The quilt on my bed

I think we all know why we quilt when something we've made makes us smile - every time we see it. That's how it is with the quilt currently on my bed. Even though it is early Spring, I have bright, lively summer jewel colors brightening my room.

I have yet to make myself a Christmas bed quilt, so the Autumn (Leaving California) quilt is on my bed for much too long,and by the time the New Year comes around, I am ready for a change.

Remember this post?  I was trying to figure out what to do for backing and I never followed up here when I finished the quilt! I ended up using the allover print from the same line and the last two pieces from the panel for the backing. Solid black binding.

This quilt makes me smile every time. The colors are so vivid it is happiness all over. The guitar playing mermaids floating around the border seem to be ready to lull me to sleep.

Just to refresh your memory, Key West Crush is it's name.I made this variation on Bonnie Hunter's "Orange Crush" mystery quilt. It took more than 2 years to make it because half way through I banished it to a box out of frustration. So, when I unboxed it, I was ready and focused to put it together. It just happens that I had pre-ordered an In the Beginning fabric line called Oceanica, and there was EXACTLY enough of the stripe to border the quilt top with the panel pieces as corners! It still amazes me. I literally had one inch of stripe left!

Have you seen "What's On Your Bed?" in other blogs? I'd like to know what is on your bed, if you'd like to share!

Quilt backing indecision

I've spent hours - HOURS - looking at fabrics online. Trying to find the perfect backing for this. The borders are Oceanica's stripe in black by Julie Pachkis for In the Beginning. I preordered it a few months ago from Over the Rainbow  not even knowing what I would do with it, but I had to have it. You know what I mean about that, right?

Anyway, I was absolutely ecstatic when I opened the package and saw that it was completely perfect to border my Key West Crush top I recently finished piecing! And I had ordered exactly enough! The corner blocks in the border are from the panel of Oceanica that I ordered with it.

One dilemma solved, one more to go! I will use solid black binding, so I need to find a backing that is more or less white, but not a solid, that will go with black binding. Sounds simple enough, but I also don't want to spend a fortune! I need 6 yards because this is 93" x 93" and I am hoping not to piece the back at all. Why do I want a white backing? For the first time, I have made what is basically a stained glass top! I am thrilled and I don't want a deep-colored back to take away from that.

I never, never think ahead to the borders, backing or binding when I am making a quilt top. I jump in with both feet to make the latest thing that's caught my fancy. You'd think I would learn to plan more, but I guess I am a fly by the seat of my pants gal.

Any suggestions? Please?

Quilt Tops Done and Blog Clothing Weeks

Have you heard about Kids Clothes Week? I have been making pajama pants for Tyler, as I stated on an earlier post. I have added Teeny Tiny Zoo pj pants in chocolate and some clown fish fabric pj pants to his wardrobe, but of course they are in the wash and not photographed so I can't show you them, can I? There is the set I made a few weeks back with Heather Ross' seahorse fabric and a plain white tshirt. Hopefully you read that post and visited Hawthorne Threads shop for some great fabrics! I also made a pair from an aliens in outer space print on black, shown here.

I have been a busy girl, but a bit behind for sharing on Spring Top Week, which ended 2 weeks ago. Nevertheless, I was inspired to take one of my skirt fabrics and make a cute top. Cool and colorful and easy. I am glad I read the pattern reviews first because they helped a lot (the back is too wide, so make it narrower by at least 1 size or your bra straps will be showing!) New Look 6891 is the one I used for it, but mine is shorter than their version. I will be looking up pattern reviews from now on when I sew clothing.

Many miles have been put on my 2 machines lately. I finished up several UFOs, made a very cute Whirly Wheels Baby quilt (from Moda Bakeshop) that will be a QOV  and it is made with Moda's Cherish Nature. Jelly roll plus a little yardage and you can make this in one day! I have quite a stack for the long arm quilter.

I don't do the quilting myself. I would need a class, which isn't possible here. It would be great to someday have the confidence and talent to make it from start to finish, but for now I leave my quilts in the hands of practiced and talented long-armers I know.

This is my version of "Orange Crush," the Quiltville.com mystery quilt of about 2 years ago. Bonnie's version has an elaborate border, which I am not going to do. I think I may add a simple solid border to this and call it a day. I used so many bright scraps here that I am naming mine "Key West Crush." I put it in a box when I had all the rows together because I just wasn't sure I liked it at all. Now I love it. It has been properly aged.

Last but not least is my expanded version of "Off the Grid" from Quilt Dad and the Moda Bakeshop. I added a 4th row to his version so it will cover more at Christmas when it adorns the sofa. Also, I omitted the rows of honeybun strips between the blocks. It took 2 packs of Glace charm squares and a Glace honeybun to make it. Really easy.

I should get all of the above quilt tops (plus one more I am not showing yet) back from the quilter by the end of Summer. I want to beat the holiday quilting rush.