Katie's Korner

Seuss-tastic

2012-02-12T19:07:00.003-06:00

When I was home for Christmas, I raided my mom's Seuss stash to get fabric for this quilt. She gave me the Cat in the Hat panel and some coordinating FQs, I wonkified (it's a word) them, added some solids, and this quilt was born.

Kind of hard to see the quilting, but it's loopy. I used light gray thread. I intended to use white, but when I started quilting I realized I was all out (egad!). It was about 9 p.m., so I went with gray. I was a little worried, but I think it looks fine.

Crinkly goodness.

For the back, I used a yard of the Celebrate Seuss All-Over Blue, and then added some leftover Cat in the Hat fabic to make it big enough. The quilt measures about 44x48.

Love the Seuss Squiggle Stripes for binding!

This will be heading to my cousin and his wife, who are having a baby soon (and decorating the nursery in a Seuss theme). Hope it's well-loved!

Linking up with Sew Modern Monday at Canoe Ridge Creations!

Wild Saturday night

2012-02-11T22:24:00.002-06:00

Catching up on Downton Abbey whilst sewing the binding on my Seuss quilt. Getting crazy up in here!

WIP Wednesday

2012-02-01T08:09:00.002-06:00

This has been kind of a quiet week. A few of my projects are on hold because I ran out of Kona White. Fear not, reinforcements are on the way.

Finished:
Scrappy Coasters

In progress

Swoon-along

This might be my favorite block yet. The clock! I die.

Wonky Seuss

I ordered backing and binding fabric. Counting that as progress!

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2
Fabricland
Scrap Attack tumblers

To do:
LynneBob block for VIBeees
Drunkard's Path Quilt-Along
~~Block for Jeni~~
Seuss quilt
Something with Gray/Green blocks
Superhero quilt #2?

Head to Lee's to see what everyone else is working on!

Scraptastic coasters

2012-01-30T16:05:00.002-06:00

I've been meaning to make a set of coasters for a while, but for whatever reason, last night I just HAD to make them.

I pulled out my orange and brown scraps and came up with this little collection (using Jeni's tutorial).

The three of us used to fight over one coaster, so this is an improvement.

I made the obligatory superhero coaster for the 4-year-old.

I think they'll really class up the joint.

WIP Wednesday

2012-01-25T07:57:00.002-06:00

Somehow I managed to not touch any of my WIPs this week. Instead, I started new ones! Sigh.

Finished:
Loulouthi quilt

Started and finished this quilt since Wednesday. Details here.

In progress

Swoon-along
No progress here. I need a 1/4 inch foot for my new machine. I thought the one for my old machine would work, and it mostly does, but the needle is just a little too close for comfort, especially when I sew in reverse (and I have a few broken needles to prove it!). So I put the Swoon blocks and a few bee blocks on hold until I get a new one. I'm sure my Swoon blocks would be disastrous if I didn't have an accurate 1/4 inch seam.

Wonky Seuss

Instead, I worked on a few blocks for a Dr. Seuss quilt. I stole some fabric, including this panel, from my mom, and I figured wonky was the way to go with Seuss.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2
Fabricland
Scrap Attack tumblers

To do:
LynneBob block for VIBeees
Drunkard's Path Quilt-Along
Block for Jeni
Seuss quilt

Head to Lee's to see what everyone else is working on!

Loulouthi love

2012-01-22T19:48:00.004-06:00

I decided a few days ago that I should make a quilt for a rapidly approaching gift-giving occasion. Because of the time crunch, I gave myself the self-imposed restriction of only using materials I had on hand. Also, not spending money always trumps spending money. It didn't take me long to settle on my Loulouthi stash, paired with some yardage of Kona Snow.

I flip-flopped on the layout a few times. Loulouthi is one of those lines I had to have, but then it languished on my shelf because I didn't know what to do with it. I think the large-scale prints trip me up, so I decided to leave them fairly large. At first, I wanted to do some simple squares set on point, but I couldn't make the math work with the fabric I had. Then I thought I'd do some simple sashed squares. I ended up offsetting the squares to make the layout a little more interesting.

The layout is definitely reminiscent of my Colorbrick quilt that I made with Rachel's quilt-along. I cut the Loulouthi fat quarters into 8-inch squares, and sashed them with 2-inch strips of Kona Snow.

I used this dark brown solid for the binding because (a) there is a lot of brown in these prints and (b) I had some. I sewed on the binding by hand while watching the first few episodes of season 1 of Downton Abbey on Netflix. Seems like I'm the only person on the known planet who isn't watching this show, so I'm catching up.

I had a couple yards of the Summer Totem print, which worked out perfectly for the back. This is one of my favorite prints, and there's no way I could cut it up. I just added a few strips of Kona Snow to either side to make it wide enough. I'm not sure I'm done with this print...I can't shake the Summer Totem quilt by Noodlehead. You can kind of see the quilting pattern from the back--just double lines zigzagging through the sashing.

I know I paid for all of these supplies at some point, but it still feels awfully thrifty to make a quilt from stash!

Linking up with Sew Modern Monday at Canoe Ridge Creations!

I'm linking up to Kati's Slash the Stash over at From the Blue Chair!

Three things on a rainy Saturday

2012-01-21T12:07:00.002-06:00

Seems like the weather is keeping lots of folks close to home this weekend. It's warm here, but it's been rainy enough to keep me home from my usual trek to Target.

Thing 1: I entered my Houndstooth quilt in the Black & White quilt contest over on the Quilting Gallery blog. Pop over there and check out the entries, and vote for mine if you're so inclined. :)

Thing 2: I started a quilt using my Loulouthi stash. Should have the binding sewn on today. More soon!

Thing 3: I saw this post on using Perle cotton like regular thread in your sewing machine, and I was all what the?? If you've tried this, I'd love to hear about it.

WIP Wednesday

2012-01-18T06:38:00.002-06:00

Wednesday again? Here we go!

Finished:
Bookshelf mini

Elizabeth's tutorial is here.

In progress

Scrap Attack quilt-along

My tumbler quilt top is awaiting further attention.

Swoon-along

Block 2=Dunzo

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2
Fabricland
Scrap Attack tumblers

To do:
LynneBob block for VIBeees
Drunkard's Path Quilt-Along
Block for Jeni
Seuss quilt

Head to Lee's to see what everyone else is working on!

Bookshelf mini

2012-01-16T17:28:00.003-06:00

I figured a mini quilt would be the ideal project to put my new machine through its paces. I've been wanting to make Elizabeth's Bookshelf Mini for a long time, and I decided it was the perfect use for the strips of treasured scraps and selvedges I unearthed in my scrap bin.

