Winter project link party




I am so happy that Jennifer has once more started her Winter Project Link Party. I love to see what everyone is making and I love to share my own makings, too. I have added the link button to my sidebar so you can easily find your way to the Winter Project Link Party whenever you like.

My big winter project is a quilt. I have been working on it for a few weeks now, an hour here and there. It is a manly kind of quilt, not a flower or swirl in sight. All patterns are geometric. The colours are soft and comfortable with a few splashes of brightness. I really love it. I am making this quilt is for Sam.

I want to make a quilt for each of my children, as they prepare to fly the nest and start their own adventures. Sam is almost 16 and is very definitely nearing the crossroads. Already, he is his own man. He is independent and has a very clear idea of what his life should look like, now and in the future. Sam is a nice young man. Don't get me wrong, he is of course a teenager and like all teenagers he can be a bit of a pain in the but. But on the whole, he is easy going. When we argue, it is usually because he winds me up and I naively fall for it, or if every single mug in the house is in his man cave.

I have not collected any old items of clothing or baby blankets to make a memory quilt with and Sam didn't fancy my stash fabric. There was no way Sam would be seen in a fabric shop with me. It is not manly enough a pursuit of time for him to take seriously. I'll tell you a secret though: at a push, he is able to sew a zip. I think he'll make good partner material.

To help Sam choose fabric I created a favourites folder on Etsy for him. I enjoyed adding fabrics bundles I thought he might like. He dismissed most of my choices as ridiculous but he really liked  Anna Maria Horner's Loominous collection. These fabrics not only differ in colour and pattern but are also produced using different weaving methods. I think this will give the quilt an additional dimension of gorgeousness. I am a big fan of Anna Maria Horner, she is such a visionary fabric designer.

Sam originally wanted simple squares but I suggested half square triangles. He wasn't bothered one way or other and I went with the triangles, starting with six inch squares. Making those half square triangles was immensely enjoyable. I trimmed each of the 150 squares carefully to the correct size to make quilt assembly easy. Late on Thursday -a stormy night- I laid them out on my bed in the order I want to sew them together. I thought of making an elaborate pattern using colour value but a more slapdash and quick approach works better for me, I find it more relaxing. There is a bit of a pattern, can you see it? It is not perfect throughout but I do like the randomness of the layout. The photos were taken using a flash, the lighting in my bedroom is awful. In reality, the colours are more gentle. I took care to make row by row bundles with a row number pinned on each. I pinned the little note in the top left corner for orientation. I am looking forward to sewing them together.

I have some fabric left that I will use for the backing. I am thinking of a stripes down the middle, maybe on a grey flannel background. I hope to have enough for the binding, too. This quilt will keep me busy all winter. I really look forward to the quilting, which I plan to do by hand. I like making rows and rows of small neat stitches, so relaxing. There is no rush.

What are you working on? I get so much inspiration from everybody's crafts and I really look forward to popping over to yours and see what you have been making. Have a fantastic weekend. xx



Comments

  1. That is absolutely beautiful Christina, I love the colours and the design I'm sure Sam will treasure it.

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  2. Wow! I think the colors are gorgeous and I love the pattern, it will brighten any room it's in. I'm working on some Christmas projects so I can't show them/

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  3. Beautiful, I love his choice of fabrics and the colour blend. A heirloom in the making.

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  4. Christina, it is going to be a fantastic quilt. The strong geometric pattern is perfect for a male.

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  5. You are just such a lovely Mum. Sam may not think that the blanket is that special now, but when he leaves for University and takes it along with him there will be a whole new meaning to it. Well done with the fabric choices.
    Meredith

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  6. I really like the fabrics and colours in the quilt, I'm another Sam who prefers geometrics to flowers! Great idea to do the half square triangles, really effective.

    I'm on with a good old log cabin quilt for my bed at the moment.

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  7. It cheers me to look at Sam's quilt in the making, Christina! Handsome work! I still have the dull as dishwater merino blue blanket that I want to finish knitting...it languishes in the basket beside me as I type to you...not knitting...ah to do both at the same time.... If I join the link party with it I may dampen the party spirit. Then again, I might finish the blanket and free myself to complete more colorful projects which would selfishly for me be cause for celebration! xxxxx

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    1. You should definitely join the party Gracie, it is motivating. x

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  8. This is wonderful Christina. Sam is one lucky boy :-) x

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  9. What a fabulous idea to make a quilt for each child. Something they will treasure I'm sure. Sams quilt is going to be beautiful; I look forward to seeing it finished. I'm only pooling with little projects at the moment. Not sure what my next biggie will be!

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  10. Wonderful jewel colours. I love it. And I'm sure Sam will, too.

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  11. Wow that is great! So lovely to have something like that - made with love from Mum! He is a lucky chappy :)
    Wren x

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    1. I might embroider it with 'with love from mum'... that would make him cringe :-)

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  12. Oh wow! Fabulous, and you have made the top so quickly! I love the half square triangles, the fabrics look beautiful, very rich, but not sombre. Sam will just love having this quilt on his bed, amd it will only become ever more precious to him as they years pass x

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    1. I haven't actually assembled the top yet, just the individual blocks. I am quite exited about putting it all together now. x

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  13. A quilt is a lovely idea. I made Rob a crochet blanket for uni and his friends were quite jealous of it. You have both picked a lovely selection of colours and I'm so impressed that you can make something with all you have going on at home x

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  14. It is going to be amazing that quilt.I will quilt along with you for sure. I have a pinwheel/log cabin thing in my head but I must get it down on paper and join in again this year. It is a real motivator. Jo xx

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  15. Oh, wow, Christina it's gorgeous! You've made me want to make a quilt, and hand quilt it too. I'm working on lots of things but I guess my big project is a crochet blanket for Angus. X

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  16. What cheerful colours and patterns. They will certainly keep you happy during your seasons swing Autumn to Winter.
    Love it.
    Do put a tiny unobtrusive date or initial in one corner :)

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  17. It looks fabulous and I love the colours. You are inspiring me to try a brightly coloured quilt now I have almost finished a pastel one ( which doesn't inspire me at all)

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  18. Hi Christina, thank you for joining in with my link party! Your quilt is going to be gorgeous. Wow, what a big project and so beautiful. I love all the bright, deep colors. I think Sam will enjoy this quilt a lot. I wanted to let you know that I'm having trouble getting to your blog from my link party; when I click on your link, it tells me your blog is set to private. Another reader mentioned that it happened to her too. I have no idea why that would happen, though. It's probably just a weird glitch.

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  19. Just letting you know it worked fine to come here from the link up this time. Thank you for looking into it. :)

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  20. I love the colours of this quilt, and all those half square triangles. I'm going to make one for my youngest once I've got some other sewing projects completed - it's all cut and waiting to go. I'm looking forward to seeing yours grow.

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Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment, I love to hear from you, I really do. I sometimes reply by email but I am not all that reliable... Christina xx

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