Eyeshadow Remake

 

60" x 72"

Last month, I dove into my craft closet with the intention of tidying things up, but you know how those creative spaces can be - filled with little distractions and squirrels. While sorting through the project bins that hold some special fabric, I came across a small pile of pretty prints I had forgotten about, including a lovely blue floral piece that immediately caught my attention. It felt like it had been patiently waiting for the right project.

That discovery nudged me to pull out my patterns and flip through until something clicked. The Eyeshadow pattern stood out right away. It felt just right. It was simple and fun and I could use the backing piece I found. 

After choosing the pattern, I headed back to my main fabric bins to hunt for coordinating prints. It didn’t take long to find a few that played nicely with the blue floral, not too bold, not too quiet, just the right mix. Before long, a new quilt project was officially underway, all because a little closet-cleaning led to a spark of inspiration.

There’s something special about creating with supplies you already own. It feels resourceful, meaningful, and a bit like uncovering hidden treasure. This project reminded me that creativity doesn’t always begin by shopping for something new, even though that is incredibly fun! Sometimes it begins by rediscovering what was already there.

While that pretty blue floral was perfect for the back, it was about a half yard short to cover the whole thing. So I tested each of the prints from the front until I found two that didn't distract too much from the main print. 

If you’d like to make your own version, the Eyeshadow pattern is available in my Etsy shop. Feel free to take a look and get inspired!

Josh's T-Shirt Quilt

This is my 4th puzzle-style t-shirt quilt that I have made. I followed the directions from my blog post here.  Having the Heat Press Machine and using Inkscape to design makes this process so much easier. I highly recommend both if you're going to make more than one quilt.  

Two of his old shirts (2005 and 2006) are here at the bottom. It was so fun to reminisce about all the things he has done that are represented in this quilt.  

These two pictures each have a shirt given to him by his sisters and represent him well. Can you spot them? I backed the quilt with a black minky fleece that makes this so soft and snuggly. With the batting, it's noticeably heavy. I quilted with a gray thread, but I think next time I might try a black thread because the fleece was peeking through the stitches on the top. 

 

African Disappearing 4 Patch Quilt

On my recent trip to Kenya, I was given an African dress made by a local dress maker. It didn't fit well, but it was a full length, full skirted dress so I brought it home hoping I could do something with it. I cut the whole thing apart and found there was so much fabric. I still have well over a yard left after making this quilt. 

The fabric has a slightly shiny side and a not shiny side. I chose to put the not shiny side up. The fabric moved well under my needle and I didn't have any trouble with it. There is not give or stretch to it at all. I chose the disappearing 4 patch because this one a one fabric quilt and I've made some of these before. It did a good job of breaking up the fabric pattern, but not so much that you couldn't see it anymore.

I backed it with a navy minky fleece from Hobby Lobby. I like that it doesn't have the same stretch as the ones I used to get from Joann's, but the color wasn't as navy as I would have liked it to be. But it is a useful souvenir from our trip. I am thinking of making some pouches and maybe a rope bowl or a pillow out of the rest of the fabric. 

Scrappy Squares and Solids Fall Quilt

60" x 72"

There are always a lot of solid 2.5" strips in my solid bin, so I have been making an effort to use them this year. I saw a photo of a quilt like this on Pinterest and thought I probably have enough strips to make it. I used 8 different colors from orange to green. One color was a few blocks short, so I added an extra block of a few other colors. I don't think it made any difference.

I debated on using a golden thread, a gray one or a olive green, but I decided to go with a variegated green thread. It looks great on the top because some of the green thread is almost yellow. 

Because I no longer have access to an in person fabric store, I am really trying to use what I have on hand. So this marbled green moda fabric was the closest I could get. But with the cross hatch binding, I think it looks okay. Thought about keeping it, but my daughter says we have enough fall quilts. 

So this one is listed in my etsy shop for you!

 

Solid Squares

60" x 72"

There’s something about a rainbow quilt that instantly lifts the spirit. I recently finished a new modern throw quilt that I’m especially excited to share with you. The top is made from my stash of 2.5" leftover solid strips. I made a simple 6" square in a square block, varying the mix of colors. 

I quilted it on my longarm machine in a gentle, looping design that adds movement and softness without taking away from the bold lines of the front.

The back and binding are the same print, a soft gray with whimsical white dots, giving it a clean, yet charming look from both sides. Find it in my etsy shop.