Oh' Brother !

addicted to rainbows.

2011-05-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

Rainbow string quilt in progress.
Rainbow strip quilt in progress.

the purple people eater quilt

2011-05-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

really, really !

2011-04-28T16:23:00.000-07:00

Anyone remember when I blogged about a certain someone's pinwheel quilt ?

Imagine my surprise when I opened a package one rainy and cold morning, and this bright, happy, perfect pinwheel quilt tumbled out.

I bawled like a baby as I unfolded it and wrapped it around my shoulders. Sure I was crying because it was awesome like a cargo containment device, but more importantly it was because a friend knew how much I needed something beautiful in my life at that time, and she gifted it to me.

I'm not sure quite how to thank her, so that she really knows how much it means to me. Like, really, really.

Funnily enough, I'm not the only one who has taken a shine to the pinwheel of awesomeness.

Silent Auction Quilt II

2011-04-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

This quilt is pretty straightforward. I wanted to send another quilt in to the silent auction, but I was in a bit of a time crunch.

Patchwork quilts are easy and fast for me, even faster because I actually had these strips of fabric sewn and hanging in my closet for a future project. It was just a matter of arranging them into a patchwork and sewing them together.

I added the jumbo multi colored polka dot (LOVE !) and the matching multi-colored stripe fabric (LOVE !) and we have another toddler sized quilt. I hope it brings much needed funds at the silent auction for sweet little Lanie.

Silent Auction for Delanie Doran

Zig-Zag OR Zag-Zig ?

2011-04-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

Zig-Zags have been on my to-do-list for awhile now. I figured now was better than never. This quilt was made for a silent auction, and I wanted to send something different (for me) in to be auctioned off.

Again, my husband rallied for squiggles. I wanted straight lines (that matched the zig in the zag)

The squiggles won.

I love the front. I plan on doing zig-zags again in the future.

The back I am iffy about. The fabric was cute, but the pattern started getting lopsided and I did not have enough yardage to correct it. It looks crooked, I swear its not !

This one is toddler sized. I wanted to keep it, but it's going off for a great cause :

Silent Auction to benefit Delanie Doran

ROYGBI - minus the V

2011-04-28T09:19:00.001-07:00

This was my inspiration. ROYGBI - minus the V.

I love the splash of color in with the grey. You know I love me some grey.

I was going to straight line quilt this, but my husband strongly recommended that I do the "squiggles" - his term. So I did. Yes I did. He was right. Don't let him know that, but he was right.

I love the back. Those little squares of color. Love.

Almost as much as I love the binding. First off, I LOVE a combination of grey and yellow. That right there makes me swoon. Add a little bit of ROYGBI-minus the V and I am done.

Stick a fork in me.

My intentions were to sell this one, but you can forget that. It lives with me now and forever.

Amen.

Wonky Log Cabin Picnic Blanket

2011-04-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

That was kind of a mouthful, huh ?

My husband went away to attend a school for a few weeks and I needed a project that would keep my busy and occupied. This one did the trick.

I used almost all scraps, if I remember correctly each block was 15"x15", added the white sashing to break up all that color.

I quilted it using my free motion foot and made semi straight lines with uneven widths. I wanted this quilt to look loved and a little "messy". It's going to get a lot of use this summer.

It's a toss up as to whether I love the front or the back more. I am leaning towards the back ! Love this fabric from Ikea. In fact I was just there and bought three more yards (in additional to the yard and a half, tucked away in my fabric collection. )

This one is a keeper. It's coming to Maine with us this summer.

cats RULE, dogs DROOL !

2011-04-28T08:57:00.001-07:00

Kegan found this bright and silly fat quarter bundle at Walmart awhile back. It reminded me of the FQ bundle I did with the dog prints.

Orange isn't usually my "thing" and trust me, there is a lot of orange in this quilt.

I think the white sashing helps balance it out and even things up a little bit. Quilted it with a tight stipple pattern.

I used up the entire fabric bundle, made sure to finish it off with a pieced back, and a cute orange striped fabric from my stash.

It is baby/toddler sized and is for sale. Contact me if interested. MEOW !

Random Patchwork

2011-02-27T17:10:00.000-08:00

This was just a random quilt. I was experimenting with colors.
More patchwork.
Quilted with a meander stitch.
Pieced back. I almost like the back more than the front.
It's for sale too ! Contact me if interested.

The Duplicate Quilt [twin sized]

2011-02-27T17:00:00.000-08:00

Next up is this monstrosity. The duplicate quilt. That's what I like to call it.

I ate an absurd amount of gummi bears while piecing it.

Mostly because it took 384 four inch squares. THREE HUNDRED and EIGHTY FOUR.

Totally worth every little square.
Originally I had planned on straight line quilting it, just like the original version, but I kept getting these horrible puckers, I got so pissed off, I ripped out 10 lines of quilting and then decided to quilt it in the meander pattern. Then my top thread kept breaking and I was at my breaking point, when I rushed to Joann's and the nice woman there gently suggested that I adjust my tension.

Sometimes I really think I have no idea what I am doing. None.

Baby Clothes Quilt !

2011-02-27T16:53:00.000-08:00

I have really been forgetting to post info on finished projects. Like this one. The baby clothes quilt. This project was HUGE for me. I was petrified to start it, got a smidge of baby fever while putting it together, and was really excited once it was done.
I kept the quilting on this simple, just straight line. Even with the interfacing on the fabric there was still quite a few pieces that had extra stretch, which made for a few puckers here and there.
Look at how big my babies are. It breaks my heart I tell you !

[ smells like a nerd ]

2011-02-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

You know what ? Pillows covers are lame.

This quilt makes me think of ~~Spring~~ Summer. I won't tell you who made it, only that she smells like a NERD and I am in awe of her patience. I know I couldn't handle a pinwheel quilt.

Since I didn't mention her by name, she can't get mad at me for posting this here.

Right ? Right ?

I "volunteered" to free motion quilt it for her, what she doesn't know is that I was going to keep it for myself. She declined. Good for her. Bad for me.

[ early Spring ]

2011-02-10T12:01:00.000-08:00

The Groundhog declared it would be an early Spring. I am compelled by some unknown force to make new pillows. Technically ('cause I roll like that) they are just pillow covers. You know, with envelope closures on the back.

I would tell myself to get a new hobby, but uh, this is it.

*sigh*

[ twin quilts ]

2011-01-21T05:40:00.000-08:00

I rarely say this, so take it for what it's worth, but I love this boy quilt. The blues, the greens, the stripes, the frogs ! After I took these photos (yes in my bathroom....) I realized that I had a blooper on the cupcake quilt. Not a real blooper, but in the top right corner I saw that the two green polka dot squares were too close for my liking. That's what happens when you hurry.

I was hurrying because I wanted the quilts to get there by Friday, as in today.

I mentioned that it was one of Ryan's old troops having twins, he and his wife. She is due any minute and the c-section is scheduled for February 7th. Daddy is leaving tomorrow for a deployment. He is going to miss the birth of his two babies and at least the first 6 months.

