Mendocino Brick quilt

It's been quite some time since I posted a finished quilt.  As I was making Kieran's bed this morning, I realized that I never got around to sharing his Mendocino Brick quilt.  It was finished earlier this year (can't remember exactly when) and hastily thrown onto his bed for warmth.

I was afraid the binding I chose (Bob's Shirt from an old Erin McMorris line) would be too dark, but I think it's perfect.  And I adore the back, an oldie but goody from Deer Valley by Joel Dewberry.  I would adore it more if the lines were seamless, but apparently, this is what happens when you buy a stripey print from two different bolts:  

See where the lines match up perfectly on the left?  That's the middle of the quilt.  As you veer away from that middle point, the lines become more and more off-kilter.  It took me a whole day to get over it.

Kieran already has plans for his next quilt.  Take a number, kid.  I still have three other finished tops to quilt, plus a quilt to start and finish for an August wedding.

One step closer

Two Fridays ago, I received an invitation from the gals of the South Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild to attend their Sew Day.  I jumped at the chance- the siren song of a clean, uncluttered space with just the sound of sewing machines and quilt-focused chatter proved too strong to resist.

I worked very industriously on Kieran's brick quilt (there's a nice in-progress photo here, courtesy of Anne).  The entire top should have been finished, but poor planning after laying out the blocks the night before required that I work on one row at a time instead of chain piecing everything at once to keep them in "random" order.   Note to self- next time, number the blocks!

Most of the top was sewn up before I left Sew Day (it was 4 rows shy of completion).  We've had an extended heat wave in the Bay Area, and my "sewing room" (a.k.a. the front entryway) traps heat.  So no sewing for me since then.

Thank goodness the heat finally broke over the weekend and we're back to mild California summer weather.  I spent Sunday afternoon sewing with a quilty friend and finally completed the top:

More poor planning regarding the quilt back requires a few days' wait until the backing fabric arrives in the mail.  Maybe I'll have a finish by next week. 

And how was your weekend?

One for the little guy

Now that his siblings each have a quilt on their beds, my youngest is asking "Where's my quilt, mommy?"  Fear not, little one.  Mama has had your quilt planned out for some time. 

The fabric has been sitting in a drawer since Kieran was a little over a year old.  I happened to spot some Mendocino prints out in the wild a couple of years ago (way past any hope of doing so) and picked up a yard each of Kelp Forest in brown and Seahorses in copper.  A swap with a kind soul last year brought half a yard of Kelp Stripe in the colorway I needed.  Since I'm not crazy enough to pay the exorbitant prices that Mendocino is fetching on Etsy and Ebay, I'm content with the three prints I have.

Kieran is quite excited to see me working on his quilt (even if it's only been the cutting of fabric) and is so proud to have chosen the coordinating orange and blue solids from my stash. 

I'm waiting for Amy Butler's Sunspots to arrive in a couple of colorways (which may or may not work).  Once those are cut, the quilt top should come together quickly since I'm doing a simple brick pattern.

Of course, now that the weather has turned warm, the quilt will be finished at a time of year when it won't really be of any use.  But the little guy will be happy to drag it all over the house until he does need it. 

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.  There are lots of cool projects linked up, so grab a glass of wine or a cup of coffee and go take a look!