MAKING BOUTIQUE ITEMS

 My quilt guild is hoping to be able to hold our show in 2022, after postponing it due to Covid 19.  We always have an extensive boutique, and have run workshops to make items in the past.

We held our first Zoom boutique sew-day on Tuesday, with everyone working on their own items.  It was fun, stitching and chatting with friends, and sharing ideas for items to be made.  We are hoping to run workshops for some of the more difficult items in the near future.

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I decided to pull out a favourite pattern, and made 2 sets of 4 placemats, tops only so far.  The pattern is called "Take Four" by Cary Flanagan.  A set of four tops requires four fat quarters, so when I find some that coordinate nicely, I set them aside for future sets.

 

 

Now I have to find suitable backing fabrics, and get these quilted and set aside in my "boutique" box.

STASH REPORT SUNDAY

Stash Report

Fabric used this week  35.375 yards

Fabric used year to date  44.5 yards

Fabric added this week  0 yards

Fabric added year to date  0 yards

Net fabric used 2021  44.5 yards 

 

As I always do, when making a quilt, I draw my project using Electric Quilt 8.  I choose colours  of fabrics, similar to the ones I use in the quilt, and then let the software calculate the actual fabric used.  Since  my Hunters star was made with string blocks, I was shocked at how much fabric I used in this project.  It certainly used most of my red and cream leftover fabric strips!

I decided a long time ago, to count the fabric as used, when the quilt was totally completed!  Sometimes it seems like I am not working, but I sew every day, if only for a few minutes.

Since finishing the last 2 quilt projects, I was asked to help out with some "community quilts" for my guild.  We have many people making blocks and quilt tops, but few volunteer to machine quilt!  I picked up 2 smallish quilts that were already pin-basted, completed the machine quilting, then added the binding and our guild label to each.  I also added labels to 2 more quilts, and will deliver them to our convenor this week.

My guild is trying to plan for a quilt show next year, after having it cancelled twice.  The topic of our boutique was discussed, and the fact that we had workshops for those wanting to make items for sale in the boutique.  Next week we are having a Zoom sew-day, and this time, everyone is to be working on an item of their choice.  We will be asking members to lead future boutique days, with a planned project to share with others each month or so.  Since the vaccine distribution is very slow here, we may be postponing the show for another year, but we are hopeful that things will progress faster soon.

I guess I better decide what I'm making for my boutique item this week!!!!

 BTW, I updated the "Quilts 2021" page with pictures and information about the projects that I have finished this year so far....

 

Two Finishes - At Last!

 I have been quietly sewing on two projects for some time.  I finally finished sewing the binding on the last one yesterday, and this morning, I was finally able to take pictures of both finished quilts!

I finished my Hunters Star quilt, the Quiltville version with string pieced blocks. I knew that this would be time consuming, but it was fun finding all the reds and neutrals to make this quilt.  I had planned to make it last winter, while down south, but my quilting group requested help with various other projects, so I brought all of the fabric back home last March.  It sat in a project bag, for a very long time, until I just had to get it started.  

Working on this was a trip down memory lane, thinking about all the other projects that I had done over the years, to create so many leftover scraps and strips!  

I quilted with simple "stitch in the ditch" around all the square units, then diagonal lines through the stars, and outlining all the star points.  The large 4 patches created by string blocks, received straight line serpentine stitches, beginning in one corner and continuing to fill each large square.  I also used Electric Quilt to draw my quilt, and used it to calculate how much fabric I used!

 Pattern is found here https://quiltville.com/shop.html#!/Digital-Patterns/c/13038426

During the same time as I was working on this project, my guild shared some Block of the Month blocks to make, during the past three months.  January was "Card Tricks", February was "Garden Path" and March was "Spring Twist".  When I made the January blocks, I found some squares of fabric that I had cut and set aside for an "I Spy" type of quilt, so I used four different fabrics in each block, and made 10 different ones.  When February rolled around, I decided to continue the theme, and used a different "I Spy" fabric in the center of the Garden Path blocks.  The Spring Twist blocks were made with two different focal fabrics in each, and I stopped at 5 blocks.

To make the quilt a bit larger, I added a strip of four different fabrics as sashing between the rows.  I finished off with a striped fabric for binding.  This will be a cuddle quilt for my two grandchildren, and I'm sure it will receive lots of use, as they both love to snuggle in a quilt, sleep under one, play on one, etc.

My family knows that quilts are to be used, not stored for posterity.  I can always make them another one or two!