I had a few strips of my beloved Good Folks fabric left, so I put those to use along with some Innocent Crush and Loulouthi and a background of Essex linen. I didn't intend this to be an Anna Maria Horner tribute quilt, but that makes me love it more (there are a few bits of Hope Valley in there too). I didn't notice the book on the left was so wonky until I looked at this photo!

I picked out a few selvedges that seemed like they could be book titles and sewed those on there. I even got brave and tried out a little embroidery, and I think it's a fun addition. The new machine and I seem to be getting along pretty well so far (although it clearly doesn't make me any more likely to sew in a straight line. sheesh). This mini is now making my office a happier place.

I'm linking up to Sew Modern Monday at Canoe Ridge Creations.

My New/Old Friend

2012-01-14T11:43:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago it became clear that the time was near to say goodbye to my trusty Kenmore sewing machine. My mom and sister gave it to me for my bridal shower nearly 10 years ago, and it has seen me through almost 50 quilts and lots of other projects without a single service. Lately, it has gotten really loud and vibrated so much that the power cord kept falling out and the light no longer worked. The service places around here wanted $79+ to look at it, and I figured I'd rather put that money toward a new one.

So I started looking at new machines and got a little overwhelmed (although that Janome with the built-in walking foot was mighty tempting). I really don't need 120 decorative stitches, just a bit of a workhorse that can take some abuse. I figured a used machine might meet my needs (and my budget!).

I found this Husqvarna Viking Freesia 415 on Craig's List for a really good price. The seller told me he bought it for his 71-year-old mother who didn't like it from day 1 because it wasn't a Pfaff. :) She used it maybe six times, and he had it serviced before listing it for sale. I met him in the airport parking lot this morning to make the exchange. (Wow, that sounds sketchy when I write it out.) I've only had a few minutes to check it out, but it seems good so far! Definitely quieter than the old Kenmore. I think we'll have some "getting to know you" time this weekend.

Scrap Attack: A quilt only a mother could love.

2012-01-12T20:49:00.003-06:00

Seems like 2012 is the year of the scrap! Scrappy projects are popping up all over. I'm participating in Rachel's Scrap Attack, and I decided to face my bulging bin of scraps head-on.

I admit--there were times during this process when I wasn't sure if I was attacking the scraps or they were attacking me. But I persevered and sorted my scraps. I threw away any that were too small to be useful.

I pulled out any larger pieces. They belong with the rest of my fabric where I can find them.

I took any tumbler-size scraps and cranked them through my Go Baby, and I ended up with 456 tumblers.

I put the tumblers in a paper bag, shook them up, and pulled out random pairs and sewed them together. I ended up with this quilt top, which measures about 54 x 54 inches.

It was fun to see all of these long-lost bits of fabric! Kind of a trip down quilty memory lane. It's definitely a loud and crazy quilt top...but I kind of love it.

WIP Wednesday!

2012-01-11T06:26:00.003-06:00

We stayed up late watching Moneyball (very good), and then I was woken up several times by thunder/dog nervous about thunder. At about 4 a.m., the kid wet his bed, so there was cleanup and laundry to do. It's a rainy Wednesday, but unfortunately staying in bed is not an option, so we WIP! (Diet Coke, stat!)

Finished:
4x5 Bee blocks

Tutorial here.

In progress

Scrap Attack quilt-along

The scraps have been attacked, my friends, and I have 456 tumbler shapes to prove it. They have since been sewn into a quilt top. Pictures to come if/when it stops raining.

Swoon-along

Block 1=Dunzo

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2
Fabricland
Scrap Attack tumblers

To do:
LynneBob block for VIBeees
Drunkard's Path Quilt-Along
Block for Jeni

Head to Lee's to see what everyone else is working on!

Swooning along

2012-01-09T16:37:00.003-06:00

One of my quilty 2012 quilty goals was to make a Swoon quilt using my beloved Hideaway fabric. Thanks to Katy/I'm a Ginger Monkey, this will be happening sooner rather than later! The block is a little time-consuming, but we're just making one a week, so it's doable.

I knew the Swoon block was big, but I didn't realize just how big! I think it measures 24 inches.

I'm happy to be putting this fabric to use.

Are you Swooning along?

X marks the spot

2012-01-06T16:16:00.003-06:00

Glad to have my blocks for the 4x5 bee in the mail!

I used this tutorial from Jonquils & Ladybugs. If you're planning a Scrap Attack, this would be a good block to make!

WIP Wednesday!

2012-01-04T06:40:00.003-06:00

Oh, WIP Wednesday, I've missed you! After a few weeks off, I realize how much I rely on Lee's link-up to keep track of my projects.

Finished:
Scrappy Triangles for do. Good Stitches

More here.

Starry bee blocks

More here.

Hexing Around the Block for Rene

Tutorial by Lee
freshlypieced.blogspot.com/2011/05/hexing-around-block.html

In progress
4x5 Bee blocks
I don't know why I'm dragging my feet on this one. They need to be in the mail by January 15. I'm not working on anything else until these are done.

Scrap Attack quilt-along

I'm very grateful for Rachel's Scrap Attack quilt-along. If this didn't come along, I'd surely end up on Hoarders: Buried Alive. This is my tub of shame--my scraps are all crammed in there, completely unorganized. I'm going to start pulling out scraps, cutting tumbler shapes using my Go! Baby die, and sewing them together randomly. I'm actually pretty excited about this!

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2
Fabricland

To do:
LynneBob block for VIBeees
Drunkard's Path Quilt-Along

I'm not sure if Lee is hosting her link-up today, but if so, I'm linking up!

Seeing stars

2012-01-03T16:26:00.002-06:00

I'm getting caught up/getting a jump-start on my quilt bee blocks. Evidently, stars are "in."

Cherie sent us beautiful Secret Garden fabric to make Carpenter's Star blocks using her own tutorial. I love the way this turned out, and it makes a huge (18 inches) block.

For the Peace circle of do. Good Stitches in December, we made the Ring of Sars block using Angela's tutorial. These are adorable and fun to make, but I can't say I'll be making another anytime soon. SO many tiny pieces!

For do. Good Stitches in January, we're making 4-, 8-, and 12-inch stars for a quilt inspired by the Oh My Stars quilt-along. I used this tutorial for Sawtooth Stars at Thought and Found. I love the way these are put together. Very clever.

This is my 12-inch star. I used Becky's Sunrise Star tutorial, and I think this might be my new favorite block!

Scrappy New Year!

