A Snack Time Quilt Finish!

Posted on March 31, 2014 by thequiltedcat

Hi everyone!

Last March, I took a class with Julie of Jaybird Quilts. She had finished up her Snack Time pattern, and I was able to purchase a copy of the pattern from the wonderful Quiltmaker booth of goodies outside the classroom area.

I started working on piecing the top sometime last summer and finished it during the fall. Then, other projects popped up, and I never finished the quilting!

This weekend, I finally finished my Snack Time and took some photos of my completed quilt at my sister’s beautiful cabin in the woods!

I used a Bali Pop (2.5″ pre-cut strips) from Hoffman Fabrics in Rum Raisin. I really loved the look of the purples and greens together. For the background, I went with Kona white, which really makes those batiks pop!! The piecing and quilting is with white Aurifil thread.

Here are some pics of the quilt front:

Snack Time at Cabin

Snack Time Close-Up

For the backing, I went with Kona cotton in Lupine with some left-over Snack time blocks, Kona white, and a label.

Snack Time Back

Naturally, this quilt had to be inspected professionally and so Miss Gracie gave us her paw of approval!

Miss Gracie

I still have the original quilt top from that class, Boxed In, to finish. I’ll get it done eventually!

Happy quilting!
~Jennifer

Toes in the Sand BOM, Blocks 11 and 12

Posted on March 30, 2014 by thequiltedcat

I’ve been participating in the Toes in the Sand BOM by Julie of Jaybird Quilts over the past year, and I’m happy to say that I’ve finished the last 2 sets of blocks! I signed up for this BOM with the Fat Quarter Shop and just loved receiving that package in the mail each month.

The block for month 11 is La Jolla Cove. I love the dark blues in this block!

La Jolla Cove Block

The final block for month 12 is Big Sur. This one has plenty of fun hexagon shapes.

Big Sur Block

Now that I have all the blocks completed, I need to work on the setting triangles and assemble the quilt top.

But first, I really need to finish my Celtic Solstice Mystery top. I’ve signed up to take a class with Bonnie in June so I need to hurry – yikes!

Happy quilting!
~Jennifer

A Cute Little Basket

Posted on March 28, 2014 by thequiltedcat

I picked up a cute pattern recently for a fabric basket called Banded Baskets by Indygo Junction. The pattern actually contains 3 sizes of nesting baskets.

I decided to make the small basket and fill it with little fabric treasures for a special someone! It’s the perfect size for carrying a small project or storing fat quarters.

Small Banded Basket

For the outside, I used a pretty little fabric on the bottom portion called Chickadee (# A-7029-LC) by Andover Fabrics.

The dark brown leaf print on the top portion is from P&B Textiles line called Bear Essentials 2 (#ESS2 569S).

For the piping, I used Essex Yarn Dyed in Flax for sturdiness. The lining and handles are made from a solid blue from my stash. I used Aurifil Light Sand #2000 for the stitching.

Once I finished the basket, I added a little bird charm keychain and some fat quarters. I plan to make a nesting set of 3 baskets for my sewing room as a pretty way to store my quilty projects in-process.

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

A Weekend of Rocky Hiking!

Posted on March 26, 2014 by thequiltedcat

Last weekend, we decided to spend the first part of spring break doing some short hikes in central Oregon. The weather was perfect for hiking with bright sunshine and highs in the 60s.

On our first hike, we visited Balanced Rocks. These rocks were revealed in 2002 when a wildfire burned down the surrounding forest. Since then, the Forest Service has established a short 1/2 mile walk to the balanced rock overlook. Once at the overlook, you can walk down into the balanced rocks to explore them up close, if you don’t mind a little scrambling along the loose terrain.

Behind the rocks, you can see part of the Cascade Range including Mt. Jefferson in the foreground and Mt. Hood way in the distance.

Balanced Rocks Hike with Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Hood

The short walk out to the rocks is suitable for all ages. Older kids can easily scramble down with you to view the formations up close.

A Kid-Friendly Hike

Here are some up-close views of the balanced rocks:

Balanced Rock and Mt. Hood

Balanced Rock Close-Up

Balanced Rocks with Tree in the Middle

To get to the Balanced Rock hike from Cove Palisades State Park, follow the signs towards Perry South campground. You’ll be on a paved road for about 12.2 miles until it turns to gravel. Drive another 0.3 miles and you’ll see a small turn-out on the right. Park here for the trailhead. The trailhead sign seems to have disappeared but you will see some posts, boulders, and a gravel path:

Balanced Rocks Trailhead

The next day, we decided to hike up Misery Ridge Trail at Smith Rocks State Park near Redmond. Yes, the trail is actually called Misery Ridge due to the steep switchbacks. The trail is about 2/3 mile up to the top with stunning views of the Cascade Range.

