Love Letters Envelope Quilt for 12Squared

I finished up last year's 12Squared quilt this month.  Now, I'm ready for this year's, even though the year's almost over.

 I hand stitched with red around each block.  Then, machine quilted around all the envelopes.  My dear little machine was just not big enough to hand the volume of this quilt.  It ended up being a very generous twin sized.  So, the top is a bit loose, but I actually like how cozy it makes the quilt look.

 The weight and overall design of this quilt reminds me a lot of the one I made for Henry.

I feel like I'm so predictable!  Time to try something new.

12 Squared: March Square

Kristin's pick for March.  She chose a Granny Square, which I think is very cool and challenging, in a good way.

 This pattern has inspired me to make a sampler of all the squares the bee is doing this year.  I'm really excited about it, almost more excited about doing a small sampler than my own block.

12 Squared: November Square

Paper piecing was the method of the month.  Shari picked a Tokyo Sun pattern.  It may have been my current slightly over-whelmed state of mind, but I had a hard time figuring this out!  Thankfully, my mother-in-law is an expert quilter and paper piecing aficionado... and I live in her backyard, so it was convenient to ask for her help.  

But, I like how this turned out (minus the mistakes).  It kind of reminds me of the sun in The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

12 Squared: June Square

June is my month to pick the pattern for 12squared!  I'm really excited... it kind of feels like Christmas!  I've picked Bottled Rainbows for my quilt and I've already got two squares back!  I think this quilting bee thing may be the best idea ever.

Quilting On My Mind

The girlfriends and I were sitting in Chik-Fil-A, watching the children through blessed sound-proof glass and sipping our icy beverages, when Kristin suggested that we start a quilting club.  There was a moment of silence throughout the restaurant in respect for such a great idea.  Maybe it's the general feeling of limitless potential that accompanies the start of a new year or the fact that we all appreciate a good yard of fabric, but we were all on board.  Following the basic idea and rules set up by The Virtual Quilting Bee, we brainstormed a good list of fellow sewers and discussed the details.  There are 12 of us who've committed and I am anxiously anticipating the month when the group will work on my quilt.  It's set off this mad frenzy of internet searches for fabric and quilt designs.

 oliver + s                                                                        denyse schmidt                                                lizzy house

 

I love how quilting is wonderfully complex.  It mixes maths and art, past and future, function and design.  I am a great admirer of well made quilts and the people who know how to make them.  I hope that I'll learn a few new skills over the next year.

 
 

While it's not quite up and running yet, you can follow our progress at:

http://12squared.blogspot.com/

In the mean time, here's a little visual list of pretty things that have caught my eye in my recent blitzkrieg on all things quilting.  I'm always drawn to more traditional quilt patterns, but I love modern designs, too.  Generally, I go for quilts with lots of white.  But, maybe for this project, I should make something out of my comfort zone.  It's going to be really hard to decide what kind of quilt I want.

(Apologies in advance.  I will try to post credits, but I've looked and saved lots of pictures in the last few days and can't guarantee I'll remember where each one was from.)

American Jane

Denyse Schmidt

Moda