ragged square

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Five and Six

September 10, 2009 in Finished Objects | 4 comments

Two finished little quilts have arrived at their new home in Texas, and I have it on good authority that they were well-received.

Two ragged squares

Marie is a blog-friend who has boy/girl twins about the same age as my kids, and she wanted two ragged-square quilts for her kiddos.  A red one with dogs and a blue one with trucks/vehicles was the request.  I might have stretched the color palate a little on the “blue” one, but I hope it’s satisfactory. They both measure roughly 24×36″.

Post-washing closeup

I’m happy with the way they turned out, nice and scruffy after a run through the washer and dryer.  Truth be told, though, these two mark the fifth and sixth ragged-square quilts I’ve made this year, so I hereby declare myself done with that pattern for a while.  I don’t begrudge people for wanting it. It’s cute and soft and snuggly. I’m just ready to move on to something else. But would you believe that this marks twenty finishes for this year?! I can hardly believe it. Of course, more than half have been quite small, but still. 20!

Backing and binding

Speaking of which… more finishes to show off shortly, and more starts, too!

And, tangentially related to sewing, head over to my other blog to see a fun use my son has discovered for empty spools of thread.

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Vacation Finish #1

August 10, 2009 in Binding, Finished Objects | 5 comments

I brought three quilts on vacation with me so I could finish the binding while I was away from my machine.  Naturally, they were all done before the first week was over, so I’ve been twiddling my thumbs ever since!  Good thing I didn’t have internet access for much of the last week, or I probably would have gone on a fabric shopping spree in my withdrawal from all things sewing.

The first of the three finishes was a custom order from a blog friend.  She wanted a pink and brown ragged square quilt for her daughter’s move to a big-girl bed.

Pink & Brown Ragged Square

It was quite a variety of fabrics, but I think it turned out pretty well. I added a solid pink border (Kona Cotton in Carnation) because it needed a few more inches in order to drape well over a mattress.

Ragged Square - Back

The back is solid brown (I believe it was Kona Cotton in Mocha) and a lighter solid pink that I found at Joann’s, with a little stripe of one of the prints from the front, which I believe is from the Moda Sultry line.

Ragged Square - Folded

The binding is more of that Moda Sultry print. Not only did I love it, but Fabric.com sent me a full two yards of it when I only ordered a half, so I had plenty!

I had some stern words for this thing when I was quilting it, but it all worked out in the end and it sounds like recipient was darn pleased with it, so that’s all that matters!

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Seven more days

July 21, 2009 in Piecing, Quilt-Along, Quilting | 6 comments

I have about seven more sewing days before I leave, so let’s check in on my self-imposed quilting marathon!

The big pink and brown ragged square quilt for Mary is now basted and I’ve started the wrestling match that is quilting it. Squares with a walking foot on a twin-sized quilt with my machine? Let’s just say I’m making liberal use of the “reverse” button so I don’t have to cram quite as much of it in there.  But, slowly, I’m making good progress. Barring any unforseen derailment, it should be quilted and almost-bound in plenty of time to come with me to Chicago.

Quilting in progress

Yes, Mary, I’m taking it with me. Maybe I’ll even ship it straight to you from there! Hope you like the block preview. :-)

Pink/Brown Ragged Square blocks

I also have the fabric cut for two more ragged-square quilts, a request from Marie N for her boy/girl twins.  They’re small, so I’ve got a shot at making them before I leave, but we’ll just have to see how it goes.

Red Ragged Square Cuts

After this, I think I’m going to have to take a break from this pattern.  It’s awfully cute and kids like the raw edges, but I’m ready to do something different.

Blue Ragged Square Cuts

Other than that, I just need to make sure I pack enough needles, the right color thread, and supplies to make a few labels so that I can be well and truly done with these by the time I get back home!

