Bee Quilt for Baby Robin

I can finally share my latest baby quilt! This is yet another quilt, I made with the help of the lovely ladies of the Quilty Circle of Bees. 

The block we sewed is called the 'Rocky Mountain Puzzle' block and I picked turquoise, pink and curry/chartreuse as the main colours and white and black/white fabrics for the background. It's always a nice surprise when you open the envelopes from your bee mates and see what blocks they made since we sew with our own fabrics. It gives the quilt such a great variety of different fabrics without looking completely wild and uncoordinated.

I made three blocks, my bee mates made all the other ones. I loved how it turned out, it's such a happy and fresh looking quilt! 

For the binding I used left over strips from a backing of another quilt. This print has large dots, so the binding appears to be stripy - and I like that a lot. As always with baby quilts, I sew the binding on by machine for extra durability. 

For the backing I used my favourite wide screen cross-hatch fabric in pink. In the bottom right corner is a label, made from one HST. 

This quilt was sent earlier this week to Robin and her parents, who live in Amsterdam, Netherlands.  Yesterday I received such sweet photos from Robin with the quilt... seriously, sewing a baby quilt is just the best! 

The quilt measures about 48" (123cm) square.

Thank you to me bee mates Melanie, Allison, Madga and Saadia for making the blocks! 

2021 - quilty goals

I am To-Do-List person. I have them in work and also for my quilt projects. they help me to stay focused and keep on track with my goals.

Here we go!

1. Finish Pantone Quilt 2020

Even though the Pantone Quilt Challenge did not take place in 2020 I made a quilt using classic blue. The quilting is finished, I just need to add the binding. 

2. Pantone Quilt 2021

Pantone have released two colours for 2021: grey and yellow. It's an interesting colour combination. I hope that the Pantone Quilt challenge will be back this year! 

3. Improv Quilt using stack technique

I took an online class with Nicholas Ball in October 2020 where Nicholas taught the stack technique from his book 'Inspired Improv'. I made this quilt in lovely autumn colours. The top is finished, I just need to come up with a quilting idea. Something free motion maybe?

4. Finish Christmas Quilt 

I know, I know! This quilt was on my do-to-list for the last two years! And I did attempt it. Twice. Twice I started quilting and didn't like it. Ripped it all out again. But now, it's finished quilted and just needs binding! 

5. Biene's Adventure Quilt

This has been such an enjoyable project! I'm working on this since three years and there are five blocks outstanding to finish the quilt top. I do hope we can go to the Dutch coast again this year because I need two more coast blocks! 

6. Adventures in Improv Design

I will attend QuiltCon together in February. I have signed up for an improv class with Anne Sullivan and Melanie Tuazon, I'm quite excited about it. 

7. Bee Quilts

I have this quilt top finished. This is going to be a baby quilt soon. 

There will be more, but for now that seems like a good plan! 

Bee Quilt - Trip Todd

I wasn't in the mood for any sewing during the first weeks of lock down of the Coronavirus Pandemic earlier this year. . 

One day I just took the bee blocks from last year out and put them on the design wall. I liked it so much that I started to arrange them and fill in the gaps. 

I specifically picked these blocks for a toddler quilt. I used blues in different shades, greys and oranges. The main focus was on solids with just a few prints to add interest.  This is the selection:

The blocks are pieced using a method by Debbie of A Quilter's Table called 'wedge slabs' and you can find it here. 

Since a very long time I used my old sewing machine to quilt wavy lines from the selection of stitches. I wanted something that is very stable and can resist the play of not one toddler, not two, no, three toddlers! Born all at ones - yes, triplets! All boys! I called the quilt 'Trip Todd' - short cut for Triplet Toddler. 

I'm so happy to give them this quilt knowing it gets used and loved makes me very happy! 

For the back I used one of my favourite cross hatch fabrics in blue and the binding is a bright orange to give the quilt a nice frame. I applied this binding by machine for extra durability - three boys, you know. 

Thank you to my lovely bee mates from the 'Quilty Circle of Bees' who made those lovely bee blocks: 

Christiane, Friederike, Magda, Melanie. 

2020 - quilty goals

Traditionally the year end round up is followed by this post: the quilty goals for the next year!
I like to have these goals because they are a bit like a to-do-list, I keep on going back to this post throughout the year to check progress.

1. Pantone Quilt Challenge with the new colour of the year: Classic Blue

The Pantone Quilt Challenge has become a tradition, it will be the fourth time taking part and I'm really looking forwrd to working with this beautiful colour!

2. MQG Mini Swap
I'm taking part in the mini quilt swap organised by The Modern Quilt Guild and I will exchange quilts at QuiltCon in Austin/ TX in February! I have a super great swap patner: Audrey of Cotton & Bourbon. Her quilt for me will be truly stunning as all of her work is! I have an idea for her quilt and fabrics are already selected. I will start the quilt this week before work gets in the way again.

3. Finish Christmas Quilt 'December'

I have actually started to quilt this quilt twice, and I didn't like it. The first time I ripped all the quilting out and started again (I had quilted the bottom two rows of trees approximately.). I started to quilt it a second time, and I again don't like it... so it's laying there at the moment, quilt stitches half way removed, and it's waiting for a third time.
Well, I guess these things happen. I just hope that when I quilt it t third time then it's turning out the way I want it!

4. Biene's adventure quilt 

This project is so dear to my heart and it's so much fun! I have 15 blocks so far and need a few more to have the quilt top complete. Actually I have settled on a quilt layout and now the quilt is determining where we go this year! We need to go to the beach once, go swimming twice and have a couple of nature walks in the forest. How cool is that?

5. Bee quilts

This one is from 2018 and I still need to finish it! But I have a great one from 2019 and I'm very eager to finish this one as well.
I'm continuing my bee in 2020 and looking forward to what my bee mates come up with!

6. Improv, Improv, Improv!!!
I have so many ideas and I can't wait to get started!
I also actually got a new book, it's 'Inspiring Improv' by Nicholas Ball. I really like his stuff and want to dive into his methods.

I hope I get as much sewing done as I like to. Happy New Year to you, all the best for your own creative endeavours and thanks to everyone who is stopping by my blog and leave a comment. Every one of it is highly appreciated!

Bee blocks for Allison

I just realised that I never showed you the bee blocks I made for Allison in July!

Allison is making a two colour quilt in mainly yellow and white but also with some chartreuse.When you're making a big quilt it's always good to get some help of your quilty bees!

Allison's quilt design includes these beautiful star blocks that accompany applique blocks, that Allison is doing herself.

I used a variety of yellow prints and made one block in chartreuse. The blocks are 8.5" square.

Here and here you can see the progress Allison is making with her quilt. This is going to be a beautiful one!

Bee blocks for Melanie - Eads Quilt

I love my little quilting bee and the great variety of bee blocks my fellow bees come up with.

Melanie picked this beautiful paper pieced pattern by Carolyn Friedlander, who kindly allowed us to use her pattern for this bee. The pattern is called 'Eads' and you can find it here.

Melanie picked this lovely low volume colour palette with whites and creme tones. It's such a beautiful palette, I love this subtle colour play.

I am usually an improv kind of quilter and I don't really like precise piecing but with paper piecing it's different. I really like the crisp and precise look that you can achieve with a lot less effort than normal piecing. Here you can see more blocks Melanie received already. Can't wait to see the finished quilt!

My Bee blocks for February/ March

It's always my turn at the beginning of the year to pick a quilt block for my 'Quilty Circle of Bees'. I had my eyes peeled at the 'Rocky Mountain Puzzle' block for quite some time. It's a very traditional block but with a modern colour palette I picture a very beautiful quilt. Like this one, or this.

I have a thing for chartreuse/ mustard and have gathered quite a lot of fabric in that colour. I paired it off with some light turquoise and rose.

As a background I chose a variety of black/ white prints. I like the lively appearance, but I hope it won't look too busy. I might add some solid white and use white sashing. I'll decide once all bee blocks have arrived.

The pattern can be found for free here. I opted for the 12.5" block size, there are three different sizes available.

I don't really have a plan yet what I'll do with the finished quilt. I might give it to charity where someone is in need of a cuddly quilt. Yeah, that's sounds good.

It was so nice to work with those colours during these grey, dark and cold winter days!

Bee Blocks for Vicky

I love my Quilty Circle of Bees! We are such a diverse little group of quilters who always manage to get me out of my comfort zone.

