quilts – Monday Morning Designs

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2019 Project Recap

January 22, 2020August 7, 2021 Deb Gehringer

Every year I like to write a blog post recapping all the projects I’ve made. I mainly do this to have a quick reference should I ever need to know when something in particular was made. And it’s fun to see how I’ve spent my time sewing. So here goes…

First up is my Petite Hearts quilt that I made on a whim. It has a funny story to go along with it…I thought I was onto an original pattern, but while looking for a name I found it had been published before as baby quilt. Still a top favorite.

I started making a Swoon quilt by Thimble Blossoms in the spring and got it back from longarming late September. I haven’t written a blog post on it yet because I haven’t gotten any good photos, so these two blocks will have to do for now. 🙂

I started my Maple Charm quilt before we moved in April and had it finished just in time for fall. I enjoyed it the entire season.

This Five Squared throw quilt is a Monday Morning Designs pattern (available for purchase in my Etsy shop; see sidebar). I made it out of fabrics I had on hand and I love that all the colors of the rainbow are included.

Also while trying to use what I had on hand, I made a Four Patch Charm quilt. I’m hoping somebody has a special event this year so I can gift it.

Lastly, I made my son a Picnic Play quilt designed by Michelle Bartholomew. While this quilt looks innocent, it was a tough one! It was a huge project, too. My son enjoys finally having a quilt large enough to use on his queen size bed.

I made quite a few mini quilts, too. This one was completed early 2019. I’ve also written a tutorial on how to make a Scrappy Heart mini. It’s a fun and quick one to make.

What can I say about this cute crab pattern by Ellis and Higgs? The big crab was a gift for my daughter, the other one is mine.

This Radiant mini is also a Monday Morning Designs. I was fortunate to have it featured in the July/August edition of Quiltmaker. It surely brightens up my space! I plan to release the pattern this summer.

I made quite a few Little Quilted Star ornaments for gifts for Christmas. Very festive.

My pattern Wee Three Trees became available for purchase in time for the holiday sewing rush. I made two, one for myself and one as a gift for my niece.

Here’s the last of my projects. I made the microwave bowl cozy for myself as a holiday bowl for pine cones. The little holders are for gift cards; gifted as party favors, and the bottom photo shows my process on a mini Christmas tree skirt.

These pillows were also gifts…

And a pillow case for my bird-loving husband.

Lastly, towels with cute toppers made for my mom. You can download my free PDF tutorial How to Make a Hanging Kitchen Towel. It’s easy-to-follow, complete with photos, a template and lots of tips!

Well, that sums up last year, and I’m well into making for 2020!

quilting, Uncategorized

2018 Project Recap

January 7, 2019January 3, 2019 Deb Gehringer

Another year of quilting has come to an end and it was quite a productive year. In 2018 I made ten quilts (and finished another) which was a record for me. I’ve read about quilters who crank out dozens of quilts per year, and I always wonder how they do it, or why. What do they do with them all?

Of the quilts I made, two were commissioned, two were for publication and four were gifted. Even so, I’m left with five of them! I also completed additional projects—mini quilts, pillow covers and handmade Christmas gifts.

Here’s a rundown…

I started this Fireworks quilt in 2017 but actually finished it early in the year. It’s definitely one of the brightest quilts I’ve ever made.

These two baby quilts were commissioned for a friend.

I gifted next four: the simple patchwork one was for my husband, the Hunter’s Star quilt was for my daughter, I also gave my daughter the Triangle Peaks quilt just because she wanted it. 🙂 The last one I made for my niece for a Christmas gift.

This is my Diamond Jubilee quilt that was published in the January/February 2019 issue of Pre-Cut Patchwork magazine, previously known as Quilting Quickly. It’s the first quilt I had published and it was pretty fun!

The last two are my Christmas Irish Chain quilt, and by far my favorite quilt ever, my scrappy Granny Square.

I also released an easy, beginner-friendly pattern that’s a great addition to any nursery, With Love Mini Quilt.

As far as other projects go, I’ve completed several pillow covers (some for me and some as gifts) along with lots of mini quilts. I have tutorials available for some of these projects.

If you’re looking to use some small scraps and add to your household decor, give this Modern Stripes Placemat a try. It’s a free download pattern.

I also have two non-sewing tutorials, one is a DIY Quilt Ladder and the other is a Portable Ironing Board. They’re available as free downloads.

I guess it’s only fair to mention what I didn’t get finished this past year, right? I cut out the fabric for a Maple Leaf quilt in March and since I couldn’t decide on a background fabric, I never made it. I’ve since chosen fabric so I plan to make it this year.

I think that pretty much wraps up a busy 2018, and here’s to a hopefully equally busy 2019!

quilting, quilts, Uncategorized

My ‘Half Quilt’ Invention

November 12, 2018November 11, 2018 Deb Gehringer

Does this scenario sound familiar to you? The weather is cooling down so you get out all the necessary blankets and quilts. You have them nicely made into the bed only to hear your partner exclaim it’s too many covers. My husband and I simply cannot agree when it comes to this topic, he’s usually too hot and I’m usually too cold. This has been going on forever and it was time the problem ended!

After doing some thinking, I came up with an easy solution—the ‘half quilt.’ The half quilt is basically a quilt half the size of a bed quilt width-wise, made wide enough to cover just one person. Each person gets one so they can use it at their own discretion. Personal choices won’t affect anyone else; you can’t beat that!

I recently made one for my husband by strip piecing just two fabrics. Because he’s an avid bird watcher, I chose Blue Moon Owl fabric by Dear Stella and Kona Cotton Navy.

It’s a simple 5″ patchwork design, nothing flashy or complicated, made mainly for functionality. I quilted it in simple squares and machine sewed the binding figuring it would hold up better to frequent laundering.

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There’s not a lot of math involved, just figure out how wide and long it needs to be to cover the person comfortably. This quick quilt finished at 40 ½” x 71″.

My half quilt idea is not entirely new, I made one for myself two years ago. I chose a classic herringbone pattern made with Moda’s Paradiso charm packs and Kona Cotton Snow. It measures 40 ½” x 63 ½”.

Just to illustrate differences, I’ve had mine out for a couple of weeks now and my husband hasn’t even used his yet.

The weather is getting chilly and it’s time for warmth. I highly recommend making a couple of these half quilts, they’re the perfect solution for the ‘too hot, too cold’ sleeping issue! And of course it’s a great excuse to make another quilt. 😉