The Missing Monkey Wrenches Quilt

I created this 20" by 20" quilt for the Focus Through the Prism Series for the Off Season Project Quilting Challenge for May.  This is my post of my completed quilt for linking up for the Challenge.

I am Marcia Wachuta.
I named my quilt:  The Missing Monkey Wrenches.
I create in Boscobel, Wisconsin.
I am a long arm quilter, who sponsors all of the Project Quilting Challenges with prizes.

I am offering a "Quilting Special" to everyone who makes a Challenge Quilt.  Only $25.00 for special detailed quilting on your 20" by 20" quilt for the challenge each month. Includes quilting and thread and batting. First email or message me that you are mailing your quilt top and backing fabric to me each month by the 1st of the month.  It must be in my quilting shop by the 15th of the month and I will mail it out by the 22nd of the month or earlier. Add $6.10 US shipping for return shipping. Total Only $31.10. I would LOVE to quilt your challenge quilt!

Here is the post about Marsha's Monkey Wrench Quilt and Quilting. I shared lots of up close photos of the quilting.

Click here for the links to all the posts about my Missing Monkey Wrenches Quilt. It will start with the most recent post (this post) and then scroll down to the last post. I shared it all.

Here are the individual links to each post:

1. About the Focus Through The Prism Series for Project Quilting and the Fabric Bundle - I share all the photos of the fabrics with my print fabrics.

2. Selecting the fabric for my quilt and creating my quilt

3. Post on quilting my quilt including more up close photos

4. This post: the completed quilt - the quilting and binding.

Here are some more up close photos of the front and back of my Missing Monkey Wrenches Quilt.

I really enjoyed creating and quilting this quilt for the challenge.

Yes --- I stitched my name and 2015 into the quilt, but I could not decide on the direction of the quilt, so I quilted in my name at an angle.

Instead of an embroidery stitch for the binding I selected a tiny stretch stitch.

And a couple photos of the backside.

I made the hanging sleeve, but I still need to hand stitch it on.  That needs to be done before I mail it to Kim in January 2016. Plenty of time!

I am leaning towards this direction.

But I like this one too! This one was my original idea.

What are you doing with your scraps?

I am saving each month's scraps, together in a one gallon bag for a quilt project that I will share with you in July. I am saving the hand dyed fabric pieces with all the print fabrics that I used.  This month, I had a yard of the green printed fabric, but I probably won't use all of that for my scrap quilt, but for now, I will save the whole yard with the scraps instead of putting it back with my shelves with my stash fabric. I am waiting til July to share my scrap quilt, as then I will have 3 bags of scraps to use. If you want to save yours too, grab a bag and label it with your scraps each month.

Check out all the Monkey Wrench Quilts for the Focus Through the Prism Series for Project Quilting for the May Challenge at Persimon Dreams --- Click HERE. 
 am linking up this post there too!

Enjoying May, one day at time...
Marcia

"The Missing Monkey Wrenches"

Project Quilting's Off Season Challenges are a series of 7 quilts.  There will be a challenge every month based on a quilt block and you select a color from your project quilting bundle to create with. I selected green. It is my least favorite color.

See all the details over at Persimon Dreams - Project Quilting.

Click here to see the post about creating my quilt top.

It was ready to quilt, so I selected a hand dyed blue and green fabric for the backing fabric.  The fabric was purchased from Chris at Dye Candy Fabrics. I think it is perfect!

Next I selected the quilting thread.  I knew I wanted to use at least 2 or 3 colors, so I laid out several to help me decide.

I selected a bright green and grass green and a dark green.

Since this is only a 20" by 20" wall hanging, I decided to use two layers of black 80/20 batting.  This will give it firmness and highlight the quilting.

I started quilting with the background and quilted several Monkey Wrench designs. I used the dark green quilting thread on the black fabric.  They are the missing Monkey Wrench Blocks!

In and around the Monkey Wrenches I quilted with Pebble Quilting. 

On the Monkey Wrenches, I quilted with wiggle line quilting and quilted in the missing points of the Monkey Wrench Quilt Blocks.

I really had fun with the quilting! 

 

Some cool photos of the backside!

I like it as much as the front side!

Of course I named it "The Missing Monkey Wrenches"!

It is ready to bind!

My husband cut a wood dowel 22 inches long for hanging it. But I don't think I will make the hanging sleeve til later as that needs to hand sewn on the back.

I can not link up this post for Project Quilting, yet, as I have to complete the binding.  Stay tuned for another post with my finished quilt... soon... before the end of the month.

There is a Giveaway every week during May for the May for Me Celebration.  Click here for the current Giveaway.

Enjoying May, one day at a time!

Marcia

Focus Through the Prism is the Project Quilting Theme for the Next Seven Months

Check out the details over at Persimon Dreams for the all the Project Quilting Challenge Information for the Quilting Challenges.

For the next seven challenges, we are to use one color from the Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabric Bundle. It is a ROYGBIV selection of fabrics.  It was a hard decision. See Saturday's post for photos of my selections of fabrics.

I selected green! It is my least favorite color, but I really liked the green print fabric.

I also selected some brighter greens (but I didn't use them) and a print with some blue in it.

I started cutting...

I made 3 UNEVEN Monkey Wrench Quilt Block and added some skinny strips in between - like a Tic Tac Toe grid.  I got the idea from laying the pieces out and it was ready to sew together and I thought it looked cool with the space in between. I cut a strip and I loved it!

Took photos of the steps. 

First, I made the 9 sections for an uneven Monkey Wrench Quilt Block and then I cut a 1 inch strip.

I added it to all the intersecting parts. See the photos.

One 2 sides of the corner blocks.

Stitch the center row together first.

Then the top and bottom rows.

I named the quilt block  "Tic Tac Toe Monkey Wrench"! 

I love it!

Next I made the quilt top --- 20" X 20" I actually cut it 20 1/2" by 20 1/2" as it will shrink up with the quilting.

Not going to share how I made the quilt top as I sewed it "Improv". I added a piece here and a piece there and trimmed and added another piece.

Now, I need to select which direction is the top and the bottom BEFORE I quilt it.  I always stitch in my name and the year in all my quilts. I need to decide where the bottom right hand corner is.

Please help me decide -- leave a comment  A, B, C, or D?

A

B

C

D

I am leaning towards C or D. I think A and B look too heavy on top!  Let me know what you think. Thanks!

Just a note about "COMMENTS" --- I can not reply to some of you as you are a NO - Reply Commenter -- Please check your settings as I want to reply.  Thanks!

May for Me Giveaway -- Click HERE There is one every week! Even if you have won a prize, you can enter each week!

Plus on Wednesday the Big Sew Mama Sew Giveaway starts!

Enjoying May, One day at a time!

Marcia