Halloween Hexi Gems Modern Wall Hanging

Missouri Star Quilt Company just keeps putting out great new YouTube Tutorials! This past weekend I took the time to use the Hexi Gems tutorial to make my first "modern" quilt, and I did it Halloween themed. 

The original quilt featured in MSQC's tutorial was done with an all white background. White isn't going to stay white in my house, so I wanted to do black, and utilize fabrics and notions from my stash to make this a Halloween Wall Hanging. 

To create the quilt I cut 16, 10 inch by 10 inch black background squares. Then I cut out half hexagons in different Halloween fabrics, my main scheme was purples, greens, oranges, and black fabrics. Over the past two years I've made some really fun Halloween quilts and each of those had left over fabrics, so creating this quilt directly from my stash was actually pretty easy. I almost didn't have enough backing fabric, but by piecing three fabrics together I was able to make the backing fit perfectly and also be able to wrap it forward to create the binding for the quilt. 

Here are two photos of the quilt making process:

My original plan was to do a 3 by 4 layout, once I started laying out my half hexi's
though I soon realized a 4 by 4 layout would work best. 

When I worked on my layout I forgot that I would need to put Heat N Bond Light on the back of each Hexi to applique it to the background square. It took me two hours to get my pieces cut and my layout determined. Once I got to this point I pinned my Hexi's to the background squares and packed up all the squares to move to the ironing board.

The completed quilt came together pretty quickly. After I adhered each half hexi to the background square using Heat N Bond I then pieced the quilt top together. After the quilt top was pieced I created my quilt sandwich and spray basted it together. I then appliqued the half hexi's by using the quilt-as-you-go method. 

The finished quilt was 40 inches by 40 inches. 

Here are photos of the finished quilt:

Front:

Back:

After completing the quilt and photographing it I posted it to Instagram where MSQC then reposted and shared to their 17,000 followers! 

So proud of this quilt, especially being my first "modern" style quilt, and having completed it all with materials from my stash! 

Baby Season: Self-Binding Receiving Blankets

In May 2013 I made a couple of self binding receiving blankets, based on the great Missouri Star Quilt Company tutorial on these blankets. The first blanket I made was for one of my friends who was due in May. Then I made two additional blankets for my son who is due in December. Next I made a blanket for my other friend who was due in August. Finally I have updated this post, with one more blanket that I made in 2014 for my sister and her newest baby.

These blankets are super easy and all they require our two pieces of fabric one cut 40" x 40" and the other cut 30" x 30".  This means you need just under a yard for one cut and just over our yard for the second cut. I use flannel for these blankets, with the exception of one blanket which are used minky or cuddle fabric for. I found the Minky very hard to work with as it seem to stretch and not keep in place as well as the flannel while sewing. 

The first blanket was for baby Ryker, I did a car racing game for him.

 

The next two blankets were for baby Colton, my son. I did an animal theme for both. 

The fourth blanket I made was so much fun, and it was for baby Madison. Had already created some pink and white and purple and white pinwheels and just wasn't quite sure what to do with them. So I pieced them together as blocks and then did the self binding tutorial on the outside. 

 

This tutorial is truly great because it allows you to create mitered corners with barely any work. Plus you do not have to add binding to your blanket which for me is huge!! 

Update: it is the most recent so finding blanket I have created it was for my niece Ezry who was born on derby day in May 2014. 

I love all of these blankets, and they are so quick to make. Under an hour! Cannot beat that when working on baby gifts.

Tumbler Table Topper - Easter Style

Since Easter and Spring are upon us I decided to try out a table topper that could brighten up my table. I had recently purchased a tumbler template from Missouri Star Quilt Company, after watching one of Jenny's great youtube tutorials! She makes quilting so easy and accessible. 

For fabric for the table topper I had a lot of left over 5 inch squares (charms) in flannel from my valentines day and kids quilts projects. So I went to Joann's and got some matching Easter inspired flannel to use as the backing fabric. 

The tumbler template is easy to use, just place it on a charm square and cut around it. After the tumbler shapes are cut out you just sew together like any other patch work.  Before you add your borders or backing you use your straight ruler to straighten the sides of the quilt. 

Tumblers Sew Together

Squaring the edges,
 by using a straight ruler to cut off edges
(Yes, our dining room wall does say VODKA,
the letters were on clearance at Kohl's
they didn't have the letters for VINO so we settled)

For this table topper I brought the backing fabric from the back to the front so I didn't have to do traditional binding (which I despise and just haven't really mastered-- mind you I haven't mastered bringing the backing to the front either haha!). 

 

I have a large, square, pub style table so this may look like large table topper but it fit my situation pretty well. 

St. Patrick's Day Table Runner

Having had great success with my Christmas table runner back in December when I was just weeks into my quilting "career" I decided I would utilize the same pattern (from a Missouri Star Quilt Company Youtube Tutorial) to create a St. Patrick's Day table runner. 

I headed to Joann Fabrics as it is the only close fabric store near my house that I've found this far. I got a few types of St. Patrick's day fabric, including a really cute Snoopy/Charlie Brown fabric. As I started on this project it felt much easier than my first table runner. 

I am quickly learning that I do not have good quilting math skills. While making this table runner I found that I actually had enough fabric to make 2 table runners! (Which I did). I even had left overs to just play around and make random blocks. 

Here are is my finished table runner:

Fun Stitching used during quilting

Table runner in use on our magazine rack

Still horrible at binding... that will be a skill in progress.
I also used a decorative stitch here, and contrasting fabric.
Poor decision on my part! 

Shamrock backing and contrasting quilting.