Absence makes the heart grow fonder!

Oh my! It's been almost a year since I posted on my blog. I'm not sure I remember how anymore! Well, I'm hoping the old adage "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" is true!

To catch up, I'll share some of the quilts I've made recently. I've been on a 'use up my scraps' and a 'finish my UFOs' binge, and some of these quilts are a reflection of that.

First up is a quilt that was made from some step-outs for a Disappearing Four Patch demonstration I gave years ago for our quilt guild. I found these partial blocks when cleaning and rearranging my sewing room earlier this year. Feels good to get this one finished and out of the UFO bin.

This next one is another UFO that I started a few years ago when we were camping in Texas. It was a Moda Frivols Tin Kit. I love these fabrics and love how it turned out but hated making this block. Don't look too closely as I lost some of the points on these blocks.

This one is really, and I mean really, scrappy. I used a Border Creek Station Stash Buster block pattern and cut up all of my pastel floral fabrics. This is actually the second quilt I made from these blocks. I love the boho/shabby chic look of this quilt.

Lastly, this one wasn't a stash buster or an UFO, but a baby quilt for my new great-nephew. This was made to accompany the book "The Ghost Who Was A Quilt" and I love, love, love it.  

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my finished quilt projects. I have a stack of other quilt tops I have made this year and hope to get them quilted soon. When I do, I'll be back to share them

Happy Quilting, 

Sharla

The Ugly Duckling One-Seam Flying Geese Quilt

Earlier this year I began a journey of using up some of my scrap fabrics because they would no longer fit in my cubby bins - especially the white/beige bin full of background fabrics. So, when I saw a tutorial on the one-seam flying geese block on Instagram, I decided I had to try it using up some of those print background fabrics. 

I decided to use various scraps of pink fabrics for the geese portion of the block, hoping that using one color family in the geese would help bring all the random print fabrics together. this experiment in using up these scraps could turn out great or turn out to be a real disaster. Either way, it would be way scrappier than most people like. 

I enjoyed making the flying geese blocks, but I'm glad I decided to keep it at a baby-quilt size - or it may have ended up in the UFO pile!

Making the geese with this technique left me with open-sided flying geese which proved to be a challenge when it came time to quilt it. I ended up using a P2P curved line and just clicking along the points of the block, which avoided quilting across the open-sided geese. The quilting ended up really giving the quilt a lot of dimension, which I really like.

I am absolutely in love with the finished quilt. It's scrappy, but not overbearing and using the pinks in the geese pulled it all together. 

And after the three scrappy baby quilts I've made this year, I'm happy to announce that I have finally reduced that bin of white/beige fabrics!

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

Under-Appreciated Bolt Challenge

Earlier this year, my local quilt shop held a fabric challenge. The rules were simple, make a quilt, no larger than 40" x 40", quilted and bound, using the challenge fabric. We were to make the challenge fabric "shine" and to "display it in an awesome way".

For the challenge, I decided to focus on displaying my entry in a unique way and to push the boundaries of what people think of as a traditional quilt. My entry, called "Love & Roses", was inspired by a tennis racket mini quilt made by Sun Stitched Studio on Instagram.

The paper pieced rose is a free pattern by Jitka Design. The 3-D roses were made from a Fabric Rose Tutorial by Fusia Craft on YouTube.

It was fun to come up with an entry that was waaay out-of-the-box for this challenge, even though my entry did not win. I wish I could have been a mouse in the corner to hear people's comments!

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

Scrappy Tumbling Blocks Baby Quilt

Today, I'm sharing another scrappy quilt I made this spring using up some of my juvenile fabrics from the scrap bins. Slowly, my scrap fabric bins are becoming less overflowing! 

I've been wanting to use my mom's Accuquilt Go Big cutter and the tumbling block die for a long time. I finally got around to it this spring when I could no longer stuff all of my white background fabrics into the white background scrap bin. So, I started pulling fabrics that coordinated with a bright-colored alphabet print that was in the bin. I decided I had enough coordinating scraps to make a baby-size quilt. I really enjoyed using the Accuquilt cutter and sewing the tumbling blocks was a breeze!

I decided to buy a backing for the quilt and, to my surprise, found the same alphabet print still available at my local quilt shop. So, guess what, I now have more of that fabric as scraps after trimming my quilt! LOL! Ya just can't win the scrap busting game!