Now you see why I was in a hurry ? UPS is scheduled to deliver the quilts today. I hope the gift brings even the smallest of smiles during such a difficult time.

Each quilt was a 48" square. The frog one had a green polka dot backing, and the cupcake had a purple backing. Each was quilted with the meander pattern.

The Farmhouse Bed

2011-01-17T10:09:00.000-08:00

I have never built a piece of furniture in my life. My experience in woodworking is/was limited to the one semester of shop class that I took in high school. I think I made a birdhouse, or a box. Obviously nothing that left a lasting impression.

Until now.

Once I get an idea in my head, I have to do it, or at least attempt to do it. The Farmhouse bed was no exception. I found the plans from Knock off Wood. awhile ago and it got mentally filed away for future use. Gavin had a second hand bed that we bought, but it wasn't holding up to my expectations and that's when the light bulb went off above me head.

Build a bed and he shall sleep in it. ( Sometimes )

So we bought the wood, rented the saw and got busy. I hammered. I glued. I sanded. I painted. I stained and then I sat back and enjoyed my determination.

You are looking at a 100% solid wood twin size bed, completely built by myself and my husband. I built a bed. A BED ! How about that Mr. Shop Class teacher ! Ha !

The plans from Knock off Wood were very easy to read and understand. The bed went together in just two days ( we got a late start on day one ) then it took me an additional day to paint and stain, and one more day to assemble and stain the bed rails.

I built a bed !

frogs and cupcakes

2011-01-15T15:28:00.000-08:00

One of Ryan's former troops is getting ready to have twins. A boy and a girl.

Frogs and cupcakes.

4" square quilt

2011-01-08T05:28:00.000-08:00

I forgot about this one. I must need to start taking some ginko or something. This is a complete copy of the quilt I made last Spring, only this one is going to be twin size.

Any idea how many little 4" squares will be used to make this quilt ?

I will give you a little hint, it's a lot. I should start a pool as to how many the final tally will be.

a to z

2011-01-08T05:23:00.000-08:00

I am not all that sure that this post is interesting, but I've got nothing else.

I found these ceramic bookend letters at Goodwill. $6.00. Horrible brown color. So I gave them a spray of primer and then a coat of paint. The resulting color wasn't the one I had in mind, but it reminds me of a stick of Winterfresh gum. Minty.

[ purple ]

2010-12-30T05:42:00.000-08:00

Look what I found last week.

It's a skirt and I found it at Goodwill. The fabric jumped out at me mashed in between all the clothes and I dug it out.

It's a size 18, which is a little large for me. No bother, I didn't plan on wearing it anyway.

I am just going to attack it with my scissors and rotary cutter.

Purple is not on my list of comfortable colors. I like it plenty, I just can't seem to use it to my liking (although, my friend Jessica did this FABULOUS string quilt using purples, can I post a picture of your quilt Jess ? )

Purple. I like saying the word.

I like that this fabric/skirt has a touch of green and robin egg blue to offset the purple. I keep looking at it. I want to cut into it, I just don't know what to do with it yet.

Purple, purple, purple...

[ Christmas placemats ] a posting for Jessica !

2010-12-10T09:17:00.000-08:00

Okay. I had this Christmas fabric, and I really, really like it, but I didn't feel like making another quilt. My solution ?

Christmas place mats. We aren't really a place mat kind of family, but I decided to through caution to the wind and got busy on my machine.

Look at my naughty four year old. At lunch today he kept trying to wipe his face on his place mat. " That big napkin, momma !" No Gavin.

One picture at my attempt to decorate my fireplace mantle. This one is just for Jessica, so she has something to read and stops yelling at me all the way from Maine...

baby clothes quilt [in progress]

2010-12-07T12:54:00.000-08:00

Oh well !

2010-12-07T12:17:00.000-08:00

This was another attempt at doing quilt-as-you-go. This quilt was meant to be twin sized, but it didn't quite make it all the way there. I am pretty sure that I am getting close to "taking a break" on quilting, this one might have done me in.

I was happily sewing along for awhile and then I started to get anxious over getting it finished. I calculated how many more blocks I would need for it to be twin sized and right then and there changed my mind.
Then to add insult to injury I had a hellish time trying to add the backing. In fact my second attempt was so bad I just ripped all the stitching out and tied the quilt. Which made me even more frustrated. In fact I was racing just to get this one done, so I could stop looking at it all the time.
It was going to be for sale, but then due to my loss of patience with the finishing I decided to keep it and I threw it on the end of Gavin's bed.
Oh well.

do the polka dot !

2010-12-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

Howdy y'all !

Guess its been awhile huh ? Feeling a little burnt out lately on the quilting front. Not so much on the design and inspiration, I am always pulling out various fabrics that I want to put together. More like the actual act of sitting down, cutting, sewing, pressing, sewing, basting, quilting. All that.

I finished this one a few weeks ago. Made from two coordinating fat quarter stacks. Then I free motion quilted it in a wide meander pattern.
I almost love the back more than the front. The multi colored polka dot....
...and the fabulous striped fabric for the binding.
The finished size is 43 inches by 51 inches and it is for sale. Contact me if interested.

birthday stars

2010-10-13T05:22:00.000-07:00

This quilt has been done for a few weeks. I had to keep it "secret" since it was a gift for a special 4 year old girl in South Carolina. She opened her quilt yesterday and now I can share it !
I have been wanting to do the wonky star thing again. I NEEDED to keep it small this time. So instead I made the stars different sizes and in random spots. The back of the quilt is from a sheet set that I picked up on clearance awhile back. I tried to match the star colors to the polka dot colors.
Once again I forgot to measure the finished quilt. It was around toddler size. Now it lives with my niece !

POP !

2010-10-12T13:12:00.000-07:00

Like a big wad of Bubbalicious bubble gum, goes POP !

blue, blue, blue !

2010-10-08T06:22:00.000-07:00

It's another oldie but goodie. This quilt top is another from the blizzard of 2010. It's been waiting in my closet for months and months. Patiently waiting.
It's finally done. I kept the quilting pretty simple, more straight lines.
I have more of these blocks made up, so I can see another one of these quilts in my future. I always say I have a hard time with boys colors, but I love this.
The back was a happy surprise. The fabric is a mixture of blue colors to mimic the front, and to spice it up a little I added the strip on the side with fabrics from the front.
It ended up being around 42 inches by 42 inches. It is available to purchase and Kegan has already asked if he can buy it. "With what money ?" I asked him.

[more] quilting-as-you-go

2010-09-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

I was down to 2 projects, not anymore. I decided to do another quilting-as-you-go project. This one will be bigger ( I am thinking twin sized ?) and I do believe it will be a birthday gift for my almost 4 year old. I love that it makes me think outside the box and I use up all those pesky fabric scraps !

