September Update

The blog has been quiet but the sewing machine has been busy! I finally got this quilt, which is a secret gift for my neighbors, to a top.  I need to get this finished because I have a lot of other things besides this to finish up for the 3rd Quarter Finish-A-Long finale that will be linking up at the end of the month.

The quilt I'm making for them is Rochelle Martin's "Morning Catch" from her book "Man Cave Quilts".  Here's what's been happening all month:

Starting the layout and choosing fabrics for the sections (it's all batiks):

 

Establishing the final layout:

Adding the  fish appliques and "fish words" (I changed the pattern's words to ones that represent what people fish for in our area).  The word fabric is a hand dye leftover from another project, the fish are various cotton and batik prints and all were fused on with the edges finished with zigzag stitching:



 

Adding the final border:

The rod applique and the fishing line (couched pearl cotton) are part of the original pattern design.  I added the bobber and tackle box which I got from the "Summer Star" quilt pattern in the book "A Star "4" Every Season" by Kansas Troubles.  Some of the solid fabrics used for these are more of the hand dyed project leftovers, the rest are from a couple Cherrywood "Grab Bags" I purchased at a quilt show a few years back.  The tackle box fabrics are from my flannel leftovers/stash: 

 

 

Finished top viewed from either direction.



 

I already have backing and batting in house so hope to get this layered and maybe even quilted this weekend.  There is also a market bag that's going to be given with this gift which should be quick to cut out and make up as well.  I also need to go through the batik leftovers because I have another quilt (this time a surprise for my DH) that I hope to add some of these fabrics to. 

 

It is chilly today so feels good to be able to stay in and sew.  Hope you have plans for a very quilty weekend too!