Here's a backing tip: I hate when large prints don't match on the backing of a quilt. Instead of trying to perfectly match the print (or when you don't have enough extra fabric to match the print), sew a stripe of coordinating fabric between the two backing pieces. It adds some interest to the back of the quilt & is a whole lot easier than matching the print!

I've been enjoying making these scrappy baby quilts and I'm hand sewing the binding on the next one right now. Hopefully, I'll remember and share it next week. Until then....

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

Scrappy Pineapple Block Baby Quilt

Today, I finished the scrappy pineapple block baby quilt that I started back in April. I made it to demonstrate the Creative Grids Pineapple Trim Tool for my quilt guild. I gave the demo at our June meeting so I could finally finish the blocks I had made for step-outs and complete the quilt.

I am just loving this bright and cheery yellow and orange quilt made with fabrics from my scrap bins. And, the blue fabric used for the centers and binding is the perfect complement to make this quilt pop. Several of the fabrics I used featured circles, so I wanted to use a machine quilting pattern that featured circles. I ended up choosing Sew Shabby Quilting's Bubble Glitter pattern. 

I still had quite a bit of yellow and orange fabric left after making the quilt top, so I decided to 'frankenstein' the backing, and pieced the backing using the remaining fabric. I managed to use it all except for the yellow zig zag fabric, so I'm still making progress on reducing the fabrics in my scrap bins. I just love a scrappy pieced backing - it's like 2 quilts in 1!

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

The Not So Red And Cream Quilt

Last year, I signed up for a block of the month quilt at our local quilt shop. The quilt was called the Red and Cream Sampler Quilt by Fig Tree and Co. I wasn't inspired by the red and cream color-theme and decided to challenge myself by making it bright and multi-colored.

I selected a collection of bright fabrics (I can't remember the name now) but couldn't decide on a background fabric. With the help of my local quilt shop owner, we landed on darker shade of blue. The not-quite-navy fabric really made the bright fabrics pop.

I finished the top in time for the quilt reveal at the end of the BOM in November but didn't get it quilted until this spring. I'm thrilled with how this one turned out! I have named this quilt "The Not So Red and Cream Quilt". Fitting, I think!

Have you made the Red and Cream Sampler Quilt? What colors did you choose? I'd love to see photos if you post them on social media.

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

Circle of Friends Quilt

I'm back to share some more projects I've completed in the last few months! Shocking, I know!

Last year, my quilt guild had a friendship block swap. Each member selected a color and made a "Circle of Friends" block in their color for each member of the guild. We then swapped blocks with everyone. With our blocks, we were challenged to design our own quilt. I took my inspiration from the circle of squares in the block and replicated it for the layout of the blocks in my quilt. 

I used my own quilt block as the label on the back of my quilt. 

I then emphasized the circle theme by quilting a circle design on the quilt.

This was a fun project and an easy one to complete - not like the last two quilt guild challenges that I still haven't finished because I made them too complicated and time consuming. One of these days, I'll circle around to those and finish them!

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

P.S. I planted zinnia seeds in my flower garden for the first time this year. This is my first bloom. I can't wait for more blooms to open!

Catching Up On UFOs

I am still amazed at the speed with which time keeps racing by. Here it is, wheat harvest time in western Kansas again! We started cutting wheat yesterday afternoon on the farm only to receive rain last night that has stopped the combine today. So, I thought it would be an opportune time to post a little about what I've been up to the last few months.

At Christmas, my daughter purged her crafting corner and sent home a couple of her UFOs with me - like I NEED any more UFOs! One of those 'unfinished objects' was a Sudoku quilt top made with Kansas Troubles fabrics that was complete except for a border on two sides.

Once home, I sewed the last two borders on for her and began searching for some backing fabric in my stash. That's when I realized I had my own Kansas Troubles UFO - blocks from a quilt guild Block Of the Month sew-along. I dug them out and there were 11 completed blocks. I sashed 9 together and they became the backing for my daughter's Sudoku quilt (or her Sudoku quilt became the backing for my BOM). Either way, it was a pairing that was meant to be! And it completed two UFOs in one quilt.

