Progress on Amber's baby quilt!

Okay, maybe that's premature... the Amber part. I was all set to put the 'fish' blocks together, and I realized that amount of blocks that I got from the fabric piece I bought didn't make a very big top, ... even with borders. And of course, I can't find it in the local qs. Well, that's what happens when you buy a small piece (under 2 yds), because you don't know what you'll do with it...yet. So, solution is to add sashing and a couple of borders. Now, as much as I'm not on No-Buy (on Stashbusters group), I've been really good about not buying any fabric unless it's the "b's" (borders, backing, binding, basting thread, and batting). I suppose that this falls into the 'b' catagory, so off I went to my favorite quilt shop http://quiltingbytheyard.com/ and got there just as they were ready to close up for the day. Thankfully, Pat, helped me pick out a GREAT sashing that makes the blocks "POP" off the fabric. We found a border fabric that matches the fish fabric exactly (same designer-- and it goes horizontally and vertically!!) and threw in a bright yellow for a flange piece between the sashing and the outer border. YEA! It's washed (don't usually wash fabric first unless it's a deep color) and ready to iron. I hope to get enough done on it this weekend to make it a top. Off to sew!....

Progress on the Fish quilt

I had a great discussion with my DIL Diana regarding a baby shower (when, who was giving it) for my step-daughter, Amber and realized that I needed to put some time into the baby quilt I'm making for her. (See I always tend to do this thing called 'wait until the last possible moment to move on a project'-- was still sewing my prom dress the night before the prom, was still sewing my bridesmaid dresses the night before I got married, etc)

Well, I'm getting better with age.... Here I have some pictures of Amber's quilt in progress.

The fabrics,

the fish fabrics cut into '4-patch' blocks, making fins,

cutting the 4-patch apart and inserting the 'fins'

...Well, I've decided to short-cut it, by sewing the 'fins' to the complete block with an eighth inch seam, instead of cutting it into quarters, first.

Then I fold it in half and sew my 1/4" seam

Cut the thick fold just to cut the bulk,

then fold it the other way and sew my 1/4" seam, unfold and Voila!

Okay, it is a bit thick with the 'fold' there, so I may slip my tiny scissors in to split the fold in half. Now it will look as if I never folded and sewed, rather cut and sewed. It looks like the fish are 'hiding' under their fins.

I have them all tagged (row and block numbers), so when I get the seams all split, I'll start putting the rows together. I have lots of leftover 'fins', so I'll eventually put them as prairie points in the border. Stashbusters has taught me a thing or two!

Back to Quilting- Baby quilt

I figured out what I want to do for my step-daughter, Amber's, first child. I found this GREAT fish print (already in blocks) for a baby quilt. In watching my grandson, Kai play with a wallhanging that was down from the wall, it hit me the type of quilt I'll put together. This is the wallhanging...and he was playing with the 3-D pinwheels. They are just folded squares, made into prairie points, and sewn into the seam of the '4-patch'. I used leftover prairie points in the middle border. Very simple. I'll try it with a few of the 'fish blocks and see how it comes out. If it works I'll post a tutorial ...