2012-01-01T20:10:00.002-06:00

Hope you're having a great start to 2012! We rang in the New Year with football, basketball (go Hoosiers!), and more football before falling asleep on the couch while watching Rise of the Planet of the Apes. That's right, things got pretty crazy up in here.

I technically finished this quilt before midnight, but as I didn't pull it out of the dryer until 1/1, I'm counting it as the first finish of 2012. Big thanks to the ladies of the Peace Circle of do. Good Stitches for putting these blocks together. I gave them this for color inspiration (from Design Seeds):

And the Scrappy Triangles tutorial from Ashley/Film in the Fridge. This is a fun block and a great way to bust through some scraps! The Peace Circle sends quilts to My Very Own Blanket (an organization that provides quilts for children in foster care), and I thought this combination would make a sophisticated quilt for an older girl.

The quilt top came out a little small and squarish, so I added some strips to the top and bottom. I think these strips add to the preppy vibe of the quilt.

I'm a big fan of Megan's wavy organic quilting, so I gave it a try on this quilt (she gives instructions here). I admit I struggled with this a little at first--I was worried that my lines might not look organic enough and instead would just look like I can't sew in a straight line (insecurities, anyone?). I kind of exaggerated the waves, and I LOVE the finished look! I think it goes nicely with the nautical feel of this quilt.

For the back, I used this zinnia print from the Flights of Fancy line by Paula Prass that I had been ~~hoarding~~ saving for the right project. I added the pink and green prints from Mod Green Pod by Nancy Mims and the awesome gray print from Wildwood by Erin McMorris to make it big enough.

I used Kona Grass for the binding, and I gave Rachel's Zig-Zag Binding Tutorial a try for the first time. There are a few rough spots, but overall I'm happy with it!

Big thanks to my Peace Circle friends for helping with this quilt!

I can't wait to send it off to its new home.

Lucky me!

2012-01-01T09:50:00.003-06:00

I was so excited to find out I won a giveaway from Jen/BettyCrockerAss! This awesome pouch was waiting for me when I got home from my Christmas travels.

But that's not all! Jen filled the pouch with fabric, thread, and rickrack (oh, my!).

Love that hand-stitching. Thanks so much, Jen!!

P.S. I pulled my do. Good Stitches quilt from the dryer this morning. Pictures soon!

2011: A very quilty year

2011-12-30T19:36:00.002-06:00

Here they are: My quilts of 2011. I'm sure we can all agree that 26 is a perfectly reasonable number of quilts to make in a year. Moving on.

I don't think I could pick a favorite, but the Houndstooth quilt is definitely toward the top.

So, what does 2012 have in store? First on my list is finishing my do. Good Stitches quilt, and then I have some bee blocks to tackle. After that, I really want to finish up my Fabricland and Postage Stamp quilts. A few quilt-alongs have caught my eye (Megan and Jeni's Sparkle quilt-along is definitely a go).

I'd like to try some more hand-stitching. I embroidered this little bird for my mom (whose name is Robin), and really enjoyed it. (Pattern by Aneela.)

More generally, I'd like to slow down a little bit and be a little more adventurous with my sewing.

I've been away from my sewing machine for a while (my son asked me several times why I didn't pack it), so it's time to get reacquainted!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:01:00.000-06:00

From my family to yours.

Wrapping it up.

2011-12-18T16:39:00.002-06:00

I had a few too many "fall asleep on the couch at 9 p.m. while watching Storage Wars" nights this week, so it was time to kick in to productivity mode.

I unrolled a Rouenneries honey bun to make this composition book cover (tutorial by V and Co).

Made PJ pants for Luke using leftover Batman flannel and Dana's tutorial.

Last year, I made a voile and velveteen Figure 8 scarf using Anna Maria Horner's tutorial. She used 18-inch-wide fabric, and it looks really cute in her pictures. It made me look like a velveteen turtle. After seeing skinnier versions popping up online (most recently by Krista and Angela), I decided to cut it in half and make two 9-inch scarves. Better. (Photo courtesy of the 4-year-old)

Finished up this little owl. (Pattern from the Holiday 2010 issue of Knit Simple.)

More of these.

And more of these.

And some Santa hat brownies for the preschool Christmas party.

*This post is bought to you by Diet Coke.

In print.

2011-12-15T17:31:00.004-06:00

Those are my quilts*, all cozied up next to a cute pup. They were photographed for a little article on "The New Quilting Craze." For more, you'll have to pick up the January issue of Southern Living magazine.

*Except for the one on the bottom--that one isn't mine.

Spiky

2011-12-13T20:50:00.002-06:00

I'm trying to add a few handmade gifts for Luke's Advent calendar. He loves dinosaurs, so I made him this little guy using the Dilbert pattern by Melly and Me. I used some leftover corduroy and scraps I had on hand. Turning the spikes right side out proved tricky, and my blanket stitching needs practice, but I think he's pretty cute anyway.

Luke says "spikysaurus" instead of "stegosaurus," and I love it. I think Spiky will be well-loved.

Run, run, as fast as you can!

2011-12-11T21:56:00.002-06:00

My friend Stephanie has a raucous ornament swap party each year. This year, the theme was gingerbread men. I found this tutorial from Elsie Marley and couldn't resist.

My husband thinks I'm "disturbed."

I think it's pretty funny (perhaps that makes me disturbed?).

Reminds me of this...

Happy little bags

2011-12-05T18:54:00.003-06:00

I didn't finish most of the items on my weekend to-do list, but I did make these little bags!

These are the Ruched Happy Bags. The pattern is by Amy of During Quiet Time (available here). It's a great pattern with clear, easy-to-follow instructions.

Shoot...kind of want to keep this one for myself.

Kind of want to keep this one too. Must. Buy. Zippers.

I think these zipper ends are my career-best!

Two more gifts marked off the list.

1 yard of ruffle fabric.

2011-12-01T22:36:00.002-06:00

Vanessa of V and Co has posted some really cute tutorials using ruffle fabric, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! Here's what I made out of one yard (it's 54 inches wide).

First, I wanted to try the ruffle tote. So I made two.

This one is for me.

The lining is my favorite Heirloom print.

The second one is for [name redacted]. The lining is actually purple in real life.

I made the flowers using Vanessa's Flower Corsage tutorial.

After making those, I had just enough fabric left to make a ruffle scarf.

Kindly excuse the weird self-portrait.
I had to fudge it a bit and cut my strips at 12 inches instead of 14, but it works just as well! Not bad for 1 yard of fabric!

The ruffle fabric is definitely a little different to work with. It's very stretchy, so cutting it accurately is hard. But that stretchiness also makes it very forgiving. If you can keep your ruffles out of your seams, you're in good shape. I'm interested to see how it holds up with use, but I'm happy for now, and I marked someone off my Christmas list!

