More Quilt Tops!

 

I finished both the quilt tops from my last post! This quilt was so much fun to make, and I'm already thinking about making more. I think it would be a fantastic two color quilt done in scraps. For this quilt, I was using a partial jelly roll that was given to me, along with some of my own scrap strips. Choosing the background/border color was fun, and I just went with what matched the most strips without matching too closely for contrast. I used all WOF strips, but I think this quilt would work well with short strips. The pattern is called Off Course and it's in this quilt book.

If you've never looked through a Kim Brackett scrap book, you are missing out! She has so many great designs, and if you are like me and cut your scraps to size, there are a lot of great options in her books for you to bust those scraps. 

I also assembled the big quilt that was on the design wall. I wanted a border to add to the size, and I just happened to pick up a purple remnant of 108" wide fabric the other day. I rarely pass up a 108" wide remnant. Sure you aren't going to back a quilt with a remnant, but it's quick borders, or easily enough fabric for backgrounds of smaller quilts. Widebacks don't need to be relegated to the back, it's just fabric, and even a remnant of 108" wide fabric goes a long way. Without the border, this quilt was 90" square, with the border it's 100" square.100" is my minimum for a queen sized quilts, so that remnant was just what I needed, and I even have a little bit left since it was a 25" long remnant. The little bit left goes in scrap user system.

I haven't minded assembling the throw sized quilts, but this big one was pretty hot to assemble and iron during summer. I think I'd like to wait until it cools off a bit before assembling any more big quilts. I do have several big quilts that need assembling though, so I don't want to wait too long. I have a good opportunity coming up to take over the living room with basting tables and baste the big ones. Anything twin sized or smaller I just baste on my cutting table. If it's bigger than that, I prefer setting up my two 8 ft long folding tables. I have to move furniture to do it and it completely takes over the living room, but It makes basting the big ones easier. I try to wait until I have at least three big ones ready to baste, and then I'll baste until I run out of pins. Good thing I have lots of pins! I've got three quilts basted right now, so If I can get those quilted before I have the big quilt tops assembled, I can baste more big quilts with the reclaimed pins. Having a big pile of basted quilts to quilt over the winter will be a great start to hopefully cooler weather!