[ swish, swish ! ]

2010-09-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

Ah. Remember this one ? From the back to back blizzards of 2010 ?
I finally pulled it out and finished it. The fabric is Nest by Tula Pink for Moda (swish, swish). I decided to quilt it on the diagonal, like oh a million times. Actually I need all the help I can get with my straight quilting. Mostly I just need to S-L-O-W down.
The back and binding is from this awesome fabric I found at J's for $1.99 a yard. NO JOKE ! I bought everything that was left on the bolt.
Finished size is 51.5 inches by 62 inches. It is for sale, but I am itching to keep it !

I have one more "oldie" that needs to be quilted and finished and I have a birthday quilt in the works for a very special almost-4-year old.

woof ! woof !

2010-09-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

This quilt was from a pack of fat quarters I snapped up when they were 50% off at J's. Doggie fabric is impossible to pass up. I added the black and white polka dots.
The pattern is just a random nine block. The back is a really cute paw print fabric that I somehow managed to NOT get a photo of. Slacking. Shame on me.
The finished size ended up being 38 inches by 49 inches. Perfect for that "little person" who loves doggies and puppies.

[romantic]

2010-09-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

I picked up this pack of fat quarters on a whim awhile ago. Not my usual colors or pattern, I just thought they were so pretty I could not pass them up.
Which was good for me since I was "commissioned" to make a quilt for the ailing mother of a family friend (that was a mouthful) The fabric was perfect for her, just perfect.
I did my favorite patchwork blocks set with wide sashing. I really love this one. It's awfully romantic (and I don't usually do romantic) Calming colors and the free motion quilting blends into the background making the fabric the focal point, which I like.
I forgot to take the final measurements. It's smaller than a twin, but more than enough for your lap. It was well received and I enjoyed making it.

bright and happy squares

2010-08-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not the blocks in this quilt were done a long, long time ago (maybe more than a year ?) I can't remember the initial "vision" for them, but in any case I pulled them back out, made a few more and put them all together and, voila !
I love the fabric in the middle of each wonky square. It's this cute birdie fabric, with little trees and it's just cute ! So I decided to piece the back using colors from the front and of course the cute birdie and tree fabric.
I really like how bright and happy this quilt is, also the fact that it's pretty gender happy. I know I tend to lean towards "girlie" quilts and I am trying to broaden my quilting range (so to speak). Anyway, the finished size of this quilt came out to be 41.5 inches by 41.5 inches. A perfect square.

It's also for sale, contact me if interested !

a partial string quilt

2010-07-27T16:09:00.000-07:00

This is another sewing technique I have been wanting to try.

Paper piecing. Essentially you cut some paper (I used regular copy paper) and you then sew your fabric directly onto the paper and it acts as a stabilizer.
To make this string quilt, I had to use small strips of fabric (anywhere from an inch to two inches thick) sewn together, the paper makes it easier. After you get all the fabric sewn on, you flip the paper over to the "wrong" side, trim off the excess fabric and then you peel away the paper.
Theoretically the paper should be perforated from the needle of the sewing machine and fairly easy to tear off. Of course that did not happen for me. I think if I had used stitches that were closer together that might have been the case.

Instead I used some seldom used curse words, slivers of torn paper everywhere and eventually dug out some tweezers to pull out the small scraps.

Each block ended up being 8 inches in size, and I made 12 blocks total. I was going to make a quilt, but I am debating on whether to make a wall hanging for my youngest sons room.

sweet and sassy

2010-07-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

I based this next quilt on a pack of jelly bracelets that Gavin picked out for me while we were on vacation. I looked down at them all stacked on my arm and I thought " I should make a patchwork quilt using these colors."
This is it.
It's sweet and sassy.
It's the exact same size as the patchwork quilt I made for Kegan a few months ago.
It is available for sale, contact me for more info.

a tall glass of raspberry lemonade

2010-07-20T05:26:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed making this quilt. I love the haphazardness of the colors and patterns on the front.
I love the fact that the quilting on each one is unique and I love the lines, love them.
Having said that, I am not a huge fan of the back. I think it's the fact that there is so little quilting on the back. It looks so plain ? Maybe ?

Because each block is quilted prior to being put together, once they are sewn together and you add the backing, you end up stitching in the ditch around each 12" square and that's it. So while it gets the job done, it doesn't do much for me in the way of design.

It's a little quilt. 44 inches by 33.5 inches if I remember correctly. I did not want to go overboard the first time trying "quilt-as-you-go". It was fun putting it together and something I will definitely try again.

In case you are wondering, it is for sale. Contact me if interested.

quilting as I go...and go...and go....

2010-07-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

I have seen this quilting technique called quilting as you go, over at Sew Take a Hike. It's been on my long list of things to do. I figured what better time than during summer vacation. Having the boys under foot isn't conducive during my quilting time, but doing quilting as you go makes it a whole lot easier to just stop and go.

First I cut 12 inch squares from batting (actually they are slightly larger and then after I sew on my fabric I cut the batting down to an exact 12 inch square.) Then I just randomly grab whatever fabric I feel like and sew away.

I am a little nervous to join the blocks together, but the tutorial on Sew Take a Hike is pretty straightforward, so I figure it can't be that hard.

Famous last words right ?

[thinking]

2010-06-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

I may be on a sewing vacation, but that doesn't mean I am on a planning vacation....

wonky star

2010-06-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

Hands down my new favorite quilt. The wonky star.
It took 5 hours to quilt, with Ryan helping me (he sat on the opposite side of my machine and caught the excess fabric to guide the quilt back and forth ) 10 + bobbins, sore arms, shoulders and a sore toosh.
It was worth it. I debated on how I was going to quilt this one for a long time. I knew I wanted the meandering, but I also knew it was going to be a long process.
I kept the back simple. A stripe containing all the fabrics from the front stars. The binding is the same stripe fabric as the border.
The final size was 64 inches by 87 inches. HUGE for me. HUGE.

Needless to say, the sewing machine is going on vacation and so am I !

no more monkey's climbing on the bed !

2010-06-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

Benefit dinner for Delanie Doran

teacher quilts

2010-06-04T17:23:00.000-07:00

Despite my lack of posting, I have been quilting. I decided to make Gavin's teachers each a quilt for their hard work and dedication in the classroom. I let Gavin pick out two fat quarter bundles after trying to find any type of school-ish fabric that wasn't lame. He picked colors WAY outside my comfort zone.
The one on the left is for Miss Jenn and the one on the right is for Miss Nancy.

I can't say enough good stuff about these two ladies. I love them. When Gavin started last fall he said maybe 5 words and he was almost paralyzingly shy.

They took their time with him, were kind and gentle with him, each and every day they were happy to see him.
Luckily for me (and Gavin ) he gets to go back to Miss Jenn and Miss Nancy's class again in the fall.
I hope they both know how much our family appreciates everything they do for Gavin and for all the kids.

[ wonky star part 2 ]

2010-05-07T14:31:00.000-07:00

This one's a doozy !

I started and I just could not stop. I am amazed out how large the top ended up.

87 inches by 69 inches. I do believe that might just be my largest quilt to date.

With that being said, I am now petrified to quilt it !

