Last finish of 2012

Just finished a quilt for a two year old relative called Ava.  Ava is Robert's cousin, another baby who caught me by surprise so when she was born I just had time to russle up two flannel cot sheets. 

My Wise Owls quilt is a new style for me; a strippy quilt, strips laid horizontally, using  a very pretty owl fabric ( Urban Zoologie by Robert Kaufman), pretty trees ( Riley Blake) and a fabric depicting rabbits running through the woods.
Applique is hand blanket stitched and the whole quilt is hand quilted using Perle cotton.
Came together really quickly and I hand quilted it quickly too. Didn't do a lot of fancy maths - just used the width of fabric, cut in a variety of depths. The only 'working out' was making the top and bottom stripes the same fabric so there was more order to the look of the quilt and I wanted the length suitable to go on top of a toddler bed.
I'll certainly do this style of quilt again but for a baby quilt I would make it from narrower strips.

 

And a close-up to show some of the applique:

 

All the fabrics were in my stash, some have been there for 2 or 3 years so it was good to be able to use them.  I was so pleased at how the colours came together too, especially the green binding. This was a fabric I bought some years ago for a Block Swap which asked for colours outside my normal range.  Used it in a couple of swaps but then it has sat in the drawer waiting for this quilt binding. The green is exactly the shade of the grass in the woods that the rabbits are scampering through! All used up save for two small strips which have gone into my Strips Bag ready for another String Quilt/cushion.

 

Last night I worked out how many items I have sewn this year and was amazed at my productivity!

 

16 quilts ( included 6 Preemie Quilts)

6 Needlebooks

9 Cushions

3 Tote bags

2 Patchwork Bathmats

Participated in 2 Group Quilts

1 WIP Children's quilt, almost done

 

I also knitted a stripey Baby blanket and made a few Crinkle squares for babies.

 

So, my Wise Owls Quilt is the last of my finishes for this year but I have already started another

I Spy Bubbles quilt for a baby expected in New Zealand in a couple of weeks time.

 

I hope wherever you are in the world you have an enjoyable New Year's Eve.

See you in 2013!