Riley Blake Modern Quilt Guild Challenge Quilt - 2014 Finish #2

The nice folks at Riley Blake fabrics set up a challenge with the Modern Quilt Guild. Rules were to use the fabrics given to you to make something quilted. You didn't need to use all of the fabrics, and you could add solids or Riley Blake prints.

So I started with a lot of fabrics that weren't necessarily what I would have chosen, but that's why they called it a challenge! I loved each of them individually, but together I was scratching my head. I know I didn't have to use them all together, but after seeing some great projects online, I decided to go for it.

When I hear Riley Blake Fabrics, I think chevrons, as their line of chevrons is extensive. I also have wanted to make a chevron quilt, but haven't tried it out yet. So the solution was obvious! I didn't have enough to make full rows, so I decided to stagger them for a fun look. I did order more of the charcoal solid to use as the background. I have recently moved away from using white as my backgrounds and four out of the last five quilts I've made have had colored backgrounds.

I ended up leaving this too late, and didn't have time (or extra fabric) to match patterns very well, so the stripes and chevrons aren't matchy. I also knew by the point I was finishing that I was not going to be a contender for the challenge, so I picked up my backing and binding fabric from JoAnn instead of ordering Riley Blake fabrics online and having to pay for shipping. I love the print I bought for the backing -- it makes this perfect for a little boy and the colors matched perfectly with the Riley Blake fabrics. The binding is a Denyse Schmidt for JoAnn bias print plaid and it's gorgeous and makes beautiful binding. It's fifth from the bottom in this picture.

I think I will hold onto this for the next boy baby who comes along and needs a quilt.

Linked to Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.

Another 2013 finish--Helix quilt

I saw this in a quilt magazine over a year ago and thought it was gorgeous! I love orange and decided that aqua would be a great complementary color. Everything was from my stash.

I don't have a design wall, so I generally use the floor or sometimes the sofa.

Once the criss-cross blocks were made, I arranged them on the living room floor.

Then added side panels and quilted with an overall stipple.

I took pictures on a cloudy day, so this next one is filtered but shows the colors a little better.

Close up of quilting:

This was probably one of my best documented quilts. I loved making it and it went to the brand new daughter of a friend from college. 

I might make this pattern again someday but it was time-consuming for me--the points were numerous and while I got them to almost all match, it was definitely not a great pattern for someone like me who is more improvisational (meaning I don't have the patience to press and match points all the time!). Technically, this is one of my best quilts yet, although I can still point out quite a few things I missed or would change if I could do it over again.

linked to http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-quilt-for-my-brother.html

First 2014 finish--blue gingham baby quilt

When I decided to do the fabric fast, I took a good look at my stash. I have a reusable shopping bag of fabric set aside to destash but I decided to take one more look and found the bright blue duck print. I always thought it was cute but didn't have anything to mix it with.

But the fabric fast got me to take another look! I put it together with a fat quarter of a pale blue nursery print I picked up at JoAnn Fabric during a 99 cent fat quarter sale, a blue baby themed text print and some other light blue scraps. I have seen some cute gingham pattern quilts made with solids and thought it could be cute in baby fabrics. 

This was a really quick project for me. I pieced the quilt top in one morning, and then added borders, basted, quilted and bound today. Quilting (free motion random stippling) took less than 1.5 hours, which is a record for me. 

The backing is a Crate and Barrel outlet find. It's a perfect baby quilt backing that is a yellow to blue ombré.

It will go to a friend who is having a little boy this spring. 

It's not the best quilt I've ever made, and I don't think it turned out quite how I hoped it would, but it's cute, warm and snuggly, and celebrates a new little baby with love.

Linked to http://www.confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2014/01/can-i-get-whoop-whoop-ministry-quilts.html and