The Hungry Caterpillar Quilt

You know when you have this perfect baby outfit and the coordinating fabric, and you just have to make a quilt before your first born doesn't fit 0-3 month clothes any more? Then you eventually finish, and squeeze your 8 month old into the romper. Except it's not your first born; it's your fourth born. Or is that just me?

Do I get extra credit for toys that coordinate with the outer border?

What possessed me to purchase all those realistic fruit fabrics is beyond me. But trust me folks, it used to be a thing. Those might be eggplants instead of plums as per The Hungry Caterpillar, but humor me, will you?

I machine appliquéd the caterpillar, even adding some yarn for kinesthetic fun. I used to be a teacher (way back when realistic fruit fabrics were all the rage) so I use teacher-y words like "kinesthetic".

And I'm a sucker for stuffed animals that go with a book.

And I'm a sucker for this kid, of course!

I even used the extra fabric and spare parts to make a burrito pillowcase. Granted, the four patch blocks aren't that comfortable when you lay on them directly. Here's kid #3, Cade.

The body of the pillowcase is the very vibrant Multi Adventure Land print. Ironically, the quilt is so bright that it blends in with its surroundings.

I used Multi Wiggly Caterpillars fabric for the backing.

The quilting consists of a repeated echo around the appliqué, crosshatching on the Multi Picnic Food fabric, pebbles on the border, and a bracket continuous curve from Dorie Hruska's Making Connections in the white 4 Patch squares. (Pick up the board book off Amazon.)

Now the quilt can be used and loved. Hooray!

Hunter's Star Finish

It's so nice to be able to gift a new little one with some cuddly comfort. My daughter's preschool educational assistant adopted a brand new baby boy. In the recent past, they had the heart-crushing experience of caring for and naming a just-born boy, who they intended to join their family permanently, for a week before the adoption fell through. During this time, I began a quilt with their nursery theme in mind. Then I discovered what had occurred. They were such a beautiful couple, yearning to share their home, that my heart broke for them. I couldn't fathom what a loss that would be. I prayed that they would still have the opportunity to give another child a place in their family. I rejoiced when I heard that a wee one would be taking on their last name, this time for good.

The prologue is in my previous post, but here's a quick link to the Fat Quarter Shop free downloadable block pattern. A pattern including table runner, lap, twin, and king sizing instructions is available for $5.95. Kits can be purchased which include the pattern for multiple sizes and V & Co. Ombre Confetti Metallics. Backing is available separately. I used a couple prints from Michael Miller Baby Zoology in Sea and coordinating solids from my stash.

As I wanted this quilt to be usable and loved, I went with a washing machine-durable machine binding and straight line quilting following the lines within the blocks. I used the dual feed on my Bernina 750 since, if I use the walking foot that came with my 440, the dual feed knocks into it. I believe there's a different walking foot for the 750 that I didn't buy. Anyhow, it is not one and the same, and didn't feed as evenly. While the design looks simple, it took a while to do all the twisting, turning, and rotating.

Those hands---they belong to my first baby. Boo hoo hoo!

Well, that's a wrap. Though not technically. Because I'm a lazy gift giver who will be so proud to finish that I'll thrust the quilt into your arms completely without the customary packaging and sans card.

Thanks for visiting. Happy quilting!

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On Your Mark, Create! Part II

Formerly, I showed you how to make a 12" finished, strip-pieced block featuring Simone Bradford's On Your Mark fabrics for Paintbrush Studios. As promised, I'm going to show you how to amp up that block to create and even bigger, awesomer (Yup, I know that's not a word.) 24" finished block. I threw in a white solid to make my low volume background fabrics go a little farther. (I have a practice of diving in, chopping up fabric, and then calculating the most efficient method of using the fabric--in that order.) In hindsight, I would have chosen something that was creamier. (Again--do first, analyze later, on my part.)

You'll need a 12" block for the center, so check out my previous post for assembly instructions. Or you can use any block you like that finishes at 12"; I promise my pride can handle it. You could even use up orphan sampler blocks you have hanging around. How economical!

Now let's cut up some fat quarters. I recommend non-directional ones. From the color, cut four 2 1/2" x 20" strips and one 2 1/2" x 10" strip.

The following will give you the pieces and parts you need for the background for two of the corner units. From a background fabric fat quarter, cut two 4 1/2" x 20" strips and two 2 1/2" x 20" strips. Divide each 2 1/2" strip into two 2 1/2" x 10" strips, making four total.