Happy December!

2011-11-30T23:59:00.002-06:00

I accidentally made an extra block for my Christmas quilt, so I turned it into this mini. I did a little loopy quilting in the white space. I had just enough candy cane binding left over from my Christmas quilt to bind this one too.

Are you in the Christmas spirit yet? I think I am! It's hard not to be when you're around a 4-year-old. The Advent calendar comes out today, and the Elf on the shelf wil make his first appearance We are officially in countdown mode!

WIP Wednesday

2011-11-30T06:50:00.002-06:00

Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving! I had a week off of work and actually marked some projects off my list. Unfortunately, the weather hasn't cooperated for any picture-taking, so I'll be back soon with those.

Finished:
Christmas Quilt

Holly Jolly. Details here.

Christmas PJs for Luke

I had some extra flannel from the back of my Christmas quilt to make Luke a pair of PJ pants.(He would only pose for pictures if he could do some Ninja moves. Diva.) I used Dana's instructions for making your own pattern. Not perfect, but they're wearable, and he proclaimed them "cozy." I have some leftover Batman flannel from the back of his superhero quilt, and I wanted to try out the pattern before I made those.

Ruffle totes
Done! Details soon.

Christmas mini

Done! I had one extra block from my Christmas quilt, and I turned it into a mini. Pictures if/when the sun comes out.

In progress
Stegosaurus
Done...just need to finish it off with some blanket stitches. First, need to learn how to blanket stitch.

Superhero Alphabet Sampler

I got this awesome Superhero Alphabet Cross-Stitch Sampler from Wee Little Stitches. I started in the middle with M for Martian Manhunter (as if you didn't know). This is going to be a long-term project, much to Luke's dismay.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2
Fabricland

To do:
~~Ruffle totes~~
Journal cover
Drunkard's Path Quilt-Along
Zippy pouches
Stegosaurus
November do. Good Stitches quilt

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone is working on!

Joy.

2011-11-25T10:26:00.004-06:00

Those three little letters pretty much sum up my feelings about this quilt. I loved working on it. I love the way it turned out. It puts me in the Christmas spirit!

After making my advent calendar and Christmas tree skirt, I had a collection of holiday fabrics. I sent them to my Sew Beautiful Bee friends, who rocked it (as I knew they would). Special thanks to Lee, Cherie, Elizabeth, Emily, Brooke, Megan, Angela, AnneMarie, Kati, and Cara for these awesome blocks.

I sashed their blocks with white, then added a 3-inch scrappy border, and then another 2-inch border.

Happy and festive.

It's hard to tell, but I quilted with white thread in an all-over meandering stipple.

For the backing I used this Christmas tree flannel by Doodlebug Design for Riley Blake. Cute and soft (and on sale).

I can't imagine this quilt without the candy cane binding (tutorial from Kati). It took a bit more time, but I'm really happy with the result.

It finished at about 50x62. Only problem: Am I really going to be able to put this up in a month? I guess we'll see!

What about you? In the holiday spirit yet??

I'm linking up to Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts!

WIP Wednesday

2011-11-23T05:40:00.002-06:00

Happy WIP Wednesday, Thanksgiving edition!

Finished:
Superhero Quilt

Yay.

Fabric Christmas ornaments

More of these to come.

In progress
Christmas Quilt

Just need to finish stitching down this fun binding! Done very soon. (Binding tutorial from Kati.)

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2
Fabricland

To do:
Ruffle totes
Journal cover
Drunkard's Path Quilt-Along
Zippy pouches
Stegasaurus
November do. Good Stitches quilt

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone is working on!

Tuesday at the Table

2011-11-22T18:52:00.002-06:00

Debbie (A Quilter's Table) is hosting a special Thanksgiving edition of Tuesday at the Table, and I'm happy to link up. (There's still time to link up, and there are prizes involved!)

We're having a low-key Thanksgiving this year, with just me, my husband, and our son. The good thing is that we only have to make things we really want to eat. I know these Perfect Mashed Potatoes will be on the menu. I've made these before, and they really are great. The Yukon Gold potatoes can be hard to find, but Whole Foods carries them.

And the centerpiece will definitely be Luke's Tur-pumpkin. He was unhappy this week to find one of our pumpkins had gone uncarved, so this was our compromise.

One more thing: Margaret's Hope Chest has posted their Wrapped in Hope List for 2012. You can sign up to make a birthday quilt for a child whose parent is in prison. The dirtbike quilt I made for them this year is one of my favorite projects. Sign up if you can! The kids have really fun (and maybe challenging!) requests.

Warning: Contents may be habit-forming.

2011-11-21T09:35:00.002-06:00

I'm hooked on these ornaments.

Pattern from Simple Beans.

These little guys are helping me bust through some of my leftover Christmas fabric.

They're surprisingly simple to make. Only downside: Each one takes 180 pins. Not a typo.
Two down, many more to come, I'm sure! But first, I'm going to bind my Christmas quilt. Yippee!

Super.

2011-11-19T12:39:00.003-06:00

I have to admit, I felt a little...I don't know, sheepish?...about my superhero quilt after reading this post. But then I remembered that this is a "know your audience" type of quilt, and I'm pretty sure my audience is going to lose his 4-year-old mind when he opens this on Christmas morning.

Besides, this quilt has Optimus Flippin Prime! Most of these crazy fabrics have large-scale prints, so I let that dictate my design. I framed the prints in a skinny white sashing in hopes of giving it a comic book look.

I used Elizabeth's Billboard Quilt-Along instructions to make the letters for Luke's name.

I backed it in this Batman flannel from JoAnn's. I'm not sure what the official end-of-bolt policy is at JoAnn's, but I had to buy the end of two bolts (nearly 2 yards each) and the cashier gave me 50% off both. I'm not sure if she was supposed to, but I didn't complain! This is my first flannel-backed quilt, and I'm happy with the results. I did use batting, so it's going to be nice and cozy.

For quilting, I outlined the letters and then quilted double lines in the white sashing. I wanted to keep the flannel as soft as possible. I'm not normally a prewasher, but I did prewash all of these fabrics because I was concerned about the quality. (I bought most of them from Fabric.com. The Marvel prints sell out quickly!)

Okay, I need to hide this before Luke wakes up from his nap! I cannot wait to give this to him in a month.

WIP Wednesday

2011-11-16T06:33:00.002-06:00

Another Wednesday, another week closer to Christmas...

Finished:
Yeah...nada. I did order my Christmas cards, and I'm feeling a little impressed with myself.