[ cupcakes ]

2010-04-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

I had a request for cupcakes from a very sweet little girl. How could I say no to that ?
I loved every minute of making this quilt, and all the cupcakes I ate while doing it !
I was going to do a more intricate pattern, but I opted to keep in simple so that the cupcakes themselves were the focal point. I love cupcakes, especially the ones with the really light and fluffy frosting, the kind that basically just melt in your mouth.
Enjoy your "sweet" quilt Phoenix ! See you soon !

[the wonky star]

2010-04-28T14:32:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been thinking a lot about triangles. I am tired of squares, and rectangles.
Triangles are somewhat intimidating for me. I once attempted a triangle quilt way back when I was a novice (meaning I had absolutely NO clue what I was doing) that quilt ended very badly and I vowed to never again sew something that was triangular in shape.
Alas, here I am again. There are triangles in this pattern, but I have MASTERED them. I introduce the wonky star...

....to be continued...

Lanie's Quilt

2010-04-28T05:58:00.000-07:00

Stay strong little Lanie Bug. We are all praying for you.

[ bellow ]

2010-04-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

This is the replacement piece for my new washing machine. It's called a bellow, and I am guessing it's pretty important. Notice it is still in the box.
That's because I finished my quilt, BEFORE my washer was fixed.
I love it so much it hurts. I quilted it using straight lines. Double lines running up an down and then a single line going sideways. I wanted the emphasis to be on the fabric and not on the quilting.
The back is all this phenomenal navy polka dot. Jumbo polka dot. My heart it starts palpitating.

I even made an executive decision to hand sew the binding. It's look so much better than machine binding, but takes much more time.

This one is staying here with my boys.

My washer was fixed a few hours ago. Just in time to spend an entire weekend catching up on dirty laundry.

Lucky me !

[ two hours late ]

2010-04-11T14:10:00.000-07:00

Last week I was waiting for the repairman to come and fix my washer. He was late. Two hours late, so while I waited I used some of my "angry energy" to cut out over 150 of these little squares. I cut so many I need a new blade on my rotary cutter.
Then I decided to play around and I came up with a little something like this. I get giddy when I look all all the random colors and patterns. Most of this fabric was left-over scraps from other projects, so it feels good to use up what was left. Almost like recycling, but not quite.
Today I pieced the strips together and I am still in love with the boldness and the in-your-face blast of colors. At this rate I will have the entire thing finished BEFORE my new washer is repaired.

Walmart surprise !

2010-04-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

I found these fat quarters at Walmart awhile ago, I scooped them up right away because of how un-Walmart like they were. The colors, the patterns. Loved them.
I turned them into this. I used white fabric from my stash.
Quilted using my squiggles. Binding was my pink on pink polka dot fabric. Big surprise there.
I had a special little girl in mind when I made this and low and behold she moved to Delaware, so now she gets to use it every time she spends the night with us :)
It ended up being a little smaller than crib size, I can't remember the exact measurements, I want to say 29 inches by 34 inches ? It ended up being another one added to my favorite pile.

[project # 9]

2010-03-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

Puppies, polka dots and stripes. What's not to love ?

The puppy fabric was left over from a quilt that I made my nephew last year.
As promised, no squiggly quilting in this one. Just straight lines.
My Facebook friend Dawn graciously donated a whole bunch of blue gingham fabric, and I chose to use it for the back and binding. I love, love, love how it came out.

My official quilt holder for the day was Kegan, home sick with a nasty cough. I asked him to hold the quilt up straight and this is what I got.

The finished size is 54 inches by 40 inches.

A very special thank you to Dawn for her donation. There is plenty of the gingham fabric left so expect more greatness soon ! Thank you Dawn !

[ project # 8 ]

2010-03-11T17:30:00.001-08:00

Hello # 8 !

Love your orange, blue, green and yellow-ness. You remind me of Spring.

That's a VERY, VERY good thing.
More squiggly quilting. Are you sick of the squiggles yet ? It's okay don't worry, the next quilt will be squiggle free.
You know how I said this pattern is really easy from start to finish ? I kid you not. I did this in one day. ONE. No caffeine this time.
The back has a cute animal zoo print fabric, and the binding is green and while polka dot (roll eyes) fabric. The finished size is 42 inches by 42 inches.

[project 7]

2010-03-06T06:22:00.001-08:00

This quilt was created during a caffeine overdose. I took a Midol (one, mind you) and then drank a Pepsi. It was great. I got more done in an hour than I did all last week.
The doggie fabric came from my mother-in-laws stash. Everything else was left over material from different projects.
I used the same exact pattern as the cherry quilt. It's by far one of the easier ones for me to make, from start to finish. I like that it's big enough to cover a little kid or baby, but also small enough to not get in the way.
The backing and binding are the same doggie material. It was too cute not to use in mass quantities. The finished size is 42 inches by 42 inches.

[project 6]

2010-03-02T04:57:00.001-08:00

I think I mentioned before that I loved these fabrics separately, not so much together (at least with this pattern).
I chose to quilt it using dark brown thread. Again not sure if I like the finished results.
However it's done and it's different.
Added to the pile, almost 1/2 to my goal of 12.

[three more]

2010-02-12T04:51:00.000-08:00

I have been buried under an avalanche of snow. No joke. We got the most snow accumulation since the late 1800's. I haven't left the house in OVER A WEEK.
Instead I stayed inside and made three more quilt tops. The multi colored one is for me, made from Moda's Urban Nest line of fabrics. It made me think of summer. The next two will be donations to Project Linus.
I loved the fabrics on the third quilt top. I followed a pattern and this is how they suggested it be pieced together. I am not too keen on the placement of the brown right smack in the middle. Maybe it won't be so noticeable once I get everything quilted.

Now I am busy digging myself out of the snow, and strangely enough I ran out of thread. How is that even possible ?

[ project # 5 ]

2010-02-06T11:53:00.001-08:00

I love taking these random fabrics and turning them into this :
Red, white and aqua cherries ! So different for me, but I love it, love it, love it !
I quilted it using the stippling technique ( squiggles with a fancy name )
I love it so much, I might make another just like it !
The back is fun too, red polka dot with a small strip of floral red and white fabric. The finished size is 39 inches by 39 inches. Just perfect for a little girl !

[ project # 4 ]

2010-01-31T13:43:00.000-08:00

Project # 4, for the Project Linus pile.
The green polka dot came from my friend Jessica (who donated a gift card for fabric purchase ) Thanks Jess ! The other material is all from my mother-in-law. She took me to a local Wal-mart that was discontinuing their fabric, so all the bolts were 50% off.
She bought me 35 yards of assorted fabric. Yes you read that right. 35 yards. If fabric was crack then she would be my dealer. I love her !
I also quilted this a little different. I used a wavy line, every inch, inch and a half. I liked the way it looked in my head, not completely sure I like the way that it actually came out. Used green gingham for the backing. The finished size is : 37 inches by 46 inches.

Quilts for Kids [1]

2010-01-28T08:17:00.000-08:00

My kit from Quilts for Kids showed up last week. This is a volunteer program sponsored by Downy, Touch of Comfort.