To cut the background necessary for the outer middle sections, cut two 4 1/2' x 20" strips and two
2 1/2" x 20" strips from a fat quarter. Do this once for each block.

It's stitching time! For the corner units, sew a 10" background strip to each 10" side of the 10" color strip. Crosscut into four 2 1/2" sections.

Sew a 20" color strip to one side of a 4 1/2" x 20" background. Crosscut into eight 2 1/2" sections.

Use three pieces to assemble each corner section. Four units are necessary for each block.

To create the units for the outer middle sections, sew a 20" background strip to each side of a 20" color strip. Crosscut into eight 2 1/2" sections.

Sew a 20" color strip to the side of a 4 1/2" x 20" background strip. Crosscut into four 4 1/2" sections.

Sew a 20" color strip to one side of a 4 1/2" x 20" background. Crosscut into eight 2 1/2" sections.

Use five pieces to create each center middle section. You'll need four units for each block.

Then, assemble the blocks!

Share using #onyourmarkfabrics and tag me at @quiltingmod.

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On Your Mark Create! Blog Hop

I'm very excited to join the On Your Mark Create! Hop featuring Simone Bradford's fun new line for Paintbush Studio Fabrics.

On Your Mark is full of modern brights and whimsical touches of letters, dashes, and splatters.

I'm a quilter through and through, so it should come as no surprise that my fabric got turned into quilt blocks. 

From a fat quarter (18" x 22") of background and a fat quarter of a contrasting color, you can make 3 of my quick and easy, strip-pieced blocks.  

To finish them out into a quilt, I set them on point and added some negative space. It's very modern, and a great excuse to get right to finishing.

I'm getting ahead of myself, so let's start off with going from fat quarters to strips. For the background, go ahead and cut it down to 15" x 22". From this cut two 2 1/2" x 15" strips and three 4 1/2" x 15" strips. You'll have some left over, which is awesome because that beats not enough any day. Hold onto these lovely scraps because I have an expansion pack in the works. Ahem...I mean a fun away to add onto this block coming in a future post. (Don't forget to follow my blog so you don't miss it.)

Now for the color! Cut one 4 1/2" x 15" strip. Then, cut two 4 1/2" x 15" strips and one 8 1/2" x 15" strip going the opposite direction.

We have all the pieces and parts we need to make three strips sets that will later for m three blocks. Sew a 4 1/2" x 15" background strip to both sides of one 4 1/2" x 15" color strip. Crosscut every 2 1/2" to form 8 units.

Sew a 2 1/2" x 15" background strip to both sides of one 8 1/2" x 15" color strip. Crosscut every 2 1/2" to form 8 units.

Sew a 4 1/2" x 15" color strip to both sides of one 4 1/2" x 15" color strip. Crosscut every 4 1/2" to form 8 units. There will be an extra 1 1/2" and that's ok. Tie your hair up in it or something.

Ready for a surprise? You've already made all the units necessary for 3 blocks. Put them together!

To get from 3 blocks to a quilt, gather up yardage that matches your background color. Cut two 12 7/8" and two 9 3/8" squares; cut them corner to corner once to make four setting triangles and four corner triangles respectively. If you love math (and I know you do) check out the calculations here and here. Use these and the three blocks to assemble and on-point row.

Measure the length of your row. Cut a length of fabric piece 2" larger than this (for good measure). Cut off the selvage and stitch the long side of the yardage to the long side of the row. Cut it off at whatever length feels good to you (highly technical, right?), and sew this to the opposite side of the row.

Tada! Your top is done. Begin agonizing over free-motion designs. Just kidding! Maybe that's just me.

Check out the other projects on the hop to ease the longing for the moment when I reveal another quilt layout for this block.

Tuesday, April 17: Simone @simone.g.b ; Simone Bradford

Wednesday, April 18: Elizabeth @occasionalpiecequilt; OPQuilt

Thursday, April 19: Stephanie @spontaneousthreads; Spontaneous Threads

Friday, April 20: Linda @quiltlady63

Saturday, April 21: Joan@alaskanquilter

Sunday, April 22: Carol @carolanngillen

Monday, April 23: Sarah @nohatsquilts

Tuesday, April 24: Afton @quiltingmod; Quilting Mod

Wednesday, April 25: Alison @quiltstudio62

Thursday, April 26: @pbstudiofabrics; Inspired by Fabric

Share your own creations using #onyourmarkfabric and #pbstudiofabrics.