i spy

A finish for May 2024................. from Exuberant Color

I needed a break from my other project so I sewed the binding on this Shoo Fly quilt. (directions for the block on Lynn's blog, Solids on prints on her label list.)

I'm considering this a child's quilt because I used several novelty prints in the blocks.

It is 36.5" x 56" so it could be a big sister or brother quilt when gifting a baby quilt.

I used Hobbs 80/20 batting.

I have had the backing fabric for quite awhile and I'm sure it was on sale for a good price.

There are ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 5 months, 4 weeks ago. under batik , i spy , solid color fabric , strip piecing

#5 finish for December.................. from Exuberant Color

The binding is finished on I Spy 1 and now I just need to inspect it for any stray threads and then get it ready to be mailed. This one ended up at 64" x 80.5". The novelty print squares are 4" finished.

The backing is flannel that I bought at a year end sale 2 years ago.

The batting is Warm and Natural because I wanted a flatter quilt. I didn't want rolling puffs through the novelty prints.

I found 4 more green Kaffe fabrics to use in the Rosy quilt. The 2 on the left will ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 11 months, 1 week ago. under binding , i spy , kaffe fabric , machine quilting , nature

Working on two............... from Exuberant Color

In the morning yesterday I trimmed I Spy 1 and looked for a binding fabric. I finally decided on this bright red/orange. I started sewing it on the quilt last night but didn't get it finished.

After lunch I went through some early Kaffe fabrics for more greens for the Rosy quilt. The stripe might be the binding. I cut strips for 9 patches from 5 of them and 6.5" squares from 2 of them.

I sewed the new 9 patches last night and then decided to see if I had enough variety. This is layout one ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 11 months, 1 week ago. under 9 patch , i spy , kaffe fabric

Nothing but trouble.............. from Exuberant Color

The same top thread was used on this I Spy 1 quilt that was used on the last 3 quilts, no problem on them. I had at least 12 thread shred/breaks on this one. I changed the needle in the middle of it but that didn't help. But, it is done.

This is one of the oldest fabrics, from somewhere in the 1991-95 time range.

I love the tractor print. My dad never had a tractor that looks like that but I saw many tractors in my childhood. We also had a windmill like that over the outside ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 11 months, 1 week ago. under i spy

Finish # 4 for December 2023........... from Exuberant Color

I Spy 2 is officially finished. It is 67.5" x 79". It will be for my 2 youngest great-grandchildren. I originally intended to make an I Spy quilt for my grandchildren and they range from 27 to 36 now. Better late than never.

I used Warm and Natural batting and a flannel backing on this quilt.

I got the backing and batting for I Spy 1 loaded on the longarm and draped the top over it.

Last night I went through the pile of 6.5" squares and the box of 2.5" strips as a first pull for ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 11 months, 2 weeks ago. under i spy , kaffe fabric

# 3 finish for December 2023............ from Exuberant Color

I finally got the batik star quilt up on the double design wall. The batting is Quilter's Dream cotton that I had a package of and it was thicker than I usually use so the quilt is heavy. I finally resorted to using a chair to support the weight of it while I got the first 5 pins in the top edge and then it was pretty easy the rest of the way across. It measures 73" x 99" now. I forgot to take a photo with the backing showing so I'll add that photo later.

I took ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 11 months, 2 weeks ago. under batik , i spy , star quilts

Quilted..........and binding done........... from Exuberant Color

I Spy 2 is quilted. I did straight line with the channel locks farther apart than normal. With Warm and Natural the quilting doesn't need to be as close as with Hobbs 80/20. I didn't want a lot of quilting lines going through the novelty prints.

I used the same medium tan thread that I used on the 2 flannel baby quilts. No thread breaks or shredding on this quilt.

Then I finished the hand stitching on the batik star quilt. I'll try to get it up on the double design wall for its photo. It ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 11 months, 2 weeks ago. under binding , i spy , machine quilting

Progress.......... from Exuberant Color

The seam was pressed and red bear print flannel backing was loaded on the longarm. I also pressed the blue flannel for the other I Spy quilt and it is ready to have the seam sewn. Maybe I can get the batting and top loaded and the machine threaded today. Hopefully I will also be inspired to turn on the machine and do the quilting.

I had 3 sessions of hand sewing on the binding of the batik star quilt and now 3 sides are finished. One long side to go.

Two readers alerted me to the name of the ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 11 months, 2 weeks ago. under batik , i spy , star quilts

2nd quilt top for November............. from Exuberant Color

I Spy 2 top is sewn together now. All I need to do now is get both of the I Spy quilts finished for Christmas. There are 120 unique novelty prints in this quilt top, each square finishing at 6". The top is 68.5" x 80.5". I'm planning on putting flannel on the back of both of the I Spy Quilts.

When I went out to check the rain gauge I noticed the pansy is still hanging in there. It has been there even on the nights it was down to the mid-20s. I knew they liked ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 1 year ago. under i spy , nature

Borders on................. from Exuberant Color

I did everything I could think of to delay sewing the border on this I Spy quilt. Borders are always a time for procrastination for me. They aren't that hard, just not the most fun part of assembly. Eventually I pressed the top and border fabric and got busy on it. I decided on a 4.5" cut border. I'll press it and photograph it today. I think it should be about 68" x 80".

I'm going to get the 2 quilts I sent out for quilting back today. There will some binding time in my future ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 1 year ago. under i spy

Border chosen.................. from Exuberant Color

I went through 3 shelves of fabric and finally decided on this stripe for the border of I Spy 2. I bought it way back in the late 1990s with a kid's quilt in mind for it. I might use it for a border on I Spy 3 also.

I was looking through the rest of the 6.5" Kaffe collective squares that I pulled all of the red/pink/orange from for the red quilt top I just finished. I don't know if I want another all squares quilt with so much high contrast.

I ended up ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 1 year ago. under i spy , kaffe fabric , knitting

Center panel sewn............ from Exuberant Color

Nothing else was on my schedule so I had 3 sewing sessions yesterday and got the center panel of I Spy 2 sewn. Today I'll look for border fabrics. I have several pieces with letters and numbers but also have some bright stripe fabrics.

I'm enjoying this display so much. The 2 cacti that aren't in the photo still just have buds but should bloom soon.

In the morning light these blooms look like lavender but they are really pink. The ones on the left are pale pink and the ones on the right deeper rose.

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 1 year ago. under i spy , nature

First quilt top finish for November................. from Exuberant Color

I'm so glad my idea of an inserted border 2 rows in worked as well as it did. By making it from segments the same length as the squares, there were no long strips to sew in. The quilt top is 68.5" x 86.5", larger than I had originally intended to make it. The more reds I found in the Kaffe collective, the more I wanted to add.

This is the final layout of the I Spy 2 quilt. I decided on 12 rows long instead of 13 because I plan to put a border on it ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 1 year ago. under i spy , kaffe fabric

One new, continuing on red............ from Exuberant Color

I started laying out the second I Spy quilt on the double design wall in the basement. This one is 6.5" squares with a dark/light alternating with mediums thrown in wherever I like them. I need to still add 3 rows to the length but 10 squares is the width (60").

Now back to the red Kaffe squares quilt top. This is the worst instersection, done when I was in a hurry to finish the second half.

Now that is better. I can live with this. There were 5 places altogether that I picked out and re-sewed. I ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 1 year ago. under i spy , kaffe fabric , nature

Midweek: I spy a finished quilt from With Strings Attached

Yesterday the Zion Woman's Club enjoyed a program about Quilts of Valor presented by my guild friend Sharon. ZWC learned a lot and I did, too!

There are two veterans in our club and I'm going to propose a QOV award for them.

This week's start-and-finish.

Our P.E.O. chapter is having a baby shower this coming Sunday. One of our chapter sisters is expecting her first child in December. Though the shower theme is books, and I have those to give, I couldn't NOT make a quilt! Linda W., another chapter sister, is also ...

added by Nann 1 year ago. under i spy , midweek makers , quilts of valor , wednesday wait loss

Second finish for August 2023.....and a border........... from Exuberant Color

It was a lot of fun searching my stash for all of the pastel fabrics in this quilt. It finished at 48" x 72".

I used Hobbs 80/20 batting, white cotton thread on top, white polyester in the bobbin.

I bought the backing with dragonflies for a different quilt but it leaned a little too much toward lavender for that quilt. It was perfect for this one. The color is more accurate in the first photo.

In the early afternoon I mowed the grass in the backyard. With all of the shade the grass keeps growing back there. We ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 1 year, 2 months ago. under i spy , machine quilting , stash

I Spy quilt top finish.................. from Exuberant Color

The I Spy quilt top just looks like checkerboard from a distance but what fun there is when you get close.

It is 56.5" x 72.5" so I'm considering a border but it won't happen today or tomorrow. The squares are 4" finished.

Every I Spy novelty print is different, no repeats, 124 unique squares. There were a few times when I could cut different areas in the same fabric. I know there are 3 from the Snoopy baseball fabric and another was a zoo animals print where I cut several different squares.

I took 6 ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 1 year, 3 months ago. under i spy

Assembly done, not pressed................ from Exuberant Color

There were 2 sewing sessions yesterday and I got the I Spy quilt top sewn together. It was 10 p.m. when I took the last stitch so I saved the pressing for today.

I was out watering gardens early yesterday morning. The Zinfin Doll Hydrangea is changing color rather quickly this year. I wish I had a place for a whole row of these.

The little 4" tall Coneflower is in full bloom now. I think it should be moved to a safer location but I'm not sure it would survive a move. Indecision here.

The yellow Nasturtium ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 1 year, 3 months ago. under i spy , nature

Final layout for I Spy............ from Exuberant Color

The only thing I had to decide was where the red/orange/hot pink I Spy prints would be. I could have just sewn this together without a layout ahead of time but I didn't want those colors clumped together in one area.

Good news! My tomatoes are finally turning red. There are about 5 more that probably can be picked today.

Yesterday got up to 90 with a feel like temperature of 103 at 2 p.m. yesterday. Today is supposed to be a few degrees cooler but still high humidity and then back to mid to high ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 1 year, 3 months ago. under food , i spy , nature

Almost there................... from Exuberant Color

All of the I Spy blocks are sewn and I only need 5 more of the black and white print blocks. I need to sew one more strip of the neon stars and white print and cut them into segments to piece with the segments of the other combination. I thought I had sewn the same number of each combination but I guess I didn't. After those 5 blocks are sewn I need to turn on the iron and press all of the blocks and then go to the design wall.

I mowed the remaining portion of the front ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 1 year, 3 months ago. under i spy

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