Neptune squares cut for zig-zag

Oh. Ahem. That.  Well, it was raining this afternoon. I may have put on a movie for the kids and sat with them while I cut my squares for the ORBCo zig-zag quilt-along.  Heh.  I’ll likely get several weeks behind on this one, what with leaving town and all, but it’s started.  I’m committed.  Or, you know, maybe I should be committed. Whatever.

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Performance Anxiety

July 16, 2009 in Binding, Piecing, Quilt-Along | 5 comments

Because I’m a glutton for punishment and having five projects on my to-do list, I decided to add two three more. Gah!  As it is, I finally have all of the fabrics I needed for Mary‘s daughter’s quilt, and have started putting the blocks together. Mary, hope you like the little preview!

DSC_0051

As for new stuff, I couldn’t resist joining the next project that has grown out of the Old Red Barn Co quilt-along: zig-zags! I’ve done a zig-zag before, of course (the baby for whom it was destined arrived yesterday, welcome to the world, Marcella!). And I have another one on my to-do list (a “commissioned” quilt for my husband’s aunt). But the ORBCo version will actually be done with half-square triangles. Plus, I’ve got a fat quarter bundle of Neptune just begging to be used.  I think I’m going to do two small (40″ square) quilts, one a little more girly and one a little more boyish.  Yes, I have boy/girl twins and a thing for fairness and symmetry, why do you ask?  Thankfully, though, these have no particular deadline, so they can get bumped down in the priority list if they need to be.

DSC_0048

And finally, I’ve joined my very first swap!  I’m doing the DQS7, and I’m both excited and totally nervous. What if the person I get is actually a REALLY good quilter and I send my lame beginner stuff and they’re really disappointed?  Gah!  But I’m looking forward to having an excuse to try something new and send it to someone who will hopefully enjoy it.  We’ll get our “assignments” next week, so I look forward to trying to figure out what my partner likes and figuring out what swaps are all about.

In the meantime, I’ve got two nearly-finished items on the pile for the trip to Chicago.  Binding attached, all it needs is the hand-sewing on the back.  It’s the nine-patch quilt and a cute little sock monkey baby quilt for my friend’s second son, due to arrive in the next week or two.

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I’ve got (theoretically) 12 more sewing days until we leave… we’ll see how much more can get added to that pile! I’m hoping for at least one more, but who knows what life will throw my way in the meantime.

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Finished for Friday – Doggie Style

May 8, 2009 in Etsy, Finished Objects, Quilts | 6 comments

Lit and LaundryAlright, so that title is going to get me some very weird Google hits. Ah well. Time to play along with Finished for Friday at Lit & Laundry!

Finished bright and early this morning is the set of dog-themed ragged square quilts and matching pillows for a custom Etsy order by my friend LauraC.  (And by bright and early, I mean my husband’s snoring and kids’ yodeling woke me up at about 6:15. I knew I wasn’t going to fall back asleep, so I made the pillowcases before I got the kids out of bed. Rebecca wasn’t real pleased toward the end, there, but we all survived.)

Doggie Quilts

All that remains is to sew on some labels (more on those later) and run them through the washer and dryer for that soft, ragged-y goodness.  Why haven’t I washed them yet?  Ahem.  It might have something to do with the fact that my husband attempted (on his friend’s recommendation) to fix our underperforming dryer on Wednesday night.  Thursday afternoon, I went to Sears and purchased a new washer/dryer set.  That’s how well Wednesday night went.  Did I mention he started his “fix” while there was already a wet load of clothes in the washer? Awesome.

Doggie Quilts Doggie Quilts

Anyways, these super-cute quilts and pillows are for two little boys about to turn three years old, and their favorite puppy stuffed animals. One blue, one red.  The twin thing, as I well know, can be tricky.  Sometimes you want them each to have something, and you want it to be roughly the same, and yet individual.  So the prints are different but related, pattern is the same, one red, one blue.  (And the red is not nearly so shocking a color in person, not sure what was up with the color and my camera this morning.) I hope they enjoy them!  Happy almost birthday, boys!

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