Tag Archives | harriot

Grove Mini Quilts

By carolyn friedlander on June 15, 2020 in fabric, Featured on Home, my patterns | Comments: 8

How do you feel about mini quilts? I love them. There’s something extra special and satisfying about making a mini, which is why I decided to add in a (literal) little bonus when giving my Grove pattern a refresh. With a new mini tree block included in the pattern, now you can make Grove Mini Quilts. Personally, I’ve already made two.

There are many good things about a smaller format. Creatively, it’s a great way to try out a new color combination, print pairing or layout. There’s less pressure in terms of the time and material commitment. I find they always perk up a space without requiring a lot of space, and they make a thoughtful gift. If you aren’t into turning it into a quilt, you could always sew the smaller blocks into a bag, pillow, pincushion or other accessory too.

The new mini block conveniently required a new sample, which started off with a colorful dive into my scrap pile. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been finding comfort in color lately.

As I made the blocks, I threw them up on my wall, and I moved them around as I went. I find that I constantly simmer on layout while making blocks, and I really like that about the process. It’s very interactive.

Of course I ended up making more blocks than I needed, and so I divided them into two different quilts. They could have been sewn into one, but I liked the balance of having these two.

Grove Mini Quilt #1

The blocks are made from a pretty wide mix of colors from spice to tangerine to mint and yellow, but I think the sashing really helps cement the color statement. It was a big decision, but I loved this gingham and the color tone the best.

After deciding on the sashing, I was a little indecisive about going bold or blendy with the binding, so I did a little bit of both! The black piece is leftover binding from my TP quilt, and I love how it adds an accent. This is definitely a case of being enticed by something lying around that I hadn’t put away yet. (Don’t need to worry about putting it away now!)

I quilted all over with matchstick lines in the vertical direction. With there being all of the different colors and fabrics, I wanted the quilting to unify and add a dense texture.

Grove Mini Quilt #2

The blue one is pretty cute–if I do say so. There’s no sashing, it’s just 4 blocks sewn together with a border, pretty simple.

Mini Grove quilt in blue . carolyn friedlander

I tried to do something a little different with the quilting on this one, but still similar in the sense that it is an even, overall, dense-ish texture. This time it’s a rectangular grid, and I used an electric blue thread. That detail is subtle but fun.

You’ll find the new mini block included in the new grove pattern, as well as the specifics on the layout (sashing, border, etc) for the first version shown above.

Take this in whatever direction you’re feeling!

Pattern: Grove Quilt

Fabric: Mostly mine, plus a Robert Kaufman Crawford Gingham

Comments: 8 | Leave a comment

#FreshlyQuiltedTP, my TP quilt.

By carolyn friedlander on May 13, 2020 in Featured on Home, Quilt Along, weekend projects | Comments: 3

Have you been following along with the #FreshlyQuiltedTP quilt along that @elisabew and I are hosting? It wraps up this week, and I thought I’d share the progress on my own TP quilt.

TP quilt in progress . carolyn friedlander

Over the weekend I was able to get a lot done on my project. I sorted out my quilt top, got it quilted and now I just need to get the binding on there.

To back up a bit, I was inspired to create a patterned background using some of my patterns (Everglade, Alturas and even Hearts). Many of my appliqué designs have reminded me at times of bathroom tiles, and so in a TP project like this, it seemed fitting!

patterned background . carolyn friedlander

I played with the scale of the designs and used different patterned fabrics to add another visual layer to the experience. I totally got carried away, and as a result I split my motifs into 2 different panels. One is now my TP project, and the other is something I might quilt up on its own. Or maybe I’ll let it get bigger, we’ll see!

pattern background quilts . carolyn friedlander

This project has been a welcome, creative challenge unrelated to anything else that I have going on. I think we all need a good break sometimes, and I hope that this TP quilt along has provided that for you too.

Here’s a look at where I’m planning to hang mine, which is right by my shower. It’s a super small space, but hopefully you get the idea. I normally hang different tea towels that I’ve collected there, and I think this quilt will be a good addition to the rotation.

#FreshlyQuiltedTP quilt . carolyn friedlander

A note on the quilting and construction

All of the TP and patterned background pieces are added via fusible, raw edge appliqué. It’s a speedy technique that can really make you feel like you are painting by numbers, but with fabric.

I used mostly Steam A Seam Lite 2, as well as some Clover fusible that I had on hand. With any fusible product, I use extreme caution to not only keep my iron and ironing surface free of sticky gunk, but also to keep my machine and sewing needle clean.

quilting my TP quilt . carolyn friedlander

Years ago I quilted quilts for other people, and the fusible projects were usually the most stressful. Gummed-up needles are not only bad for stitching, but they can transfer the gunk into your machine. For this reason, I highly recommend cleaning your needle regularly if you are using anything fusible. When I quilted this, I cleaned my needle after every 2-4 passes with an eyeglass cleaner. You could use rubbing alcohol or something similar as well. It seems extreme, but it makes the experience much much easier.

The top is all trimmed up, and my binding is cut and prepped. Hopefully I can get it sewn on tonight.

quilted TP quilt with binding . carolyn friedlander

Want to join in?

If you’d like to join in, there are still a few days left and you can grab a digital pattern to get yourself going. We are using the Java House Quilt pattern, We’re On A Bigger Roll.

To enter your project, post a pic or some pics on instagram using the hashtag #FreshlyQuiltedTP through 5/15/20 so we can find it.

Comments: 3 | Leave a comment

Hunt QAL #10 Check In.

By carolyn friedlander on March 26, 2020 in Featured on Home, Quilt Along | Comments: 2

Hunt QAL #9 Check In.

My blocks are sewn together! Yay!

This is an exciting step seeing it all come together. Since I’ve already decided that I want to put this quilt on my bed, I’m planning to add some borders around the edges to make it the right size. I’m thinking I’ll use lighter fabrics, I may or may not scrap-ify them…or I may do something totally different. We’ll see once I actually audition some options.

I need to figure out my backing, no clue what I’m feeling like for that, but I did order some batting yesterday. Generally, I’m not wow’d by batting options lately, and so I’ve been fairly inconsistent in what I’m using. For this quilt I’ll use Quilter’s Dream Poly in their lowest loft. I’m kind of liking their poly lately, and I think the thinner option is what I’m wanting for this one. With some weightier fabrics in the mix, I feel like the thinner batting could offer a nice balance. Plus, I know it will be a delight to hand quilt.

Some tips on sewing the blocks together!

You can definitely sew them together by machine, although I’ve ended up sewing this one and all of my other Hunts together by hand. I like a slow finish on a longer-term project, and since it isn’t a ton of seams, I don’t find it to be a huge deal. Plus, it can make lining everything up a little easier, especially the seams that share the neighboring appliqués. To do this, you’ll need to draw the 1/4″ seam allowance on the back of the blocks. Then you just follow the line to sew together!