Wiggles Quilt

 Monday is my granddaughter's 3rd Birthday.  She loves Emma and the Wiggles.  When I saw that fabric had been released for the Wiggles, I knew I had to make her a quilt.  The fabric was really hard to find.  I prefer yardage, but I managed to find a panel and lots of fat quarters.  This is what I came up with.  The photo looks drab (bad lighting) but it is a bright quilt.

Since I had so many extra fat quarters, I decided to use them in the backing.

I used the 2 extra pinwheel blocks for the center of the back of the quilt.

I decided to have fun with the quilting. I only do straight line quilting, and this is the pattern I came up with (yes, I use scrap paper to to take notes on and to try out ideas).

practice quilting pattern

I quilted it using a variegated thread (King Tut's Cleopatra).  I've used this thread many times.  I'm almost out, so I had to order more for the next quilt. 

I finished up by making a faux piping binding.  Since I didn't have yardage, I used 2 fat quarters for the binding, alternating the blue and red.

faux piping binding

The quilt is washed and ready to be shipped to Alaska.  I know, it probably won't arrive in time, but that's ok. She'll get to celebrate her birthday again when it arrives. 

Snow Day!

I got a snow day today!  Yipee!  I really needed to work on my granddaughter's 3rd Birthday quilt.  Gwendolynn really loves Emma of the Wiggles (a preschool show).  I found a panel and some fabric late last fall, but hadn't had time to do anything.  Well, her birthday is March 1st.  Yes, I'm running late on this one.  

Using Triangluations, I made the half square triangles as leaders & enders while paper piecing.  Today, I finally got started sewing the HST's together.  I wanted to make pinwheels, since Emma is known for dancing.  

I pulled out Betty Sue, my trusty Featherweight.  I hadn't sewn with Betty Sue since last year.  

Betty Sue

The sewing machine cabinet I use has a large enough opening for most of my vintage machines, but Betty Sue is much smaller than my other machines.  There is a large gap behind the machine.  When I sew, all my blocks fall into that gap.  Not good.  I used some template plastic and some blue tape to fix that problem.

cheap fix for the gap

Hey, whatever works!  

Well, I turned all those HST's into a quilt top.

Wiggles quilt top

up close of some of the pinwheels

I still need to make a backing for this.  I have several more fat quarters of these fabrics.  I had to purchase fat quarters since it was so hard to find any yardage.  I do have a piece of yardage, too, thank goodness.  

Since I don't free motion quilt, only straight line quilt, I'm thinking of using a cross hatch for the quilting.  

I am thankful that we have power.  Several of our relatives in Texas don't have power.  Some don't have water now, either.  Water mains are breaking due to the cold.  Most of Texas doesn't have snow plows, so everyone is stuck at home until the snow/ice melts.  I know I'm not the only one who is ready for winter to end.