Just Tri It! Quilt for Pellon® Projects

Last fall, I had the pleasure of connecting with Pellon® Projects and planning this lovely (if I must say so myself) quilt. It's so exciting to finally see the finished product and free tutorial! And, I'm so pleased to be named a Pellon® Projects Designer!

The quilt is super easy-to-make and features half-square triangles cut in sets of four. Because the pattern is completely random, it's a quick project that's perfect for the beginning quilter. This was only my second completed quilt! You can do this!

The solids that make up the quilt top are all from the Pure Elements collection by Art Gallery Fabrics, and the back is Squared Elements by Art Gallery Fabrics in Noir. These are my absolute fabric quilting cottons to work with - so soft and smooth, and the drape is fabulous. It's almost like a cross between a high-quality quilting cotton and voile. And the Squared Elements backing looks so perfect with the simple, saturated solids.

These photos were taken in January in Bishop, California. I just love the contrast of the geometric shapes against the natural, mountain terrain. I had originally planned for this quilt to go on my daughter's bed, but we take it out for picnics all the time. Its bright colors make me so happy on a sunny day, and it's quite the conversation starter on playdates.

I chose the very simple straight-line quilting method to finish the quilt, and I used my Janome MC6500 for all the stitching.

Are you ready to make yours? Head to the Pellon® Projects site to download the free tutorial!

Falling Flakes Stockings by Rachael of imagine gnats

A couple weeks ago, I realized the kids needed Christmas stockings. My original plan was to knit stockings for all of us, but alas, there is that whole TIME issue. You know. My lack of it. So, I started imagining a simple, straight-line quilted stocking in my head. And seriously, minutes later, Rachael of imagine gnats posted a link to her tutorial on Instagram. Problem solved. Afternoon wasted on Pinterest = averted.

I erroneously assumed I could whip these up in a couple hours one night, but they took longer than expected since I quilted my lines so close together. They were super easy though, and I love the result. I worked on them an hour or two a night for several nights, and they are DONE.

I had also planned to applique our initials on the fronts of the stockings, but I couldn't find a fabric/font I really loved. And my machine doesn't really do embroidery/monogramming, so I decided to just leave them as-is. Finished is better than perfect, right? Simplicity is a good thing.

Most of the fabrics are Riley Blake Merry Little Christmas by Zoe Pern with a little Moda Aspen Frost thrown in for fun. I lined them with some simple gray cotton I purchased at Nuttal's.

How about you? What are you making for the holidays?

My First (Finished!) Quilt

I have started several quilts in my life, and in true Lauren fashion, they have mostly been king-sized or something ungodly huge. (I NEVER bite off more than I can chew. Oh, wait...) So, to say finishing this quilt is a huge achievement is quite an understatement. (This one is an over-sized crib size for Harper.) I bought these fat quarters several months ago while visiting family in Alabama. If you live near or visit lower Alabama, you should absolutely check out this fabric store. (Hole in the wall?) I couldn't tell you the name of it, but it's this unassuming, white, brick building on the side of the highway between Andalusia and Opp on Highway 84. I almost peed myself with excitement when I walked in because its full of designer, $10+/yard fabrics for only around $5/yard. I guess they are closeout bolts.

I machine pieced and quilted the entire thing (using my new walking foot for the quilting), and then I hand-stitched the binding to the front.

I used the following tutorials to complete the quilt:

• Pattern - ZigZag Quilt Tutorial on Bee Square Blog (by guest blogger Crazy Mom Quilts)
• Sandwich - Making the Quilt Sandwich by Elizabeth Hartman of Oh, Fransson!
• Quilting - I used the stitch-in-the-ditch method, but I didn't use a tutorial.
• Binding - I mostly used this tutorial for a mitered corners binding on Wendy's Knitch, but I altered it a bit for my liking.

And it's done!

As I told my husband, "It's not going to win any ribbons at the state fair." But, it is finished. And Harper seems to love it. I kinda do too!

What do you think? Do you have any quilts in progress? Have you, like me, started a bunch of quilting projects that never got finished?