Strippy Baby Quilts

At the end of this month, our quilt guild is having a group sewing day to work together making baby quilts for a local pregnancy center. I had offered to make a sample of a quilt-as-you-go style quilt to show at our most recent guild meeting, and I ended up making two. They are so quick and easy, making this a very fun, satisfying project.

Quick Strippy baby quilt, 38" x 48"

The first baby quilt was based on the Quick Strippie pattern from maryquilts.com. I cut my largest strips, the swirly print, a little smaller than her pattern, but otherwise followed her cutting instructions.

This quilt has a pretty blue polka dot flannel on the back for a cozy finish.

Quicker Strippy baby quilt, 40" x 42"

The second baby quilt features a pastel print that I've had for at least two decades. This quilt was based on Mary's Quicker Strippie pattern, although again I changed some of the strip sizes. The wide strips of the pastel print finished at 9" high, so I added a couple horizontal lines of quilting on each to hold them in place.

I used the same pastel print fabric on the back of the quilt too. It feels good to finally have found a use for that cute fabric.

Making one of these quilts was my One Monthly Goal (OMG) for January. I will be joining the One Monthly Goal link-up, hosted by Anne-Marie at Stories from the Sewing Room when it opens later this month.

Linking up with:

Wednesday Wait Loss at Inquiring Quilter

Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

One Monthly Goal at Stories from the Sewing Room

Happy quilting!

Julie in GA

One Monthly Goal--January 2025

The beginning of a new year is a big time for making resolutions and setting goals. I'm joining in with the One Monthly Goal link-up, hosted by Anne-Marie at Stories from the Sewing Room.

It was very easy to decide on my goal this month because I had promised to make a quilt-as-you-go style baby quilt to show at our next guild meeting. We are having a community service sewing day at the end of the month, and this is one of the options to make. I've pulled out a couple groups of fabric as options for my quilt. Both photos include a flannel that would be used for the quilt back (the blue and white dots in the 1st photo, and the multi-color circles on light green in the second.)

I've made a few baby quilts in the past using this same quilt-as-you-go technique. The design is based on the Quick Strippie pattern at maryquilts.com. She also has another version that is even easier: Quicker Strippie. I recommend you check out her website for tons of free patterns, and her blog, Making Scrap Quilts from Stash,  for endless inspiration.

Here are a couple of the baby quilts I've made before based on Mary's pattern. The  QAYG variation was my way to speed up the construction even more. The pattern is extremely flexible and a great way to use novelty prints.

Rainbow Strippy baby quilt, 2015

36" x 42.5"

One Fish, Two Fish baby quilt, 2017

38" x 41.5"

I'm linking up with the One Monthly Goal party at Stories from the Sewing Room. Check it out to see what other quilters are hoping to accomplish this month! I'm also linking up with Wednesday Wait Loss at Inquiring Quilter.

Happy quilting!

Julie in GA

Stash Report Sunday 6/25/17

For the first time in several weeks, I can report a sizable amount of fabric used from my stash. Yesterday I finished the quilt top that I have been making from my old stash of green 3" strips. Until I come up with something better, it has been given the name of Green Strippy quilt. This top used 5.5 yards of fabric, all from my stash, and most of it is 15 - 20 years old. I consider that a major win!

Green Strippy quilt top
64.25" x 93.5"

I did have a small addition to my stash last week too--two fat quarters of black-on-white prints, which are always great to have around!

2017 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:             5.50 yards

Used year to date:      56.375 yards

Added last week:             .50 yards
Added year to date:        8.25 yards

Net used year to date:  48.125 yards

I am continuing to join Kate at Life in Pieces in tracking how many days each week I manage to get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. I missed one day last week while we were out of town, but have been getting in my 15 minutes or more of quilting the rest of the week.

15 Minute Challenge:  
6/18 - 6/24                6 of 7 days

2017 Total          170 of 175 days

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate, and add your own report so we can keep this linky going.

Julie in GA

Evolution of a Quilt Design

As part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge for 2017, I have been working my way through a collection of 3" strips. Most of these were strips I received as part of a monthly exchange at a quilt guild in the late 1990's or early 2000's, plus there have been more recent additions through the years.

