I haven’t been taking commissions, but it’s been nice to work on some projects I’ve had on hold while doing grad school stuff. I have been sitting on this Zion National Park quilt panel for a while now. There’s an entire line of them, actually, and I am in love! I haven’t ordered any specific parks, but I was able to find this panel and another Mt. Rainer one at a local fabric store that specializes in remnants. It’s a fun sort of treasure hunt, and there are always a few specific fabric lines I’m on the lookout for when I go. The National Park line is one of them. I was also able to finally give the “flying geese” pattern a try. It was pretty good, actually! The back of the quilt is brown.
When National Parks turned 100 years old in 2016, they released a series of vintage style posters for all of the wilderness parks. This quilt features the Zion National Park panel for their poster. It can be used as a lap quilt or hung up on the wall as wall décor.
Did you know that Tacocat spelled backwards is still Tacocat? My niece does, and she loves it. So much so that, when I asked her what kind of quilt she wanted, she asked for a tacocat quilt. My daughter had a tacocat shirt, so I based the concept off her shirt.
Once I drafted an image, I made the applique layers and created a truly unique creation. My niece’s favorite colors are blue and green, so I used them for the backing and border. Another color combo I probably would have used is purple and teal. Either way, I can’t wait to give it to her.
This upcoming weekend is my last show of the fall. To be honest – I’m exhausted. Being a full time teacher and doing multi-day shows over the weekend, in addition to navigating this freaking pandemic and trying to be a decent mom/wife, has really taught me a lot about my own limits. I found them. Actually, I ran into them face first. Color me surprised.
The shows I’ve done have been great, and I’m proud I tried some new venues for sure. I’m going to have to mull over what next year looks like, though. I had hoped to go back to grad school starting this summer, but I think I’ll wait another year. Covid has made for a lot of stress, and adding grad school on top of it feels more like a fool’s errand than a strategic career move. So it’s just delayed for a little while – not canceled.
So what’s the plan for after this last show? Well, I’ll put up the rest of the items not already listed here and on Etsy. I’ll focus on the commissions I have and get them finished by Christmas, and then I’ll slow down and try to make some smaller items.
For those interested, here are the items I have going into the last show.
Stadium Quilt 4′ x 4′- red/white/gray Unicorn Quilt Shabby chic – brown Care Bears Quilt Violin Quilt 1 Violin Quilt 2 Doll Quilts 9x Dinosaur Quilt Dinosaur Doll Quilt Firetruck Quilt 4′ x 4′ Train Twin Quilt Rainbow Mariner’s Compass Quilt Llama Quilt Llama Doll Quilt Rainbow Guitar Rey and BB8 Wall Quilt Mermaid Mermaid Doll Quilt NASA Twin Quilt Yoga Sloth Quilt Yoga Sloth doll quilt Star Trek Quilt Mandalorian Wall Quilt 2X Last Unicorn Wall Quilt Lantern Corps Quilt African Print Lap Quilt African Print Doll Quilt 2x Bookshelf Wall Quilt 2x Wine Quilt 2x
A while back, I posted about my goals for this year. I figured I’d do another check in since the one from May. Three weeks from now I’ll be at the first of three craft fairs, so this is it. What I’ve accomplished is set, and everything else will have to wait until another time.
I want to use some second-hand folding shelves I bought online to make a checkout booth. I was thinking about myself as a customer and realized that I really liked it more when the sales person was at a checkout stand. I felt freer to walk around and look. So I’m taking a cue from myself and working on making one of those. Done!
2. I’d also like to get some padded roof pads, so I can place my grid walls there instead of scraping up the inside of my husband’s Explorer again. It would be nice to drive to shows without having grid walls blocking one side of my car. Done!
3. I also need to get a new phone – if I’m being completely honest with myself here. Mine is old, but I’m stubborn when it comes to replacements. Done!
4. Participate in some new shows for the fall 2021. Registered and Ready!
From an artist standpoint, I have a LOT of quilts I want to make and have on hand for shows. Here’s a short list of some of my more creative ambitions.
Star Wars quilts – lightsaber duels, they just sell too well to not have one on hand. Not yet
2. Mandalorian wall quilt – I had the one I made get claimed before it was even finished! Yes – I made four and have 1 left. I want to make 1 more before the shows begin.
3. Sloth quilt – that fabric is too cute to have gone this long without being made in to something. Done!
4. Hocus Pocus quilt – the last one sold fairly quickly, and it was fun to make something in the “crazy quilt” style. I made 2 – one was claimed before they were finished. I’d like to have 2 on hand before hitting the Yellow Daisy Festival.
5. More doll quilts – they are really fun, and I like the satisfaction of experimenting within a smaller size. Done! I’ll have about 15 on hand, yay!
6. Christmas snow globe quilt – I saw some designs online and am wanting to try my own spin. Not yet
7. Potty Mouth Quilts – I wanted to make a small line of quilts with grown-up words on them. I like the contrast of a wholesome, traditional craft and a vulgar phrase. Maybe something is wrong with me here, but I won’t be happy until I’ve tried it at least once. Not yet
8. Bargello quilts – I made the rainbow and northern lights ones a while back, and I’m geared up to make more. Not yet
9. Mariner’s Compass – I just really like making these. They’re so satisfying. I have one on hand that I made at the beginning of quarantine.
10. I Spy quilt – I have been sorting little 2″ squares for a planned pattern for an I spy quilt with a geometric twist. It’s all bagged and sorted and ready to make.
11. Zombie girl Pin Up quilt – the first one I made was so much fun! Done! In fact, I made 2.
12. Baseball girl Pin Up quilt – the other pin up girl quilt was so fun, I wanted to keep a good thing going. I have the fabric, but that’s it.
13. Crayon quilt – this was such a cute quilt, and I really want to make another one. They are also good scrap-busters. I have scraps pre-cut to the sizes I need, so it won’t take too long.
14. I’m also wanting to possibly make some adult bibs since there seems to be a need for them. I’d make some pretty, but I’d probably focus on making them silly. A little humor goes a long way. Can’t stop making quilts long enough to try, ha!
Other stuff I HAVE managed to do since the May update – Flower Panel Wall Quilts, wine quilts, ASL wall quilts, Lantern Corps wall quilt, African fabric quilt, and The Last Unicorn wall quilt.
I went to the fabric store for something specific. I wasn’t shopping for random fabric. I didn’t plan for this. Didn’t ask for this. Didn’t look for this.
But I’m oh so glad it did!
I found fabric based on Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and it’s precious! Some of the fabric features her quotes, some her glasses, some her iconic collars, and my favorite – her small figure with a crown (a nod to her nickname the “Notorious R.B.G.” which is a play off the Notorious B.I.G., rapper Biggie Smalls.)
I mulled over how best to do justice to this Justice that I’ve long admired, and I finally settled on a sort of “dancing” block where the block is tilted and framed. I was surprised when it turned out to have an almost retro look by the end of it. And I was on a roll, so I made two of them. I have just enough fabric left to do a third at some point and maybe a doll quilt or two.
I found this fabric a good while back. If I had to guess, I’d say I got it at a black Friday sale a few years ago. I thought it was cute, and sloths are fun, especially when doing yoga. I’d gone through several ideas on which pattern to use, and I finally decided to go with a disappearing 9-patch. I’ve done a couple of others in this design and loved them.
I had just enough of the sloth fabric to make two lap quilts and one matching doll quilt. As always, the name of the game is to use fabric I already have in my fabric stash. That being the case, each of the lap quilts has a different shade of aqua as a result. But I am happy I was able to manage to stick to my goal. The backing ended up being brown flannel-backed satin. I just LOVE the way it hangs and how it feels. I can easily see some toddler using this as a lovey.
The doll quilt is fun because I managed to duplicate the disappearing 9-patch pattern. For reference, the lap quilts were used with 6″ blocks, and the doll quilt was used with 2″ blocks. I’m rather enjoying these little mini-masterpieces!
I made these for the craft fair inventory, so they aren’t going up on Etsy. However, if you’re interested, please contact me.
Second to last post! The Yellow Daisy Festival Online Market ends tomorrow, Sunday, Sept 13th at 9 pm. I’ve been making some posts about the quilts I have ready to go. Each day I’ve featured two or three quilts and tell about their process and what I like most about them. These and other quilts can be found in the Quest Quilts shop on this website or in my Etsy shop.
Brookwood High Broncos
These little 4′ x 4′ quilts have been around for a while. When I first started making ready-made quilts, I made a bunch in the colors of the local schools, especially ones where I knew my shows would be close to. They’re also conveniently the colors of college and pro teams as well. I liked the idea of school colors but with a subtle nod. I’ve sold a good many, actually, but these last five have hung around. I actually have a bib for the orange and blue, so it would make a good baby gift.
When I made these, I was thinking about people using them on those cold bleachers in the stands while watching football games or band members cuddling up with them during that 3rd quarter break. I remember freezing at many a football game, clutching my mellpphone.
I made these a smaller 4′ x 4′ size so that they could go across a single lap without dragging the ground. I don’t know for sure, but there is a part of me that also thinks they would be a good size for someone who was wheelchair bound.
They are also, conveniently, the perfect size to layout for a baby while outside. The orange and blue quilt has a matching bib, but I would also gladly make a matching bib for any of the other stadium quilts as well if someone wanted it as a baby gift.
The Yellow Daisy Festival Online Market begins on Tuesday, Sept 8th. In celebration of this, I’m making some posts about the quilts I have ready to go. Each day I’ll feature two or three quilts and tell about their process and what I like most about them. These and other quilts can be found in the Quest Quilts shop on this website or in my Etsy shop.
These four quilts are rounding out the kids’ quilts series. The firefighter quilts come in two sizes. One is 4′ x 5′ and the other is 4′ x 4′. I always thought they would make a great set for an older sibling and a new baby. They feature firefighters and fire engines that have a sort of vintage look. Again, I rather like the non-cartoon look, especially in quilts for younger kids because I feel like they’ll outgrow them slower. Of course, these would also be good quilts for…you know…actual fire fighters. I tried hard to make these fun without being overly childish.
I actually have two of the Boy Scout quilts as well. These are neat because they have smaller details in the fabric. Look closely at some and you’ll see the Oath. My favorite fabric on these quilts is the knot fabric, but the merit badges design is a close second. They have flannel on the back, and I thought they might make a great cover while on a camp out. I played around with the mosaic design here and ended up liking the effect.
I’ll admit something about this science quilt – I thought it would have sold long before now. I just love it. All the periodic table and elements and lab equipment and formulas are so neat and quirky. I love how it could be for a small child but just as easily for a chemistry major in college. I added a matching bib as well because a cute little STEM baby is perfect. The blue flannel backing makes is extra cozy.
The Yellow Daisy Festival Online Market begins on Tuesday, Sept 8th. In celebration of this, I’m making some posts about the quilts I have ready to go. Each day I’ll feature two or three quilts and tell about their process and what I like most about them. These and other quilts can be found in the Quest Quilts shop on this website or in my Etsy shop.
The unicorn quilt began with one simple, silly goal. I wanted to make the absolute stereotypical girliest quilt ever. I included unicorn fabric, sparkly pink fabric, pinwheels, and a smooth hot pink flannel-backed satin for the backing. Even the quilting pattern was in theme as I drew hearts, stars, and flowers throughout the quilt. I have also made a matching bib for those who thought this would make a great baby shower gift. I do think this may be my most over the top quilt to date!
The dragon quilt was fun to do because the fabric itself isn’t over the top. It has a stylish East Asian design that includes a dragon motif. I like this one because it isn’t over the top and would look nice in a lot of living areas and not just in one of someone who was dragon obsessed. This quilt strikes me as great for someone who maybe likes anime but is also trying to have a more mature presence. Like the other quilt, this one was part of a run I did when I was very fascinated with flannel-backed satin. It just feels so awesome that I ended up making several quilts with that fabric on the back.
The Yellow Daisy Festival Online Market begins on Tuesday, Sept 8th. In celebration of this, I’m making some posts about the quilts I have ready to go. Each day I’ll feature two or three quilts and tell about their process and what I like most about them. These and other quilts can be found in the Quest Quilts shop on this website or in my Etsy shop.
This evening features a Care Bears quilt, a Justice League quilt, and a Muppet quilt.
I often like to play a game where I find some fabric that is interesting, and then I see what I have at home and try to build a quilt around that fabric just from my fabric stash. These quilts are just some of the results of that little game.
I bought the Care Bears fabric from a fellow quilter who was moving, and I let myself go full 80’s nostalgia. I actually had a fair amount still left over, so I was able to use it for the backing as well. I like the colors on this because they’re gentle without being overly feminine. Part of me thinks this quilt would be awesome as a baby shower or toddler gift for a mom like me who grew up watching Care Bears. It’s a definite throwback once you realize I was also able to work in some Star Buddy fabric as well!
The Justice League quilt came about because I’d been holding on to some neat fabric and finally was able to make a quick, fun quilt with it. My favorite part of this quilt, though, is definitely the smooth backing that is flannel-backed satin. I like to think some child with a sensory issue would particularly like it as it seems to be made for rubbing between two little fingers. It does come with a reversible bib the feature comic book word splashes.
The last one in this series is a fun little Muppet quilt that features the old gang from the original Muppet Show! The feature fabric was fairly busy, so I had to try and build a quilt around it that would make the feature fabric pop without everything being overly busy. I focused on less typically feminine colors because part of me thought that a more mature Muppet fan might also like it. It does also come with a matching Muppet bib for the younger fans, though.
Quest Quilts 
You must be logged in to post a comment.