Quilts by Julie Ramsey
Archive for May, 2010
Irish Chain
May 22nd
After at least a month of sitting on the shelf, waiting for borders to be added, I finally finished my double Irish chain quilt. I’m really happy with the way this one turned out; it looks a lot better than the smaller Irish chain I did several years ago when I was just starting out as a quilter!
This quilt would be a great option if you’d like a custom quilt– there is a TON of flexibility with the color schemes, and it would look great in just about any combination you could choose!
So much for lime and black!
May 21st
I took a trip out to the bookstore today and came home with a copy of Celtic Pieced Illusions by Karen Combs. Now I can’t wait to make my own Celtic knot quilt! The method is very simple, using just two blocks– triangle-in-the-corner blocks and nine-patches– and I think I can put together this multicolor knot quilt without too much pain sometime in the near future.
Adventures in sub-par workmanship
May 21st
Today, I finished up my latest Quilts for Kids project, made with the fabric the charity sent me to work with. I really love the colors in this one, it’s very bright and happy– probably a little more over-the-top than I would have chosen for a project, but I’m sure it’ll liven up a hospital room!
The frustrating thing, though, is that the quilting on this one did not go well. The back tension ended up being loose, and I didn’t notice until I had the entire quilt quilted, so it’s full of loose loops that I’m afraid will tear apart. On top of that, there’s a decent-sized fold in the backing… oops.
I’ll chalk this one up to being a rush job, and rest assured that some sick child isn’t going to care about a few loose stitches here and there, and instead enjoy having something bright to hug in the hospital. 
Scrappy trails
May 19th
I finished my “Love U” “Scrappy Trails” quilt top this afternoon, after having the blocks sit around for a few days. The quilt is supposed to be one row longer, but I mysteriously (?) ended up half a block short on fabric. I like it just fine as a square, though, even if it’s a bit on the small side.
I’ve never worked with a “jelly roll” before (a bundle of 2.5″ x 44″ strips in about 40 different prints), but I’ve decided that I’m now addicted to them. The cuts are accurate, the strips are straight, and all of my blocks’ seams lined up perfectly, what more could a quilter ask for? (Besides a longarm machine and room to use it, but that’s another thing!)
More in lime green
May 16th
I’ve been playing around some more with Electric Quilt, trying to come up with something snazzy in a black/white/lime color scheme. This one is from a “Northern Star” pattern book I picked up a while back, and would be fairly easy to put together with my special flying-geese rulers.
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I can’t decide which color scheme I like best. I’m leaning towards the one on the left, but it might be too much black. I’ve asked my Facebook friends to weigh in on the question, so hopefully I’ll have some help with the decision
Scrappy trails preview
May 14th
Despite the fun colors and cheerful patterns, I’ve had a hard time getting myself “into the groove” to work on my project with the “Love U” jelly roll and charm pack. The pattern, called Scrappy Trails, works up quickly and easily, which may be why I’m not super-interested in this one, really… I’ve done fairly simple projects lately, and I was hoping for something a little more complex.
On the plus side, it’s turning out to be a very cute quilt! The only drawback is that there’s a single bright-blue strip in the package that tends to stand out among all the other, more pastel, shades, but overall I’m pleased with the effect.
I think I may set this one aside once I have all of the blocks assembled, but we’ll see how it goes. I wouldn’t be surprised if it grows on me once I’ve thrown myself into the piecework a bit
Snowballs for Grandma
May 6th
The quilt top I’ve been working on for my grandmother is finally finished, and I’m very pleased with the way it turned out. Sure, there are a lot of spots where points don’t quite match up, but the overall effect is very cheerful, and I love the color scheme.
This one will be finished with a stitch-in-the-ditch between the blocks, and probably free-motion heart designs inside the white “snowball” patches.
The design came from “Snowball Quilt: Simplified,” which you can snag for a few dollars used online.
