Bowtie Quilt

My last quilt of the season is done.  I've been wanting to do a bow-tie quilt for many years and decided to just jump right in.  I pulled out my sunny, happy scraps in a large variety of patterns.  The backgrounds of the bowties are various muslins and beiges from my stash.  As always, I didn't worry about straight lines, perfect corners or matching things perfectly.  At the last minute I decided to add the yellow border and I'm glad I did. 

The backing is unbleached muslin.  Light cotton batt. I quilted with heavy yellow thread. Final size is about 80 x 55.

This one is a family favorite already and I've had a request to make one with cherry motifs next year.  [I've already got a stack of fabric waiting]. 

Lily's Quilt

Still quilting here! 

Here is Lily's finished quilt.

This is our first jelly roll quilt.  She picked out the rolls [n=2] and the backing.  She sewed the strips together  and then cut them into 78 inch lengths [because math], which she laid out and arranged in a good way, then sewed them together.  I did the quilting and binding. 

I quilt lengthwise down the quilt about 1.5 - 2 inches apart. [On a strip quilt like this, I quilt two lines down every strip]  Doesn't matter if things get a bit crooked; that's how it goes.  It definitely looks hand-quilted, but that's what I like about it.  Stitched with a lot of love.  She's thrilled with it.

Winter Quilt: Claire's Halloween Quilt

I've been quilting all winter and wanted to show you the finished quilts.   This is a Halloween quilt I made for Claire.   I had so much fun choosing fabric that I got enough for 4 more quilts.  I can see some fabric swaps in my future.  If you can see the patterns, you'll notice a lot of bats.  'More bats, Mom!'  

Here's a look at the whole quilt.  Finished size was about 72 x 48 ish.  I quilt for the love of it and for the love of whoever will wrap up in it, so I don't care if things are perfectly square or if my hand quilting lines go wonky, which they do. 

She loves it. That's all I care about. [And she will use it all year, not just for Halloween.  It's how she rolls.]

Cozy

So, 'Hygge' is a thing I've been seeing a lot in the past year or so.  It's a Danish word that encompasses all things cozy.  [Go to the link to find out more.]

I am practicing hygge these days.  It's perfect weather for it - ice storms with power outages, bad roads and very cold temperatures to keep us home.  The things I do that cultivate the hygge is to keep fires in the woodstove, quilt on a new quilt, watch the snow swirling, snuggle with warm cups of things, feed the birds and watch them feasting, light candles, make smelly bath salts.  It all adds up to delicious self care and a reminder that abundance is a feeling, not a list of things we own.   That helps me live my best life now.

What are you doing to bring hygge into your life?

Barn Quilt

I love barn quilts.

Love them!  They make me so happy when I see them out on those country roads.

I love regular cloth quilts, too and someday maybe I'll have time to make some.    I have visions of brightly colored ones floating in my head all the time.  

But in the meantime, I'm happy when I see one on the roads out here.   This one is new.   It's on the road through Coal City, Indiana. 

What a lovely way to honor this old barn.