I'm a month behind with this project, but I'm going to share it anyway. Our RSC color for May was green, and I had lots of green 3" strips to use. My original plan was to make a variation of a jelly roll race quilt. I couldn't face the thought of miles of strips joined end-to-end, so I made my version using strips that were deliberately pieced together to make rows that measured about 60" across. I was planning to make 32 rows, which would have finished at 80" long. Here is the top half from that original plan.

How boring is that? I hated it!! Time for Plan B. The rest of the rows for the lower half were joined into groups of four. I decided to cut those groups into segments that measured 10.5" x 14.5" and wrap them around central squares to make blocks. Here are the two fabrics I auditioned for the centers of the blocks and the sashing.

After deciding to go with the darker brown contrast fabric, I made six blocks that finish at 24" square. At that point the plan was to also use the dark brown fabric as sashing between the blocks, then use some remaining green sections for a piano key type border.

The narrow sashing seemed overwhelmed by the giant blocks in the above layout. Here comes Plan C--instead of doing a pieced border, I ended up making pieced sashing with two strips of the dark brown and a line of green pieces in between. So much better! Now I like the way this has come together. Here is a photo of the completed quilt top, followed by two close-ups of blocks that give you a better look at the fabrics.

Green Strippy quilt top
64.25" x 93.5"

I haven't come up with any good names for this quilt yet. I'm just glad to have the top done and the pieces off my design wall. It feels good to have a finished top--it may not be my favorite ever, but at least I don't hate it anymore!

I am linking up with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge on Saturday and at Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday. I am also linking up to Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt, Moving It Forward at Em's Scrapbag and to the Ad Hoc Improv Quilters at Fret Not Yourself. Be sure to check out all of the wonderful projects that everyone is sharing! 

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 6/19/17

Thanks to everyone who offered their opinion to last week's post on which sashing fabric to use with my green strippy blocks. The darker brown was the overwhelming favorite, and I have gotten the strips cut and started stitching the pieces together. 

These blocks are very large, 24" finished. I am planning to add more green strips around the outside as a final border. Looking at the photos, I'm wishing there was more of the brown--maybe I will make all the sashing as two strips of brown with a line of green strips in between.

I am linking up to Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt, and Moving It Forward at Em's Scrapbag. Check out all of them for tons of amazing quilting inspiration! 

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 6/12/17

Last week I showed my version of a jelly roll race quilt made completely from green 3" strips. Check it out in THIS POST. I ended up grouping my green strips into sets of four and cutting them into segments. I am in the process of auditioning those segments with two different brown fabrics to use as the centers and sashing with these blocks. 

I keep going back and forth on my preference between the two brown fabrics. It probably means I'm not completely sold on either one, but I'm determined to use something from my stash. I welcome your opinions!

I am linking up to Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt, and Moving It Forward at Em's Scrapbag. Check out all of them for tons of amazing quilting inspiration! 

Julie in GA

Yellow and Green for the RSC

My first yellow project for June at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge was to make my set of four Scrappy Trips blocks. I love working with yellow, and these blocks have such a wonderful glow!

Scrappy Trip Around the World
pattern by Bonnie Hunter

I'm still trying to finish up a couple sets of green blocks, the May color for the RSC. Seeing Cathy's beautiful friendship star blocks reminded me that I hadn't made mine for the month. I completed 16 blocks and wish I'd included more brighter greens, but I was using what I had in the scrap pile.

I also considered making a version of a jelly roll race quilt with my stack of green 3" strips. Instead of sewing all the strips together end to end, I made rows from strips of various lengths, then joined the rows together. Here is the upper half showing how that plan worked out.

That was just too boring for me, so I sewed the remaining strips into groups of four, then sliced each strip set into quarters. I have been auditioning contrast fabrics to add a little more interest to this design. The contrast would become the center of the blocks and sashing in between. I'm currently leaning toward the caramel-colored print at the bottom of the photo, although I like the darkest one too.