When I opened my kit I squealed when I saw the pink and lime green, not to mention cupcakes !
Very easy directions and pattern. I had the top pieced together in no time.
I quilted it using my usual squiggles.
The back is lime green and I used some fabric out of my stash for the binding. My favorite pink polka dots. The kit comes with a label that you attach to the back. You write your name and a name for the quilt. There is a section on the Quilts for Kids website where you can load a photo and the quilt info and "keep in touch" with where your quilt went. Pretty cool huh ?

[ wee play ! ]

2010-01-21T07:57:00.000-08:00

My mother in law bought me two of these "Wee Play" charm packs from Moda. 40 squares of THE cutest fabric already pre-cut (thank you, thank you, thank you).
I put them all together and made this adorable (at least I think so !) baby quilt.
I free motion quilted it, using my squiggles. I am slowly getting better and might even try some new designs here soon !
The back and binding is also some adorable fabric from the Moda line that finishes off the quilt just perfect. The completed size is 27 x 36 inches.
It's one of my smaller quilts, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in character !

Project # 3 in the donation pile.

[pink practice]

2010-01-18T13:34:00.000-08:00

When I first got my new sewing machine I needed something to practice my free motion quilting on. I dug out my scraps and pieced this little blanket up right quick.
I know I have mentioned this before, but I love pink and lime green. Throw a little white in there and I am as happy as a clam in mud.
Once I was done I wrapped it up all nice and pretty and sent it away to a friend who is expecting a baby girl in March. It's just the right size to keep her warm in her car seat, or let her lay on while getting a diaper change, or she might even decide to carry it around as her lovie.
I can see making many more of these in my future.

[stars in my eyes]

2010-01-18T13:27:00.000-08:00

I really like how this quilt turned out. The star fabric was something my mother-in-law gave me years ago, I've had about three yards of it folded in my fabric stash for a very long time. I pulled it out and used it in this quilt and I still have more than a yard left.
I love the combination of blue's.
The quilting on this one was a breeze ! Not a thread breakage in site. I have no idea what the difference was between this one and the last one, but what the heck ! The back is made from the star material as well as the binding.
The finished size is 44 x 58 inches, and I am very excited to add it to the Project Linus donation pile.

[duplicate]

2010-01-13T06:28:00.000-08:00

Remember the Sweet 16 quilt I did this past summer ? It came from a quilt kit that my mother-in-law bought for me ? I made this scaled down quilt from the left-overs. In fact I still have scraps left over from this quilt. Good stuff.
This quilt was a complete pain in the butt from start to finish. My new machine kept having issues in a major way. The upper thread kept breaking over and over and over again. I did everything from cleaning out the bobbin area, changing the already brand new needle, adjusting the tension and even changing the thread. It was frustrating.
I did the binding in this bright and cheerful lime green. I love lime green.
The backing is the same floral material from the front. This quilt is going into the Project Linus donation pile. !

crap closet

2010-01-08T16:51:00.000-08:00

This is what I lovingly refer to as my "crap closet". If you say it really fast five times in a row it sounds like "craft closet". In other words it's were I keep the goods. It is a coat closet, and yes it is smack in the middle of the hallway.

It is what it is.
I keep all my fabric folded and stored in the clear totes. Batting that is left over from another project is piled next to the fabric. All that loose Marine Corp stuff you see ? That's stuff for a project that my mother-in-law dropped on me.
I keep my quilts folded on the hangers. I also keep my tops to be quilted in here, basically anything that is done or going to be done at some point. The boys like this system, they know when they get cold they can open the closet and grab a quilt. The only one not in here right now is the military quilt I just finished for Ryan. That one is up in the bonus room, and of course Gavin's birthday quilt which is halfway on his bed and the floor.
Then there are my two sewing machines. I decided to keep my Brother machine. It still works fine. I piece my tops and backs using it, and I actually use it to wind my bobbins while I am working with my quilting machine. I have an emotional attachment to my Brother, without it there would be no blog. The rest of this junk falls under the scrap booking category. Or since I don't really scrapbook anymore, I like to say "paper crafting". Whatever that means.

My super huge cutting mat is hidden behind that rolling cart of "paper crafting" items. Everything fits just so and it works as far as being able to have quick access to things when I have a minute, hour, day to spend quilting.

My dream is to one day have a dedicated space. With a long desk where I can keep everything I am working on right where I left it. Trash can's that are built into the underside of the table, scissors that don't disappear and a nice display for all my thread. Also a fully functional coffee pot would be an added bonus.

I can hang a "NO BOYS ALLOWED SIGN" (but make exceptions when no-one is looking).

Crap room doesn't sound nearly as fun as a crap closet though.

[snow day]

2010-01-08T12:50:00.000-08:00

We were stuck inside with a snow day today. I had this idea scribbled down in my idea book for awhile now.

I do other things beside just quilt. Once and awhile. Like dig out all the broken crayons from the pile, diligently peel the wrappers off and then anal retentively separate them all into colors.
I really did not feel like firing up the ole' oven for such a short project, so to start with I soften the crayons up with my hair dryer. Then my hand got tired of holding it and I moved over to the microwave.
I was a wee bit terrified of burning the wax and have my house smell like the refuse of the Crayola factory, so I probably did not melt them long enough ( the lumps might have been a pretty good clue...)

Also I couldn't think of a feasible excuse to come up with if I ruined the microwave.

Once they were melted down I stuck them in the freezer and forgot about them.

When I remembered I had to run the mold under some warm water in order to pop them out.
My favorite one is the blue sparkly one. Kegan likes them all and Gavin could care less.

[ for Grandma ]

2010-01-07T08:36:00.000-08:00

Grandma's quilt is completely finished !
The binding and backing match. Really cool green paisley fabric. It was a perfect match for the fabrics on the front.
The finished size is an even 50" by 50". I hope my Grandma loves it as much as I loved making it for her !

[ pulled a muscle ]

2010-01-05T05:24:00.000-08:00

My Grandma's quilt has been patiently waiting in the to-do pile for awhile now. Since the end of summer anyway. It was going to be sent out to the long arm quilter to be done with a fancy pattern, until I received a new sewing / quilting machine for Christmas.

Thanks Mom !
So I practiced my free motion quilting on some scraps until I got the hang of it, then I decided to go all out and quilt my Grandma's blanket. Ambitious, I am.

This is called stippling. Basically it's just a free hand squiggly motion all over the quilt. No rhyme or reason, just go with it. Pretty easy to do although I went through about 5 bobbins and I pulled a muscle in my shoulder moving the quilt underneath the machine.
It took me around 3 hours, give or take. I took a few coffee breaks, changed some diapers, let the dog out etc etc. I still need to attach the binding, which matches the back of the fabric (somehow I forgot to take a picture of that....)

I am hoping to finish it up and get it into the mail for my Grandma by next week.

creative 2010

2010-01-02T13:50:00.000-08:00

Last year I made a resolution to make and then donate some quilts to the Project Linus Organization.

