Quilt #2: The Soft and Pretty Quilt

So this year I decided that I would like to make each of my friends a quilt!  I know, it's hard to believe, because in the past I have not been known to finish a lot of the quilts that I have started. 

But I thought, if I keep them somewhat simple, perhaps I can get one quilt done every two months.  So my goal is to finish 6 quilts this year and 6 next year for each of my friends. :)

This quilt, called the Soft and Pretty Quilt features some soft and delicate fabrics that I though went together very well.  Most of them have been sitting on the shelf in my sewing room for about 20 years (!) and I figured that it was time to use them.  :)

This quilt is for a friend of mine who has been going through chemo treatments.  Although I should have given it to her last year, I actually finished it and gave it to her in February.  She is a pretty woman with a very gentle spirit about her.  That's why I picked out these colors for her.  She loved it.  :)

It's made from 5" squares with 2" sashing in between the rows.  I used a set-in square for each block to keep it all lined up even though you can't really see the set-in squares.  It came out so pretty.  And to think, I've finished up two quilts already this year.  :)

What do you think?  Is it better to make simple quilts/projects that you can finish or more complicated ones that take a long time and often don't get completed?

Quilt #4: The Pretty Quilt

I have finished Quilt #4 from my UFO (Unfinished Object) pile!  About 8 years ago, I bought some pretty fabrics that were a line called Garden Song from Nancy Halvorsen.  I thought the colors were so pretty.  I showed them to my quilting friend, Carol, and she said that she had made a quilt top using the same fabrics, only she didn't like how it came out.

I asked if I could see it and she said that I could have it if I wanted it.  She had browns in the center where the blue is now and the pretty fabrics just didn't show up very nicely.  Anyway, I took the quilt home and looked at it, wondering what I could do with it to make it better.

It sat in the UFO pile for many years.  Then finally one day, I took it out and came up with a plan.  I cut out the center rows of the quilt and discarded them.  When I sewed the remaining rows back together, the pretty blues were in the center and the other colors seemed to just shine.

I put a border on it and finished it up last month!  I quilted some free-style flowers on it and now I just love how it turned out.  It's pretty, bright and makes me happy.  :)

It's hard to tell in the photo, but perhaps you can see some of the flowers quilted in the blocks.  Now it's one of my favorite quilts. 

Here's a pic of my little kitty coming to snuggle while I was sewing on the border.  She did not want to miss out on getting this quilt finally finished!  :)