A Flying Geese Quilt Top : :

I finished up my first new quilt top of the year early this past Sunday morning. I absolutely love it! It's made using the same flying geese measurements as I share in my Soaring High quilt pattern for Cloud9 Fabrics and my Blogger's Choice bundle for the Fat Quarter Shop!



When I was invited to create a Blogger's Choice bundle, I had no particular color scheme in mind, and found it a little difficult to choose from just those fabrics newly available this month. Knowing that it would be available for January, I wanted it to feel like Winter and in the end settled with a collection of icy blue-green, pale grays, creamy whites, dark teal, a few saffron yellows, black, and purples. It has a much different feel than the fabrics I've been using these past couple weeks, a welcomed change and chance to do something a little different!



To make this quilt, I made lots and lots of geese and sewed them randomly together going every which way. I was having fun and was working fast!





I plan to see about sending this one into Melissa of Sewing Shabby Quilting to work her quilting magic with something that will compliment all these flying geese. I can't wait to see it finished!



♥ Maureen 

For Kaiden : :

This past Sunday morning I finished up my Making Rows Quilt top, a quilt-as-you-go style quilt I'm making to give Kaiden on Christmas. I had mentioned when I shared my Diamond Strings Quilt that Kaiden had such grand ideas for his design that it could take just as long to make, as it's taken me to make the eight I've already finished. That, combined with him changing his mind sort of often, was making me a little nervous as to whether I could reach my goal of making my three kiddos and each of my brother's & sister's children a quilt of their very own to handout at Christmas time.

With so much on my plate besides this quilt goal of mine, I decided to just go for it and I started a quilt for Kaiden using fabrics I knew he'd like, in a color-scheme I knew he'd love. I showed him some peeks along the way and I'm happy to report he's thrilled with it! I felt especially proud after noticing how very similar the quilt I made for him is to the items he chose for himself when we recently went Winter clothes shopping. Yay, victory!



I quilted each row using my go-to quilt-as-you-go method, with mostly straight line quilting, adding in just a few decorative stitches here and there!





I chose a 100% cotton, plaid flannel shirting for the quilt back that is soooo perfect!



I'm basting this one today and I'll be back tomorrow with a Sunset Quilt finish to share! I glanced over those quilt photos just now as I was putting these together, and I'm so excited! Be sure to stop back!!

♥  Maureen

An Improv & LillyBelle Quilt { A Quilt As You Go Finish } : :

I am so thrilled to have this quilt finished! To say that I took my time with it, is a HUGE understatement, and definitely shouldn't signify that creating it wasn't fun! I really enjoyed it and I'm so glad I took my time! I think it's honest to say that the main reason it did take until now is simply because I was making this quilt just for me, and you know how those things get pushed to the bottom of the list!

Well, since sharing my Quilt As You Go How-to, I've received so many questions on finishing a qayg quilt! I took lots of photos as I finished, to share today and link to as a Part 2 of that tutorial. My intention was to make the finishing of this quilt as easy as possible and I think it was!

For starters, I used 505 Basting Spray for the first time. That's the only part I didn't photograph. My husband helped with the spraying, I laid the quilt right side down, he sprayed the batting that was already quilted to the quilt top in smallish sections, and I made sure the seams were all nice and flat while I smoothed down the backing fabric. All in all it took maybe 20 minutes!

About a week later, I finally found the time to add my final quilting stitches. When adding this stitching it IS recommended that you do use a Walking Foot. I haven't found it necessary now that I am using my Janome. Working my way down from the top of my quilt to the bottom, with my stitch length set at 3, I simply sewed about 1/4" to maybe 1/2" from the seam line.





I continued this for both sides of each seam running from the top of my quilt to the bottom!



Here's a good look at just how these stitches will look from the backside of your quilt!



Now working from side to side, I decided this time to add my stitches by stitching in the ditch. This is a way of quilting that minimizes how much thread shows on the top of the quilt. Even though stitching in the ditch is somewhat invisible on the top of the quilt, it does secure all three layers of the quilt sandwich!



You can add your quilting stitches either way -- by stitching along the seams, by stitching in the ditch, or combining them as I did.  Any of these will be enough to set that backing fabric to your quilt as you go quilt top!

Here's a look at how those stitches will look from the back of your quilt, once you're completely finished!



But first, you have to bind the quilt using your preferred method! I know there are about a million ways to do so, my go-to is exactly the same as Allson's of Cluck, Cluck, Sews Machine Binding method! She has a wonderful tutorial!!

I also love using this super smart, time saving trick!



If you have a foot on your machine or extension table, the binding unrolls neatly and slowly, and out of your way, as you add it to your quilt. No need for pins -- LOVE it!!



Seriously -- between the quilting as you go, the basting spray, and this little binding trick -- quilting doesn't get any easier folks!!

And, in the end you have a pretty, handmade quilt!!

Since this quilt is just for me, yay ! I went a little crazy with the super sweet and girly LillyBelle Garden Rocket border and used nothing but Bari J.'s Henna Stripe for the back! I love it!! It's so colorful and fun on the front and has such a Wintery back, and I do LOVE Winter!!



In the end I think we'll all agree, regardless of your fabric taste or even how you make a quilt -- that this is the very best part!



I hope you do give qayg a try! Be sure to let me know if you do, ok? Feel free to share on my Facebook page or in my Maureen Cracknell Handmade Flickr group, and of course you can share a link here or email me anytime, as well!

Thanks so much for stopping by!!   ♥,  Maureen

A Glimma & Linen Quilt Top : :

Yesterday, after packaging up orders and one long, very cold trip to the Post Office, I decided to treat myself to an afternoon of sewing something not on my list, because I'm really trying to stick to a list these days!

I put on The Lumineers, my new favorite! and laid out that beautiful Glimma Charm pack on our craft table. I had mentioned making a pillow, but once I starting planning out a project for them, I just couldn't get beyond wanting to combine them with some linen and make a quilt! Just for fun, for once!!



To begin, I started cutting 5" squares from both my stashed grey and white linen. The idea was to do a simple patchwork, with each block consisting of two Glimma prints and two linen. After I finished those blocks, easy, I did a little measuring. Lucky me, turns out I had just enough linen for some sashing! After the kiddos were asleep, with a clearer head than I've had in months, I thought it would be interesting to add the sashing to create points towards the center -- now that was fun! And, just before bedtime for me, I took a few quick photos. Right away I knew it wasn't done!





This was my favorite corner last night!



After one more border of linen, I still love this corner!



I tried my best to take some photos this morning, a little too early, just after the kids were off to school. I completely froze and it was a huge photo failure -- way too dark and dreary!



Yes, I much prefer the comfort and warmth of taking pictures indoors these days! Once finished, I hope this quilt will be bringing a little more of those things to someone?

For now, it looks pretty right here...



Now, I'm off to see who I'll be sending that Glimma, too! And, then it's back to work for me!
♥, Maureen

p.s. Oh, and if you happen to have any good ideas of what I could name this quilt -- please share! I am terrible at it! :)

{this moment} : :

{this moment} - A Friday ritual inspired by Soulemama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

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This is my first time joining {this moment} -- I look forward to making this a Friday ritual. Have a wonderful weekend!
~ Maureen