color shuffle by katla alexander

My Window Box

| Cindy Anderson

The Birth of a QAL

Window Box is the quilt that started the ball rolling for our current Mystery QAL. Tracy at It’s A T-Sweets Day read my initial post and fell in love with the QAL idea. Together we designed and implemented a new QAL. The rest is history.

A Little Background

My quilt began its journey darn near twenty-one months ago. That’s probably not too unusual for most quilts. Works of Art take time and I think this quilt certainly falls under that definition.

Back in June of 2016 I went on a shopping adventure with a group of ladies. Purchased by each of us was a piece of this fabric.

Challenge Fabric
Challenge Fabric

Jointly we decided to challenge ourselves to create a project using the fabric. The goal was to finish our piece, then gather again in six months for show and tell. Sadly the meeting never took place. In fact, I don’t even know if my traveling companions made something with their fabric.

My Commitment

I was determined to follow-through on my commitment. I searched my quilting books looking for a suitable pattern until I found the Window Box in a publication called Color Shuffle: New Quilts from Karla Alexander.

Getting Started

With my pattern selected it was time to pull fabrics. From my stash I found an abundance of possible candidates. After narrowing down my options I got to work slicing and shuffling, then stitching them together.

Window Box Aquas/Teals
Window Box Yellows

The process from piles of fabric to finished quilt top took six months.

Window Box Quilt Square Ready to be Stitched
Window Box Quilt Blocks

I finished the top while on a sewing retreat during the summer of 2017. The completed top waited patiently to be quilted until mid December.

The Finished Quilt

I had so much fun when I finally had the opportunity to quilt it. Using a brightly colored, variegated thread I stitched a straight-line geometric pattern.

I’m so thrilled to reveal my quilt. Please enjoy the following photos.

Window-Box-Quilt
Window Box Quilt
Window-Box-Closeup-1
Window Box Closeup # 1
Window-Box-Closeup-2
Window Box Closeup # 2
Window-Box-Closeup-3
Window Box Closeup # 3
Window-Box-Closeup-4
Window Box Closeup # 4
Window-Box-Quilt-Backing
Window Box Quilt Backing & Label

As you can tell by the volume of photos I am head-over-heals in love with my quilt. I’m so glad I decided to use the fabric color combinations that I chose. I’m also very, very thrilled with the quilting. I just can’t say enough about how pleased I am with the finished product.

The Inspiration

How cool that this Window Box quilt has been the inspiration for another QAL. Even more exciting is the fact that I am not the only one participating and actually making something this time. 🙂

On to the next reveal!

Thank You!

Thank You so much for sharing your time with me! I always look forward to our visits. Talk with you soon!

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Window Box Quilt

| Cindy Anderson

Free Fabric

In June of 2016 my name was chosen as the lucky winner to receive 12 yards of free fabric. The 12 yards would be collected one yard at a time over the course of 12 months. The last month I was eligible was May of this year. The very first time I went to collect my free fabric I met three other friends at the fabric store. While shopping we discovered we all liked the same bolt of fabric. The fabric, as shown in this photo, is the one on the top of the pile.

Fabric_Challenge

A Challenge

Since we all liked the same fabric we thought it would be fun to have a challenge. We decided jointly to meet up again in December of 2016 with our finished art piece. The idea of a challenge seemed fun and easily attainable. But, you know how easy it is to put those plans on the back burner. The date for our group rendezvous was moved several times. Sadly, as of today it has never been rescheduled.

Pattern Chosen

Even though our group activity has never taken place I was still bound and determined to conquer my goal. I set out to find a pattern and coordinating fabrics to utilize in my quest. After leafing through pages and pages of quilting books I finally decided to use the Window Box pattern from the book Color Shuffle by Karla Alexander. I’ve included a link to the authors website. Unfortunately the book is no longer available from her. All of the fabrics, except for the challenge piece, were taken from my stash.

Progress Made

In February of this year, with the Super Bowl on in the background, I gathered up my supplies and started my quilt (On My Table Today). These are some of the fabrics I chose along with photos of a few quilt blocks.

Window Box Yellows
Window Box Yellows
Window Box Aquas
Window Box Aquas/Teals
Window Box Quilt Square
Window Box Quilt Square Ready to be Stitched
Window Box Quilt Blocks
Window Box Quilt Blocks

I’m happy to report that all 80 of the quilt block have been assembled and my quilt top is now ready for quilting. Once that part is accomplished I will bring you an update. On to the next project.

Cindy Anderson

Colorado Quilt is Finished

| Cindy Anderson

“I’m so excited that I just can’t hide it”. . .

Hide what you might ask?  Since January, of this year, I have been making a king size quilt for my Colorado daughter.  Many, many hours have been invested in its outcome.  After toiling over the construction and assembly of 100+ blocks, applying the borders, loading it on my long arm quilt machine, free motion quilting it, attaching and securing the binding . . . I am so very proud and pleased to say . . . it is Finished!!  Although its been a very long journey, I’ve loved pouring my heart into this beautiful creation.  The pattern was taken from Karla Alexander’s book Color Shuffle.  All of the fabric was purchased from Life’s A Stitch Quilt Shoppe  in Janesville, Wisconsin.  Let me share a few photos with you.

In the beginning . . .

It all began here . . . 100+ blocks awaiting assembly

The Quilt Top Before Quilting

This is the quilt top as it appeared after assembling 100+ squares and borders
The quilt sandwich awaiting its quilting stitches
A view of the meandering from the back side of the quilt
Another section of the backing after it was quilted
The quilt top draped over the quilting bars on my long arm quilting machine
It took 354 pins to secure the quilt top and back to the rollers of my long arm quilt machine. This view was taken just before removing the pins and the quilt from the machine.
Pins awaiting removal

I am just as pleased with the outcome of the quilt top as I am of the backing.  The back was assembled from left over blocks as well as fabric.  I think my daughter will be able to display the quilt on her bed from either side.

This is a sample of the meandering as it appears on the back side of the quilt
Another view of the quilt back

All finished, the quilt measures 113″ x 113.5″ and weighs 9.2 pounds.  If only I had kept track of the number of hours, yards of fabric and miles of thread used to put it together.  What an interesting bit of information that would have been.  Then again, maybe I wouldn’t want to know.  Any way, it was a labor of love for me and I will be so proud to see it displayed on my daughter’s bed when I hand deliver it to her in Colorado this fall.  I’m also certain that, since this quilt has been so much a part of my life the last nine months, I will truly miss seeing it every day.  I guess I will have to revisit this blog post and admire the pictures when ever I get lonely.

So what do you think?

I’m linking up with fellow quilters at Freshly Pieced.  Stop by her blog and entertain yourself with the other wonderful creations.