11th Birthday Quilts

I've been working on these quilts for my nieces for about nine months now, which coincidentally is also the last time that I blogged. I had scraps left over from the pj's I made for their birthday last year and I really wanted to make them something big and awesome this year.

I didn't have that many scraps left over from the pj's. I planned to use lots of white (um, about 9 yards worth), and I bought some coordinating solids to mix in. I made 12" wonky log cabin blocks for the tops. After I got them all sewn together I realized that I wanted them to be a little bigger, but I had run out of fabric. Then I remembered that I had MORE fabric!! I had some polka dot fabric squirreled away that I planned to make my sister some pj's with. Sorry sister, your pj's are now borders on the girls' quilts.

Katie's


Jessie's


I designed a back to go with the quilts too. The way I see it, why should the front of the quilt have all the fun?

back of Katie's



back of Jessie's



This was my first time to do straight line quilting. I went for kind of a plaid look with lines stitched .25" to 1.5" apart. I like how it emphasizes the log cabin on the front of the quilt. Don't like how it took forever to do.

At first I tried using my regular old presser foot to do the quilting. All the layers shifted and my beautiful quilt became a big bunchy mess. I think I spend about a day ripping out all of those stitches. So, I went out to the Viking dealer and bought myself a $90 walking foot (on sale from $130... gulp). Works like a dream. There was still a little bit of shifting, but I think that's my fault for not assembling the quilt just right.

The girls are also getting matching pillows to go with the quilts. I didn't come up with the design for the pillows, they're heavily influenced by something else I saw on the Internet. Remember, imitation is the highest form of flattery.





I had so much fun making these quilts. I taught myself a lot of new tricks and I think that I might have found a new "favorite craft" (sorry knitting).

The girls are coming for a visit this week and I'm really excited to give them their quilts in person. I think they'll love them.