tweety Bird?

I tried to see how small I could get with some background shells.

I used the plaid as a guide for some Terry Twist quilting.  It gives some good texture.

 Here is a view of the back.

I used a 3 step Zig Zag to stitch the binding down.  Can't say I'm thrilled with it but it holds it down OK.  Next time I'll use a more decorative stitch.  I have dozens to choose from on my machine and this is a good place to play with them.

I'm linking to New to Me at Celtic Thistle Stitches

Today is the first day of the Ho, Ho, Ho Blog Hop.  My post is tomorrow so I need to go finish things up,  In the meantime check out the list of the ones posting today at Sew We Quilt or you can see the list for the whole hop at Just Let Me Quilt

Slow! Construction Zone

You don't just luck into things as much as you'd like to think you do.  You build step by step, whether it's friendships or opportunities.

Barbara Bush

I really can do more complicated quilts than this!  I just wanted to show you something I recently finished. It follows in the line of yesterday's post also.  Here is a quick quilt I made for my grandson.  I saw the panel and it just screamed LITTLE BOY PLAY QUILT to me.  I also purchased some fat quarters of transportation prints, a half yard of a co-ordination print, a fat quarter stack of flannels and a remnant with the same theme.

Construction Zone

The center panel gives a place to drive the trucks on and the border is wide enough to park them on.

Quilting Close Up

Just a large stipple for quilting although I did add his name in the borders.  Black seemed the best choice for binding at the time but after washing maybe not. (Note to self:  Black shows lint from flannel ever so well.)

Flannel Back of Construction Zone

Here's the back, I had to run out and buy the gears and wrenches to finish it up. 

Not much fabric left over from this project Yeah!

Great to see it being used!

Now the action shot.  Want to play?  Looks like fun!

Tips for working with panel prints:

1) They will not be square or have 90 degree angles.  Either ignore that or work around it by adding borders that can be trimmed square.

2) Look for co-ordinates, they are usually printed with matching prints that can be used for backings, pillows or curtains.  This is great if you are working on a nursery or kids room.

3) If you can't find them at your quilt shop look in the chain stores, country or general stores with fabric, yard sales or thrift stores.

4) Use them to practice your free motion quilting, back with whatever you have on hand and you will have a bonus charity quilt or something for the 'I need a gift quick' closet.

How have you used panels?  I'll have to share how I've used the smaller panels soon.

I'm linking to Fabric Tuesday.   http://quiltstory.blogspot.com/2012/06/fabric-tuesday-fun.html

Check it out!

Rainy Days and Mondays...

A bank is a place where they lend you an umbrella in fair weather and ask for it back when it begins to rain.

Robert Frost

Playing in the Rain

After a few rainy days I thought of sharing this cute panel quilt.  I quilted it a few years ago and even did the binding, then it hung around (literally on a hanger) waiting for someone to love it.  My daughter's college roommate had a bouncing baby boy back in December and this was the quilt my daughter chose to take to the shower.  Mom and baby love it.

Quilting Close Up

Here is a close up of the quilting.  I sometimes use panels like this to practice my longarm quilting.  The easy thing to do when working with this type of panel is to add borders to it.  This gives a nice frame to the project and takes away the 'it's just a preprinted panel' look.  It also makes it bigger, some panels are a little too skimpy to really wrap up a baby in.   After practicing a new panto or free motion quilting I have a nice size quilt for a gift or charity.

Back View

I had a nice piece of plaid that worked well for the back. The yellow binding pulled out the color of the raincoat. The red border was a tiny gingham micro check that I only had slivers left of when I got it on.

Bright Rainbow

Great Colors!

Where's the Pot of Gold?

A few months ago this rainbow was outside my front door.  It was so big I could not get a full shot of it.  It was one of the most intensely colored rainbows I have ever seen.  I'm not sure it's visible in the pictures but the whole color spectrum could be seen clearly.  Rainbows - they always bring a reminder of a promise and a smile.