recycled quilt

Ive been piecing together scraps without a foundation to make larger pieces for as long as I have been quilting.  I love how this sort of fabric building does not require a foundation - -and it also does not build the directional lines that traditional string piecing does. Im sure many people do this - but, here is how I do it.  I love making fabric because, I can use the fabric as new yardage and cut new sizes out of it.  See how these scraps remain scrappy and do not go together in strings to make a new directional pattern on the quilt top?  Here is a video on how I do it -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl9vRQCVbq8 (Im not happy that blogger.com will not find my youtube videos in the tools sections anymore - but youtube is loading all comments to google+)

I made enough 4 patch blocks to make two quilts. The second one needed to be mine. I made the first one to look like the one in the book. Why do that? Awhile ago I bought some fabric with roses on it that I was in love with but was afraid to use. I decided it was time. Here is how it came out - What do you think? Does the floral overpower the blocks? Is that a bad thing (if it does)?  For me, the blend is perfect. I am dreaming about the bed on the porch of my childhood camp. It was iron and sometimes had a hornets nest somewhere inside. That is the truth!  But, it was on a screen porch near the lake. I loved it there. And, this quilt is now part of the memory even though it never was.  Here is the first quilt. 

Ive been busy! I just finished this little 70 inch square quilt. It is to me a pick nick quilt. I love the border and the different colors around the binding. It photographs very nicely outside -- but, look at it inside! Mess!    I got a new couch and tall shelf in my house and no longer have that great long wall to hang finished quilts for pictures. Im going to miss it Im positive!

               I have made this block a lot - but, never have used this arrangement. I love the way it worked out. I made the quilt as a gift for the runner up of a drag show I was a judge in.                I made this quilt from recycled fabrics!

The fleece quilted fine - no problems.  Ill wash it and let you know how it goes.  I woke up George and took a pic of him. Of course now he thinks he needs to go outside.  Those recycled tee shirt quilt go together well - I really love dots. Quilters dont like the way they finish because they ripple LOTS! Its frustrating to me, too --- but, after they get washed they get so comfortable the ripples dont show up the way they do on pieces quilts.

Im learning how to piece blocks that are all one finished size. Im a slow learner. One of the pleasures of making free form quilts is there is no seam allowance, there is no matching - who cares? Well, Ive made two years of those quilts and needed to move onto a new something. Piecing! Im loving doing the work. I like cutting fabric, I love sewing it. I like looking at how the colors come together. Im not so good at coming out with one size blocks when Im done. I just finished making -78 blocks that were supposed to finish at 12 by 12 inches. Most of them finished at 11.5 by 12. So thats fun, right? Its a PITA to do new things and fail at them. But, its the way of learning. And, I am learning. Here are some pics of the quilt I am working on i think that it will be a nice quilt when it is finished i want it to be about a queen size - I bought the batting today.

I got a new accuquilt machine that makes 2.5 inch strips. Ive been hearing for 2 years how great it is to work with 2.5 inch strips. So, all day today I cut pieces for a new quilt - I got the pattern from quiltville.com  you can see the pattern for free on the website  here  - Im crazy in love with Bonnie Hunters quilts and scrap quilting ideas. Here is my stack of pieces for the quilt -- And here is my test block - Where she used white blocks Im using red ones - left overs from my last red quilt. Ive got my whole station set up to do some SERIOUS manufacturing of quilt blocks. Starting NOW!

There are so many pieces in this quilt top - I really do like it. After it was finished I was pretty torn about the border - I really did not like that it did not finish flat. Then, I slept on it and decided it was fine. I did trade a quilt for a new accuquilt - it is really cool to be able to cut quilts pieces evenly. Today I have been cutting pieces all day. I think the pieces for the next quilt are all cut.

Im Finally quilting again - I want to make another quilt using a pattern I tried a few quilts ago. We will see if the new quilt has the same presence as the other one. Maybe its workable pattern?

I decided to make some pillows - These ones are made from some old things I had around.  I hope to keep learning how to make better home dec. items. 

Here are some finished pics -- Some of the center blocks have a dense quilting pattern .. All of the 9 patches have a squiggle pattern.  Some pics showing the diff fabrics -- All done -- I really do like the pattern and the quilt. I think any time I want to make another Irish chain I will remember there needs to be lots of contrast between the chain and the background.

I am in love with cool weather -- I get depressed for a week or so knowing its comming but, then when its here I get really happy!! I love quilt weather! 

Well, I made this. Yes, I did add another side with orange/yellow blocks. I am deciding I might need to make some full size quilts -- too many huge quilts. IDK if people in the city have huge beds?

This is the front of the quilt - after I added the edges. This is a view of the back -- Close up of the fabric on the back.  Well, I used up some fabric thinking it might be strong enough to be the back of a quilt. I thought a light weight quilt would be perfect .. but, Ive decided the backing isnt strong enough for constant use. So, Im going to put another back on the quilt and the current backing will become the batting. This fabric is a sort of waffle fabric that would be great as shower curtains or window curtains -- but doe snot seem strong enough for daily use.

Well, I got some more work done - and had a bat in the house! I decided to use two browns around the edge - one of them looks dark red but - its brown. I think I like it. I really like the way the seams look. I know for sure about that part. I dont know if my piecing has ever been this good before. Im not the best cutter so that is great growth for me, too. Part of the entire learning process for me is seeing that I can create what I think are very cool art quilts that are also functional pieces --- but that creative part forces me to do things with quilting that other quilters would never really do -- like raw edge applique with a straight stitch with no fusing. When I sit down and try to do basic quilting things like line up seams and cut accurate pieces - I cant do that well at all. Im surprised at what my quilts look like when I try to do that type of accurate cutting and piecing. I like the results but, there is no doubt they are basic historic ish looki...

Another recycled fabric quilt! I went crazy doing free motion quilting- I messed with as many different patterns as I could think of in the blocks. I dont know as many patterns I some people - and, Ive never been good at doodles. I am better at making patterns. This quilt is huge - a big bad KING size one. The batting is not recycled in this quilt - it is a new cotton batting - Im pretty excited to see what happens when it shrinks a little bit when I dry it. Working with recycled T-shirt fabrics - I have come to accept that I will have some tucks and folds in the quilted tops. I am more interested in color and pattern anyhow -- I forgive those tucks. You can see I used a straight Stitch to applique the pieces. I sold the Zig-Zag machine and am using my Straight Stitch machine now for everything. I took these pics outside before all of the quilting was finished.

OMG! - My friend got the tablecloth she had me make -- !

I like the work - but, it took very long to make. It is the left over scraps from the dots bright quilt I made.

I had been working in the Garden - we have a small area in the front of our house and on the side of the house where there is about a 5 foot piece of land that we can put a flower garden in. A friend of mine came over and really helped me get motivated to get the back garden done. I worked hard tog et the front one done - but, always neglect the side. Now, it looks great back there. Next summer it will fill in and look so full and flower-y! I cant wait.

My Grand Mother is a first class lady and a huge hoarder. She has a 8 bedroom farmhouse packs frull of stuff and, good for her!