The mission of Project Linus is to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers” and to provide a rewarding and fun service opportunity for interested individuals and groups in local communities, for the benefit of children.

What better organization don't you think ? Anyway last year I got side-tracked, but this year I am all about making and donating. In fact this top, which is my very first one of 2010 is going to be a donation.
It got the seal of approval from Kegan. I like it due to the fact that it's blue and it's boyish, two things that strangely don't happen that often in my quilting. The back will be the same star pattern and it will be bound in a red dot fabric. Just wait until you see my new quilting machine.

Instead of sending my quilts out to be quilted, now I am the proud owner of a new sewing machine that allows me, YES ME ! To do the quilting.

SHUT UP !

I am excited, can you tell ?

Here is to an exciting and creative 2010.

silhouettes

2009-12-16T08:39:00.000-08:00

A great deal of my Christmas presents this year have been handmade. One because I loathe shopping in the month of December and two because we are watching our budget. Budget has become somewhat of a dreaded word around these parts.

So yes, handmade. I am always unsure of how my gifts will be accepted.

These are no exception.

I made doggie silhouettes for Grandma and Grandpa. Drake is on the left and Godiva on the right. Godiva was harder than Drake, she is a yorkie pup - can you tell ?

Grandma and Grandpa love their dogs and I wanted something special to show that.

This project did not cost too much. I got the frames at Michael's, buy one and get one free. Then I found some profile photos of the dogs that I enlarged to 5x7 and the cardstock and paper was already in my stash.

It's my hope that these gifts will make Grandma and Grandpa smile when they open them.

BDU Christmas

2009-12-08T07:10:00.000-08:00

SSSSssshhhhh ! Don't tell. but I finished this quilt and it's going under the Christmas tree for Ryan. I think this one might very well be one of my favorites from this year.
I made it using some of Ryan's old BDU's and K-9 t-shirts.
It's not a ginormous quilt. I think I made it more for display than anything else, although any of the boys are free to use it if they want. Using the stretchy fabric from the t-shirts was a little challenge, but I managed.
The hardest part was the binding. Once you double over the BDU material it becomes very thick. I should have taken that into account (but of course I didn't....) I just went slow on my machine and it came out okay.
One more project done. Right now there is only one quilt left and I am hoping to get to it soon.

Gavin's birthday quilt

2009-11-20T08:48:00.000-08:00

Gavin's birthday quilt. I have had this idea in my head for awhile and started gathering fabric here and there that I thought would work well.

I knew I wanted to keep it on the smaller side, little larger than his toddler bed. I knew I wanted it to be loud and vibrant, much like Gavin's personality.

I made sure that I got the number 3 in the blocks as much as I could. See the little blue 3 up there on one of my favorite blocks ? 3 is a pretty big age for a little boy, don't you think ?

I also deviated away from my usual whiteness. I love the results. I will admit I was worried, VERY worried, but instead of ripping it all apart I kept going and going and I am glad that I did.

The big brown and white polka dot backing came from a curtain panel I found on clearance at Walmart. Being frugal I thought " that's a bargain" and I scooped them all up. So now the back of Gavin's quilt also matches his new curtains. I am good like that - eh ?

The finished size ended up being 45" by 57", which is perfect in my opinion. It's big for him now, room for him to grow into and then it can still be used when he gets older.

Which you know isn't going to happen, right ?

They should stay babies for longer. That's what I think.

[ winner ! ]

2009-11-02T12:24:00.000-08:00

Miss Jessica Rogers with her poop scraping comments !

Thank you to all who participated, I wish I had quilts to give you all ! Your comments were fantastic and I enjoyed reading them all.

Join me in wishing Jessica congrats on her winning comment !

[ drawing ]

2009-11-02T12:23:00.001-08:00

First ever quilt giveaway - 2009 edition.

2009-10-25T15:32:00.001-07:00

************COMMENTS ARE CLOSED**********

The give away has ended, the winner will be announced later this afternoon.

Finally !

This "surprise" has been in the works for a few weeks now, and I have been really excited and trying really hard not to spill the secret too soon.

Now that we are all moved into our new home, I figured what better time for my first ever quilt giveaway.

Up for grabs is this really wonky, really pink, really fun block quilt. Each block is unique in the fact that it's off kilter, and completely different from any other block. Go ahead, look ! No two blocks are the same. Different can be good.

The quilting was done by super talented Lisa Stallings, of Lisa's Creative Quilting Studio here in Felton, Delaware.

The top was made entirely from fabric scraps of different projects. The back was made from a fabulous Ralph Lauren flat sheet. Quality thread count right there folks !

The finished size of the quilt is 54 inches by 67 inches . All the materials are 100% cotton, and the batting is warm and natural, the best of the best.

You like it ? Here are your chances to WIN IT !

Yes, I yelled. I am excited !

In fact, I am even more excited, because I am offering THREE separate ways to win the quilt.

You ready ?

First off, you can enter on my Facebook* page by leaving your comment in the comment section of the quilt giveway note.

Second, you can leave a comment on my family blog,Blogged by M in the comment section of the quilt give away post.

Thirdly, you can leave a comment on my sewing blog Oh' Brother !, in the comment section of the quilt give away post.

You can enter ONCE on each of the THREE separate web pages, however, each of your comments (entries) must be different. Again with the whole different thing.

I like individuality.

Each comment must be something wonky, weird, or just plain different, that either happened to you, something about you, or something you once did. Each of the three entries (if you so choose to enter three times) must be different.

Clear as mud ?

Make sure you leave your name, or a means to identify you. No anonymous entries.

'Fess up to your weirdness.

The contest will run for one week only. Sunday October 25th 2009 to Sunday November 1st 2009.

I will announce the winner on Monday, November 2nd (also happends to be my 10 year anniversary). The winner will be picked by a random drawing, not by how wild and crazy your entries were (although the wild and crazier the better, I love a good laugh.)

I will not respond to any questions in the comments section of the blog or of this note, if you need a question answered feel free to message me through Facebook, or my personal e-mail.

The giveaway is open to anyone, male, female, young and old.

On your mark, get set, GO !

* Although Facebook is listed as a means of entering the quilt giveaway I will NOT accept friend requests from people that I do NOT know, just based on gaining an additional entry. Sorry. I like weird, but not THAT weird.

BDU quilt

2009-09-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

I made this top last night. For real. I think I need an intervention. I actually had the squares cut a long, long time ago and I was recently re-inspired to dig them out ( I had to find them first !) and re-start the project.

So I did.

Last night.

I was tired when I finally went to bed.
The squares are made from Ryan's old BDU's and favorite t-shirts. I loved it when he wore these BDU's. Ask him, he will tell you. I think he found it annoying how much I loved it when he wore this uniform. The stupid Air Force had to go and mess with a good thing and change them.
Jerks.

So that means I could cut them up and make this.
I have blisters on my palm and my sewing machine is really mad at me. No more ! We are supposed to be moving in less than 4 weeks and I am dilly-dallying around making more quilts, when I should be packing and stuff.

