Branded Quilt

 This will probably be the first in a series of Branded quilts because I love this collection from Sweetwater. I love that it's western, yet understated. Sometimes western can get kind of cheesy (not a criticism because I have lots of western fabrics and I love the quilts I've used them in, just not what a lot of folks living this lifestyle really want). This time they got it right.

I used it as a jumping off point and pulled lots of coordinating fabrics from my stash to make this quilt. This is a quilt I made on commission for a friend who requested a few. Guy quilts are hard unless they're sports- themed, but I think the plaid worked well for one quilt

And this is the second one

I didn't use a pattern - just a simple block design and added an hourglass block in alternating blocks

I had Jackie and Sandy use a simple stipple with stars design that I think is called Barbed Wire

I found this wide backing somewhere online and I was really pleased with the way it looked with the other fabrics. I bound it with a brown from my stash.

I added labels

I love the end result and I hope our dear friend will enjoy them both

At 10 x 11 blocks, it finishes at 87 x 96. I do not have a design wall so things just fall where they fall and then it's kind of a fun surprise when I throw them up on the side of the barn.

Made for a special friend who is a great hand and always made our cow works more fun!

And thankfully there is more fabric, because these were both hard to give away - good thing we like him so much! 😉

                                    

Finally Sewing

 I carved out some time to sew this past weekend. Besides stitching some bindings to the front of quilts, I haven't been in my sewing room since the first week of December. I really needed to start this quilt for a friend. I'm starting with the Branded collection from Sweetwater and pulled numerous prints from my stash to scrap things up a bit.

 I hemmed and hawed for weeks over a pattern. I wanted something masculine and simple and finally settled on a design. I've seen this called many things like Framed Squares or Square Dance. Here's a tutorial using a Layer Cake that I used as a starting point

                                                                        Square Dance

I'd forgotten how much fun it is to start a new project

Blocks come together fast

Then I pulled this pattern from my binder 

and thought it might be fun to pop in some hourglass blocks in the center of some of the squares. 

The blocks finish at 9" and I think I'll shoot for a 10 x 11 block layout. I made 42 blocks, using the Layer Cake I had and now I'm cutting into the FQ Bundle and the other fabrics I pulled from my stash.  I'm so glad I've finally settled on a plan. I think this might work!