Flags and Crows Joins 2017 Bloggers Quilt Festival

Amy of Amy's Creative Side is once again hosting the Bloggers Quilt Festival this fall.  It's a festival where many quilting bloggers share their favorite finishes from the past 12 months. 

This year Simply Flags and Crows is participating in the Festival.  I rarely use patterns and when I do, I usually adapt them one way or another.  That's true with this quilt, too.  I wanted this for my front door and began it the last week in June and finished it in time for the Fourth.  Record speed for me!  But then, it's a small quilt, finishing at about 18" x 24".  It was such a speedy quilt that I didn't take measurements as I went along or even at the finish.

This is a primitive pattern and practically everything about the quilt is primitive, including the stitching and thread.

The fabrics are mostly plaids and a few prints and the thread was an old spool of thick cotton that came in a box at an auction, or possibly from a thrift store.  It was sturdy and worked for this quilt.

I can report that this quilt hung on our front door for over two months and I haven't noticed any fading of the fabric.

I hope you'll visit this year's Bloggers Quilt Festival and enjoy the great variety of quilts submitted by participants.

--Nancy.

Morning Stars in 2017 Bloggers Quilt Festival

It's that time of year again when Amy of Amy's Creative Side hosts the 2017 Bloggers Quilt Festival and quilt bloggers throughout blogland submit their favorite quilts of the past 12 months.

Morning Stars for Isaac is participating in the Quilt Festival this year.

I love this scrappy quilt with the uneven stars in the sashing and I had a lot of fun making it.  Each block finishes at 5½" and the sashing at 2½".  I free-hand quilted it with Baptist Fans and gave it a scrappy binding.  The size of the finished quilt, after washing and drying, is 43½" x 50". 

No fabric is repeated in the large squares nor in the sashing.  Fabrics include large prints, small prints, plaids, and a few prints with animals, people, etc.

The stars have a variety of lights and naturals and each star does not necessarily have only one fabric.  It's really very scrappy.

I like this quilt so much that perhaps another is on the horizon.

I hope you'll click through to the Bloggers Quilt Festival and enjoy the other entries.

Thank you, Amy!

--Nancy.

Vote Now at Blogger's Quilt Festival, 2016

Now's the time to look at and vote for your favorite quilts in the Blogger's Quilt Festival 2016 at Amy's Creative Side.  There are lots of beautiful quilts in 11 categories.  I think you should go look at them and vote (until September 30).

You can vote by clicking the little heart in the upper right corner of the thumbnail image.  Once you've voted it will turn red.

Below are direct links to the quilt categories.

• Mini Quilts 
• Small Quilts 
• Large Quilts  
• Applique Quilts  
• Art Quilts 
• Hand Quilted Quilts  
• Home Machine Quilted Quilts  
• Modern Quilts  
• Original Design Quilts  
• ROYGBIV Quilts 
• Scrappy Quilts

If you see a quilt you'd like to nominate for Viewer's Choice, copy the link for the thumbnail below the quilt image and paste it into the form here.

It's been fun to see so many quilts on display at this festival and I give Amy a hearty thank you.

--Nancy.
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Dark Strings for Blogger's Quilt Festival

I'm entering this quilt I call Dark Strings in the Scrappy Quilts category of the Blogger's Quilt Festival Fall 2016 Edition at Amy's Creative Side.  What a fun way to see quilts other bloggers have made, especially bloggers whose blogs are new to me.

I had an abundance of strings and began sewing the dark and medium ones together.  They are not all the same width.  My only criteria was not to have strings of the same fabric touching as I sewed lengthwise.

The blocks are 6" square and I used 2" squares on the corners, then sewed them diagonally.  The finished quilt measures 64 3/4" x 85 3/4".

The batting is Soft n Crafty 80% cotton / 20% polyester.  It hand quilts easily and puffs up nicely after a turn in the washer and a spin in the dryer.

You can see other entries in the Scrappy Quilts category here.  Any blogger can enter two quilts before Monday, September 26 at 11:50 pm. EDT.  Voting begins on Sunday, September, 25.  Click through and have a look at all the categories.

Thanks for visiting.

--Nancy.
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Red Wings for Blogger's Quilt Festival

It's quilt festival time and I'm entering my quilt, Red Wings and Stars, in the Fall 2016 Blogger's Quilt Festival at Amy's Creative Side.  Thanks so much for organizing and hosting this festival, Amy.  It's such fun to see bloggers' quilts I would have missed because I don't know about their blogs.

I designed the pattern for Red Wings as I went along.  It was made over several years' time, a block one week, several blocks another week, then the blocks were laid aside for a while I decided layout and sashing.   I've already written many posts about the making of this quilt.  I'll just share a few details in this post.

The blocks finish at 9 1/2", the blue sashing at 2" wide.  The whole quilt, after washing and drying, measures 62 1/2" x 86 3/4".

I used Soft & Crafty 80% cotton / 20% polyester batting.  It was easy to hand quilt and I like how it fluffs after washing and drying.

The weather has been too warm to use it but I'm sure it will be warm and cozy when cold winter winds blow.

I'm entering this quilt in the Large Quilt Category of the Blogger's Quilt Festival.  Click the link to see other quilts in this category.

If you'd like to enter a quilt, too, the deadline to enter is Saturday, September 24, at midnight EDT.  The categories include mini quilts, small quilts, large quilts, applique quilts, art quilts, hand quilted quilts, home machine quilted quilts, modern quilts, original design quilts, ROYGBIV quilts, and scrappy quilts.  Go to this link to get all the information and links to each category.  Prepare to be inspired!

After Monday, September 26, you can return Amy's Creative Side to vote for the quilts you like best in each category.

Thanks for visiting.
--Nancy.
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It's Festival Time for Center Light

Amy of Amy's Creative Side is hosting the fall Blogger's Quilt Festival to coincide with fall Quilt Market.  You still have time to enter.  Choose a category (one of 15!) at the festival link (above), write a post about your quilt, then link it to the category you chose.  What a fun way to see lots of quilts.

I'm entering Center Light into the scrappy quilt category.

This quilt came about because I had an over-abundance of light, plain scraps.  It was either throw them out or make them into something.  I chose the latter.  I did not have a layout in mind when I began sewing the blocks.  It's the result of pure play.  I finished stitching the top a few years ago and finished hand quilting it last month.  It measures 61½" x 80".  Individual blocks measured 5" before quilting and shrinkage in the washer.

You can see how scrappy some of the light blocks are from the two below.  I was just trying to use up the little pieces.

Here are two more views.

You can join the fun by viewing the quilts and/or by entering one of your quilts in whatever category seems right.   

Doesn't everyone love a festival, especially when we can miss the hustle and bustle of people packed elbow to elbow and just enjoy the sights?!  I know I do.  Now that I've finished this post I'm headed over to see the other entries in the festival.

Enjoy!

--Nancy.

P.S.  Here are links to all the categories:  baby quilt, throw quilt, scrappy quilt, group/bee quilt, two color quilt, ROYGBIV quilt, applique quilt, hand quilted quilt, home machine quilted quilt, professionally quilted quilt, quilt photographer, art quilt, doll/mini quilt, wall hanging, bed quilt.
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