In progress
Christmas Quilt

I got this one sashed. I just need to add some borders. Maybe this weekend!

Superhero Quilt

Just need to stitch down the binding, and this one will be dunzo! Covert pictures to come.
(Yes, ladies, that is Thor fabric.)

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2
Fabricland

To do:
superhero quilt
Ruffle totes
Journal cover
Drunkard's Path Quilt-Along
Zippy pouches
Stegasaurus
November do. Good Stitches quilt

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone is working on!

Christmas quilt in progress

2011-11-13T08:55:00.002-06:00

I'm hoping to get my Christmas quilt top put together today. I've received all of the blocks from my Sew Beautiful friends (thanks, ladies!) and I made a few extras of my own.

I found this Virginia Wreath block in the Encyclopedia of Classic Quilt Patterns.

It's made like a dresden, but I thought the shape gave it a poinsettia look.

I also made this stack of presents block, based on this block by Little Miss Shabby.

I showed you this star block last week. After I pulled out all of the finished blocks, I realized I made one extra, so one of the blocks that I made will probably become a mini quilt or a pillow.

Here are all of the blocks. So awesome. I'm going to add white sashing and then probably a scrappy border. What do you think?

WIP Wednesday

2011-11-09T05:47:00.002-06:00

Today is Lee's 1-year anniversary of hosting WIP Wednesday. Be sure to visit her blog for some pomp and perhaps some circumstance.

Finished:

Pouch for Pretty Little Pouch Swap

Ella received her pouch, and she likes it! I'm glad to have this swap wrapped up.

November Sew Beautiful Block for Lee

Lee asked for trees, and this is what I made for her.

Color Wheel Charm Swap

Cut up and sent to Kati!

In progress
Christmas Quilt

I received all of the blocks from my Sew Beautiful friends. Wait until you see them! I'm adding a few blocks of my own, like this star. Tutorial from Clover & Violet. I really want to finish this one by December 1 so we can enjoy it this Christmas. I think I can...

Superhero Quilt

I got started on Luke's Superhero quilt. I spelled his name in some billboard-style letters. I really want this to be a surprise, so it's going to take some clandestine quilting, and I'm going to have to clean up after myself. Tricky.

Drunkard's Path Quilt-Along

I'm thinking this one might have to wait until after Christmas. Bummer.

November quilt for do. Good Stitches

I'm the quilter this month, and I've asked the Peace circle to make scrappy triangle blocks using this tutorial from Film in the Fridge.

Here's my color palette (from Design Seeds). I need to make a few more of these scrappy triangles and then put the quilt together once the blocks arrive.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2
Fabricland

To do:
superhero quilt
Ruffle totes
Journal cover
~~Pouch for PLP swap~~

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone is working on!

Feeling like fall

2011-11-05T08:23:00.002-05:00

November is Lee's month in the Sew Beautiful Bee, and she requested tree blocks. She sent us some beautiful fallish fabrics and Essex Linen.

Here's my block. I ~~ripped off~~ borrowed the idea from this block by Eleven Stitches.

The half-square triangles finished at 1.5 inches. Have I mentioned I love using a coin to show scale? Happy fall!

Pretty Little Pouch Swap--complete!

2011-11-03T16:21:00.003-05:00

Rather, it will be complete once I drop this off at the post office tomorrow.

My partner is a fan of Loulouthi and darker colors, so I put together this pouch for her. The base is Essex linen. I used the Strap Clutch pattern from Keyka Lou. I'd been hearing great things about Keyka Lou patterns, and I'm happy to report this one didn't disappoint! I do wish I'd used a heavier interfacing, but I'm pleased with the way it turned out.

I used some perle cotton to embellish the negative space on the Loulouthi print.

I put a few goodies inside, but I'm going to leave those as a surprise.

All packed up and ready to ship! I hope it's happy in its new home.

I'm linking up to Celebrate Color!

WIP Wednesday

2011-11-01T22:31:00.003-05:00

First WIP Wednesday of November! Let's do it.

Finished:
Deer Quilt

Hi, friend! (More here.)

October Bee Blocks!
Just under the wire...

Cracker Scraps for Angela. Love the color combo. Tutorial here.

For do. Good Stitches, Paula asked us to create word blocks that complete the phrase "Today I will..." We used the book Word Play Quilts for instructions. This quilt is going to be so awesome! My block turned out okay...I definitely rocked the A. Both my husband and son read the U as a T, and I can see the point. Oh well.

Ongoing projects:

Pouch for Pretty Little Pouch Swap

Since taking this picture, I've turned this fabric into a pouch-shaped object. It just needs some embellishing. I'll be done soon! Must mail by Monday.

Color Wheel Charm Swap

I need to get these lovelies chopped up and in the mail.

Drunkard's Path Quilt-Along

Time to get cranking on the Drunkard's Path Quilt-Along! I'm behind.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2
Fabricland

To do:
superhero quilt
Ruffle totes
Journal cover
Pouch for PLP swap
do. Good Stitches word block
VIBees block for Angela

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone is working on!

Oh My Deer! {Bloggers' Quilt Festival}

2011-10-29T15:11:00.002-05:00

I love Bloggers' Quilt Festival! Twice a year, hundreds blogging quilters (quilting bloggers?) link up on Amy's Creative Side to share their creations. Here's mine.

I used the quilt festival as motivation to finish up this Christmas gift. The pattern is from Dare To Be Square Quilting by Boo Davis. I love this book, and I want to make several other patterns from it. I used Kona Cloud, Blue, Blueberry, and Cornflower for the background. The rest of the fabrics came from my stash.

Sweet face. I quilted in straight lines around the deer. (Thanks for the idea, Elizabeth!)

Red binding felt right on this quilt. I used Kona Chinese Red (the best Kona red!).

Boo emphasizes using fabric you have on hand: "Challenge yourself to keep your wallet shut and use just the fabric you have on hand." I took that to heart with the quilt back and used up some stash. Feels good!

I think you'll agree that this Deer Valley print belongs on the back of this quilt.

Thanks for stopping by! Head to Amy's blog to check out the other entries.

Welcome to Fabricland!

2011-10-27T22:27:00.008-05:00

I'm so excited about the release of Elizabeth's (Don't Call Me Betsy) new (and first!) pattern! It makes a really fun quilt. If you've participated in Elizabeth's quilt-alongs, then you know the level of detail and clarity you can expect in a pattern from her.

Elizabeth used the glorious Free Spirit solids in her version. I opted to go stash shopping to make mine. I used mostly prints for the colored squares, with a few solids thrown in the mix. (I'm a little concerned that I found all of these fabrics in my stash. Remind me why I keep buying more...)

