Merry Christmas!

 Here are my quilts that can be used as holiday quilts.

 

And in case you think all holiday quilts are red, here are a few more.

Christmas Trees Quilt in Snow by Shasta Matova

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This post is part of a series of post that sorts and presents my quilts  with different themes. Thank you for visiting.

 

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Peacock Party

Quilt Reveal: Blue Ornaments

 As usual, in December, the photo quality is much diminished.  Today, I want to introduce you to Blue Ornaments, my mini quilt of the month for the month of December. 

This little quilt provided a little distraction from the Quote Quilt until I realized I am going to add fusible to the backing, and not the front of the quilt. This means, I can keep adding more stuff to the Quote Quilt while I prepare the backing and fusible. I'll show you my additions to the Quote Quilt in another post.

In the meantime, this little quilt is a wholecloth quilt made with three circles from a fabric I recently got from Joanns. I think it is pretty enough to stand on its own as ornaments. I quilted the sandwich lightly, added the ornaments with a decorative stitch, and then quilted it a bit more with a Decobob thread I got as a sample.

The backing is the same fabric as the binding. I took photos of it outside in the snow, but they were all upside down. I didn't want to confuse you more than needed in a topsy turvy year, so this photo will have to do until I can get a better photoshoot. By that time, I might have added some bows to the strings.

Quilt Reveal: Heart Quilt

When I learned that you could make a heart with squares and rectangles instead of triangles, and saw the sweet quilts that were made that way, I wanted to make that quilt.  But every February, when I saw a quilt that was made that way, I resisted.  I already have enough heart quilts. I need to work on some other holiday quilt, if I make a holiday quilt at all.

But then this month, I came across a quilt tutorial from Sew Can She. I was about to resist again, but then Project Quilting made it their challenge to make something with a heart on it. I can make this quilt and break out of my cycle of desire and resistance. How long can it take? One week max.

So I made it, adapting the pattern to make a small quilt. It took less than a week.

February 2, 2020. 02/02/2020 was the first global palindrome day in 909 years. The next will come in 101 years on 12/12/2121 and after that there will not be another until 03/03/3030. It was the 33rd day of the year and there are 333 days left.  The date is so special, wouldn't it be nice to have a quilt with a finish date of February 2, 2020 on it?  I started this quilt on that date, knowing there was no way possible I could finish it that day. I figure I can use that as a start date. Who said you can't put a start date on the quilt?

I decided to make a quilt with 20 blocks on it. I made the 20 blocks. I made the setting blocks. Then I realized there isn't a way to make a quilt on point with 20 blocks (If it is possible, please let me know how).  This meant I had to make the quilt with a straight setting.

While you are still close enough to the picture above, did you notice how perfectly the quilt sits on the batting scrap? The batting scrap is just exactly the right size.

Unfortunately, I had already chosen a border fabric when I took that picture. To finish it within a week, I birthed the quilt. I carefully cut the backing in two and pressed down the edges so that I could piece it like a pillow without having to sew any edges. The quilting would seal in the space where the pillow would be inserted.

However,  I made a mistake with the layers. I had the top on top so I could see the edges, the backing under it, right sides together, and the batting at the bottom. This meant that when I sewed it together, the top was upside down on the top and the batting was at the bottom. I had no access to the backing.  It is good that I had to piece the batting, because I had to cut into it to turn the quilt.  I was afraid that I would have to rip out sewing the edges, but once I had access to the back, I was able to turn it again to make everything be in the right  position.

I lightly quilted it so it would retain the sweet, minimal look.

Since the Project Quilting challenge is Put a Heart on It, let me show you the quilt on point so you can see the hearts! See, there are 20 hearts to represent 2020!

Quilt Reveal: Bunny Parade

I finished this quilt in March, but since I expected to have a poor showing for April, I decided to wait for the quilt reveal in April. It is a simple modern quilt, but you know me, I can't leave genealogy mysteries alone, so I added faces to each of the bunnies. They have rose beads for eyes.

