Quilts Made to be Loved and Used

I realized that I have several finished quilts that I haven't shared on my blog yet, so I took advantage of a beautiful sunset last night and photographed them. 

I pieced these quilts, but my mom took them to a long arm quilter to have them custom quilted, and they turned out beautiful!  I typically like to quilt my own quilts if I can, but sometimes it's fun to do something different than what I'm used to...plus when life gets busy sometimes I just need to get some projects off my to do list.  I love the way the neutral gray sashing on this quilt makes the bright colors pop!  The piecing of my blocks was very random, which adds to the modern look of this quilt. 

This second quilt I pieced with one of the very first fabric lines I fell in love with as a new quilter...Soul Blossoms by Amy Butler.  I tend to gravitate towards bright colors in my fabric choices...but I also like to use a neutral gray or white sashing between my blocks to give the eye a space to rest. 

Both of these quilts are the perfect lap or picnic blanket size and they've been used, loved, and washed many many times in our house.  I'm a big believer in using your quilts rather than simply having them for display.  Occasionally I'll hang a smaller quilt on a wall, but there is nothing that makes my quilter heart happier than seeing my kids snuggled on the couch or having a tea party with one of the quilts I made.  

I know someday they won't want to have tea parties with mom anymore, so I try to capture these sweet moments when I can!