The last couple weeks have been filled with some WIP’s that I have finally complete. The Hoffman Challenge Quilt being the most notable, because I actually wrote about it! I also had a couple commissions and a personal quilt going as well at that time. One is at the quilting stage, and the other two are Finished. Phew!

First up is the First Years Memory Quilt

This was a very fun project to take on. I was contacted through a mom group on Facebook, she was looking for someone to make a quilt using her daughters clothes from her first year. The theme was sweet and simple, and I love how the quilt turned out.  It finished at 45×60, the perfect size for a toddler bed.

Applique from a skirt lining

The finished quilt.

The clothes were adorable. Its always hard cutting into someones cherished pieces of clothing, but it gets easier when I think about it as transforming instead of destroying. =) Now the pieces will live on a a quilt, and each time she looks at it she will remember a part of her daughters first year.  I try to preserve a memorable part of each outfit, whether it is a bit of applique, some silkscreening, or a tulle skirt with a bow. My favorite block in the quilt is in the center of the 3rd row up. It was a princess dress with a bow and tulle overskirt, and a satin lining. I used the satin lining for the name on the bottom, and then gathered the overskirt into the 6″ block.

 I also finally hung the mini wall hanging I made a couple months ago. It was supposed to be for a swap but my machine tension was all goobered. Once I got the tension issues fixed I took it to the Free Motion Quilting Class that the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild put on. It was a great class, and not just because I got to go sew on a Sunday afternoon! It was super informative, and I managed to get the tension issues ironed out.

Compass Star Mini Quilt

The finished size is 24″x24″. I used some of my coveted Kaufman Fusions stash for the green spikes between the Star points, and some leftover ivory text print from the Canadian Cottage line by Robyn Pandolph. The entire color scheme was insired by a pink/green batik in my stash. I used it for the outside corners.

Quilting detail-spikes

Quilting detail-star

I designed the quilting pattern myself. I have been practising my feathers, and I am very happy with how it turned out. I used a very very pale seafoam green thread for the quitling, and it worked very nicely with all the colors involved. This one is hanging in my kitchen until my mother comes to visit. Then I am sure it will be found somewhere in her house, which is fine by me =)

Happy Stitching!

Stacey