This is a free pattern from Moda Bakeshop called Bunny Quartet. The designer of the pattern also provided a tutorial for a carrot on her blog, which I used as you can tell from the photos.  So my bunnies are a trio and not a quartet. She changed the name to Easter Parade, but since I have Elephant Parade quilt in the works, I am going to call it Bunny Parade.

I had some laces out so I decided to have fun with a little photo shoot.

It was fun to make this little quick quilt.

The zig zag quilting in the border is supposed to mimic grass and the spiral quilting in the sashing is supposed to look like springs to represent the bunnies hopping up and down, like Tigger.

I even added hanging corners!

Quilt Reveal: Vintage Holiday

As you know, I have been working on the Vintage Holiday mini quilt. I missed the deadline for Project Quilting, and decided to take my time and hand stitch the binding. It looks much neater when I hand stitch because I don't have a lot of practice machine sewing the binding.

 I finished putting the binding on Vintage Holiday last night, and was very proud of myself for getting it done before the end of the month. After all, it is only the 30th and there are 31 days in January. It was even done way before midnight so I was more than a day ahead. It turns out everyone else was finished before me. They apparently don't know that when something is due on the end of the month, that means it should be finished at exactly 11:59 p.m. I couldn't post last night because I didn't want to show nighttime pictures of my quilt. My pics look bad enough during the winter day. Anyway, here is my grand reveal.

So here it is the end of the month

and time to share 

 my monthly mini challenge

organized by Wendy, the Constant Quilter.

Vintage Holiday was started January 21 and finished January 30. It uses solid red fabric and two white prints. The binding is a slightly textured red print. The pattern comes from Christmas Quilts and More magazine. I used an embroidery stitch to stitch down the red background and fused the applique down.  I sandwiched the quilt, and stitched all the applique pieces down with free motion quilting. I also outlined each of the applique pieces to make them stand out.  I realized that there was a blank space on the right side, and instead of making another sled, I decided to add a dog.  So now, this quilt fits in the dog quilt category as well as the red and white, the winter, the small quilts, and the holiday categories.

The red background is quilted with windy swirls and the white background has downward sloping lines to resemble a hill. I had a great time quilting it.

I woke up one morning, realizing that the dot under the O in Season's was supposed to be the dot for the I.  I was disappointed in myself for not following the instructions or at least thinking it through, because if I had switched those two O's, they would look more like a snowman. When I looked at the pattern, it looks like I did follow the instructions. In the unlikely event I ever make this quilt again, I will move the word Seasons so that the i is properly dotted. (It is unlikely because I don't like to repeat what I make, not because I didn't enjoy making it.)

I added a lace trim just over the  top because the lace wouldn't show over the white so there was no point in it. I also added a lace garland over a tree as a special treat for those who took the time to look closely at the quilt. In these pictures, the lace on the tree looks too white. I might have to find a way to tea stain it.

I added a corner triangle on the back for a label. The backing uses the same white as the trees.  I even went outside in the frigid temperatures to get you this and the picture at the top of the post.

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Friday Foto Fun

15 Minutes to Stitch Recap

I haven't done much stitching this week. I put the binding on the Star Spangled Banner this week. As usual, I didn't remember to take the reveal photo until it was dark and haven't set up a light to brighten my bulletin board.

Mostly I spent this week cleaning up the living room where I sew and other parts of the visible areas of the house. The living room was clean enough to invite a gathering of relatives. Since then, I also spent some time cleaning up the Cave of Wonders, where the supplies reside.

 

Faced with what seems like an impossible task, a group of folks will do well to remember the African proverb: When spider webs unite they can tie up a lion.
Johnnetta B. Cole 

This spider web is close to the outside hose, and this spider web got wet while I was watering some grass seed I am trying to grow in the back yard. I liked the sparkly suspended water droplets and the shadows they made.

