swing, batter batter batter, swing !

Finished !

Not a minute too soon, Kegan was sick yesterday morning and needed something to make him feel better.

Red, white, blue and baseballs !

The finished size is 46x46, a perfect square. Once it's too small for Kegan it can be passed down to little brother.

one more for today...

I picked up this yummy bundle of fabric the other day. Brown, blue and cream.

I put together a few blocks, this is what I have so far...

A boy quilt

Kegan asked me to hook him up with a new quilt.

He was very specific. It had to have baseballs and be red, white and blue.

Armed with that information we headed to the fabric store. He of course picked out the most expensive baseball fabric there.

I figured it was best to keep it super simple.

The back is more of the expensive baseball fabric, the back and binding will match. I did the quilting on my machine since the finished size of this quilt isn't that big.

I am still working on this one, I have the binding left to do.

It's LOUD !

This quilt started off strange. I had this vintage type flower fabric that I scored at Joann's a long time ago. It was 1/2 the clearance price (which was 40% off the original price.) I think I bought 5-6 yards. I also grabbed the green coordinating fabric at the same time. Anyway.

So I had a butt load of this fabric and no idea what to do with it. I scooped up some fat quarters in the pink and orange and I had the striped fabric already hanging around.

I started cutting and randomly piecing together and this it what happened. It's loud and in your face. Once again faced with the dread of trying to quilt it on my machine I searched out someone else to quilt it for me. Her name is Susan Scott and she works miracles. 

It took about two weeks (if that) after I dropped it off. She did what's called a meander pattern and it's cool. She even gave it back to me in my very own embroidered bag. The price was reasonable too. Given the fact that I didn't have to do it, it was very reasonable.

Once I got it back all I had to do was the binding.  In another act of unselfishness I decided to hand sewing the binding.

I was thinking it would take me days and days to hand sew the back. I had to get the slip stitch down first, once I did that I started the stitching yesterday afternoon and finished this morning. It looks much better than if I had down it on the machine.

The finish size is 50" x 70". Big enough to snuggle in and small enough not to overwhelm you.

I thought this quilt was for me, but I think now I am saving it for a very special baby girl that is due in December.

playing with blocks

Cast of characters: Wooden blocks, primer, mod podge, brushes, scrapbook paper and lots of patience. Not shown : acrylic paint, scissors, paper cutter.

Prime blocks. Let dry. Paint blocks. Let dry. 

Pick out cute matchy-matchy papers. I like this robot line from Cosmo Cricket. 

Cut squares to fit each block side. I did two cuts of 3 different papers.

Slop on some mod podge (can you believe I have NEVER used this stuff before ?) It makes me want to slather it all over my hands and then once dry peel off. Did you ever do that with Elmer's Glue. Fun stuff.

Watch it dry. Partake in a cold beverage. 

Once dry, brush on mod podge all over. Nice and heavy. This seals the paper onto the block. A nice kid protective cover. Sit back and watch dry. You see a theme here ?

Get really excited when you see the finished product, dig out some more fun papers and repeat.

something new

Sometimes I get a wild hair across my ass and I just have to do something.

Ask yourself why a mom of two boys would buy all this ribbon and all these "bare naked" hair clips. Why to make bows of course.

Duh.

The cast of characters: Ribbon (American crafts) 1/4" dowel rods, cut down to 6". Clothespins. Hair-clips. Not pictured are the pans, the hot glue gun and my burnt fingers.

Wind the ribbon around the dowels, securing at the ends with clothespins.

Place them all on the baking sheets. (lined with foil just in case they erupt into flames)

Bake in the oven at 250 for 30 minutes. Check to make sure there are no flames (kidding)

They come out nicely curled and looking like pretty noodles.

Next up thread (I ended up using dental floss actually) and some nail polish to seal the ends from fraying. You know how rough little girls are with their hair bows. Tie them up nice and tight and "fluff" the ribbon a little. 

Plug in the glue gun, walk away, come back and curse when the melted glue is dripping onto the kitchen counter. 

I glued a strip of matching ribbon onto the actual hair-clip first, along with my index finger.

Then I placed a HUGE glob of hot glue on the underneath of the bow (they call it a "korker bow but I dont like how that sounds) and then hurry and jam the bow onto the fabric covered clip and hope none of the hot glue oozes onto your fingers again.

Stand back and enjoy the girly-ness of the whole project.

...the clutches of summer

I am still here. I just haven't been sewing as much. Summer is running rampant in our house. All the activities leaves little time for sewing, quilting, creating.

I worked on this top for awhile. I had a mental picture of what I wanted it to look like and I did not achieve that. I know it doesn't make sense. Trying being me.

I am still trying to get away from using so much darn white. It's like crack, I just cannot stop.

Luckily (or not so much) I started yet another quilt top, really bad habit of mine - to start something else before I finish what I am already working on. But this new one, has very little white. Maybe none.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

This one has no name because I am done with the names, it stresses me out. I have roughly 3 quilt tops that are done, but not finished quilts. I need to find someone kind enough to deal with my quirks and who might not charge me a boat-load of money to quilt them. In my dreams....