Luke has made me promise that we will keep this quilt for ourselves. See, the maze-like pattern makes the perfect road for his cars, the perfect town for his action figures, etc. (Note to self--finish this one fast!) I think it would make a great bed quilt. Luke thinks we should get rid of our living room rug and keep this on the floor instead.

(Blerg--just now noticing that I sewed those orange squares together incorrectly.)
Cutting up all of the squares takes some time, but I made quick work of it with this tool. I love the simple and striking design!

Now, head to Elizabeth's blog and show her some love! I'll be back soon with my Bloggers' Quilt Festival entry.

WIP Wednesday

2011-10-26T18:12:00.003-05:00

Still Wednesday, right?

I'm feeling a time crunch on a few things, and Christmas is less than two months away, so it's about to get productive up in here!

Finished:
Sherbet Pips quilt

More here.

Ongoing projects:
Deer Quilt

Quilting is finished--just need to tackle the binding. I'm hoping to enter this one in Bloggers' Quilt Festival, so time is of the essence!

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2
Fabricland

To do:
superhero quilt
Pouch for PLP swap
do. Good Stitches word block
VIBees block for Angela

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone is working on!

Pretty Little Pouch Swap...received!

2011-10-25T15:53:00.002-05:00

After seeing all of the great pouches pop up in the last round of the Pretty Little Pouch swap, I knew I wouldn't miss the next round.

I was hoping for a boxy linen pouch that I could use to hold my spools of thread. I got my pouch from Lisa, and she definitely delivered!

She used Terrain, which I love, and included this little embroidered K. Perfect!! This was Lisa's first time making hexagons, if you can believe that. They look great!

Lisa sent along some spools of thread and some Terrain fabric--both of which I'll put to good use! She also included a little hexie template. It might convince me to finally jump on the hexie bandwagon!

Thanks so much, Lisa! I love my new pouch. And now I'm feeling a little guilty for not starting mine yet... Lisa is a stay-at-home mom of 6 children, and she home-schools them. If she can finish a pouch, what's my excuse???

The Pips!

2011-10-23T19:41:00.004-05:00

I finished up my Sherbet Pips quilt in time to give it to my niece for her baptism. I didn't buy any of the Sherbet Pips line when it first was released, and now it's getting a little hard to find. I just wanted some of the pinks, and I was able to find them (on sale!) here. I wanted the quilt to be simple and sweet, so I came up with this basic design using three half-yards of the prints and some solids.

I used the rest of the half-yards on the back, plus some squares from a charm pack. I just might like the back better than the front.

Aneela Hoey helpfully listed some matching Bella solids on her blog. I framed the prints with Bella 30s Pink, and then used the Bella Gray for sashing.

I used some more of the Bella Gray on the back, along with some bigger pieces of the prints and some patchwork.

Quilting? Loopy.

After seeing Adrianne's Pips quilt, I knew the scarf print was the only choice for binding. Done and gifted!

I'm linking up to Sew Modern Monday at Canoe Ridge Creations!!

WIP Wednesday!

2011-10-19T05:56:00.002-05:00

We've been enjoying some summer-like weather (yesterday's high=87), which has kept us outside, but that seems to be coming to an end (today's high=57), so my sewing machine should be getting some more attention.

Finished:
{crickets}

Ongoing projects:
Sherbet Pips quilt

Home stretch on this one!

"Fabricland!"

I finished another quilt top this week. Luke has dubbed it "Fabricland" (happiest place on Earth!). It is sneakily shown at the bottom of this stack. More soon!

Deer Quilt
No progress here.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2

To do:
Deer quilt
superhero quilt
Pouch for PLP swap
do. Good Stitches word block
VIBees block for Angela

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone is working on!

Top-heavy.

2011-10-16T17:39:00.001-05:00

Here's my stack of quilt tops awaiting further attention. Logic would tell me not to start anything new until I finish some of these...

WIP Wednesday

2011-10-12T06:15:00.002-05:00

A little quiet around here... Here's what I've been up to.

Finished:
My Lucky Stars quilt

More here.

Ongoing projects:
Sherbet Pips quilt

The blocks are made. I need to get to work on the sashing (sooner than later!).

Deer Quilt
No progress here.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2

To do:
Deer quilt
superhero quilt
Pouch for PLP swap
do. Good Stitches word block

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone is working on!

My Lucky Stars--Finito!

2011-10-09T14:31:00.002-05:00

So happy to be finished with this one! I sent my Innocent Crush stash to my VIBee friends and asked them to make star blocks for me. They sent back this collection. Thanks so much, ladies! I never would've had the patience or creativity to come up with these.

From the front, the quilting looks like random lines...

But from the back, you can tell that I echo quilted this giant star. Thanks again to Kelly for this A+ quilting suggestion. I love it!! I used Jeni's tutorial for the giant star. I just made it a little smaller. I used the First Impressions print from Innocent Crush, plus some Kona Coal at the bottom to fill up the space.

The binding is Kona Mulberry. (Kindly ignore the green sludge in the ditch in the background. I picked this industrial location to add an edgy quality to my photos. Just kidding, it's my backyard.)

I'm pretty impressed that I remembered to include my VIBees label on the back!

I'm linking up to Celebrate Color!

WIP Wednesday

2011-10-04T22:49:00.002-05:00

Hi there! Welcome. WIP Wednesday in full effect.

Finished:
Nada. (Again!)

Ongoing projects:
My Lucky Stars quilt

All quilted up! I'm just waiting ~~not so~~ patiently for my binding fabric. I'm sure the mailman is wondering why I'm giving him dirty looks. Cherie made this awesome star for me.

Sherbet Pips quilt

Not sure what I'm going to do with this...but it's going to be soon!

Deer Quilt
No progress here.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2

To do:
Deer quilt
superhero quilt (just about done collecting fabric for this one)
do. Good Stitches word block

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone is working on!

100 Quilts for Kids

2011-09-29T16:38:00.002-05:00

There's still time to participate in 100 Quilts for Kids! The final day to link up is October 14. I'm pretty sure Kate is going to have to increase her goal next year--I think she's going to far exceed 100 quilts.

Here's the quilt I donated.

Luke and I took it to Children's Hospital in Birmingham. If you're looking for a place to donate in Alabama, consider Children's. Just drop them off at the info desk in the main lobby.

I wanted to involve Luke so I could explain to him what we were doing and why. I think he got it...although he was not pleased that we couldn't play on the hospital playground.

Make sure to head over to Swim, Bike, Quilt for more info on 100 Quilts for Kids!

