22 January 2016

Ugly Christmas Sweaters - First Finishes of 2016



I am so excited to have completed both the Maxi and Super Mini size versions of The Ugly Christmas Sweaters quilts. These are my first finishes for the new year!

The fresh snow provided a lovely backdrop and certainly made those colours pop. But, once again, I climbed aboard the trusty old hay wagon to get a full front shot of this little quilt.




And the gentle (but very frigid) breeze enabled me to get that contrasting backing shot. Let me tell you... Once I got back into the warmth of the house, following this photo shoot, it was time for a nice hot cup of coffee. And a piece of apple pie. 




A few close up shots....


Christmas Tree 6" quilt block coming March 24th


Turnstile 6" quilt block coming February 29th

Grecian Square 6" quilt block coming February 18th

Weathervane 6" quilt block coming March 7th



Ohio Star and Economy Square 6" quilt blocks
coming March 14th and 17th




The Sweater Weather backing was the perfect choice - both in name and because of the bold turquoise background of that print. I love how it contrasts with the overall feel of the front of the quilt. And who can resist those adorable foxes?

Swedish Star and Shoo Fly 6" quilt blocks
coming March 3rd and February 8th



Thank you Michael Miller Fabrics!!! These Ugly Christmas Sweaters quilt projects have been generously sponsored by Michael Miller Fabrics. The quilt tops are made entirely of selections from the Cotton Couture collection. And the background and backing are from the Festive Forest collection by Tamara Kate Design.




I loved working with these scrumptious shades of Cotton Couture: Watermelon, Soft White, Orange, Canary, Turquoise, Luna, Asparagus and Princess pink. These combinations looked great in those Ugly Christmas Sweaters blocks and blended well with the Festive Nest that I used for the background.






I chose to quilt both of these finishes using the extended zig-zag stitch to mimic the look of actual knitted sweaters. Manufacturer's Recommendation: Cold Water Wash and Lay Flat to Dry! Hahaha!




For my Super Mini quilt, I sewed some cute little corner tabs into the binding, for easy hanging. Just add a stick with a hole in it and we're good to go!







Ugly Christmas Sweaters is a free quilt along that is being hosted here on the Sew Fresh Quilts blog. This design features a 6" block on each sweater and the sweater blocks finish at 12" square. These blocks are made using traditional piecing methods. No templates. No paper piecing. Only simple straight line sewing and diagonal seams. Easy to follow instructions are provided for every step of the way! The Ugly Christmas Sweaters quilt along includes material requirements lists for four different quilt size options and instructions for 21 different 6" block designs. But you can choose any 6" block to be featured in your very own version of the Ugly Christmas Sweaters quilt. 






"Ugly Christmas Sweaters" in MAXI Size finished at approximately 53" x 66"
and was the 78th use of my 100 labels
ordered from Ikaprint.








"Ugly Christmas Sweaters" in SUPER MINI Size finished at approximately 14" x 14"
and was the 79th use of my 100 labels
ordered from Ikaprint.







As I mentioned at this week's Let's Bee Social....
The Maxi quilt only requires 20 blocks and because I made 21 different 6" blocks for the quilt along, I used the 21st block and made that Wonky Star into a mini quilt. This was perfect timing! The Michael Miller Fabrics blog is called "making it fun". And they recently announced a mini quilt challenge. You can read about that here.







And just in case you missed it......

The first post for Ugly Christmas Sweaters QAL went live on Monday. It would be so much fun to have you quilt along!

Check out the quilt along page for details!








Linking up to Finish it up Friday with 

Amanda Jean of Crazy Mom Quilts










Keep On Quilting On!




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37 comments:

Vroomans' Quilts said...

I think this is so cool and I have to see if my machine does this stitch. Perfect for this quilt and I have one sitting here for quilting that this would look so great on.

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl said...

The snow was the perfect backdrop for this photo shoot, Lorna! I am glad you had a cozy, warm house full of quilts, hot coffee, and apply pie to warm you up. :) And I do love that sweater weather print!

Steffi said...

Wunderschön, ich mag diese leuchtenden Farben sehr!
Liebe Grüße
Steffi

Kaelyn Angelfoot said...

Maybe it should be Not So Ugly Christmas sweaters? The quilts are both lovely.

