He's Leaving Home....Chad's Quilt and Pillow

Our son Chad has managed to buck the trend, and after spending 4 months back with us after graduating from the University of Washington, has gotten a really great job and moved into his own apartment.  It is 25 minutes away...not too far, but 5 minutes away would have been better! 
For a housewarming present I made him a large throw quilt and pillow for his handsome new couch.
Here is how it went:

He wanted an Asian them and warm colors; I got permission to add a few spikes of blue. That pile of white fabric you see above the iron is leftover muslin squares and rectangles from other projects; I figured I'd use them up.
This resulted in the quilt's lay-out, which I like very much!  Couldn't have thought it up myself otherwise.

 

Here they all are pinned up on the design wall.  After doing some beginning "piecing"--it is really Intuitive Applique, Method 4 in my Craftsy class--I decided to pin up some major elements like the large chunks and the blue bits so that down the line the quilt would actually have a bit of balance.

Moving right along here!

 

Once I started sewing it together, I got a sense that this quilt was really going to work ok!  I loved using fabrics from my stash...silks from our trip to India, Kimono silks from a generous student, sample linen from a friend, quilters' cotton, some trims I'd gathered along the way...I loved putting them all together.

I found this scrap in the bottom of my brown/black bin where it had been waiting for years....

Squaring up the blocks...

.....gave me lots of trimmings!

The top was really pretty easy to assemble.

It looks formal here, but it is about to be transformed into a snuggly couch quilt!

But first I decided to make a co-ordinating pillow from some of the scraps.  I used a fairly uniform mid-value and stayed with the gold/orange part of the palette.

What you see here are scraps that have had their overlapping edges ironed under.  Those ironed edges then received a light smear of Tacky Glue and then each piece was just smoothed into place on a muslin foundation.  Collage work, very fast, very fun.

 The glued patches were totally secured into place with the quilting; I'd spray basted my collage onto a piece of flannel drapery lining and then around and around I went on my Sweet 16.

It finished out at 20" X 20", with a black linen back....to match Chad's couch, of course!

OK, back to the quilt.  I wanted it to be cozy, so for the backing I used a plush microfiber throw that I got on Amazon.

It made for a wonderfully functional throw, too!  Colorful and kind of classy on top, cozy and yummy on the underside, lightweight but warm.

Quilting on such a stretchy back did distort that perfect rectangular quilt top though.  Gotta work on that for next time...

  Pretty cozy looking, isn't it?  ;-)

It was very fun, delivering them....

....and so satisfying, seeing them in use.

Makes it easier, having an Empty Nest, knowing my fledgling's nest has a comfy quilt in it.

Next up, a baby quilt for my great nephew!  Sewing for publication is very rewarding, but sewing for family is the best...