Boxed Zoo - Orange COMPLETE

I like to introduce you to my latest finished quilt - Boxed Zoo - ORANGE edition ;)

Look familiar? Remember this one that was done using the GREEN fabric instead (and no added border):

I have this 'thing' with making multiples from one design, but with slight variations :) - it's a sickness really. I love to see how a simple change, like color or print could totally the look and feel of a design. In this case, the simple change of a color - green vs orange and a small border make these 2 quilts feel so different.

In my opinion, the orange quilt is way more earthy and warm while the green is cooler and more fresh. I love how the orange plays so well with the browns in this quilt:

I was so ecstatic to have a fabric from Riley Blake (Sew Cherry) that so well with the design prints of the quilt top:

One of the biggest challenges was to find a border that would be fun but not too loud - since I wanted the focus to be the zoo print:

As with the first quilt, I had a blast making the orange version - maybe even more so because I love comparing and contrasting it with the first quilt. Love the look and warm feeling of the orange version :) 

Quilt Information:

Boxed Zoo - Orange
Front: 100% Cotton Prints (featured fabric: 2-D zoo from Alexander Henry)
Batting: Warm & Natural 100% cotton
Backing: 100% Cotton Print and solid
Completed Dimension: 65" x 89"
Quilting Method: Free-Style
Binding: Machine Stitched for extra durability

Where to buy? JAQS Studio @ Etsy 

I will be sharing this quilt at these great Linking Parties.

Boxed Zoo Orange Pinning

Starting to pin up Boxed Zoo #2 today.  I don't know which color I like more this orange dot one or the green dot one.  I have to have a side by side after I finish this one.  This orange dot fabric works really well with the current autumn feel - and you know how much I love autumn ;). 



The weekend is almost here :) YIPPEE! This week is flying by and the weekend is just around the corner.

Boxed Zoo - Green COMPLETE

Remember this quilt that's been in the works for over month?  Well I am happy to say that it is finally complete :)

I am super happy about how this turned out. The original pattern has a small border around the edge - which I completely forgot to sew on :(. But I think the quilt turned out wonderfully without a border, don't you?

The back of the quilt uses the prints from the front in a strip of squares down the middle of the quilt back.

I love the way the striped binding goes with the zoo print as well as the polka fabric. The striped binding also added a nice contrast to the dots as well:

My favorite thing about this quilt is the way the prints go so nicely together. I was a little worried with the dots...and then the dots with the stripes ;). I started to think "What am I doing?? Stripes with dots???" However, I am glad I stuck with it because the results turn out much better than I imagined :)

Here are some details about the quilt and my Etsy shop if you are in the market for a kind quilt :)

Quilt Information:

Boxed Zoo - Green
Front: 100% Cotton Prints (featured fabric: 2-D zoo from Alexander Henry)
Batting: Warm & Natural 100% cotton
Backing: 100% Cotton Print and solid
Completed Dimension: 64" x 88"
Quilting Method: Free-Style
Binding: Machine Stitched for extra durability

Where to buy? JAQS Studio @ Etsy 

I will be sharing this quilt at these great Linking Parties.

Boxed In Completed!

It's done!  It's done!  I felt like a lifetime ago, alright not quite :P, but IT IS DONE!  After nights and nights of hand-binding this lap size quilt it is now ready to be packaged up and handed off to my sister.

Here's some evidence of the completion:

A whole 41"x59" of completed quilt.  The colors don't show up all that well in this picture, but you could get a feel of the quilt.


Another view of the whole quilt.

A closeup of the front:

I have a little worried about the color scheme for the blocks, but I think it turned out pretty good.  I really like the way out sashing around the blocks went together so well with the blocks.

Here's a closer view of the top and back:

For the back I used an all white broadcloth.  I was afraid any business from the back would be a little too much for this quilt.  I went with a free motion swirls for the quilting style - about 1-1.5 inches apart.

A closer view of the binding and quilting:

The hand binding gave the quilt a very nice finish.  The binding matched the color of the inner most fabric of the blocks.  Even upon close inspection, the thread was hidden in the binding. 


My sister don't really know much about quilts.  After I completed my hand-quilted one she really wanted one of her own and I was happy to help out.  Her request?  Something with a reddish theme to use on the couch.   However after completing this quilt and working on the Modded (brown) quilt, I think she may like the Modded one more actually.  We'll see.  I'll give her a choice when both are done - she may have to wait a little longer if she decides she wants the Modded one instead.

 Quilt Info:
Boxed In (1)
Front: 100% Cotton Print Fabrics
Batting: Warm & Natural 100% cotton
Backing: White Broadcloth 100% cotton
Completed Dimension: 41"x59"
Quilting Method: Machine, Free Style - Swirls 1"-1.5" apart
Binding: Machine Sew to Front and Hand Sew to Back

The Stash - Adding Stripes - Binding and More

Got a bunch of stripes today - pictured below from www.fabric.com.

An assortment of colorful stripes from the mail today.

I LOVE stripe fabrics - even before I started quilting. Haha I never really found that many uses for stripes before quilting. There's the occasional pillow top or fringe for a clothing item. But QUILTING has been my lots of reasons for getting stripes - more stripes.  I really like the look of stripes (and polka dots) for the binding of quilts.  It could help create a fun and unexpected finish to any quilt.  Sometimes the stripes serve to tie all the fabrics together on a quilt - having stripes that are similar and goes with each of the fabrics on a quilt.  Sometimes the stripes serve to completely contrast the piece - like an unexpected design to keep the quilt interesting.  Or sometimes it's just a nice fabric that goes with the overall design of the quilt.

Here's a quilt that I used a from polka dotted fabric for the binding.  I didn't want the binding to be the same color as the quilt - but I wanted it to go with the earthy feel of the quilt.  I opted for a olive colored fabric with small white polka dots.

The small white polka dots on olive fabric added a nice contrast from the floral designs of the fabrics on the quilt top.  However at the same time, the color went very well with the earth tones of the quilt top.

For the Boxed In quilt that I'm making for my sister (still in progress :P), I went with a fabric that matches the quilt top - it's  dark red that is almost the same shade as the reds on the quilt top.  The fabric is striped with a very subtle gold/brown design.  I like the look of the slight stripes with this quilt because it gives it a fun finish without distracting from the overall quilt.  It is still subtle enough to maintain the more 'adult' look of the quilt.

It's not pictured too well here, but you could see that the red of the binding matches the red on the quilt top.  The binding also has a stripe design on it.

Can't wait till I get a chance to cut up these new stripes fabrics - probably more binding? BUT maybe I'll use some for the quilt top??? We'll see...

Quilt for Sis Update (Boxed In Quilt)

A few posts ago I mentioned that I was making a quilt for my sister.  Well I am STILL making a quilt for my sister - or rather the same quilt.  It's been a busy week - work, taking son to doctors, and DISNEYLAND (what a blast that was - maybe I'll get around to posting a quick summary of the trip later on...)!!!

Well I finally got a chance to make a little more progress on the Boxed In quilt for Sis.  I finished free motion quilting the top.  The free quilting gave the quilt a very nice feel because the color screen and design was making the quilt feel a little too ... boxy after the quilt top was done.  But the free-motion quilting softened the look of the quilt and gave it a very nice complete feel.

Here's a picture of the quilting in progress:


I use my Juki TL-98E for free motion quilting.  Notice the safety pin in the right side of the picture.  I use a lot of safety pins to keep the quilt sandwich in place while I quilt by machine.  I pin about 3-5 inches apart all over the quilt through all the layers of the quilt - top, batting, and quilt bottom.

After all the quilting was complete I machine sew on the binding (my FAVE) to the top of the top and proceeded to hand sew the binding.

Here's a few pictures of how I hand sew on the binding after it's been machine sewn on from the top.  (A lot of quilting blogs go over this in detail so I'm not going to go over in great detail - visit sites like "Oh, Franson!" for more details.)

1) After the loose side of the binding is machine sewn onto to the top of the quilt, flip the bottom over to the back and push your threaded needle just at the edge of the binding - push it through until you get a little big of the batting.  Make sure you don't push through to the quilt top.

Needle through the binding, catch a little bit of the batting and start turning the needle back up.

2) After catching a little of the batting, start pushing the needle back up through the binding - about 1/8" from where the needle went down.  This will create stitches about 1/8" apart.  You may decide to space it out further or closer base on your quilt.

Needle push back up through the binding - creating a stitch about 1/8" apart.  

3) Continue stop (1) right next to where the needle was pushed up from.  You may choose to space this apart a little to exaggerate the stitch on the binding or you may choose to barely put any spacing to minimize or even hide the stitch.  I like to hide or minimize as much as possible.

And the results?

Awesome, professional, clean looking binding.  A great finish to any quilt. I'm still working on finishing up the binding - about half away through.  After the binding, then a quick wash/dry and the quilt will be ready to go - I guess I can't claim a finished quilt that stop is done huh?  Will update in another posting - the finished Boxed In for Sister.

Boxed-In Quilt for Sis

Currently Project: Boxed-In quilt for my sister.  She wanted something with a red theme to it, to be used on a couch, and since I'm a time crunch she wanted something simple.  So I went with the Boxed In design pattern:

The basic design looks like this:


The basic idea is for 6 blocks surrounded by sashing on all sides.  The sashing is all one color.  For my sister's quilt I went with a subtle patterned sashing, patterned clocks, and a patterned matching binding.  This finished pattern will be 49"x51" - a good size for a lap quit.

The STACK:

I always like to take a picture of what I refer to as "THE STACK".  It's all the cut fabric needed for the quilt, stacked up and ready for sewing.  It always amazes me how little the fabric stack looks.

Each block was pieced together, ironed and laid out ready for assembling into the top.  You could see from the photo below the block ready to be assembled.  On the upper left hand corner was the sashing strips.

 I went from a patterns that were a bit different from each color but still went will together.  


A closer look at a block. I went with a bold deep red color for the inside, white colored pattern for the middle, and matching exterior patterns for the outer clock color.


While putting the blocks together I was having second thoughts about the color scheme and pattern I picked.  It felt a little too contrasting and a little too bold.  But I chugged along anyways.  And I'm glad I did.  When the top was put together the color scheme finally popped and it's looking to be a very nice quilt.  I'll post more of the progress as I take pictures and finish up the quilt.

Here's a peak of the quilt - still a ways to go but it's looking good.


I went with a free-style wiggly design all around the quilt. This gave the quilt top a finished, cohesive look since the colors were quite contrasting.  The quilting thread is a 100% cotton quilting thread from Gutermann.  I'm using my Juki TL-98Q with the 1/4" quilting foot attachment.


Here's a peak of the binding strip.  It's a different pattern from the top but matches quite well to the overall design of the quilt.  I can't wait to finish this up!


Stay tuned for the quilting progress.