Smith Rocks with Black Butte in the Background

Although the trail is steep, kids can definitely do this hike with you provided you have plenty of water and snacks. I highly recommend doing this hike before it is too hot outside. The trail down is often slippery due to the loose rock so take your time and watch your kids.

View along Misery Ridge Hike

A Little Hiking Dude!

Once on top, enjoy some snacks and the view of Cascade Range!

Cascade Range from Smith Rocks

A great family hike!

Misery Ridge Trail loops around the top

These 2 small hikes were the perfect start to spring. We really enjoy exploring all the beautiful places here in Oregon. If you have a favorite hike, let me know!

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

Vice Versa BOM: March Blocks

Posted on March 24, 2014 by thequiltedcat

I did both some hiking and some sewing this weekend to kick off spring break here in Oregon!

I finished up my 2 March blocks for the Vice Versa BOM, hosted by AnneMarie over at GenXQuilters. We made the bear paw block this month, which is one of my all-time favorite blocks.

Here’s at look at the regular block and the inverse block:

Vice Versa BOM – March Blocks

You can read about my fabric selections in my first Vice Versa post here.

We’ve made 3 months worth of blocks, and I love taking pictures of them together. The colors are so springy and make me happy!

3 Months of Vice Versa BOM

I’m working on pictures from our scenic hike over the weekend so stay tuned!

Happy quilting!
~Jennifer

Triangle QAL Fabrics!

Posted on March 21, 2014 by thequiltedcat

The sun is shining here this afternoon, just in time for me to take a picture of the fabrics that I have selected to use in a new quilt-along. Yes, I just finished up my Star Light Star Bright QAL top, and I’ve decided to jump aboard Paula’s fun triangle QAL over on her blog, Sassy Quilter.

I’m really excited to do this QAL since this will be my first, all triangle quilt top!

There are so many luscious fabric lines on the market today to choose from that I really couldn’t decide. Instead, I decided to go with something a little strange, a little hip, and a whole lot Portland! This one is for my hubby who loves beer and really enjoys sampling all the local micro brews.

The patterned fabrics are from Clothworks Brewsky line, which I think may now be out of print. I actually picked up most of these fabrics last year while doing a quilt shop hop, but didn’t have a specific project in mind. I’m throwing in a few coordinating Kona cotton solids to round out my selections.

Here are the fabrics, all bundled up in this little basket:

Brewsky Fabric

And since my cat inspectors are too sophisticated to have their photos taken next to beer fabric, my dog stepped up to the plate. And really, doesn’t the dog and beer kinda tie for the role of “man’s best friend??”

Yep, Ma, It’s Beer Fabric! Woof!

I hope you’ll mosey on over to Paula’s blog and join us for this QAL. Next Friday, she’ll post the cutting directions.

Have a great weekend!
~Jennifer

Quilted Name Tag and Lanyard

Posted on March 19, 2014 by thequiltedcat

I belong to a local quilt guild, and we have our monthly meeting coming up this week. The guild encourages people to create name tags to wear at the meetings since there are quite a few members. I’ve been procrastinating on this task for quite some time!

I decided to pull out some fun sewing-themed fabrics to use with my name tag.

Fabrics for Name Tag

These fabrics are:
Black: Color Weave by P&B Textiles
Green: Light Green #23070-H from She Who Sews Handmaids line by Janet Wecker Frisch for Quilting Treasures
Solid White: Kona cotton in white
Scissors Print on White: Pattern #600 by The Henley Studio for Makower Andover (can’t find a link)

I decided to make a simple pinwheel quilt block with a finished measurement of 3-inches by 3-inches. Next, I added a small white rectangle below the pinwheel so I could write my name. I used the Handmaids green fabric as a border, and then made my miniature quilt sandwich!

Name Tag Quilt Sandwich

Isn’t it cute! For piecing, I used Aurifil #2000. For the quilting, I used an Aurifil Green to echo stitch around each pinwheel shape and around the white rectangle. I used Aurifil black to stitch on the black color weave binding.

I then cut a piece of black ribbon from my stash and stitched it to the backside of the name tag and turned it into a lanyard. I decided to make a lanyard style to avoid pinning the tag to my clothes and so I could add commemorative buttons from quilting events to the ribbon.