But, I still had two remaining blocks from my BOM. I decided to make them into a bench pillow, which turned out pretty great. 

I took both completed projects back to my daughter when we visited her in Texas for the total eclipse in April (which, by the way, was so awesome and really hard to describe the experience, except to say "You just had to be there"!).

I'll try to hop back on here and share some more projects I completed this spring in the next week or so. 

Until then -

Happy Quilting!!

~Sharla

Honoring a Veteran: My Uncle

Recently I was honored to present my uncle with a Quilts of Valor quilt that I made for him. The Quilts of Valor organization is such a worthy cause. A Quilt of Valor is a quality-made quilt that is quilted, not tied, and it is awarded to a nominated veteran to say unequivocally "Thank you for your service, sacrifice and valor in serving our nation".

The quilt I made for my uncle is from a pattern that I designed called Ciara. I have made this quilt in a couple of other colorways and I love them all!

I originally designed the quilt for my nephew and his new bride, Ciara, and named it after her. 

Last summer I made another version in my favorite color of jadeite green. This one is all mine!

The Ciara quilt is available on my pattern website Thistle Thicket Studio. All patterns are $2.00 off during the month of February so hurry and get your own Ciara pattern!

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

Ciara Quilt In Green

I've been very busy working on new samples of a couple of my patterns in preparation for a trunk show I am presenting in October to the Greater Kansas City Quilt Guild. I'm making new samples because I gave the original samples as gifts. Note to self: don't do that in the future!

I was excited to remake the Ciara quilt in this 50s green color (my fav color). It's so vintage yet so modern! This one is definitely staying in my possession. I've made three of these quilts now - a gray and cream version; a red, white and blue version; and now this green and white version. This quilt is so fun to make and really goes together quickly. 

Get your Ciara quilt pattern by visiting my shop --- CLICK HERE. I would love to see your version of Ciara if you make one!

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

It's My Birthday Sale!

It's August and that can mean only one thing.....It's My Birthday Sale!!! My birthday is on the 27th so all of my quilt patterns in my shop at www.ThistleThicketStudio.com are 27% off. The sale runs through August so don't let the time slip by without checking it out. 

~Happy Quilting!

Sharla

Turning Point Is Finally Here!!!

I am so thrilled to finally announce the launch of my latest quilt pattern called Turning Point! 

This modern quilt is graphic and eye-catching. With just two bundles of 1 1/2" pre-cut strips and some yardage, you can make both Turning Point quilts featured in this pattern, a throw-size and a full-size quilt in a light and dark colorway!

The throw quilt is 64" x 76".

The full-size quilt is 76" x 88".

What I love about this quilt is that the strip piecing makes the construction a breeze. 

The pattern also includes a bonus pillow pattern and instructions for a pieced backing.

Get your Turning Point digital quilt pattern HERE.

Customize this quilt with any colors you desire and make it your own. I can't wait to see your version of the Turning Point quilt!

~Happy Quilting!

Sharla

Still Around

Yes, I'm still around here, sewing off and on. Time keeps marching on but my quilting projects can't keep up the pace. Now we are nearing wheat harvest and it's busier here on the farm so even less sewing is happening. 

I did enter a little contest our local quilt shop held this spring. The challenge was to make a fabric, selected by the shop, shine in a quilt. The only rule was that the quilt couldn't be larger than 40" x 40". 

As soon as I saw the fabric, I knew exactly what I wanted to make - a vintage hankie dress quilt. It's been on my bucket list since a fellow quilt guild member gave a program on vintage hankies before the pandemic and gifted each of us a hankie to upcycle. I had promptly pulled out four more hankies that coordinated with the gifted hankie and then set them aside on my cutting table - where they have laid ever since.

I found a You Tube video that showed how to fold hankies into a dress shape (search for origami hankie dress) and after making four dresses, I appliqued them to background squares. Since I was using the hankies as the focus, the only place to use the challenge fabric was in the sashing. But, the challenge was to make that fabric shine. I finally decided to ruche the sashing to add some pizzaz to the challenge fabric. 

I was happy with the way my hankie dress turned out. AND, I was thrilled when my quilt was voted the favorite and won the contest!

In other quilting news, I'm working on my newest quilt pattern called "Turning Point". I'm hoping to launch the pattern yet this month, so stay tuned!

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla