Technicolor Galaxy - Star Points - Block 2 and Piano Keys - Block 3

I started the star points (block 2) to the Technicolor Galaxy as planned.  Paper piecing was the technique used for the blocks.  This was the first time I ever heard of paper piecing.  Once I read the instructions, I wish I knew about this before I started the Kaleidoscope quilt for my husband!  It would have been so much easier.

I wanted to have orange coming out of the center of the color wheel (Block 1) and I love gray and found so gray and white fabric I thought would work well for the "rays" from the sun center.  I didn't have as much fabric for what I originally had planned but added the orange butterfly fabric to augment it and I think it turned out well.

 

I'm decided to just use the walking foot to do the quilting.  I love the way the quilting with the walking foot turned out.  The back of the quilt will all be different grays/blacks. 

Before I finished, block 3 instructions came out.  It appeared to be an easy, paper pieced block.  So I went ahead and started on it.  My original plan was to go with blue on the first outer ring of the quilt.  I stated second guessing myself because my grandma said she wanted the quilt and loves reds. I thought about adding red to the first ring but decided to go with my original plan. I think the blue compliments the center and star points.  I might still add some red to the first ring in the arrow points, but not yet.  Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

 

Dinosaur Baby Quilt 004

One of our friends are expecting a little boy in June.  I really wanted to make them a baby quilt; however, I was pretty nervous about it because it will be my first project that I've giving to someone else. 

I didn't have a pattern in mind when I started this time.  I want to pick the fabrics first and then use those as the inspiration for the quilt design.  I went to my LQS, Quilters Attic in Goodlettsville TN and found  a pillowcase bundle that included a dinosaur fabric.  The bundle included 3 fabric, enough to do a pillowcase.  I also saw on the bolt they had another dinosaur fabric that would coordinate for the back.  So I bought the pillowcase bundle ($24 for approximately 3/4 yard of the green dinosaur fabric, 1/2 yard of the white circle fabric, and 1/4 yard of the orange dot fabric) and 1 yard of the backing fabric.

Once I got home, I started brainstorming different designs.  I would bounce them off my husband and the first several, he was happy with.  I finally stumbled on Amy Smart's (diary of a quilter) four patch design.  Fast Four Patch Tutorial I thought it would work well with the amount of fabric I had.  I designed to sketch out the design.  I had a fat quarter of orange fabric in my stash that I used to supplement the orange dot fabric.  I also originally thought I had enough fabric to get all 20 squares of the white circle fabric but I was 2 squares off.  Luckily I had the exact size of square left over from my first baby quilt that I could use (score)!

Then I started cutting.  The small squares are 4.5x4.5 and the large ones are 8.5X8.5.  It took my about 2 hours to iron and cut all the fabric and only 2 hours to sew together the whole quilt top!!  I was so pleased with how fast it came together and how well it turned out!

Next came the quilting.  I wanted to do a simple design so I knew I would be successful and it would look good.  Since I've only FMQ 1 time, I didn't want to do it for a quilt that I was going to gift.  I ended up quilting in the ditch of all the large square and doing somewhat of an echo on the inside of all the large squares.  I used a walking foot for the quilting.

Binding is a solid blue.  I love how cute it turned out.

When I took it to the baby shower, it was a huge hit!  I was shocked with how excited the other guest at the baby shower were about it.  It definitely eased by nerves to know that everyone loved it.