Merry & Bright - Christmas Joy Quilt

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I've been busy sewing up Christmas projects since September.  I finished up my Christmas Joy Quilt this weekend...right on time to bring it along to the Christmas tree farm for some festive photos!  What could be a more perfect backdrop for showing off a Christmas quilt?

We had a fun family afternoon picking out and cutting down our Christmas tree, then enjoying hot chocolate and cookies around the fire...followed up with sledding!  It happened to be the first day of the first year that this tree farm was open.  So glad we have a tree farm nearby to carry on this tradition in the years to come!

This quick and fun pattern is from Lo and Behold Stitchery.  Fabrics are Bella Solids by Moda.  See more of my Christmas projects (tree skirt, advent calendar) on my Instagram account, @prairiembquilter

Where To Find Me

I guess it's no secret that I have abandoned this blog over the past few months.  I blame life...with two toddlers it's hard to find time for blogging!  What I have found time for is quilting.  It's become my new passion, and I'd rather spend my time at the sewing machine than at the computer.

I have set up a public Instagram account to share my quilt work with social media and connect with the incredible quilting community.  I have found endless inspiration and ideas through this outlet.  If you would like to follow my quilting work you will find me at @prairiembquilter.

The photographs in this post are of my most recent quilt top finish.  The pattern is the Meadowland Quilt from Then Came June patterns and it was SO FUN to sew together.  I will be quilting this one as soon as the thread I need arrives in the mail!

I've driven by this abandoned farmhouse countless times and always wanted to photograph a quilt on it.   This quilt and this house are perfect together.    I like to think of connecting the present with the past -- what quilts did the women who lived in this house sew or use?  Quilting is a skill with history and tradition.  That's why I love these photos so much.

This quilt is 80" x 80".  It is fat quarter friendly.  I used Essex Linen in Oyster for the background and a mix of black, white, blue and beige fat quarters that I had a lot of fun collecting from many different quilt shops...I even picked up a few on our road trip this summer.

I loved making this pattern so much that I might even sew together a smaller, bright and colourful version to use as a summer picnic blanket.  Find the Meadowland Quilt pattern at Then Came June!

And follow me @prairiembquilter!

Tiny Tile Quilt

I am thrilled to share finished photos of the Tiny Tile Quilt -- the quilt that kept my evenings and weekends occupied through the heart of winter!  This pattern is free from Purl Soho, and I purchased the quilt kit through their shop.

 I love the colour palette and random placement of the tiles that make it feel fresh and springy.

There were a TON of tiny pieces to cut for this quilt, but the tiles came together pretty quickly and it was super fulfilling to watch it take shape.

This quilt is made from 120 tile squares...it felt like a stack of accomplishment once they were all made!

 Watching it come together!

So in love with this quilt!  I had a bit of fabric leftover, so I improvised a sawtooth star mini in the same colour palette.  I used this sawtooth star block tutorial to make 8" blocks.  I love how it turned out.

The Tiny Tile Quilt is a free pattern through Purl Soho.

Valentine's Day Mini Quilt - Weekend Project

Valentine's Day is coming up, so I thought I'd put myself into a spring-like mood and sew myself a Valentine's mini quilt as a fun weekend project using soft, feminine fabrics.

I used the Mini Hearts Quilt pattern tutorial from Coral + Co and a variety of Art Gallery and Cotton + Steel fabrics to make my quilt.  It finishes at about 12x12 inches, so super cute and tiny!

This was a quick and fun project to complete over a weekend, and it now is hanging in my classroom, where we celebrate Valentine's the most!

Find the tutorial for this quilt pattern here.  Enjoy!

Bayside Quilt + Quilts of 2017

Happy New Year!

The biggest thing I started in 2017 was my hobby of quilting.  It has brought me a lot of joy through learning a new skill and working on different projects throughout the year.  I made my first "cheater" quilt in May 2017, and have worked on building my hobby from there!

I finished up the Bayside Quilt on New Year's Eve, making for 20 finished sewing/knitting/quilting projects in 2017 and the 9th quilt finish in the last six months!

The Bayside Quilt pattern is from Suzy Quilts and I totally copied her Christmas version using Cotton + Steel Noel fabrics.  I love the bright, modern feel to it...especially the sweaters on the back!

The pattern for this quilt can be found here.  It was a super quick quilt top to put together and can look really different depending on what fabrics are used.

Here's a little round up of the last nine quilts I finished in 2017... (two throw sized and seven wall hangings)...

1. Schoolhouse quilt
2. Vintage Tulips
3. Like Riding a Bike
4. Spools
5. Cornerstone quilt
6. Merrily Jolly wall quilt
7. Merry Wreath
8. Cozy Cabins
9. Bayside quilt

I am excited to see what projects 2018 will bring, especially now that I treated myself to a new Husqvarna Viking sewing machine for Christmas!