15 Minute sessions of stitching these weeks:  7 out of 7
15 Minute sessions of stitching this year:  182 out of 196 sessions
Success rate: 93%

Last week, I said that cleaning up sewing areas counted as stitching time, and in that regard, I had a successful week of "stitching," and with the help of rounding, was able to bump up my yearly success rate.

Linked to:
15 Minutes to Stitch

Valentine Art Quilt For Swap

A while ago, I showed you the quilt I received for the art quilt swap that was organized by one of my Facebook groups, Stitching with Fibers, Paper and More. Today, I thought I would show you the quilt I made for my swap partner.

I made two so I could choose the best one for my partner. It would also show that I did give my partner a quilt that I would be happy to get myself.  I tend to worry that the quilt I like may not be a quilt the recipient will like. Making two quilts helped, because one of those was mine, so I could make it to please myself, and the other one just used the same techniques.

I started out with a variety of fabric and paper scraps.  I have been focusing on the blue/green turquoise/aqua color scheme from Ringo Lake and decided to keep with that, but most of these scraps aren't from Ringo Lake. There are lots of upholstery scraps, paper and fabric scraps. I decided to do raw edge to make it more artsy and less traditional.

I added a border fabric on two sides.

The stitching that holds them down also double as quilting lines. I added the heart stitching around some of the edges to secure the edges.

The heart is a separate quilt (three layers and batting) that was appliqued on. I glued on paper hearts in case there wasn't enough paper. One of the rules of the quilt is to use 25% materials that you are not familiar with, and there are only a few squares of paper, so I thought adding more would bring it closer to 25%, although the upholstery and other fabrics should also count in the "fabrics I'm not familiar with" category.

Here are the two quilts. Neither of these stand out better than the other one to me. I mailed the one on the left because I thought it had a neater looking heart, and because it was skinnier and fit the envelope better.

They both have different hanging techniques. That was also one of the guidelines for the swap. I usually use applique pins for quilts this small.

I made a mistake in the mailing address so my partner did not receive the original quilt. I mailed her the other one last week to replace the lost one, and the tracking number shows she received this on Saturday, so I can finally show these to you.

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Ad Hoc Improv Quilter Share Your Improv #30

Quilt Reveal: Red and White Presents

Since I had such a good time quilting my last quilt, I decided to go on and quilt another one. Here's my finished red and white presents quilt. The lighting isn't good in the fall/winter, but at least you can tell that it is finished.

 

Unfortunately this one was not fun to quilt.  I used free motion quilting, and my biggest mistake was not planning a continuous line.  I knew I wanted to do loops in the inside squares, and a bigger loop in the long rectangles, but my plan for the remaining sashing involved traveling back along existing lines, and there really wasn't a good flow from one space to the next. 

(I obviously wasn't trying to match points on this quilt. The center square is half an inch finished.) 

There were other issues too. I kept running out of bobbin.  There is some kind of problem with the machine, and the bobbin fills only about half way.  I have a separate bobbin winder and my two broken machines upstairs have bobbin winders that work just fine, so I don't have any excuse for not using one of those, but I didn't think a small quilt like this would need that kind of effort.  Then I ran out of spool thread too.

I also had other interruptions - some perfectly normal family type stuff, and some bots who are worried about the interest rates on my credit cards.  When I was working on the tile quilt, after an interruption, I would come back and say "now where was I?" and resume quilting. With this quilt, the interruption would lead me to say "let me turn this machine off and do . . . " something else. 

These interruption meant I wasn't able to establish a good rhythm flow to the quilting, and the path changed from one session to the next. I don't think any of that is obvious in the finished quilt though.

Here it is, a second generation quilt next to its parent.

Red Snowflake - Seven Day Mystery Quilt Reveal

As a part of Finish Fest, I have finished the Seven Day Mystery Quilt, which currently has the creative name Red Snowflake.

