Hop, Skip, Jump Quilt

I am filled with joy to finally have this quilt finished!!

 This was the 2013 Block of the Month hosted by Sew Lux Fabric. I rarely choose kits, but they were offering PB&J with this BOM, so I signed up. I love this fabric line from Basic Grey for Moda. It's one of my favorites.

I chose to put my blocks on point to make the quilt a little larger. It finished at about 48" x 65". It's a good size couch throw, and I've been enjoying cuddling up with my son and this quilt.

I knew I was going to keep this quilt (because I love the fabric), so I seized the opportunity to go a little crazy with the free motion quilting and get in some practice trying something new. I did random groups of vertical figure eights on horizontal lines across the quilt, and I worked in a whole bunch of quilting and sewing terms. It was fun to write these words out on my quilt, and I was actually surprised at how legible they ended up being.

 I quilted this one on my Juki 2010Q and Grace Frame with Signature thread and Pellon Nature's Touch 100% Cotton Batting. The backing is a vintage sheet. I love the softness from those broken-in sheets. Every time I find a good one at the thrift store, I count it as a huge win (for the comfort, price, and opportunity for a long new life). You can't beat a $1.99 quilt back, eh?

I think almost every quilter makes the following statement almost every year, but seriously: I think this is the year of the UFOs and stash sewing for me. Since the new year, I've completed this quilt and finished two quilt tops with stash-only fabric. I've also joined in the #2016fal fun by pledging to finish 7 UFOs in the first quarter. We'll see how close I come to that goal, but I'm really working hard on it.

Here's my finish-along goal collage:

Wish me luck!

Thanks for stopping by, and happy stitching!  :)

Teal Mini Swap

Confession: I got sucked into swaps as of late. It is highly addictive. Buyer beware.

The month of September brought the Teal Mini Swap. This is a fun event organized by Beth Helfter of EvaPaige Quilt Designs to raise awareness and money for ovarian cancer research. Teal ribbons represent ovarian cancer (hence the name). 

Each participant paid $15, most of which went to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. Everyone received a piece of the challenge fabric, which was donated by Blank Fabrics.

We had a month to make a mini quilt or a mug rug for our swap partner, and we had to somehow incorporate the challenge fabric. Here is the mug rug I made for my partner, Jenny.

I happened to have a little kit hanging around with this pattern and fabric from Sew Lux. I thought this was the perfect time to use it, so I just swapped out the background fabric in the kit for the challenge fabric. It was really fun to make! 

I love the mug rug I received from my partner. She called it tumbling spools, and it's even quilted to look like thread. It lives right next to my sewing machine. Thanks Jenny!

The Teal Mini Swap is an annual event, so join the Facebook group. There is also an informational page here. I hope to see you there next year!