April quilt meet-Mumbai

It was the 1st of April and we quilters in Mumbai decided to meet up. No April fools day but yes a lot of fooling around.
Here you see a picture of the entire group, sans me…I am the official photographer as I jokingly put it 😉
I am there of course, just behind the camera.

Quilt Meet

Hema volunteered to host us and had the most amazing spread ready for us, not just in terms of quilts but food as well 🙂

Hema with her latest Quilt

Hema’s quilt

Hema and Usha’s other quilts

Above pics show her other quilts…what a treat for the eyes.

Amazing stories flowed in one after the other, be it the initial days of making quilt tops and getting quilted them by a tailor to not knowing the name of the blocks to having only books for reference before the omnipresent Google era.

Geeta’s splendid sampler

Admiring the splendid sampler

Saira’s work:

Saira’s Show and tell

Saira’s amazing sling bag…

Saira’s Dizzy Daisy Quilt top…

And finally my Tula pink Sampler Quilt top…

My Tula Pink Sampler Quilt

A day full of Quilt speak and motivation galore…

 

Charm Square Quilt : English Rose

Hubby’s friend had a baby daughter recently! Reason enough for me to make a quilt 🙂

This is a simple quilt top using charm squares. While I was at it, I made a matching cushion cover to go with it as well.While this to be posted to their city of residence, am really eager that the quilt and cushion cover reach them at the earliest and I get to see how the little one looks all wrapped in the pink quilt with the cushion somewhere thrown in the background.

English Rose

Nothing like watching a child use your creation 🙂

Here, I have stitched the sides before quilting, much like basting the sides so it doesn’t move during quilting o binding! A little tip but helped a lot…

Nothing like watching a quilt loved, used and washed and re-used over the years…

Love the English rose feel of the quilt. It came together rather fast with just the charms and sashing to sew. I didn’t want to add a broad border that would take away or clash with the overall quilt design.

Hence the binding is a very thin 1″ binding. Am glad the way it turned out, fit, tight and prim. Was a great effort around the corners, but it was totally worth the effort.

Quilt Name: English Rose
Quilt Size: 40″ X 40″
Fabric: local Indian
Binding: Double sided 1″ tight narrow binding
Other details: Is a gift with a matching cushion cover
FMQ: flower detailing
Thread: Calypso off white which has a lovely sheen about it.

Linking it to Lets get Social!

 

Playmat again

A neighbour and friend had seen the playmat made for my ‘lil one and wanted something similar for her daughter. She wanted it to be exactly the same except the color of the binding.

I am glad it turned out as expected 🙂

Yellow playmat

I also got to write her name using fonts in my new machine.

Here, my ‘lil one was super excited to know that his friend will have a similar playmat and is holding it up for show 🙂

I packed this one with kite paper and washi tape. Oh! how I love washi tape…almost as much as I love designer fabric…

Playmat size: 40″X60″
Thread: Aurifil
Machine: Bernina 550QE
Type: whole cloth mat

 

Happiness is…

Last weekend I posted about this lovely fabric with quotes. And before the week is done, it has got converted into a lovely baby quilt with quotes!

Baby quilt on the chair

The quotes read :

Happiness is …
Listening to old songs
Finally being able to read music
when someone falls in love with the music that you have introduced them to

Baby quilt on the sofa

As the quilt was in red and white and looked quite Christmassy, I tried to FMQ some Holly on it! That part of course needs a lot of practice. I can see the first set of New Year resolutions taking shape for 2016 ha ha ha

FMQ Holly

Quilt fabric: Indian
Thread : Aurifil 50/2 2270(Paprika) and 2600(Dove)
Size: 36″ X 48″
Binding: 2″ double binding
Quilt name: Happiness is…

 

Super easy ‘Roadways Playmat’

A playmat with easy FMQ was long due. My little one catches a cold when he plays on the floor which has marbelite tiles. So I have been thinking of making a playmat for him for a while now. However, the mother and son had long discussions on how the playmat should look and whether it should cater to his Lego blocks or his Hot wheel cars. Finally, this playmat emerged.

Wholecloth Platmat

Not because we got to a consensus, but because we had varying views on the playmat. Each time we discussed, the views changed along with the ‘lil one’s demands. At some point, I just put my foot down and said, “I am making a wholecloth playmat”…if we ever reach a consensus then I can sew another one …ha ha ha

It turned out quite nice actually and got completed in record time. The side binding used one of my triangle decorative stitches in the sewing machine in neon green. The neon threads that I have been itching to use came of help 🙂

at the beach

Here, the little one is using the playmat with his sand toys 🙂

Quilt Type: Wholecloth
Quilt name: Roadways Playmat
Size: 40″X55″
Purpose: Playmat
Fabric: Roadways and railways with European cities, local fabric

 

Hello Kitty Quilt

With a son at home, one does tend to like everything mechanical like clocks, robots and the like.The choice of fabric, somehow, also moves away from flowers and closer to construction vehicles! ha ha 🙂

So, I was glad when I unearthed some hello kitty fabric in my stash. I promptly decided on making a whole cloth baby quilt with it. The fabric was just too pretty to cut.

Hello Kitty Baby Quilt

Found a little Hello Kitty toy to give it company as well 🙂

The 2.5″ double binding is held down by some decorative stitches. This is where I use those decorative stitches that are available in the sewing machine.

Hello Kitty Quilt

The FMQ on this is somewhat like leaves and I think I am slowly, but surely improving with my FMQ with every passing quilt.

Quilt Name: Hello Kitty
Fabric: Blue Hello Kitty
Size: 40″ X 40″

 

Black-White and yellow: A Modern Quilt

Quilt dimension: 40″X50″
Binding: 2″ double binding
Fabric: printed fabric sent by a quilting friend , yellow and white from the stash, hand dyed binding fabric
Purpose: Gift for sis’ friend who recently had a baby girl

The quilt top was complete a long time back and was waiting in my cupboard to be quilted and bound.This Saturday I found time to quilt it with butterflies and bind it with a hand dyed yellow poplin.

Butterfly quilt

Here it lies on my sofa in all its splendour!

I like the pop of yellow in between and the fact that I could use the printed fabric productively. Its not my kind of modern, but I wanted to test if I could convert it into something beautiful and quilty!

I was looking for an easy FMQ design to cover up the white sashing and the butterflies just seemed so apt 🙂 Am glad how they turned out and the way the yellow quilting complements the yellow blocks…initially, I wanted to try a darker shade of yellow so taht it shows on the white but later decided to go with the thread that matches the fabric. I am glad I did, as a chrome or ochre quilting would have looked out of place.

Yellow butterflies

Note: A simple fabric can be elevated using a pop of colour and appropriate quilting …

Happy with the August finish 🙂 and a perfect quilt for a little one to brighten up her rainy day !!