This fabric line designed by Fig Tree for Moda Fabrics released March 2008. By the time I first laid eyes on her, Dandelion Girl was already out of print and hard to find. All my local quilt shop had was a layer cake kit, and it was a bit out of budget. So I let it pass and pass and pass until it was gone. Oh well.

Then my connections grew and I discovered personal fabric destashing. Last summer (2015) I lucked upon a couple charm packs and a jelly roll. Score!!!! (insert joyous happy dance : )
Fast forward a few projects to this spring and I made up my mind that now was the time to make with Dandelion Girl. A charm pack paired with squares of Moda Bella Porcelain morphed into 84 half-square triangles (I love HSTs!) There are SO many ways to layout HSTs, but I chose to keep it simple and traditional and let the fabrics shine on their own.

I love the colors of this collection - cheerful and warming.  Just the right touch that I think will work from spring into fall.




Fabric:  Dandelion Girl by Fig Tree for Moda Fabrics
Batting: Flannel
Backing: Moda Bella Solids cream
Size: 16" x 84"


Dandelion Girl is my entry in the Bloggers' Quilt Festival: Fall 2016 Edition  in the Small Quilts Category.  The Blogger's Quilt Festival is an online quilt festival to showcase the work of quilters from all over. Prepare to be inspired! You are welcome to vote for your favorites.

My first official finish for 2013 is this Christmas tree skirt I made using less than two charm packs of Reindeer Games and a little bit of yardage for border and binding and a piece of Merry Medley for the backing.

I'm going with 50 weeks ahead of schedule with this one, folks.  I so very much wanted to have it finished for this Christmas (did have it pieced).  That didn't happen as there were other more important things to tend, but as I still felt like working with Christmas fabric, I went ahead and finished it over Christmas break.  I'm so very glad I did.  Making this little tree skirt was a lot of fun and without a doubt next Christmas season I'll be very happy to pull it out and have it ready.  (Whoohoo! I've never been ahead with any project. : )

This tutorial by Jenny at Missouri Star Quilt Co. was my inspiration. Her tutorials are among the best.  Added button loop closure and some wooden buttons I had on hand. I thought all the little corners would be a challenge, but really they weren't (maybe even a little easier than a true corner, to be honest).  It wasn't until I had my binding made and was getting ready to put it on that I realized, "Oh, yes, I have a tight little circle to bind. Hmm, guess I should have made bias binding." Too late. I went ahead with my straight binding, did the circle first thing and took it slow. I think it turned out fairly well. Oldest daughter A assures that no one is going to crawling up under the tree to inspect so I needn't worry. One of my biggest cheerleaders that girl is.



With this project I tried a new way of basting my quilt layers - no tape, no spray, no boards. I had my doubts, worried I would have a lot of puckers, but not a single pucker. Can hardly believe it. It quilted up beautifully. (I love how the quilting turned out!)  I simply placed the backing fabric face down, smoothed my flannel piece over that (didn't use batting), and then smoothed my quilt top face up on the flannel. Starting in the middle I pin basted out from middle to edge smoothing with almost every pin. It was so simple, seemed almost too simple but I couldn't be happier with the results. I used this same basting technique on a lap size quilt next in line to quilted. It is quite a bit bigger so we shall see how it turns it (fingers crossed : ).

Have I said how happy I am with how the quilting turned out?  Here is a shot of a few of my favorite prints - poinsettias, holly, and the little wreaths & candy canes. Yup, I made sure when I laid it out and before I cut up the back that my favorites were in front.

PS: Must say it did take some courage to cut into this little quilt after it was quilted. It was so nice. Would have made a very nice table topper.  Daughter R didn't want me to cut it at all. In her opinion we could just set the tree on top of it and it would look perfect. Almost did this, almost...then decided, no, I can do it. Cut it and bound it late one evening and had it under the tree to surprise everyone the next morning. They all love it and are happy I made something quilted for us to keep.

Blessings, everyone.
Anna

Here is my first entry for the Festival of Half Square Triangles hosted by Megan of Canoe Ridge Creations.  The linky party runs from April 16 - 22.



About a week or so ago my dear husband asked me if I could make something quilty "with triangles like you did before" for the employees' club auction on April 25. "I think I can, honey, but I need to get the baby's quilt done first." What was I thinking?? I could have, maybe should have, just put the baby's quilt aside for a couple days and done this topper for the auction, but, oh no, for once I decided to stick to my resolution, good or bad. So, I proceeded to work on baby's quilt while putzing at different designs layouts for a patriotic table topper. (Went with patriotic because I thought it would have the widest appeal and because I had a charm pack of Prairie Paisley II) Friday (April 13) he informs me that the auction has been moved up to April 18 (which also happened to be my birthday. OH Gads!! Planning and designing phase - over!  Pick a layout and go with it. No time to dilly dally now.

But first, determined to finish baby's quilt first I basted, quilted and bound it by Monday a.m. (will share later) then proceeded to the table topper.  (Sorry, no work-in-progress photos this time, folks.) Pieced triangles Monday afternoon. Cut and ironed triangles Monday evening and lay them out for a final look see. Pieced rows Tuesday before supper. Stopped for supper and evening going ons.  Then discover (Oh crud!) that I don't have a suitable binding. It NEEDS something navy. Not a snitch of anything navy in the house. (how can that be? Navy is one of my favorite colors??? Note to self: rectify the lack of navy and navy-like fabric in stash) So, ran out for something that I hoped would work.

Finally back at it from 9:30 p.m. until 12:30 p.m. - finished piecing top, ironed, made binding, quilted, and attached binding to front. Up at 5:30 with baby and to see dear husband off to work. "Honey, you will have to stop over and pick up that table topper you need this afternoon at 1 p.m. I need to finish the binding." He is so cool. "No, big deal, sweetheart. You have plenty of time."  Finished sewing down the binding by 8:30 a.m. Took some photos. Husband picked up at 9:30 a.m.


Impressed my children, which is always kinda cool.  "Wow, Mommy! You did that last night?!"  It got finished on time and nobody went underloved or undernourished.  Teamwork, folks, teamwork : )

PS:  I think I more than earned that free motion quilting foot I got for my birthday : ) Yay!!!
PPS:  The French Silk birthday pie he brought home for me was delish!!!

Linking up with the Festival of Half Square Triangles linky party.  A lot of great handiwork has been linked. I wonder how I'll do?

Working with a charm pack of Essence from Moda.  Getting set to make my first ever half square triangles (HST).

Am a little bit nervous. Not so much about the sewing part but about the cutting. Cutting is so, so final. Have them all marked. Am ready to stitch and cut. Hope I like how I have them all paired up. This is the beginning of a square fall table topper.