A quilt "Chemistry, named love"

Lately I haven't wrote here although I am still making quilts. 

So I want to share with you the story about the last one, which was a baby quilt.

 The parents are amazing couple - one is chemist and the other a cartoon maker.The design should be something with hexagons.

The hexagons were made from two different stripes - one is 1 3/4 inches, another - 3 inches. I have challenged myself to bind hexagons. First found three different ways , and finally made my own way :) I used a bias stripe - the outer corners are easy to bind - very similar to right angle binding. The tricky way is for the inner corners - I pull the bias tape and stitch to the middle point, then pivot quilt and follow stitching. On the back side I stitched by hand.

I like using rests for making back, so my quilts always have two "faces".

 

Merry Christmas to all!

Baby blanket recycle denim

 Two days later I have made 25 blocks the same way.

One pair of jeans gives new life for 7-10 blocks depending on how big they are, how worn are etc.

I used different colors which gives additional effect in design.

 I decided to make running stitch on the denim stripes. 

I have stuck a paper tape on the ruler to know where to mark a line without measuring every time.

 Still wandering if add FMQ on color pieces...

Tomorrow will think again.

Scrap buster denim quilt

 I was given some jeans to recycle and wandered what to do with denim.

I collect scraps different ways. The stripes are separated from other pieces, which are divided light and dark.

My scrap buckets are full. 

The block I made is easy - collected stripes and denim stripes.

How to make the block easy?

1.You need different fabric's stripes long around 6 or 9 inches. If they are shorter stitch two of them together to make the stripe longer.
 

2. Stitch along the stripes right sides together. Chain sewing for fast speed.

3. Repeat till have block around 10 inches width. Divide this block in 3 inches stripes.

4. Cut denim stripes 3x10 inches.

5. Stitch together colored and denim stripes. Trim if needed.

* Iron all seam allowances open.

The new kawandi - made by machine

 Today's post is about kawandi - but this time I decided to sew by machine.

It is mug rug again and happened more faster. I used the same manner as traditional one.

Hand sewn kawandi is more soft and nice to touch.

This one took me only one hour from start to finish.

Which one do you prefer? Have you tried any of them?

My first kawandi

 I have seen siddi quilt many months ago and loved improvisation and recycling' possibilities.

This month have red an article and understand that it is called kawandi. Siddi is the name of Africa's women who moved to India and make such quilts..

There are many tutorials, but I have watched one and started with a small piece - a mug rug.

I was hooked. It took me 2 hours from start to finish. 

The most important thing I have learned:

* The outer row is the most difficult to make -  once you stitch the second round it goes fast and pleasant.

* It is easier to use old (used) fabrics.

* Thimble will help, but it is not a must.

* I have to take a rest every hour - making some stretching. I was so obsessed and forget about short rest with a gym.

A Love tale - Last quilt for 2021

It is not easy to sit down in front of computer to write a post here with Instagram's invasion. Not so easy as before. With mobile in hand it seems the easiest thing is to open any App.

Call me old fashioned , but I am still doing my effort to keep alive this kid - my blog. 11 years so far. It became a teenager. Ha ha.

The last quilt for 2021 was a special design for a 14 years old girl.She described her idea and mentioned her favorite colors. You say it is enough , let's go!

I have promised to myself not to buy any fabric until I reduced my stash at least half. So I have use small pieces to create something that catch eyes.

At the beginning I draw a design with small squares 3 inches unfinished, but it seemed to ugly.

Then updated to this

calculated the blocks and started to make them.

First order on the floor has shown it is too busy, especially the blocks containing  red square.

 I realized to place them in something as a frame .

A this stage I ordered similar blocks separated in rows - small squares, half triangles and bold squares. When I say bold it means - hand written prints as love letters, printed hearts, rose as a flower of love, a Tour Eiffel stamp - as you know the Paris is city of love.

I like this order so much and and stitched together.

The back

That was the whole story of the last 2021 quilt.

 

Wishing you all Merry Christmas and Happy New 2022!

Be fill with joy and power, be sensitive, creative!

Discover new challenges!

Embroidered baby quilt

 I was given this embroidered pieces some years ago, but till now haven't create anything.

 

Finally it came - a special friend's son has a baby.

Collected some stripes and  began the sewing.

The design is easy - almost 9 patch deconstructed, but not exactly.

For the back I have used an IKEA fabric and the quilting is like an old photo.

A midnight picture of the finished quilt.