WIP Wednesday

2011-09-27T22:34:00.003-05:00

I know I say this every week, but this week flew by. For real. Here's what I've been working on.

Finished:
Nada.

Ongoing projects:
My Lucky Stars quilt

Quilt top finished! I used Kona Ash as a sashing for these blocks from my VIBees friends.

And...here's the back. I based it on Jeni's Giant Vintage Star tutorial, just made it smaller and out of one fabric. Kelly suggested echo quilting on the inside and outside of the star, and I'm thinking that will be awesome!

Deer Quilt

I put this guy together. Pattern from Dare To Be Square Quilting. I need to see what I have on hand for the backing. I'm thinking red binding.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2

To do:
Deer quilt
superhero quilt
do. Good Stitches word block

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone is working on!

Oh my deer!

2011-09-25T09:04:00.002-05:00

Heh heh. So...I finished my deer quilt top (pattern from Dare To Be Square Quilting), and I think he's kind of awesome!

Look at that cute face! I'm not sure how I'm going to finish this one. I'd like to put together the backing from my stash, but I need to see what my options are. I showed this to Luke (he thinks it's a moose--I'll take it), and he said, "Mommy, why don't you ever make any covers for me?" Now, he sleeps with at least two of my "covers" on his bed, but I think I need to get started on his superhero quilt soon!

WIP Wednesday

2011-09-21T15:12:00.002-05:00

Lee is taking a WIP hiatus to work on her fabric design, but this weekly post keeps me on track, so I'm posting anyway!

Finished:

4x5 bee blocks

I'm glad to be finished with these! I used Lee's Herringbone pattern (from Fat Quarterly issue 5).

Ongoing projects:
My Lucky Stars quilt

I made one more block for My Lucky Stars, because I'm afraid Rene's is lost in the mail (boo!). I used the Starflower block from Ellison Lane Quilts, just scrappy-style. I might put this quilt top together soon.

Christmas quilt

October is my month in the Sew Beautiful Bee, and I'm sending my bee friends some Christmas fabric. I can't wait to see what they come up with! Since taking this picture, I got the fabric all cut up and packaged, so now I just need to find a time to go to the post office sans 4-year-old. (Dear Post Office, Please install a drive-through. xoxo, Katie)

Deer Quilt

Lots of cutting in my future! (Do I have a new rotary cutter blade? I hope so.) I'm excited to get started on this quilt, although I'm not sure how I'll tell these four blue fabrics apart...

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2

To do:
~~4x5 blocks~~
Deer quilt
superhero quilt

4x5 blocks

2011-09-18T21:40:00.003-05:00

I finished up my blocks for the 4x5 Bee this weekend. In this bee, the members of the bee give their chosen colors, and then each person makes a block design in those colors using her own fabric. I used Lee's Herringbone tutorial from Issue 5 of Fat Quarterly.

Jill asked for apple green, robin's egg blue, and touches of red and white.

Oranges and blues for Lauree

Muriel asked for aqua, brown, and touches of red.

Denise requested orange, aqua, and red. (I hope I can keep these straight when I mail them out!)

Angela asked for lime, aqua, and cerise. I made the herringbones go in opposite directions in this one. When they were going in the same direction, the solid cerise strips were almost lining up (but not quite), and that bothered me.
(Shh...don't tell the other blocks, but this one is my favorite.)

And here's mine, in all of its yellow/gray glory.

Glad to be finished with these! Can someone tell me how to take less sucky pictures of bee blocks?

I'm linking up to Sew Modern Monday!!

Aw, yeah!

2011-09-18T06:52:00.002-05:00

My For the Love of Solids swap package arrived yesterday! It's from Michelle, and I couldn't be happier. Michelle blogs at City House Studio. She's super talented, and also genuinely kind.

She made me this mini quilt, and I'm going to hang it up at work. I love the piecing, and the diagonal quilting is awesome!

The back is just as fantastic as the front.

Michelle sent this library tote as my "small" item, although it matches the mini in size and awesomeness! I'll be honest--I fell in love with this tote when I first saw it on Flickr, and I would've been a little disappointed if it wasn't mine! The pieced letters are incredible.

And the bookshelf on the other side is excellent too. Luke and I always come home from the library with 15-20 items, so this will be getting lots of use!

Michelle's attention to detail is very impressive (it has pockets!). Check out the green topstitching!

Thanks so much, Michelle!!! I'm in love!

Garden Fence Finish!

2011-09-14T18:21:00.002-05:00

I know I said I wasn't in a hurry to finish this quilt...but it just kinda happened. I remembered that I had a 50% off coupon from JoAnn's to use, so I picked up my backing fabric. After I had that, it went together quickly.

Woo hoo! A Christmas gift finish! This will be for my grandma. It's a small throw (about 45x55), but she's a small woman, so it should work. The Garden Fence pattern is so fun to work with. The tutorial is from Hyacinth Designs.

I chose to stipple this. It really seemed like the logical choice. The DS Quilts Picnics and Fairgrounds has a vintage look, and I thought the crinkly finish would pair well with it.

I picked up some of the new DS Quilts Sugar Creek fabric for the backing. The typo on the selvedge drives me nuts!!

After I bought the fabric, I remembered my grandma gave me this red floral print awhile ago. I think she said she got it on a trip she and my grandpa took to Hawaii. I decided it would be fun to incorporate this into the back, so I made a jumbo Garden Fence block. Yes, this pleases me.

I was worried about this red fabric of unknown origins bleeding on my white fabric, so I soaked it in a vinegar solution and prewashed it. I threw in a few Color Catchers when I washed the quilt and had no problems (whew!).

I had lots of the Sugar Creek print left over, so I used it for the binding too. I know I got some of my sewing genes from my grandma, so I'm excited to give this to her.

WIP Wednesday

2011-09-13T22:51:00.002-05:00

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.

WIP time! Not much to report. My list is getting frighteningly short!

Finished:

Garden Fence Quilt

What's this? Oh, yeah, I pulled my finished Garden Fence quilt from the dryer yesterday morning. I'll be back soon with a post! Here's a little crinkly tease.

Ongoing projects:
4x5 bee blocks

I'm using Lee's Herringbone pattern (from Fat Quarterly issue 5) for my blocks. I made a test block in my chosen colors (yellow and gray). I was a little concerned that I wouldn't have enough fabric in my colors to make my block...turns out those fears were unfounded. I'm really happy with it, except for the fact that I accidentally cut the patchwork rectangles too short. No biggie, but I'm glad I made that mistake on my own block! I'm looking forward to making these for the members of my bee. They're simple and fun to make!

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2

To do:
4x5 blocks
Deer quilt
superhero quilt

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone else is working on!