So the current tally is : One quilt at the long arm quilters, one about to go, and this one that I made last night.

Did I mention how tired I am ?

[ happy, happy ]

2009-09-18T12:38:00.000-07:00

This quilt makes me happy. I cannot wait to mail it off to my beautiful niece, Tanner Grace for her 3rd birthday.

[sweet sixteen]

2009-09-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

Remember this quilt kit that my mother-in-law bought for me ?
Remember how I wasn't really sold on the color scheme or the fabric placement ?
Remember how I added the white sashing around the border and liked it a little more ?
It came back from the long arm quilter earlier this week and now I can say that I really like it.
Alas, it's not for me to keep. I made it as a sweet sixteen birthday gift for a family member. I do however have an entire 2nd kit left over and can see myself making another one, not quite the same but similar...

[ labor day part 2 ]

2009-09-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I love my sewing machine the most. Even more than my coffee pot. This is one of those times...
The top is completed on my "super secret" project. I like it so much it makes my fingers and toes tingle. That's probably not a good thing, huh ?
This is the last "sneak peek" you are going to get. I am horrible at keeping secrets.

[ labor day part 1 ]

2009-09-07T12:56:00.001-07:00

Picked up these placemats at T.J Maxx. The green and white screamed "pick me ! pick me !" and so I did. Then I stopped at Joann's and picked some thread up and a 20. oz bag of polyester fiberfill....
...and I made me some new pillows. For the new house. I am holding onto two of the placemats to see if I can make a valance for the kitchen window, you know cause I am thrifty like that.

[ almost done ]

2009-08-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

Aria's quilt is done. Another one that has been taking up space in my to-do pile. The front is made of up fabrics that I used in Myra's quilt, so Aria can be like her big sister. I also quilted it on the diagonal - see ? I used painters tape to keep my lines straight.
Love the back almost as much as the front. The little stripe of happy fabric. I am huge on polka dots, so the pink polka dot was a must.
These two quilts took me longer than they should of. I struggled with Chase's quilt, and I did not want to finish Aria's and mail it off and not have Chase's finished, so they both sat for awhile. ( Like just under a year - oops )
Now they are done and I can sigh with relief. Now I just wait for the quilts to come back from the long arm quilter and I am almost done with my pile.

I said almost.

Christmas Coin Quilt

2009-08-27T07:02:00.000-07:00

Finished ! Finally ! This quilt was a real pain in my ass from start to finish. It doesn't matter now, it's done and ready for Christmas. I can picture the boys snuggled underneath on the couch in front of the fireplace, in our new house !
Which means my budget for quilting has been drastically cut. I have three quilts out at the long arms quilters right now, and one top that I have been putting together for a give away on my blog. That's it ! Once those are done I imagine I will be taking a long break. Not so much because I want to, but I need to.
I have been tossing around the idea to make some custom quilts for friends and family. My biggest concern is the price, by the time I have purchased the fabric and paid the long arm quilter the cost is upwards of $100.00, not counting my time (which I would not charge for) or the size of the quilt. Bigger costs more. Maybe, I need to think about it some more.

Christmas in the middle of summer ?

2009-08-14T09:59:00.000-07:00

Be still my heart ! Look what came back from the long arm quilter ! Better than I had even imagined possible.

My Christmas coin quilt.

I picked it up on Monday and the quilter gave me some VERY helpful hints on squaring up my quilt and staying within that 1/4 inch seam allowance. Little things that I thought made no real difference on the overall construction of the quilt, but it does. Does it ever.

I have had it home for a few days and haven't even done the binding yet. Strange for me. Feeling that end-of-summer slump. Hot weather, bored kids, long endless days.

I dare say that I am ready for fall.

*gasp*

[ sneak peek ]

2009-08-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

That's all I am going to say. I am really, really excited though !

[ orange you glad I finished this ? ]

2009-08-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

Bonus points if you remember this quilt. Anyone ? If you said last October, you would be right. I had intentions of making quilts for my twin niece and nephew on their 1st birthday's (which was last March) The top to Aria's got finished, but the one for Chase just sat and sat.

To say I struggled with this one would be an understatement. I would play with the arrangement, then move everything around again, then I would get mad and shove all the pieces into the closet for a few more weeks, months, what have you.

Well I have been slowly working through my to-do pile and this one was in it. So I sewed up the top, quilted it, and called it good.

The strange thing ? I love it, absolutely love it. Something about how it looks a hundred times better when it's all together. I could not see it in my mind, but I took a chance and forged ahead. It's a perfect square, 52" by 52". The orange looks really bright and annoying in the pictures, but trust me it works.

Now I just need to quilt and bind Aria's quilt.

My to-do list is getting smaller and smaller (but I have something wicked cool lined up when everything is done...)

[ grandma ]

2009-07-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is Grandma's quilt. When she was here visiting she made a comment about my quilting, and right then and there I decided to make her one. I made it with a bundle of fat quarters, blues and greens and it's a small one, 51" x 51 ", perfect for her lap.
I am backing it with some coordinating paisley fabric, binding will be the same as well. I am hoping to have this one finished and in the mail before summer is over.

Slowly making my way through my "to-do" pile.

my fav !

2009-07-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorites. I picked it up from the quilt shop yesterday and scurried home to start the binding. Remember how I said I was always having problems with my binding coming out cruddy ? I did some things a little different this time, and the results were awesome !

While I was at the quilt shop I dropped off my Christmas quilt, another woman is taking in quilts and I decided to give her a try. I am hoping her turn around time is better than 5 months.

[ wheeze ]

2009-07-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

The latest creation.

Took me an afternoon to put together. The longest part was just trying to decide what I wanted to do.

I love the colors. Dropping it off at the long arm quilters this Friday.

My sewing machine was making a horrible wheezing sound, just as I was finishing the top to this quilt. That's never a good sign.

[ check ! ]

2009-06-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

Another one checked off my to-do-list. I am dropping it off at the long arm quilters on Monday. It's a Christmas quilt (if you couldn't tell) Made from all fat quarters. I still have a quilt out (since February !) With that type of wait I hope I can get this one back in time for the holidays !

[ so there ! ]

2009-06-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

Then I stuck my tongue out at my mojo and made this.

Nothing special, I just loved the print. I backed it with some white fleece.

Super soft.

one down, many more to go

2009-06-07T18:31:00.000-07:00

Take that hiatus !

This one was an old, old project. The top was done last June, almost a year ago.

Since then it's been living in the closet.

This weekend I wrestled it out, quilted it and binded it and washed it.

Done.

I am am ambivalent about this quilt. A common occurrence lately with me.

I can't quite place my finger on what I don't like about it, I don't hate it, but I don't love it.

The best part was making Ryan hold it, and then hide behind the fence while I was taking the photo. It looks a little crooked but that's just the way he was holding it.

The final size ended up being 40"x50". Just right for my niece to lay on while she chews on her fingers and toes.

hiatus

2009-06-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

My crafting mojo jumped out the window and ran down the street buck naked.

Or you could just say that I am on hiatus.

