When Pigs Fly

I've decided my blog theme for 2011 will be When Pigs Fly. 

For more months than I care to admit, the only thing new in my sewing room that resembled a quilt was this box of Kleenex.

 
My last finish of 2010 was a throw-size quilt made for a friend's son's August wedding.  The blue-and-green color scheme was a special request, and the newlyweds were very happy with their gift.  This is the second quilt I've made (both gifts) using the pattern Twilight Hopscotch from Kim Diehl's book, Simple Comforts.  I like the pattern so much, I might have to make a third one and keep it!

 
Barely visible in this picture, I used a white-on-white striped print for the majority of the background and a very fine white dot print to make the four-patch blocks in the lattice segments.  I thought the subtle stripe was a nice contrast with the large floral batik in the stars and gave the quilt more of a 'his and hers' look.

Fast forward to February 2011, and my first finish of the new year is this colorful baby quilt for a friend's new granddaughter.  The fabric is Dilly Dally by Me and My Sister Designs, and the pattern is by Me and My Sister, too.

The fabrics are so bright, I decided to back the quilt with a sweet print called Remix by Ann Kelle for Robert Kaufman.  It had the pink, orange, blue, and green that coordinated with the front, but in much more subtle shades.  I stipple quilted this one myself using my Bernina Stitch Regulator, and I have to say it's not half bad for my first attempt.  I learned a valuable lesson with this quilt:  it's not a good idea to use a fabric with objects in ordered columns and rows -- like Remix -- for the back of a quilt because it requires perfect alignment of the backing, which was hard to do on my hands and knees on the kitchen floor. 

Next up is this quilt -- eleven blocks done, nine to go.  Look for flying pigs by the end of the month!

Me,
Jane

Comments

[Thelma]

I knew if I kept your blog on my list you would eventually pop to the top from the bottom! Welcome back! I have the hardest time with directional prints, I'm very particular about how they look after they've been cut and pieced. I'm usually not happy with the result, same thing with plaids.

Great job on the baby quilt, I bought my Bernina for the stitch regulator function, but have yet to use it, 5 years later! Good for you to tackle your first quilting project, I hear it gets easier!

Will be anxiously waiting for your Patchwork Puzzle update! Hopefully it won't be 6 months down the road!

[Paula Peck]

I've kept you on my google reader for months. good to "hear" from you agIn!