As a final touch, I added 3 decorative buttons: a cat (of course!), a pair of scissors, and a thimble.

Quilted Name Tag Lanyard

I love these quick-and-easy projects!

Do you have a quilted name tag? I’d love to see photos.

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

Star Light Star Bright QAL Top Completed!

Posted on March 17, 2014 by thequiltedcat

Good evening, everyone!

I finished up my quilt top for the Star Light Star Bright QAL hosted by Melissa over at Happy Quilting. A big thanks goes to Melissa for designing such a fun project and her generosity in sharing the pattern with us, week by week!

Although some of my points are not perfect, I continue to improve my piecing skills by working on quilt-alongs and BOMs. These timed projects give me a definite goal, and I love quilting alongside people from all over the world.

To see a complete list of my fabric selections, you can read my original SLSB QAL post. I pieced the top using Aurifil thread, #2000.

My husband assisted with some outdoor photography as we tried to catch the quilt in the fading evening light. I think these pictures don’t do the fabrics justice. You can see my pretty plum tree blooming in the background.

STSB QAL Quilt Top, Outside

SLSB QAL Quilt Top Outside with Cat Inspector

Then, I brought the quilt top indoors and placed in on the floor and took a couple more photos.

SLSB QAL Quilt Top, Indoors

SLSB QAL Quilt Top, Indoors with Cat Inspector

I hope to be able to quilt it and bind it in time for the grand parade of finishers. Right now, I’m leaning towards using one of the dark brown fabrics for the binding.

Enjoy!
~Jennifer

Happy Worldwide Quilting Day!

Posted on March 15, 2014 by thequiltedcat

Did you know that today, March 15th, is Worldwide Quilting Day? Yippee – a special day devoted to our love of all things quilty.

I celebrated the event by purchasing some gorgeous fabric from a local quilt shop having a 20% off sale this week. I was drooling over the new Sunnyside line by Kate Spain for Moda. You can purchase this fabric online from Fat Quarter Shop if your local shop does not have it.

I didn’t have a specific project in mind until I saw the Reach for the Stars quilt on Dawn’s blog, First Light Designs. This quilt pattern features a medallion in the quilt center, something that I haven’t yet tried in a quilt. The design is by Terry Krysan and can be found in the Quilter’s Newsletter magazine as a 7-part series. Look for the October/November 2013 issue for the fabric requirements and the medallion instructions.

For my quilt, I’m using the Sunnyside line plus 2 Bella Solids (Night Sky and Porcelain) and 1 color weave in turquoise. I’m using Aurifil in Light Sand (#2000) for all the piecing. I really need to get an Aurifil thread color chart so I can pick out the best thread color for the quilting.

Here’s a quick iPhone picture of my medallion before I had it sewn together.

Tiger on Medallion

I finished sewing the borders onto the medallion this evening and tried to catch the last of the light. These pictures are a little grainy due to the low-light conditions, but I hope you see the beautiful Sunnyside fabrics!

Reach for the Stars Medallion

Some of my points do not quite match up, but I can see definite improvement in my piecing skills over the last year.

Of course, one of my cat inspectors could not resist sitting on the medallion during my photo session. I could hardly keep him off the fabric so I guess he approves!

Cow the Cat on the medallion

Once I finish piecing the top for my Star Light Star Bright QAL project, then I hope to be able to work on the next blocks on this Reach for the Stars quilt.

I hope you had a little time to do some sewing today!

Enjoy,
~Jennifer

Celtic Solstice, Part 3!

Posted on March 14, 2014 by thequiltedcat

I’ve squeezed in a bit more time over the past several weeks to work on part 3 of Bonnie Hunter’s Celtic Solstice quilt. The instructions are still available until this June if you want to make one for yourself!

There are 6 steps in total, and I’ve completed the piecing on steps 1, 2 and 3. Part 3 has beautiful pinwheels and little individual blocks in yellows and oranges. These blocks are so sunny and cheerful!

Here are my 25 pinwheel units and 100 half-square triangles:

Celtic Solstice, Part 3

I used the Waterlogue app to turn the pinwheel units into this faux painting. I think I could frame it and put it in my quilting room!

Waterlogue Version of Celtic Solstice Part 3

I invited my cat inspectors to examine these blocks, but they were not interested. Hmmm. Oh well, my dog performed his stunt-double duties and decided to sit with me while I took photos: