St. Louis 16 Patch

Here is my version of skburton's St. Louis 16 patch, Bohemian Baby.

I wanted to make something simple and quick as an antidote to the Steam Punk pattern I am working on (more of that later).  This was a fun pattern that went together fast!  I wanted colorful and used some great fat quarters from my stash: Kaffe Fasset floral and dark blue shot cotton, Trade Winds and Summerhouse by Lily Ashbury and Wrenky by Malori Wells. The light pink is a Moda solid.

The back is two florals (Ruby, I think) by Bonnie and Camille.  I was happy to use fabric from my stash.  I tend to hoard fabrics I like!  Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it up Friday!

Obsession

 I was totally engrossed in these feathers.  Finished 15 of them before realizing I didn't wash the Essex Linen.  After washing, the linen shrunk, the cotton not so much. (I even washed one and lined dried it and still got 3/4" shrinkage)!

So now I am obsessed with taking these feathers apart! I spent 5 hours yesterday with the seam ripper and then re-pressing and basting.

I actually like the overall design of this layout better.  I remember seeing it on Anna Marie Horners' blog about a quilt for her son.

 It may not stay like this, but I like that it is not so square as the blocks would have been.

I am going through the stash looking for background material.  I feel like I wasted a yard and a half of linen, so I need to use what I have. Maybe I should sew it all back together!

Too Bad, How Sad

Well, lesson learned.  I washed one block and put it in the dryer on low.  The linen shrunk 3/4". Which I wouldn't mind, but the cotton fabric did not.

Notice all the puckering in the feather on the left.  I knew better, but got carried away in the moment.

Now I will be taking apart all my feathers.....arg!

to wash or not to wash

I have gotten eleven AMH feathers done. Enough for a baby size quilt (though my feathers are smaller than hers).  I am considering making more, maybe a lap or twin size.

 But then, I had a fearsome thought!  I was reading AMH blog about the care of her new linen line.  In it she mentioned how when washed, her linen shrink in length 1/4"-1".  I used Essex Linen Natural for the background fabric in my feathers and I am concerned that it will shrink way more than the other cotton fabric. So now I am afraid to continue.  Has anyone used Essex linen?  What do you think?

Feathers, how apt

Ever since I first say Anna Marie Horner's Feather Bed pattern, here, I wanted to make it.  I was hoping some one would teach a class on it like Molly Flanders.  The photos she shared of her students' work were amazing.  So, inspired, I gahtered up some material and got to work.

After piecing strips together, I realized the tip of the feather is probably too small.  I hope to change that on the next group.  The material has a stretch to it because of the angle it is cut on.  It will need carefull sewing.







Decided on the natural Essex linen for the background.

I have been making stencils of light weight cardboard to use with my rulers to cut.  I keep wondering if there is a better way.... I will no doubt figure it out on the last cut!

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced!

Zig Zag

A finished quilt that will be going in the Crazy Birds Studio Etsy store.

Finished at 42" x48".

 Quilted 1/4" above and below each zig zag.

Linking up to Finish it up Friday!

Half Square Triangles

half square triangles

equals a baby quilt

I'm liking the blue binding

Inspiration for this quilt here. It's harder than I thought to wing it, kept underestimating the yardage.
Ready to layer and quilt!