FITF: Film in the Fridge | modern quilts, clothing, fabric, and photos

goldfish squared baby quilts

Posted on May 26, 2010

I showed you a few of these goldfish blocks recently and now I’m happy to show you the quilts they ended up in!

This Heather Ross goldfish fabric lends itself so well to fussy cutting, and I knew I wanted to use them as the centers of each block. So I cut them up into single goldfish and pairs of goldfish, framed each with a thin border and then surrounded that with other fun prints and solids.

Originally I wasn’t sure about adding the Kona Stone into the mix, but after using it in the twin strip quilts, I loved it so much that I wanted to use it in these twin quilts as well. I ended up using the same design I used for my munki martians quilt and my munki in the middle twin quilts (I must have a thing for twin quilts!), framing each individual block with white and sashing them in the Kona Stone. I love how the blocks pop off the neutral background.

I kept the backs pretty simple – more Kona Stone with a little pieced section to add a bit of fun –

I quilted it on the diagonal with double straight lines and since I loved them so much, used the same stripey bindings as on the previous quilts.

They each measure 33 1/2″ x 36 1/2″ and are listed in the shop!

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Oh, and of course (it goes without saying!) thanks so much for all the nice comments about my new table! I’ve been using it for a few days now and I must say that having this much space on a tabletop is fun, though I have to keep reminding myself that just because the space is there doesn’t mean I should fill it up!

To answer a few questions – the blue wall color in the den is Overcast by Glidden. The butterfly and crab framed paper art in this post was made following this tutorial. I don’t yet have a chair to use while sewing at the new table, but I’m thinking I’ll probably get a couple backless stools so that I can put them under the table when not in use. And speaking of sewing, my main machine is a Pfaff Expressions 2036. I also have a Pfaff Grand Quilter which I keep upstairs. Answers to other FAQs can be found in the FAQ discussion thread over in the FITF flickr group. (Did I get them all?!)

a new sewing table!

Posted on May 24, 2010

(or maybe more appropriately titled – we can now eat at the dining room table again!)

When I started sewing, I very quickly took over the dining room table (and surrounding areas!) as sewing central. I wasn’t fond of pulling everything out and then putting it all away every time I wanted to sew, so pretty soon it just stayed out. All the time. And if you ever had walked into our house, you were kind of accosted by sewing supplies, quilts in progress, fabric, and lots of little threads. I admit it wasn’t ideal.

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We talked about moving everything into the den so that it was a bit more contained (and also so it wasn’t the first thing you saw when you walked in the front door!). I tried to find a table with the right dimensions, but it didn’t seem to exist. However, as luck would have it, my sister’s boyfriend designs and builds some incredible pieces of furniture, and after hearing me talk about it incessantly, agreed to build this table.

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I gave him the dimensions (BIG!) and he designed a perfect crafting table. It arrived yesterday and I’m so blown away with how gorgeous it is! He pieced the top with strips of wood, and it has the most amazing color and design. I almost hate to have to cover some of it up with my cutting mats.

But cover it up I did… because what’s a crafting/sewing table without all your sewing supplies?!

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Thank you so very much Erich! I absolutely love it and couldn’t be happier!!

(we’re all happy, actually. I think Morgan’s pretty psyched to have the dining room table back. We ate dinner there last night and I have to admit it was a little strange. But in a good way.)

dining-room

The design wall still needs to be moved since it no longer seems appropriate over the dining room table. But it will be perfect over the new sewing table!

(Edited to add: you all are making me think I need to keep the design wall here and make a second for over the new table! I do love having the ever-changing art!)

The table measures 7 feet long by 44 1/2″ wide and just a bit over 34″ high.

Posted in General | Tagged craft space, furniture, handmade, sewing table | 66 Comments

a quilt for blogger’s quilt festival

Posted on May 21, 2010

Postcards from the Park!

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There are many reasons why I love this quilt… Laurie’s gorgeous fabrics, the spring colors, and this fun wonky design! This quilt was inspired by a pillow I saw in a Crate and Barrel magazine a while back. I love the look of the wonky rectangles, but knew that the rectangles on the pillow were appliqued, which is not my forte. So instead I came up with a way to get a similar look without having to applique the rectangles.

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What pleases me most about it is that it turned out almost exactly as I had pictured in my mind. (It’s always fun when that happens, right?!)

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I also love it when one quilt inspires another for me. Laurie and I both liked this quilt so much that when it came time to create a quilt out of her newest fabrics for Robert Kaufman, I went back to this quilt and changed up the design a bit to create a new version. (You can take a peek at the quilts this quilt inspired over here. There will also be a free pattern for that quilt soon to be available through Robert Kaufman.)