recycled quilt

3 inch unfinished squares are sexy. I cant get away from them! Here is another quilt made from them - entirely. No strip piecing! This is the top - This is after quilting - Close up of quilting -  I used my "extreme recycled batting" cheat for this quilt. I have so much old 70's double knit in my stash - I keep piecing together enough to fill a quilt and -- MAN can I tell you how perfect the weight is? And the quilts have a drape that my other quilts with traditional batting dont have. So, Stuff old crap fabric inside your quilts - its gets rid of trash - and trash has a great drape! I think the layer of poly will be warm -- w/o being gross warm. Because its just one layer of fabric. Not the thickness of a poly batt.

Ive been surprised to re-cut squares for this quilt three times! More and more blocks! Im loving the way it looks. I love that this quilt is made from the same 3 inch blocks that the last quilt was made from. Amazing how different the quilts can look with the vary same foundation.

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. 

I saw a quilt I liked that was made like this -- So - I cut up a pile of pieces and made my own -- I did not have a pattern - but, I think everything is OK.                               I really like the way it turned out -- I dont know that I have ever used white b-4 as a background. Well, I have made a few Red and white quilts -- I guess i have .. but, I like this one. We will see how I finish it. Most of these fabrics are commercial quilting fabrics that were given to me as scraps from my Aunt who is a quilter. I used a cool process that I saw on a jenny doan youtube video - I used 10 inch squares - sewn together at 1/4 inch all around the outside -- (right sides together) then cut them all into an *X* -- magic = 4 half square finished triangles. The cutting took longer than anything else...

So many of the Modern Quilts" I see are a size that I cant figure out what in hell they would be used for? Yet, the guild claims to make utility quilts? I see lap size quilt after lap size quilt come out of that group.... what is a 30 yo doing with 75 lap quilts in they house?   All those words do not take anything away from the quilts ... but - I dont see them as utility. I see them as decorative.   I love so many of the quilts I see that are called modern. I love them.   I need more than off center things and color blocks to call projects modern, though.   I need the products to use recycled fabrics. I cant have consumption and the prohibitive cost of new materials keeping the poor out of anything that calls itself modern.   Modern MUST include recycled goods and access to anyone who wants to join.

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?

I finished the quilt - I decided to keep the back after all. I just put a hot pink binding on it. Yes ... I match, today. The back will be plenty strong enough. All I was worried about was snags - and I put lots of heavy criss crossing quilting into the piece to prevent that.

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...

I am torn about what I want to do and made this video about my process on working it out.

I am in love with strip quilts all of a sudden! I finally got the "pebble" free motion quilting motif down! I worked on it for a long time b-4 i figured out a way for me to do it so I liked it.

I love this style quilt - I have so much fabric in my house that needs to get sewn that Ima go nuts for this style for a bit. I already have the pieces cut for the next one. Here is a larger pic - but, taken with a flash so there is a bit of wash-out. The size of this quilt is a  generous Queen - it will have about a 10 inch drop on each side and the bottom. I had not used lots of prints in my other quilts - I need more pratice on how to use a mix of solid, print and graded colors. I really like the solid color quilts I make - but, I love prints and want to use more of them.

I made two little baby quilts -- I love love the colors. There are light Pinks - so light they look white in this picture- right up to bold pinks, neon really. And some grey pinks and a grey border.

I decided to turn some of my old tee-shirts into small quilted pieces. Im planning on using them for place mats and wall hanging's -- I know thats boring. Im also going to use them modern crochet things. You know, Il put them under plants. Ill put them on the back of chairs. Ill also use them as tea/snack treys. They can be on my bureau, under lamps - EVERYWHERE!

Do you guys ever use two threads in one needle? Ive been wanting to try out some of the thicker threads available for free motion quilting and haven't got around to buying any. Today I had the idea to try putting two threads through the needle to get some extra thickness and its working out great! Ive added two of the same color (orange) and it looked great. Here is how that came out. It was easy to load the thread and I had no problem with shredding using a 100 needle. Each of the threads were 40 wt. I also liked the greater impact the double threads made. I also used two threads but different tones. One thread was deep forest green and the other thread was a chartreuse. I love the way the two threads mix. It almost looks like a variegated thread - the lighter and darker threads are bolder together than they would be on their own. Here is what they look like on a bigger surface. I had bought two spools of thicker thread to try this method. But, I need...

I finished up this wall quilt tonight. It is raw edge applique using a zig zag stitch. Every fabric is 100% recycled fabric. I did the free motion quilting.

Last week it was HOT! I cleaned out the garden and took some quilts outside to see them in the light of day. I love the way they look on the side of this fence.

Im putting together some things for a show, new stuff. This is going to be something. All raw edge applique, with a zig zag, on a foundation. I was locked out of my house for a few hours today - it was very nice out. Sunny and warm.. crazy weather for this time of year in Maine. My dogs were thrilled we got locked out! I did not mind.. it was nice out!