Simple Stained Glass Tutorial

I recently ordered a 4" design roll of Tula Pink's latest line, Elizabeth, from Hawthorne Threads.  I ordered yardage too, but I knew I would want to make something right away so I splurged and got the roll.  I made this super quick and easy pattern I thought I'd share!

Fabric Requirements:

(25) 4"xWOF strips of prints

2 yards background fabric

3.75 yards for backing

1/2 yard for binding

Cutting instructions:

From each print

(3) 4" squares

(2) 4"x11" rectangles

From the background fabric:

10.5"xWOF strip then sub cut into (20) 2"x10.5" rectangles for inner sashing

(8) 2"xWOF strips for inner sashing

(8) 4" xWOF strips for outside border

Mix and match your prints to create these square-in-square blocks.  Each block requires (1) 4" square of print A for the center and (2) 4" squares and (2) 4"x11" rectangles of print B for the outside square.  Once these are assembled, cut each 11" square-in-square block into 4 new squares.  

Mix and match again to create all new 10.5" blocks

It helps to lay it all our to make sure you don't have too many of the same print clustered together.  

Add your sashing strips and voila!  Quilt finished at about 63" square.  

Gifts, Leftovers, Requests, and Progress

I decided at the last minute to make a teacher's gift for my son's Kindergarten teacher.  

I finished it in two days!  I used (42) 10" print squares and (84) 4.5" white squares.  Place the white squares on opposite sides of the print square and sew corner to corner.  Trim, leaving 1/4" seam allowance. 

 Ta-da! Insta-quilt!  I love that it's really simple to put together, but still looks like I put some effort forth!

I even had some backing fabric on hand that was from the same designer as the prints on the front!

The quilting went quickly since I got to use my baby (my Tiara).  I'm working on a video review of that by the way!  I've made the video, I just have to write the post! Is there anything stranger than listening to yourself on film?  I end up sounding like a Southern Elle Woods or something.  ha ha!

After trimming the corners from the quilt at the top, I had all these perfectly matched triangles of prints/neutral all ready to sew!  I whipped out this baby quilt in no time!

I'd been wondering what to do with that yard of Meadow Sweet 2! Perfect backing!

I opted for a coral linen binding for this one.  I like the added texture.

I also quilted more densely than I do on larger quilts.  Makes for an extra crinkly, cuddly quilt!  This one will go in my Etsy shop soon.

Last week I finished two custom quilts for the utterly adorable and completely sweet Kelle Boyd (designer Ann Kelle).  She lives really close to me so I'm a convient quilt monkey. :) 

I adore pixelated hearts!  This one has a completely different look than my last one, but I love it!  It's bright and fresh and summery! 

I used the Remix zig zag print and cut it on the bias for the binding.  I usually don't make bias binding, but I had a feeling this would turn out cool (and I was right!)  It sort of reminds me of a Greek key pattern.  Just love it!

I also designed and made this ballerina quilt for Kelle (Ann Kelle).  I based it off of THIS quilt by Kati.  I'm not sure if Kati used a pattern, but I designed one to fit the dimensions of the ballerinas.  Doesn't it look like candy?  I love all the solids!

And there are loads of ballerinas on the back too!  This fabric line is just too stinkin' cute!!!!

I'm also making some progress on my pillow for PTS10!  I just have to decide how I'm going to quilt it!  Decisions, decisions!

Blissful Bea!

Bea (my new BabyLock Tiara) and I have been getting aquatinted!  It's been blissful!   This is a custom order full size quilt using Moda's Domestic Bliss.

I managed to quilt this 85"x95" quilt without having to wrestle it! You know what I mean--the rolling, the shoving, the cursing-yourself-for-making-a-quilt-so-big moments we all have when you try to free motion on your home machine.  There is just so much room now! 

Quilting larger quilts is so much easier!   I used a floral motif from Angela Walters' book.  I won't lie, this design took a while to do all over this big quilt.  It's not difficult, just lots of bobbin changes!

Here's a peek at the backing.  This may be my all time favorite print for backing (from Anna Maria Horner's Loulouthi line)!  It's at least tied with an Ikea text print I'm pretty nuts about!

While I have a stitch regulator for the Tiara, I did not use it for this project.  I'm really comfortable with this design and I like to go super fast so I chanced it. :)  I'm pretty happy with how the stitches came out, especially the back!!!!  I had absolutely NO tension issues! Oh happy day!

Le sigh.  I seriously love the back!  It's making me want to quilt a whole cloth quilt using just that print! 

I'm also using Bea to expand my FMQ horizons a bit.  I'm trying some new things out with this quilt--not quite sure if I should be experimenting on my Wonderland quilt, but oh well!  Bea will make it beautiful I'm sure. ha ha!

Made this little mini version of a quilt I made last year.  I gave this one to my quilty friend Stephanie who lives just down the road from me.  She is about to move into her new house and I thought her new sewing room could use some decorating!

The backing on this one is pretty special too!  This is an IKEA print that Faith gave me a while back.  I've been hoarding it waiting for just the right project.

Whew!  I think I'm all caught up now!  I'm headed to Dallas tomorrow to visit my best friend who is 9 month preggo!  She's still disgustingly tiny though.  So unfair! 

She's HERE!!!!!

I'm a proud Mama again!  This is Bea!  She's my new quilting machine (a BabyLock Tiara).  I'm still setting her up and reading the manual, but I cannot WAIT to starting quilting those 5 quilts I basted last week!  Also, remember this quilt?

Yeah, my 100"x100" AMH beauty?  I'm so excited to have Bea because now I don't have to send my pretty quilt off for quilting, I can do it myself!