What to Do with Fabric Too Pretty to Cut

Do you have any fabric that is too pretty to cut?

I've got this 1 1/2 yard piece of fabric that I love. I've been saving it to make a quilt for my (almost) 5-year old daughter. She's a big fan of purple and pink, so I think she will like this fabric.

It's from the Just Wing It collection by MoMo, one of my favorite designers.

It features a large scale design of butterflies, trees, and flowers. Cutting it into smaller pieces would mean that I'd lose some of the design. So instead of cutting it, I'm going to use it whole.

I did the same thing with a piece from the It's a Hoot collection, also by MoMo, when I made Bird Park.

Again, the large scale design would have been lost by cutting it so I kept it whole.

I'm still deciding what I'll do with the borders for the Just Wing It piece. Whatever I decide, I want to keep it simple so as not to distract from the center.

What do you do with large scale prints?

Quilts and Ladders

I love the look of a quilt on a ladder.  

I've always wanted a ladder for my quilts, but was never able to find one that I liked for the right price.

A couple of days ago, I was browsing through blogland and came across photos of quilts displayed on ladders and wanted one.  On a whim, I checked Craigslist and found a listing that was just posted for five vintage ladders. It was a happy day! 

I brought this one home yesterday.

Immediately, I tried out the Just Stay Little quilt that I made for my daughter last year and draped it over one of the rungs. I loved the look. 

I loved it so much that I'll be going back to get a couple more ladders. After all, I've got a lot of quilts to pull out of the closet and enjoy displayed. 

How about you? How do you display your quilts?

A New Favorite Quilt

I have a new favorite. Her name is Simplicity.

I made Simplicity in response to the Madrona Road challenge. For more on that, click here.

I was inspired by Lilac Crush, in the Modern Quilts book. I used improvisational piecing to create Simplicity, sewing together whatever pieces suited my fancy. I must admit, it was fun!

I'm surprised by how much I like Simplicity. I don't usually use her muted colors in my quilts, but somehow they work for me. I used Kona Oyster for her background. It is also a new favorite. It's a creamy off white-beige that reminds me of vanilla ice cream swirled with caramel. Yum-o!

This is my favorite block.

I don't usually use text fabrics in my quilts, but again Simplicity surprised me with this piece that I randomly cut. Like the Princess, I, too, long for a simpler life!

In keeping Simplicity's quilting simple, I opted for wavy lines. They were quick and easy and made for great texture. Love them!

In my mission to reduce my scraps, I used just about all the scraps in the back, along with a few pieces from my stash. I saved a few pieces to make matching pillows at some point.

Simplicity measures 87" x 92" and is just the right size for my bed.

Here's to more simple quilts!

Linking up Finish It Up Friday!

A Sneak Peek

I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day!

After a bit of family time, I spent my day working on the quilt for the Madrona Road challenge. I finished the quilting right before the guild meeting where the big reveal was scheduled.

Here's a peek at the quilt.

Even though I didn't get to finish the binding, I shared the quilt at the guild meeting in all its untrimmed-fresh-off-the-longarm glory.

Next up: binding!

And the Simply Color goes to...

Thank you to everyone who entered my Sew Mama Sew giveaway for a chance to win a charm pack of Simply Color by V and Co.

You had some great ideas about how to use up those scraps, some of which I've already started to put into practice. Thank you for sharing!

Random.org picked #678 - Ana from Stash Avalanche!

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:678Powered byRANDOM.ORG

678. Stash Avalanche May 8, 2013 at 12:40 PM
I have a jar with loads of tiny triangular scraps which I am (eventually) going to applique onto a quilt like tiny flags.
Thanks for the giveaway!

Ana's quilt is going to be pretty amazing with all those teeny tiny triangles!

Congratulations, Ana!

Going the Minimalist Route on Madrona Road

Back in February, I accepted a packet of 7 fat eighths as part of the Madrona Road challenge at my guild meeting. The challenge is to use the fat eighths, along with any other Madrona fabrics and solids.

Since February, I've gone back and forth about what to do with the fabrics. It wasn't until a couple of days ago (Monday to be exact) that I decided to go the minimalist route.

I was inspired by Lilac Crush in the Quilting Modern book by Jacquie Gering and Katie Pedersen.

I'm loving the minimalism of the blocks.

Since the reveal is this Sunday, I'm also faced with the challenge of finishing the quilt on time. Did I mention that I decided to make this a queen-sized quilt?!? Clearly, I like challenges.

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day!

It's Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day!

If you're stopping by Mama Love Quilts for the first time, welcome! Feel free to browse around.

I'm Nicole, a modern quilter, who loves making quilts and other small projects using improvisational and traditional techniques. Here are a few of my makes so far this year.

1. Wonky Star Class Sample, 2. baby life quilt_words, 3. Blue Daze, 4. Circle of Geese, 5. Baby Life Quilt and bag, 6. wonkystar

In celebration of Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day, I'm giving away a charm pack of Simply Color by V and Co. Simply Color is a great collection of blues, greens, oranges, yellows, pinks, and purples. 

You've got three chances to win: 

1. Leave me a comment with a tip for using up fabric scraps (one entry). My scrap bins runneth over! How do you use up your scraps? 

2. Follow my blog (via Bloglovin, Google Friend Connect, email, RSS, etc.) and let me know in a comment. If you're already a follower, leave me a comment letting me know (one entry).

3. Like me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and leave me a comment letting me know (one entry). 

The giveaway will stay open until May 10th at 8 p.m. EST.

I'll let Random.org pick the winner. If you are a no-reply blogger, please leave your email address in your comment so that I can contact you if you win. 

The giveaway is open to everyone, including folks outside of the U.S.

Good luck!

The giveaway is closed!