Aviatrix Medallion Quilt

Posted on January 20, 2016 by thequiltedcat

Happy Wednesday!

I hope to blog more often in 2016 than I did in 2015. I tend to post regularly to Instagram so check out my feed when you get the chance. I’m @nwquiltedcat.

I started working on the Aviatrix Medallion quilt by Elizabeth Hartmann quite some time ago. I last blogged about it back in June 2014!! My fabric selections are described here.

I finished maybe 2/3 of the quilt before I set it aside, distracted by all the things!! Last fall, I decided to finish the piecing and the quilting.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I had the chance to visit my sister’s lovely home, nestled in beautiful pine trees. The binding wasn’t finished so I brought it with me and stitched it to the quilt over the course of several evenings.

Here’s a look at the finished quilt, in all her rainbowy goodness:

Aviatrix Medallion finished

Aviatrix Medallion Close-Up

I definitely need to get a better, in-focus picture showing the quilt up close. Not all the points match perfectly, but I’m really happy with how it turned out. I love the color explosion!

Here’s a pic from that same weekend. It was around 7 degrees or so and we went looking for some wildlife to photograph. So cold!! We came across this suspension bridge so our mom snapped a pic of us! I’m in the gray coat and my sister is in the longer, black coat.

Standing on a frozen bridge with my sister!

Happy quilting!

~Jennifer

An Anniversary Trip to Kauai!

Posted on January 17, 2016 by thequiltedcat

Hello quilty friends!

My husband and I recently celebrated our 15th anniversary and decided to visit Kauai to celebrate. We went in December and brought out 10-year-old. It truly was a wonderful trip, and we had some really great family time together.

We took Captain Andy’s sunset dinner sail along the Napali coastline. The weather was perfect! Sunny, clear, rainbows! We saw early whales migrating to Hawaii for winter, spinner dolphins, a green sea turtle, and magnificent scenery!

Napali coast during Captain Andy’s dinner sail

Spinner dolphins

Double rainbow at Napali coast

We also enjoyed a very muddy ATV tour with Kipu Ranch Adventures. We went on a rainy day for maximum mud puddle splashing!

Kipu Ranch tour

I’ve always wanted to hike the famous Kalalau Trail along the Napali coastline. The full trail is 11-miles one way and requires backpacking in for an overnight stay. We decided to do the more popular 4-mile round trip section, starting at Ke’e beach and turning around at Hanakapi’ai beach. Someday, I would love to do the whole trail!

Overview of Hanakapi’ai Beach

Ian at Hanakapi’ai Beach

Rock sculptures at Hanakapi’ai Beach

Our son had the most fun just boogie boarding at the beach. The joy on his face will stay with me for a long time!

Ian at Poipu Beach

Ian and sunset at Popiu Beach

I also squeezed in a stop at a quilt store and purchased some beautiful fabric for myself, my sister, and my mom.

Kapaia Stitchery

I really loved visiting Kauai. It is a beautiful island with a laid-back pace of life. I hope to visit again some day.

Double rainbow near Hanalei

Mahalo!

~Jennifer

Brutus Quilt, First Finish of 2016

Posted on January 8, 2016 by thequiltedcat

Happy New Year, everyone!

My quilty goal this year is to finish more projects before starting new ones! Sound familiar?

In a bittersweet first finish for the year, I completed the quilting and binding on my Brutus memory quilt this week.

I posted earlier that Janeen of Quilt Art Designs drafted this wonderful foundation paper-pieced pattern for me of my dog, Brutus, who passed away in September 2015 after fighting cancer.

The pattern is based off a photo that I took of Brutus with us on the Broken Top hike in central Oregon in August 2015.

Brutus hikes the Broken Top trail with the Three Sisters in the background

I pieced the quilt using Aurifil 50 weight threads in light tan and black. The blue background is Moda Grunge, the solids are all Kona cotton, and the blacks and grays are from various fabric manufacturers pulled from my stash.

I did a free-motion swirly quilting all over his fur, switching from black thread to a variegated brown thread when needed. For the blue background, I did straight-line quilting using Rainbow thread by Superior. It has a subtle shimmer that you can see in person, but the pictures do not show it well.

For the binding, I went with a black and white print from Cotton & Steel. I like how it vaguely resembles an old film strip yet brings the focus to Brutus.

Brutus Memory Quilt 1

Brutus Memory Quilt 2

I love how this quilt turned out! I think it is my favorite quilt that I have made, and I plan to hang it in our house this weekend. I miss Brutus fiercely and still feel his sweet doggie presence.

Sincere thanks to Janeen for the pattern. Please check out her Craftsy store and her wonderful selection of foundation paper-piecing patterns!

Happy quilting,

~Jennifer