Cascadia mystery solved

Cascadia Doll Quilt, 16 1/2 x 18 1/8 inches.

I finished putting together Lori's Cascadia doll quilt mystery. It was small enough that I layered the top and backing with right sides together on top of the batting, stitched around it except for an opening to turn it inside out. Now I just need to add a bit of quilting. So close to being finished now that it might actually get done! (My last version of Lori's quilt-a-long is still only a top.)

If the fabrics look familiar, they are leftovers from Prairie Flowers with a blue and a few browns from the scrap bag thrown in.

Warning: There's pink in this quilt too

Not sure why there's been so much pink in my quilting life lately. At least this one isn't a baby quilt. It's an old UFO. Four applique blocks have been finished for 10 years now. The plan had been to do six, but I decided that after 10 years of no progress, another block was probably not going to happen.

For seven years, I've kept this magazine with the blocks because I liked this pieced sashing.

But it didn't work. The scale was too big and it was too busy for the applique. But the print fabric looked good. Even my husband agreed.

I had only a yard of the border fabric. Also years old so no hope of getting more. Not that I would have. I prefer the results of making do, which pushes you creatively. I extended the sashing into the border to jazz things up a bit. And the border width was determined by the amount of fabric available.

For awhile I considered adding the sashing fabric around the edge either as part of the top or as very wide binding, but it was too much.

Instead I'm going with regular size binding in a not-quite pink shade. My husband suggested the fabric, and it is the perfect choice. You can see it on the right in the picture above. I'm surprised sometimes by how helpful he can be and how willing he is to give his opinion.

Below is a picture of the whole quilt. The colors are more accurate in the picture above. We are into that time of year where it is perpetually gray skies, and it will be awhile before I can get a better shot.

55 x 55 inches. 
Applique from the book 'Prairie Flower' by Barbara Brackman.

Now, I need to find my next project.

Yes, another pink baby quilt!

41 x 41 inches.

The baby quilt was for one of the neighbors. I had the top done ages ago, but with all the work travel this year, I hadn't gotten around to quilting it. Then a For Sale sign popped up in their yard, and I had the motivation I needed!

The backing is a soft pink minky. A little slippery to work with and did it shed when cut! I was covered in pink bits for days, but I'd use it again because I think babies will love the feel. I do.

The quilt was based on the pink fabric from my stash. The pattern is one of my own that I've made before, which leaves large areas of the focus fabric visible. The colors for the rail fence and star blocks are taken from the colors in the focus fabric: blue, teal, yellow and red. An odd combination, but a happy one.

For the quilting, I used the zigzag stitch from this quilt, and quilted a grid of horizontal and vertical lines.

All fabric from the stash and scrap basket except for the backing. 

A pink finish

44 x 44 inches.

The very pink baby quilt was finished right as the baby arrived. A girl as expected. Hope she likes pink as much as her mother.

The back is a warm and soft flannel. Probably getting lots of use this week with its unseasonable cold. Temps below freezing and wind chills even lower. Brrrrrrrr.

Machine quilting in the ditch with the lines extended into the background.

I can't seem to get the colors quite right in any of my pictures.