On the Farm

Chickens! Eggs! They're all on the farm. The Metro Market chickens link Molly's quilt to her twin brother Andrew's quilt. I wanted the quilts to be distinct and unique, yet connected in some way. Fabric in multiple colorways provide some congruence, though the colors, design, and layout of each differ.

I started with squares and rectangles of the chickens (and one other non-farm animal -- can you see it?) and added layers to them. I tried to pick the subsequent fabrics at random, though admittedly I adjusted to ensure that they were all represented and there weren't major clusters of fabric or certain ones that dominated. The black fabric with white "beads" (3rd row down, center block, 3rd square layer) continues to be one of my favorites -- alas, I only have a bit left and I have no idea where I found it. I'll be using it sparingly in the future. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the Michael Miller black/white ironworks worked as a frame (bottom right, for example).

I used a hippo from the IKEA hippo fabric I have as the label. I've been meaning to do this for a while but often forget. It coordinates perfectly with this quilt...

 ...because one center block is not a chicken, but a hippo. Not so much a farm animal or even a domesticated animal of any sort, but I couldn't resist. Some ladybugs and bees made it in as well, though they're certainly not limited to farm life.

I backed the quilt with bright yellow fleece. For those who wonder, I use a regular universal needle for quilting with fleece. There may be a needle I'm "supposed" to use but I've always had good experiences with my standard ones. I created a grid of horizontal and vertical lines, but interspersed some closer and farther apart so it's not a standard grid. I really love this quilting and expect to use it again in the near future.

Washed-up and sun-dappled! I used a red fabric with black and white dots for the binding, and I think it brings the quilt together well. I've been incorporating a lot more solids in my quilts of late. This one uses red, yellow, and white, all of which please me. It's hard to pick a favorite block out of these, but I do love the mostly black-and-white with the small yellow chicken center. But then there's the second row, left block with all the different colors in it which I also love. I like that it's hard to choose a favorite! I'm also pleased with the mix of business (blocks) and order (layout). There's lot to look at it, but it's also possible to focus on one block.

Molly's quilt nestled in its own bag. Unlike the handles of Andrew's bag, which required a little manipulation after I sewed them on wrong the first time, I remembered (and double-checked) how to sew these handles on correctly. I also used some thin interfacing to give them a little more heft and make them sturdier. I started with a 5" wide piece of fabric, interfaced it, folded it in half and ironed it, and then folded the edges to the middle and ironed it, and then sewed down the 1.25" handle. I think they'll hold up well to wear-and-tear.