Final Finish for 2014 - Heather Ross Briar Rose Quilt

This is my final finish for 2014.  My second "big" quilt.  It's 80" x 80".  I made it for my daughter's bed.  Up until Christmas Day, she was sleeping in a full sized bed, but it took me so long to finish this one, that she changed her mind and got twin bunk beds!

I bought a fat quarter set of Heather Ross' Briar Rose line as soon as it came out and I was looking for just the right pattern.  This is "Darling" by Freckled Whimsy.  I got everything at Fat Quarter Shop.

One of the things I love about the pattern is that is shows off the prints.  The blocks are big, so you can really see all of the cute detail. (Some close ups below)  My daughter chose some multi-colored Michael Miller Candy Dots for the binding.

My Aunt Tala did the quilting on this one too, as usual, it's spectacular.  It looks like there's hearts all over the quilt.

Close up the adorable strawberries and Aunt Tala's perfect quilting

 This yellow is one of the bolts I got for backings when our local Joann closed.  I got a bunch of DS Quilts bolts for $4/yard.

I just love the honeycomb print and the Candy Dot polka dot binding.

One of my goals for 2015 is to learn to take better pictures.  The prints are so adorable, and these pictures don't do them justice.

Four left clovers

I also finished a T-shirt quilt for my husband, and a lap quilt for my mother-in-law.  Do you think I have good pictures of either of those?

For 2015, my goals are a quilt a month, to use at least 75% of the fabric for every quilt from my stash (which is VERY doable) and to finish at least 2 more long standing UFOs.  Oh, and of course to blog about them all, with really good pictures.

Wish me luck!

First Finish for 2014 - 2 year old Tula Pink Field Study Quilt (Heather Ross Mendocino Included)

So I finished this quilt top on January 2, 2012.  That's over 2 years ago.  Is it just me or is it frightening how quickly the time passes?

This was the first quilt that I used some of my very precious stash of Heather Ross Mendocino fabric for.  Orange is my favorite color, so it was a big deal for me to cut into it.  I am thrilled to finally be able to use this to keep me warm on the couch and see those seahorses every day!  You can barely see them in the lighter orange arrows at the bottom and top.

I am also on a striped binding kick.  So what better choice than some Heather Ross stripes to finish this off?

Close up of the AWESOME striped binding

Now I'm back to the quilt that I'm making for our guest room.  I started it last spring, and got sidetracked.  What else is new?  The big deal about this quilt is that it's full/queen size, which is the biggest top I've made to date.

Old UFOs finally finished in 2013 - Including my first quilt

Just like it took me forever to get around to getting these two quilted and bound, it took some time to get pictures and post them.  I don't know about you, but 2013 was pretty busy up in here.

This is a quilt that I got from the 2010 Spring Issue of Quilts & More.  So, it took me 3 full years from start to finish!  I chose colors that were a lot like the cover of the magazine, in part because it was my first finish and I wasn't really trusting in my ability to choose something else on my own.

I am thrilled with how it came out and it can now be used by my family.  Of course, it won't be white for long, but it will get used!

The second is a pattern called Off the Rail by Jaybird Quilts.  I used an Anna Griffin fat quarter bundle that I got a quilt market a few years ago and it's going to a new home.

This quilt is being donated to my cousin's auction, she is raising money for her first IronMan competition.

This was the first quilt that I pieced the back for instead of being all matchy-matchy and making the entire back out of one fabric.  I LOVE how it came out.

I'm finishing up my what I hope will be my first finish for 2014, a quilt I started a mere 9 months ago for our guest bedroom.

Starry Night BOM done?? It's been a YEAR already???

It's hard to believe. A year has gone by, right before my very eyes. How do I know? I bought and finished my 12th block for the Starry Night BOM quilt I started forever ago.

Here is my 12th block, and I can see a huge difference between my first and my 12th. Both my sewing skills and my quilting skills have come a long, long way in the last year.











Here are the only filler blocks I've managed to make. 2 of 13. Ouch. But I have started to cut for them, and I do think they will go quickly because I can do them "assembly line" style. Yet another technique I've learned this year.













I think the next one is my favorite block, and it was the 3rd one we made. I really love the diamond placement.





This is the photo that they gave us when we started. I'm really looking forward to getting mine all together because I think it will look so much better. The colors are so much brighter in real life.



Which one is your favorite?