Either by the sewing technique used (in two years we had everything from paper piecing, curved blocks, improv and precise piecing.. hm, just noticed there wasn't any applique yet, I'm counting on Allison on that one!) or by the fabric selection.

Vicky was our queen bee for October/ November and she picked a paper pieced version of a courthouse step block.

The colour scheme was caramel, tangerine, light blue and purple. I didn't think that would go together but the colours look so good!

The great thing about my Bee is that we sew with our own fabrics. In the blocks I receive for my quilts there is just such a great variety on colours and fabrics because so far my fellow bee mates always nailed it!

Vicky's request was to have a white solid square as the center square and then play around and don't stick with the traditional layout.

We were also only to use four different fabrics in one block and repeat the fabric choice in the next block with only little alteration.

By doing that all the blocks get a very cohesive look. This quilt will be so good, I really can't wait to see this finished!

Summer Smoothie Bee Blocks for Allison

It's been a little quiet around here, but that doesn't mean I wasn't sewing. I really enjoyed summer and did a lot of outdoor activities hence no sewing inside for a good while (and also no blogging).

Allison was our queen bee for the months of July/ August and I still need to share the blocks I made for her.
I always enjoy working on bee blocks, my bee mates come up with the most inspiring colour palettes and block designs that sometimes gets me out of my comfort zone.

Like curved piecing for example. I think these are my very first drunkards path blocks!

Allison designed these blocks herself, they are called 'Summer Smoothie' and you can find the free tutorial on Allison's blog here. Aren't they gorgeous?

They came together rather quickly and were actually very enjoyable to sew.
I needed to figure out in what direction to press the curved seams though, I kind of let the fabric decide where the seams wanted to be pressed, you know, this kind of happens sometimes. But I figured it is best to press them to one side.

I also really liked the colour palette Allison picked.

That's all blocks together. Can't wait to see the finished quilt!

My quilting bee is called Quilty Circle of Bees and we are mostly German based and sew every two months but then mostly more than one block with our own fabrics.

Linking this to Let's Bee Social at 'Sew Fresh Quilts'.

Wonky Quarter Log Cabin Boy Quilt

I can finally show my second finished Bee Quilt today:

I couldn't be happier with this quilt, my bee mates did a fantastic job with their beautiful blocks! I opted for an improv and wonky quarter log cabin block and since this is a quilt for a boy I asked for 'boyish' fabrics with very graphic prints and solid white.

The colour scheme was navy and light blue, mustard/ curry and white. You can read more about that here. It's always a nice surprise when you open the envelopes from your bee mates and see what blocks they made since we sew with our own fabrics. It gives the quilt such a great variety of different fabrics without looking completely wild and uncoordinated.

For the back of the quilt I simply opted for cross hatch fabrics and a white stripe in the middle. The quilt measures 1.20 x 1.50m (47x59"), the individual blocks are 12.5"sq.

We all followed a tutorial by Debbie of A Quilter's Table to create the wonky blocks. Wonky and Improv can be challenging for some quilters so my bee mate Melanie wrote a blog post on how to 'plan' your improv blocks, so if you feel a little intimidated by improv go and check this out!

It was the first quilt I quilted with my new Juki. I opted for free motion interlinking and random rectangles, which I thought go very well with the wonky blocks. The quilting turned out so beautiful and is no comparison to what I previously was able to do with my old machine. What you can't see on the photo above is that I also got the large extension table. With that you can turn your machine 90degress so you almost have a long arm feeling, with the only difference that you still need to move the quilt under the machine and not the other way round as you would with a long arm.

Here's a close-up of the quilting at the back of the quilt. I used Aurifil 40wt in white and it works so well with all the different colours.

I opted for a solid white binding. I've done that a couple of times with quilts where there is a lot of solid white and I think it gives the quilt a nice, light frame and lets the blocks stand out.

Again, thanks to my fellow bees of the Quilty Circle of Bees for another really lovely quilt. This will be a gift for a friend of mine and her little boy. Can't wait to see her face, she has no clue that this is for her and her little man!

Linking this to the Blogger's Quilt Festival hosted by Amy Ellis.
and Let's Bee Social at 'Sew Fresh Quilts'