I have been dragging out those old projects that have been collecting dust, thinking it might just be time to finish.

Soon.

[together]

2009-04-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

It's together. I can't really say that I love it. My piecing on this top was horrible. I don't know what my deal is. All my measurements were right, but once I got it all together everything was just a little off.

I followed the pattern for the most part. I tweaked two of the lines, just switched them out. I am really, really wanting to add some white to this. Maybe a white border around the outside ?

Eh.

[raspberry lime squares]

2009-04-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law dropped off this quilt kit.

Actually there are 2 of them. I decided to make matching quilts for baby girl* and her older sister. Not sure if they are going to be identical or slightly different from one another.

Either way, I love the colors and the designs.

There are even instructions included !

There are 7 half yard pieces and 1 piece for the backing, all I needed to do was iron and and cut out the 8 1/2" squares.

Nap time was long today and I did just that.

Next is assembling a pattern (the instructions even help you with that !) that I think I might like and start sewing.

The lack of white is unnerving for me. I might have to work some in somewhere.

One started, one to be started.

flip-flops and shorts

2009-03-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

I am so fed up with winter.

I am tired of being cold, pale, tired and layered in clothing.

I want to throw open the windows, sit out in the sun with a book and some coffee, I want to walk around the neighborhood and I want to see some flowers and smell the grass.

Is that so much to ask ?

My mother-in-law left me this fabric the other day and it made me think "summer", so I did the first thing I could think of. I made some pillows for the couch.

I love that there is a touch of pink in the fabric. I can get away with that now that there is another girl in the house. I love that the fabric brightens up the room and makes me happy, makes me feel like flip-flops and shorts are just around the corner.

friday the 13th

2009-02-13T10:19:00.001-08:00

When I look at this quilt I picture a little barefoot girl, in her sundress and piggy-tails eating a juicy strawberry.

Ummmm strawberries sound good, don't they ?

I used the Farmers Market Charm Pack for the entire quilt.

The unfinished top is 45 x 52 right now, it will be a smidge bigger when the blanket is quilted and bound.

It felt good to put my nervous energy into use.

baby quilt

2009-02-12T13:40:00.000-08:00

This one has been kicking around my head for awhile. I bought two of the Farmer's Market Charm packs and they have just been sitting here collecting dust.

This is the start. Still need to complete the white sashing around the edges. No idea what I plan on using for the back.

This will be a crib sized quilt when it's done and I have a very special baby girl in mind.

[cards]

2009-02-12T13:36:00.000-08:00

order up !

2009-01-03T13:31:00.001-08:00

Gavin got a play kitchen for his birthday / Christmas and he loves it. He is always trying to pull one of us into his room to play.

We bought him a bunch of Melissa & Doug wooden kitchen sets, he got some fruit and veggies and even a pizza party set.

I also got the bright idea to make him some food. Felt play food. Etsy has tons and tons of ideas. I already make him a fried egg, and I attempted a sad version of some lettuce and tomato.

I picked up some more felt last night and armed with a little cotton batting and some pinking shears I made him some ravioli. I love cheese filled ravioli, the huge over sized pieces. Drenched in some sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Yum !

Next up is a box of donuts !

baby blanket

2008-12-28T07:14:00.000-08:00

A quick baby blanket for my three week old niece in South Carolina.

Fell in love with this pink floral print, and I love the super soft pink minky fabric. I stuck some warm and natural cotton batting in between to add some warmth.

Did a top stitch all around to add a little something special and I even attached one of my "homemade by M" tags.

Our holidays were very good, low key and quiet, just the way I love it.

I have lots of projects to finish

-quilt for aria.

-quilt for chase

-quilt for ryan

-christmas quilt

I was also asked to make two quilts for extended family members. The oldest likes to hunt and the younger boy enjoys 4-wheeling. Finding fabric and a theme for that one, might be difficult.

On top of that, one of my New Year's Resolutions is to make and donate my quilts to Project Linus. I already have one in the works even though the new year isn't quite here.

lounge pants

2008-12-07T15:29:00.000-08:00

This I just had to do. Forget everything else. Matching Christmas lounge pants ? Hell yeah !

I used these instructions and found the entire process somewhat painless. I say somewhat because when I first started I somehow sewed the crotch together and it took me a good 20 minutes (and Ryan) to figure out what I did wrong.

Cute enough that I think maybe Mom and Dad might also need a pair...you know.....for Christmas morning....

ho ! ho ! ho !

2008-11-29T11:03:00.000-08:00

I have had two stacks of fat quarter Christmas fabric that I have been itching to work with.

I know I said that I had to finish all my other projects first, but it's Christmas and we need a Christmas quilt, so all other projects got shifted around. I can do that.

I keep seeing these stacked coin quilts, so I copied one. I have been working on it for about 3 days now, only during nap time and nap time has been averaging about an hour and a half.

I hope I can get it done before Christmas is here.

I saved some of the fabric so I can piece something together for the back of the quilt. Not sure what color I am thinking for the binding, probably red.

It will be a little larger than my usual quilts, when all is said and done.

[birthday polka dots]

2008-11-02T10:57:00.000-08:00

This one (remember this one ?) came back from the long arm quilters as well. It is a birthday gift for my niece who has already turned two.

The colors are a change for me, and so is the actual quilting. I picked this pretty flower pattern. Look closely, you see the flowers ?

So I put the binding on today, not my best job. I think I need some "binding lessons". My corners always suck even though I follow basic directions.

Now I am wrapping it up all pretty and sending it away to South Carolina.

I have some new quilt ideas but I am trying really hard to finish my other projects before I start a brand new one. I say that a lot don't I ?

The finished size of this quilt is 40"x54" and it is backed in a beige floral fabric.

after 9 long weeks....

2008-10-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

Look what finally came back from the long arm quilters !

She was really backed up and isn't taking a new work until after the new year.

That means the "matching" quilts I had in the works for the twins as a Christmas gift

has been pushed back until their 1st birthday's.

Once the little one was down for nap time, I started attaching the binding, this yummy pink

fabric. I finished it in under 2 hours and now it's tumbling around in the dryer.

I decided to machine sew the back of the binding, mainly because I had already "messed" up the front of the quilt (do you see it?) so I gave up on trying to have perfection.

I still really love the way it came out.

The finished size is 39"x 48" and it is backed in plain white fabric.

...after

2008-10-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

This is the doll quilt after washing and drying. All puffy, crinkly and soft.

It came out better than I had hoped.

The good news is that I have no use what-so-ever for a doll quilt, unless G.I Joe wants to use it for an emergency shelter....

That means it's up for grabs, leave a comment if you like it and want it, and you have a sweet dolly who needs it :)

before....

2008-10-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

I saw this ragged squares quilt tutorial at one of my favorite blogs and I knew I had to try it. I figured small scale was best to begin with, so I have my first ever doll quilt.

It is a petite 26" by 26" square.

I also used the opportunity to use quite a few of my fabric scraps, hence the crazy off the wall color scheme.

...this was before washing....