Modern maples quilt October - finished!

Well, the QuiP blog post of this quilt is only 2 weeks ago and today I have 'October' already finished! What got me going was Debbie's inquiry to have the quilt featured in her newsletter 'The scrap basket'. Of course I wanted to show the finished quilt and not only the quilt top or a few blocks. So here it is:

I'm really happy how it turned out in the end, I like the fabric line Twenty Three by Cosmo Cricket and the mix of blocks with and without the dark stem.

Half way through piecing the quilt top I thought this quilt is going to be too light and too beige and I had doubts if I should not have done the sashing (also in beige) but the quilting kind of connected all the blocks and it came together nicely.

I quilted in loops and swirls, just like leafs do when they fall off the tree. This is only the second time I did this quilting stitch but I felt so much more confident. I used Aurifil 40wt in beige.
I used different batting as well, normally I use 100% cotton batting but this time I tried out 'warm and natural' from the Warm Company... and that was a dream to quilt!

I have not washed the quilt yet, the batting will only shrink by 3% but I think the quilting gives the quilt already a nice crinkly look and I hope that after the wash this will even increase a bit.

For the back I used two left over blocks, which I found too light for the front, and used left over strips of fabric and for the left half of the back probably my favourite fabric from the line, the cameras.

I do love photography and I took these photos in the botanical gardens. I had hope for more coloured leafs... I guess it's still too early in the autumn. But you can see nature already changing.

I caught the last bit of sunshine that day and I just love how leafs change their colour, just as if nature wants to show off its beauty before the bleak winter sets in.

I also found this old stem of a tree covered in mushrooms:

How cool is that?

So, back to the quilt. Here it is again in all its beauty!

Thank you, Debbie, encouraging me to finish the quilt and for having me on 'a quilter's table'!

Also linking this to Crazy Mom Quilts - Finish up Friday and TGIFF!

Modern maples pillow

It was my Mum's birthday recently and I had told her, that I wanted to make her a pillow. So I had asked her what style she'd like.... and she said: 'Oh, I love these maple leafs, but can you make me some in green and turquoise?' Me, obviously humbled by that request, replied:' Of course!' and got to work.

It's a big pillow of about 60x60cm / 25x25 inches and I made the blocks from the same pattern I used for my 'October' quilt. The blocks are 12.5 inches each. I used assorted printed fabrics and combined it with Kona cotton 'bone'.

I added a red block as well, which I thought goes well with the greens, blues and turquoise. I quilted with a simple meandering free motion quilt stitch, which still needs a bit of practice.

I opted for the concealed zipper again using this tutorial, which I like very much.

You might notice that the pillow looks quite 'stuffed'. Well, that's because I used a block design which turned out to be smaller than the actual pillow... so I just hemmed the pillow! Yes, with the feathers coming out and everything!

But more about that later, I thought a do a separate blog post about that.
Here's the link to the post! 

Linking this at the last minute to Crazy Mom Quilts Finish up Friday! 

QuiP #5 - Quilt in progress - Modern maple quilt 'October'

Remember these first two modern maple blocks I made last year?

I tried these blocks out and posted them in line with my turn of the around the world blog hop tour in November 2014.

Well, my aim is to have 'October' (that's how I named the quilt) done in October this year.

Meanwhile I have all blocks done and I'm really looking forward to have it finished! For the blocks I followed this tutorial by Amanda Woodward-Jennings. 

Besides the beautiful fabric collection Twenty Three by Cosmo Cricket for Moda I have used some autumn solid colours and used three different beige tones for the background. The beige tones are very equal and there is only a slight difference but I like it that way.

The quilt top is almost finished and I also know how the quilt back is to look like. I have an idea for the quilting as well so it shouldn't take that long.

So, off to the sewing machine now!

Linking this to Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday!