ArDeGar | Quiltsby.me

The pattern was designed by Alice Brooks in the 1930's, and republished by Martingale for That Patchwork Place in "All-Time Favorite Scrap Quilts", 2011. I began cutting in June, 2017 and finished the binding in January, 2018, my 10th quilt. Finished size is 88" square. The fabric I started with was a 1930's reproduction layer cake called "Storybook Vacation" but I pulled out the browns, reds and other dull colors (which I didn't like but, in retrospect, are the very colors/tones that make it the 1930's, DUH) and then added assorted reproduction yardage, focusing on yellows and pinks, thinking it would brighten up the palette. It sure did. I used Cotton Couture cream for the background, backing and binding, with a Hobbs Tuscany Silk batt. Lyn at Camlyn Quilts top-stitched the center in Swirls With A Tail, and wavey lines in the scalloped border. I hung it on the wall to take photos, stood back and ~ WHAM ~ it's a giant baby quilt! No going back on my color choices though, so now it's my go-to quilt during those long, rainy weeks in the Puget Sound Convergent Zone while we wait for a few sunny days. It brightens the room. It's very light weight and works well in the winter on top of an electric blanket. Real cozy and pliable, just what I'm looking for in a baby quilt. ;-) posted 032419 Updated 12-15-23 I gave this quilt to Natasha Puffer, a dear friend who sort of quilts but will never finish a bed size quilt. She really loved this one and I love that she has it!

By ArDeGar

31 LIKES | 1493 VIEWS

OUT OF TIME

Quilt #23. I didn't quilt much at the start of the Covid and finally got back in during the Fall of 2020. I had a Kansas Troubles "Through The Years" layer cake hanging out "in stash" and then found this simple pattern from MSQC and they seemed perfect together. The borders are "Through The Years" yardage. Final size is 86" square, the perfect size for a queen bed. This is a donation quilt, so I used a poly batt because some people just assume everything is wash and dry with no extra care. Case in point, I knitted a lovely red, white and blue wool afghan and my (now) least favorite sister machine washed it in hot water, so of course it shrank. Her only comment was "Who uses wool for an afghan?" Moving on. I used 108" backing, love them, then I gave it to the daughter-in-law, brand new to free motion long arm quilting, to finish. It turned out pretty well for a newbie quilter, she has skills! Thanks, Hillary! Posted 051322.

By ArDeGar

9 LIKES | 413 VIEWS

Sunshine

Designed by Howard Marus for Moda, it's kit #46241 for "Collections for a Cause". This 2017 kit was dedicated to The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA.org) in loving memory of Gene Stewart, a beloved member of the Moda family. This is my 14th quilt, made between October 2018 & April 2019. My sister (she's Bothtwins here on Quilts by Me) and I have worn Hawaiian shirts for decades during the Seattle summers, which sometimes last as long as 3 weeks in a row although this year (2019) summer lasted the entire month of September! We chose The Sunshine Kit as our first joint quilting project. It was a hoot, and figuring out that back-collar-front-collar business was challenging ~ bouncing ideas off eachother is great for solutions. The finished size is 92 X 93", bigger than the original pattern which ended at the red border, which was the original binding. Then I added 3 floral borders for the width/length I needed for my queen bed. I used a Hobbs Tuscany Silk Batt. Our top-stitcher, Lyn at camlynquiltsDOTcom, did an edge-to-edge pattern with a curl and a swoosh called 'Repunzel', a pattern she said she could use to stitch around all the 3-D collars. The front collars are free-standing from the shirt fronts. No wonder they were problematic, both to us stitching them and Lyn trying to quilt around them. About half way through the project one of us said "wouldn't it be cute to put buttons on the shirts?" and Lyn said "don't do it before I quilt it" (of course not, duh!) and they are SO CUTE with buttons! If you have a button box this is the perfect time to use it. I also used my friend Karen's button box, because that's a lot of tiny buttons! Thanks Karen! It's suprisingly hard to find 4 or 5 buttons that are the right size and color for 20 tiny shirts. I have so much fabric left over. I bought extra for the borders, then bought more because I didn't like those. I ended up using extra back-side for one of the borders and the binding, so I have plenty of other colors to make cuffs for some pillow cases and maybe another quilt, too, lap size or baby. SO CUTE for a baby quilt, without the buttons of course. Also, that is the cutest calico in the world. She is also the best cat in the world. posted 102419 edited 092521

By ArDeGar

21 LIKES | 906 VIEWS

Blue & Red Stars

Quilt #22 Blue and Red Stars, a kit from Connecting Threads. The original pattern was all blue, but I wanted to make it patriotic for a Veteran donation gift, so I grabbed reds from my stash, and my sisters' stash, and wa-la, way more interesting. It's throw size, 58"X68", white muslin backing, 80/20 Hobbs batt and large meander quilting by Lyn at Camlyn Quilts. The Salmon for Soldiers event was scheduled for September but was cancelled for 2020. I will donate it to them next year, hopefully the Covid will be over by then. Posted 022421

By ArDeGar

11 LIKES | 503 VIEWS

Black and White

Quilt #21 My son came to me one day and asked for another quilt. Black and white, he says, squares. Whaaaaa? Can it be prints, at least? No. Plain old black and plain old white. Oh, says I, like a laundry room floor? Exactly. So I bought two 10" layer cakes, planned for 9 across and 9 down, 88" square for his queen-size bed, and started it at our retreat in Poulsbo, WA, noon on Jan 21, 2020. Finished sewing 9 hours later, which included time for lunch and dinner. Great retreat project. Quilting is large meander by Camlyn Quilts in Smokey Point, WA. This is his summer quilt, with a bleached cotton batting and white muslin backing. He bought sheets to match. Black, of course. He's so adorable. I gave it to him for his 50th birthday in June, 2020. He loves it. Posted 113020.

By ArDeGar

12 LIKES | 527 VIEWS

Milling Around

Quilt #20. Milling Around was a kit from Connecting Threads dot com. Connecting Threads is our go-to store for thread, 1200 yards on a spool for $3.49, and that is the regular price. This is 50wt, 3 ply cotton in 141+ colors. It goes on sale now and then for less than $2.50. Moving on: I made this quilt between Jan & March, 2020. Finished size is 56X76. Started at our annual January Quilting Retreat, fun for that type of event. Batting is unbleached cotton from Hobbs Tuscany, backing is the perfect combo of colors and polka dots. Large meander quilting for soft drape. It's really cosy. It matches the living room so I'm keeping it. .......posted 101020.

By ArDeGar

18 LIKES | 588 VIEWS

Double Star

Double Star Kit designed by Brenda Plaster at Connecting Threads dot com. My 19th quilt. The last 6 quilts have been from kits, which I realize I love. I used to love hunting down fabric to match the perfect pattern, but I always ended up with huge quilts and now I want to make smaller ones without all the fuss, not that the fuss wasn't fun at the time. I worked on this quilt between August and November, 2019. Finished throw size is 63"x63". Backing is a navy and white fabric that is perfect with the top - looks like the universe. Batt is a cotton-wool blend from Hobbs Tuscany. Quilted in large meander by Lyn at Camlyn Quilts. posted 081320

By ArDeGar

16 LIKES | 553 VIEWS

Square Knots

Quilt #18. The kit is from Keepsake Quilting dot com. I made it between August and October, 2019. Finished size is 64X64. The flannel backing was a perfect match and I put in a squishy cotton batt from Hobbs Tuscany. Large meander quilting keeps it soft and cozy. The cat, Princess Tiara, loves a photo shoot. posted 072220

By ArDeGar

9 LIKES | 494 VIEWS

Checker Hack

Quilt #17. This was a kit from Connecting Threads called "Instructions" by Cheryl Arkison. I can still find it on google by typing in 'instructions quilt cheryl arkison tag' even though it's no longer available on Connecting Threads, but at the time it cost about $35.00 on sale. I didn't want a twin size so redid the pattern to a square throw, discarding the center design panel (which I just couldn't use because it was...not attractive) and using the cut-off yellow for the center instead, hence the name of my quilt: Checker HACK. It took one day in November 2018 to cut pieces and then I waited for our 2019 July quilters retreat to make it. It took less than two days to sew it together. Great retreat project. Finished size, 69"x69", batt is a washable wool/cotton blend and I found the perfect backing on sale at Calico Creations in Mt. Vernon, WA. Quilting pattern is large meander by long-arm quilter Lyn at Camlyn Quilts in Smokey Point, WA. Start to finish the project was 4 (non-sequential) days, including the binding which I sewed on September 20th, 2019. ........... Posted April 1, 2020

By ArDeGar

10 LIKES | 508 VIEWS

Mod Owls

Quilt #16. Kit was from Missouri Star in 2018, Island Batiks fabric, twin size 63x78. Started June 2019, finished July 2019. White muslin back, Hobbs 80/20 bleached cotton/poly batt. Quilting by Lyn at Camlyn Quilts, pattern is Loops & Stars in a taupe thread so it would show, and at the bottom is Simon's name and the date. This is for our grandson for his 11th birthday on Feb 20, 2020, and my sister Peggy (Bothtwins) made the same quilt for the granddaughters' birthday - so fun to work on the same project together! It's the 4th set of quilts we've made for those kids, and we're worrying that their mom will say "ENOUGH" but that's silly...who doesn't love lots and lots of quilts? This was a very quick and simple project, once we figured out how to use the two (very expensive) curved rulers that are called for in the pattern. Good thing we could share. $60.00+ is a lot for rulers we may never use again. Pillowcase to match. Posted 022020

By ArDeGar

12 LIKES | 626 VIEWS

Ohio Star Brigade

Quilt #15. Pattern by Cheryl Brickley for Meadow Mist Designs. Twin size 68 X 87, kit & fabric is Connecting Threads dot com "Hometown Americana" collection. Hobbs 80/20 cotton-poly batt. The back fabric is part of the same collection as the front, and available at Connecting Threads. I started cutting on 042119, finished the project on 052619. It was fun, quick and very satisfying. The quilting pattern is Loops & Stars, which is perfect for the red, white and blue theme. This was a donation quilt to Salmon for Soldiers, a local organization which has an annual event for Veterans who like to fish. They go out fishing in the early morning and then come back to Everett, WA for a big picnic BBQ and prizes made up of donations of fishing tackle, vacations, a big boat/motor combo, fishing trips to the ocean, quilts, t-shirts and more. posted 122919

By ArDeGar

16 LIKES | 714 VIEWS

Holiday Napkins

Project #19.5. A quick and simple 1 day project for last minute gift. 8 napkins take 1 yard of 2 fabrics and 1 strip of 2.5" x wof for the stumps. Tutorial is on Jordan Fabrics dot com. These napkins are small-ish and may be a big hit at the kids table!

By ArDeGar

12 LIKES | 633 VIEWS

ArDeGar's projects