I enjoyed every part of making this quilt, even parts that might have been frustrating in the past.  The fabric selection was quick and easy - pick a fabric and a background.  Making the blocks was enjoyable.  Maximum of four easy blocks, with easy directions.  Putting them together was easy and fun, solving a mystery made it more interesting.  The straight line quilting with all its turns was still fun, because I was highlighting the snowflake and looking forward to the free  motion afterwards.  The free motion quilting also moved along easily. I used a generic darning foot and it worked wonderfully. I think I will be using more generic feet with this machine.  The brand name ones are crazy expensive.

Thank you Rose of Threadbare Creations, for this great mystery and pattern.

Presenting it is the hardest part. Besides the fact that it is dark and rainy outside, Blogger didn't want to accept my photos.

Future historians aren't going to know how to take this quilt. Of course they will be looking over and analyzing my work. Some of them will say, "no Shasta didn't make this; she tends to add things to simple modern quilts to make them less modern." Others will say, "yes she did make it.  See this lump? This was made before she learned how to make proper bindings."

This quilt is versatile. It fits right at home with my other modern quilts.

It fits with the Christmas quilts. 

And it fits with the red and white quilts.  I remember saying of my last small quilt finish that it was the biggest small quilt I had made. I don't remember which one that was so I can't compare, but I think this one is bigger. It crowds out the other quilts so there is no danger of it having a permanent place on the bulletin board.

I looked it up. It was the Irish chain.  I'm sure it would look good with that too!

It looks good with the Valentine's Day quilt.

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 Scraphappy Saturday. Even though it is red and white, it looks pink from a distance, and has a pink backing.

ThrowBack Thursday - Holiday Edition

Christmas trees quilt made by Shasta Matova

 Today, I am presenting you this quilt from way back when. When was it? Oh yes, this February. I completed this quilt in time for President's Day this year.

 

Why? Because A Quarter Inch from the Edge is sponsoring a Throwback Thursday link, and I thought I should give you a break from showing another couple rail fence blocks and circles.

Christmas Trees quilt in progress by Shasta Matova

This was a fun little quilt to make with improv piecing. I was able to use some holiday and other fabric that had been sitting in my stash for a long time and make this quick project.  I am sure I was probably supposed to be working on some other UFO or WIP, but hey, at least I finished it!

I just had to throw in this dark picture of my design floor because of what she said on her blog about dark pictures and design floors being vintage.  Sorry, it is still my normal state.

Christmas Trees Quilt in Snow by Shasta Matova

 I was able to  photograph the quilt in the snow in February. We had a few tiny snowflakes fly this winter, but.the real snow hasn't started yet. I am avoiding watching the weather but I'm pretty sure it will come soon.

The pattern was free from Diary of a Quilter. She called it Patchwork Forest tree. I liked her straight line quilting and so I duplicated it, but of course I had to make it hard for myself and not quilt the trees so they would stand out a little bit.  I am still afraid to try free motion quilting with the new machine, so I twisted and turned the quilt every which way to go back and forth row by row. It was a fun little quilt to make. My finish size is approximately 18" x 26".

Tuxedo Diamonds Quilt Reveal

Ta da. My latest finish.  I continued another row of echo quilting, which made the quilting pattern take on a rough diamond shape. I was going to call it diamond in the rough or mention the jagged teeth, but realized my rough diamonds were already wearing bow ties and therefore decided to call it Tuxedo Diamonds.  You have to dress for the higher level you wish to achieve.

The back is a piece of fabric my mother gave me.  It is a printed jeans patchwork. It is a nice surprise for the stark red and white on the front, and shows how rough the diamonds are underneath the surface.   When I was in high school, I made a wrap around skirt with this fabric.

The label was supposed to repeat the block on the front.  I was initially going to write my information on the light corners.  I had run out of the white fabric so have a tan fabric.  The center was too big to not use, so I decided to write the label on the red.  I was afraid the red wouldn't show the letters, but going over it with the pen a couple of times is just fine.

Here it is on the wall to show the relative size. It is about 12 1/2" x 17 1/2". It shares fabric with the Optical Illusion and Snowbird.