KaHolly said...

It's precious! So creative and fun! I just don't know how you find the time.

Rosa said...

Wow,it`s absolutely beautiful and the name don´t go with this quilt.

Patty said...

Looks great. I love how that red bird in the background fabric keeps peeking around the sweaters!

Carla said...

This is the cutest thing ever Lorna but there's just one problem.......they're not ugly : )

Tish Stemple said...

So excited to sew along with you. The snowy weather made for a perfect backdrop. That nice zig zag stitch provided great texture to this quilt. I'm not sure how you come up with all of these great ideas...but please keep it up :)

Little Quiltsong said...

Oh this quilt is beautiful, and I agree with Rosa - the name just doesn't fit the quilt. Love all the colors used in the blocks and the background fabric, and the cute, cute backing on it. The quilting is perfect!

the zen quilter said...

This quilt makes me smile - they aren't ugly at all! Such a fabulous idea ao fun. Love it.

Maria - Pink Pony Design said...

It really turned out so great! Love the choice of quilting, it really does look like it's knitted =D

Ruth said...

I agree not ugly in any way! Really like the zig zag quilting - suits it perfectly!

Nancy J said...

Lovely bright fabrics, super pattern, and quilting, and the coming blocks, I do like the tree, and then below the bird fabrics. And " The Snow". we have been in a heat wave down here, and your snow is so welcomingly cool.

Debbie At The Quilt Journal said...

I love your Ugly sweater quilt that isn't ugly at all!! And the snow background is perfect!
Stay warm!

Quilts By Laurel said...

The more I see of this quilt, the more I can't wait to start! :)

Anonymous said...

Man, ugly sweaters are quite the trend now! Your quilt is amazing as always! :)

Anja @ Anja Quilts said...

Awesome! And so fitting for a photo shoot in the snow. I love that zig zag stitch.

Cheryl said...

Awesome finish! The snow really makes those bright colors pop!

Sarah Goer Quilts said...

I love your creativity! These are so fun. :-)

Sewmotion said...

Congratulations on another fantastic finished quilt and pattern, I love those jumpers, and your snowy picture shoot is just perfect! Also, that zigzag quilting stitch was a excellent choice!

Vera said...

Oh Lorna, I think you failed for once. These are not ugly :)

Carol Swift said...

Definitely not ugly sweaters and the quilting looks great. Love it!

Christine S said...

Not so ugly for sure! This is fantastic :)

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

Congratulations on two great finishes. I will be making a mini (or more). It is going to be difficult to decide which one to make.

Wendi said...

This quilt is really amazing!

Laney said...

Of course they turned out beautifully and I love how you quilted them!

PeggyinNO said...

Congrats on 2 great finishes!! I love the quilting you did. Perfect!!

Paige said...

Both Christmas Sweaters are anything but ugly! The Forest Friends fabrics were perfect for the background and backing. Great finishes!

Elaine said...

Lorna - I ADORE the quilting. How brilliant and how easy!!!!!

Elaine

Katherine said...

Awesome quilt, Lorna! The colours are so happy and fun that I just can't see these sweaters as anything but beautiful. :o) Your quilting is the icing on the cake - totally makes the sweaters seem like they're knitted. Cute and clever! Love it.

legato1958 said...

What a fun and colorful quilt you have created! It is so bright and playful!
I love your background fabric, and the quilting texture!
Susie

Soma @ inkTorrents.com said...

These look great, Lorna!! I love how wonderfully you use solids. The snow backdrop looks perfect with this quilt. Hot cup of coffee and apple pie after being outside?! That would be reason enough for me to venture into the cold :)

-Soma

Christine @ 12,450miles said...

I absolutely adore these quilts! And that zig-zag stitch is drool worthy. Now if only I could master quilting my own stuff... one day...

Melissa said...

I have to admit the ugly Christmas sweater fad just isn't my thing. However - the quilting and that backing - swoooon!!!

Lara B. said...

This is such a fun and humorous quilt Lorna! I really can't keep myself from smiling when I look at it. The background and backing are just perfect for all the solid colors you used. Simply wonderful!

Danice G said...

They are all so pretty. Looking forward to getting mine quilted soon :)

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