I am linking up with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge on Saturday and at Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday. I'm also linking up with Scraptastic Tuesday at Mrs. Sew & Sow. Be sure to check out all of the wonderful scrappy projects that everyone is sharing! 

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 6/5/17

In my continuing effort to use some of the older fabrics in my stash, I have been making Scrappy Trip Around the World blocks every month as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I am using a collection of 3" strips from a guild exchange many years ago. Our color for the RSC in May was green.

Scrappy Trips pattern by Bonnie Hunter

This set of blocks barely made a dent in my stack of green strips. I considered many other options for using them, including a jelly roll race quilt. I didn't see many examples made from a single color group, plus my strips measure 3" rather than the usual 2.5". Time to come up with something else quick and easy!

I decided to improvise my own variation. I figured out that the regular jelly roll race quilt ends up with 32 horizontal rows. If I make a quilt with 32 rows made from 3" strips, it ends up measuring 80" long. That is a good size for a throw quilt, and I am shooting for finishing at 60" wide. What you are seeing here is the upper half of my quilt. The pieced strips for the lower half have all been made and are waiting to be joined to one another, then the two halves can become one!

I am linking up to Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt, and Moving It Forward at Em's Scrapbag. Check out all of them for tons of amazing quilting inspiration! 

Julie in GA

One Fish, Two Fish baby quilt

Thank goodness for quick and easy quilt patterns! I was on vacation the week before last when I received an invitation to a baby shower for a co-worker. My first opportunity to make a baby quilt happened last weekend, only 5 days before the shower! I knew I had to keep it simple, so I went with a strippy quilt-as-you-go pattern, based on the technique shown HERE.

One Fish, Two Fish baby quilt
38" x 41.5" finished size

It wasn't planned that way, but when I started pulling fabrics from my stash, I discovered that I had a group of fish prints that worked together very nicely. Even the binding fabric has tiny fish on it! That led to the name One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish for the quilt. I also ordered a copy of the Dr. Seuss book of the same name to include in the gift.

For the back I used a cute alphabet print with many of the same colors as the fish fabrics. 

Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the baby shower this afternoon because I have jury duty today. I left my gift with a friend to deliver to the shower--I need to send her a message to take photos of the mother-to-be holding it.

Julie in GA

Linking up to:  Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation
                      Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
                      Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts
                      Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts
                      Let's Make Baby Quilts at Michelle's Romantic Tangle
                      

Strippy Baby Quilt

The strippy baby quilt has been completed! This quilt was made for a baby shower being held today, which I found out about just a few days ago. The short time meant I needed to come up with a super quick quilt to make.

After looking around at various ideas on Pinterest, I decided to make a quilt-as-you-go strippy quilt. My main inspiration came from MaryQuilts.com. First I chose a focus fabric (the one on the left end) and a fabric for the backing (the monkey print.) Then I pulled one light print and five brights that coordinate well with the focus fabric.

I didn't have time to put together a whole tutorial and series of photos of my process, but the construction is a basic stitch-and-flip technique. I can tell you what sizes I cut the strips. These will make a quilt that measures 36" x 42.5".

Focus fabric:  Cut 4 strips @ 5" x 37"

Light fabric:   Cut 8 strips @ 2" x 37"

Brights:  Cut 1 strips from each fabric @ 3" x 37"

My backing and batting were both cut at 38" wide x 48" long. I laid the backing out wrong side up, then spread the batting over it. I marked a horizontal line across the center of the batting as a guideline for my first strips. I started at the center of the quilt with the red strip right side up and one light strip, wrong side up, with the two strips laid along the guideline. Stitch the strips down through all layers (batting and backing.) Press the light strip flat. 

Next lay another light strip wrong side up against the other edge of the red strip. Stitch light strip down, then press. Continue adding strips, working out toward both ends of the quilt. Once all the strips have been stitched down, you can square up the quilt, trimming along the four outer edges. Add a binding and your quilt is finished! 

I will be sharing this with the following linky parties.:

Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Let's Make Baby Quilts at Michelle's Romantic Tangle

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict 

Julie in GA