Crimson and Clover

Over the week-end I started to put together what I thought was going to be the Vermont Farm baby quilt.  But when I finally got to putting the whole thing together up on the design wall, I was not happy with the fabrics!  Eeek!  Everything worked together pre-assembly, but post-assembly, I did not care for it at all. 

I think that the problem is that I have the really bold black and white polka dot sashings and when I paired them up with the farm print, it was just too much.  The print was too busy and the polka dots too bold.  Clash, clash, clash! 

So I had a bit of a tiff and then my darling husband found the remnant of the print from my ladybug quilt.  It was only about 2-3 yards.  Not enough for another ladybug quilt, but perfect for what I needed.  I swear I heard the heavens open and a choir singing “Hallelujah” ’cause it is perfect!  So now I have my newest quilt I will be calling Crimson and Clover.

 

Ladybug, Ladybug, Fly Away Home!

Yesterday saw two major events – the last Turtle Tracks Quilt and the last (of the original version) of the Ladybug Quilt have been sold.  The Ladybug Quilt was the first quilt I ever designed and has been one of the most eye catching and most commented upon quilts that I make.  Turtle Tracks was very popular, selling the 5 I made in a matter of months.  I wish more of the fabric was available!

The Ladybug Quilt will be making a return appearance soon, just with a different print.  The original was a Hoffman print with clover and ladybugs I can’t get anymore.  So we will be changing it to one I found with daisies and ladybugs.  I hope to get on it soon but with all of the craft fairs, I am not sure when that will be!

 

Queen Ladybugs

The largest custom order quilt to date has been mailed and since delivered to my client out in upstate New York.  She saw my ladybug baby quilt at the Artisans Hand gallery in Montpelier, Vermont and wanted it for her bed.  And since a baby quilt doesn’t exactly fit a queen mattress, she wanted it scaled up to 100″x100″.  In other words, she wanted it really, really big.

Here is a shot of the quilt laid out on my bed along with the two shams that she wanted.  Since her pillows are queen pillows and mine are standard, the shams look a little big and floppy.  I hope that they look good on her bed.

And here a a closer shot.

And the ladybugs in progress.  Here they are getting their spots Wonder-Under-ed to the wings.

 

Black and White Ladybugs

My newest quilt is currently underway!  I started it last week-end and have been having a blast with it.  As you can see, the design is very fun – a black and white log cabin pattern with bright red ladybugs.  I was so thrilled with how Miss Grace’s Ladybugs came out that I decided to make the bodies of the ladybugs out of the black Minkee fleece for this quilt.  It is soooo soft!  I am finding it is a lot if fun working with the Minkee chenille fleece, but it sure does shed!  My sewing room looks like a small black animal exploded over everything.  I hope by the end of this week-end I will have finished this new quilt and will have pictures to show everyone.

The reasons why I chose to do only black and white with a red accent is that: one, newborn babies can only see contrasting patterns of black and white really well; and, two, it looks really cool!  After a few months, red comes in as the first color followed by all of the others.  By 3 months, a baby can see the full color spectrum!  Read more about this topic at Bausch & Lomb.

 

Miss Grace’s Ladybugs

I am thrilled to announce that Miss Grace’s Ladybug Quilt is FINISHED!!  I am so incredibly excited to have been able to work on this really beautiful full size quilt for a very special young lady’s 4th birthday. 

As part of the Chinese tradition of the Bai Jia Bei, or 100 Good Wishes Quilt, Miss Grace received many different pieces of fabric from loved ones when she was a baby.  Her mother, Pam, and I worked on designing a special quilt for Miss Grace that would incorporate these special fabrics, her favorite colors, and love of watermelons!

The design of my Ladybug Baby Quilt was the starting point for Miss Grace’s quilt.  Each of the ladybug’s wings are made from the Bai Jia Bei fabrics and Minkee fleece makes up the bodies.  More Minkee fleece was appliqued in the cornerstones as watermelon slices and buttons make up both the watermelon seeds and the spots on the ladybug wings.

Some interesting facts about this quilt include:

• Over 80 hours went into making this quilt (I stopped counting after that!)
• 76 ladybugs
• 152 ladybug wings and antennae
• 304 buttons for the ladybug spots
• 600 3″x3″ squares in the background

I’m gonna take a nap now!