For the Love of Solids

2011-09-12T16:53:00.003-05:00

I was nervous to join the For the Love of Solids swap on Flickr. It was my first swap, and they seem like a lot of pressure! But I joined anyway, because I figured it would be fun and maybe a bit of a challenge. When I found out my partner was my friend Elizabeth, I was even more nervous (she's one of the hosts of the swap, after all) but definitely excited. The first step of swapping is to stalk your parter's blog, Flickr photo stream, and favorites. I've been following Elizabeth for a while, so no problem there! Elizabeth gave lots of specifics in her questionnaire (thankfully!!), so had lots to go on.

This is what I ended up sending.

(The colors are more accurate in this photo.)
Elizabeth requested a cover for her sewing machine, Betsy 2.0. I used this tutorial to construct the cover. For the patchwork, I used the pattern in Malka Dubrawsky's Fresh Quilting. A few other swappers used this pattern too--it's perfect for solids! Elizabeth gave me her sewing machine's dimensions, but I was still worried about it fitting! She posted a picture of it on her machine, so I think it worked out.

For the small item, I made a notebook cover. I know Elizabeth is a sketcher and a list-maker, so I figured she could use these. I sent a journal and a graph paper version. (Note to self: buy these in bulk next back-to-school season!) Tutorial here.

I sent this little Batman mini for Elizabeth's son. Our boys are kindred spirits, and I know they'd be buddies if we lived closer together.

I also threw in this Kona Solids charm pack. I figure if she didn't like anything else, she could at least use this!

Everything arrived safely at Elizabeth's house, and she seems really happy with it, so I'm calling it a success. Thanks to Elizabeth and Megan for hosting! I can see how this swap business can become an addiction...

Garden Fence on a Fence

2011-09-10T08:07:00.002-05:00

I love this pattern! (Tutorial from Hyacinth Designs.) I think it would look great with so many different fabrics. I decided to use my stash of Picnics and Fairgrounds by DS Quilts.

I'm not sure how I'm going to finish this. Maybe I'll see if I can get some more DS Quilts fabric next time I have a JoAnn's coupon. It's a Christmas gift, so I have a little time to figure it out.

WIP Wednesday

2011-09-06T23:01:00.002-05:00

Tropical Storm Lee dumped 8 inches of rain on us on Monday, so instead of celebrating Labor Day weekend with cookouts and trips to the pool as our forefathers intended (right?), we stayed inside wearing pajamas, napping, and sewing. And my long weekend got even longer because my work was closed Tuesday (no power), but we have power at home...let's just say I'm not complaining. I'm glad I got some projects done so I feel a bit less like a sloth.

Finished:

Sew Beautiful block for AnneMarie

Dutch pinwheel using AnneMarie's tutorial

September do. Good Stitches blocks

Star blocks from this tutorial. Very fun!

VIBees block for Natalia

VIBees block for Melissa

And I made an excavator for Melissa. Do you like how I say "I made an excavator" like I'd say "I made toast"? It was a challenge, to be sure, but this tutorial from Teaginny was really helpful! I think the scoop thing should be bigger, but I'm pleading excavator ignorance.

Whew! That feels good.

For the Love of Solids Swap

My swap package is all ready to ship out later this week! I can't wait to get this to my partner. This is a sneak peek of the large item. I'll show you the rest once it reaches its destination.

Ongoing projects:

Garden Fence Quilt

I finished four more blocks after I took this photo, bringing my total to 15. I love making these!

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2

To do:
4x5 blocks
Deer quilt
superhero quilt
do Good Stitches Sept block
VIBees block for Natalia
VIBees block for Melissa
Sew Beautiful block for AnneMarie

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone else is working on!

A start.

2011-09-04T14:20:00.002-05:00

I'm getting started on my Garden Fence quilt using fabric from Picnic and Fairgrounds by DS Quilts. This is going to be a Christmas gift. We've all come down with a bit of a late-summer cold and Tropical Storm Lee is supposed to bring us lots of rain in the next few days, so I'm hoping to stay in my pjs and make some progress on this. Might be a good time to knock out some bee blocks too...

WIP Wednesday

2011-08-30T22:40:00.004-05:00

Well, after I freaked you out with my Christmas countdown last week, I didn't actually get started on any holiday projects this week. But soon!

Finished:

Modern Crosses Wall Hanging

Done! And proudly hanging on my wall.

Vera bag #2

Luke's preschool teacher from last year asked me to make her a bag like mine. No problem. (Vera pattern from Green Bee Patterns. Fabric here.) I used the interfacing recommended in the pattern this time (the first time I couldn't remember what it was when I went to the fabric store). The recommended interfacing (Decor Bond?) worked out better (weird!) and gives the bag a little extra heft. I would've switched them out, but mine is too dirty to pass for new! Oh, and that would be wrong.

Ongoing projects:

For the Love of Solids Swap

I finished my small item. It's a notebook cover (tutorial here). Rachel from Stitched in Color has been cranking out journal covers, so I decided to give them a try too. My large item is well underway. I'm a little nervous about it, but I think my partner will be happy if I can pull it off.

Garden Fence Quilt

I'm going to use my DS Quilts fabric to make a Garden Fence quilt. I haven't started cutting yet, but I pulled all the fabric today, so I'm counting it as in progress! This is going to be a Christmas gift.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2

To do:
4x5 blocks
Deer quilt
~~Vera bag #2~~
superhero quilt
do Good Stitches Sept block
VIBees block

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone else is working on!

Have you voted??

2011-08-27T08:27:00.000-05:00

Have you heard? My friend (and WIP Wednesday hostess) Lee has entered the fabric design contest at Connecting Threads. This is a really close competition, so I think every vote is going to count! The finalists get a great prize, and they get to design coordinating prints to go along with their focal print. Selfishly, I want Lee to win so I can see what else she comes up with!

Click here to vote for Lee's design. Her design is called Flourish. It's in the fourth row on the right.
Voting ends on August 31, so get over there!

Modern Crosses on the wall

2011-08-25T18:54:00.002-05:00

We spend most of our time in our living room/sunroom. It's a great room with tall ceilings and lots of windows...and no decoration.

We have this blank wall above one of our sofas, and I've been thinking for a while that I should put a quilt on it.
Go ahead, take your time. There's a lot to take in here.

Solution: Modern Crosses wall hanging! Ah, that's better! The pattern is from Modern Log Cabin Quilting. I bought a copy after seeing great versions popping up in Flickr (love Elizabeth's Baby boy version, and I borrowed heavily from this version by Betty Crocker Ass). I bought the book just for this pattern, and I think it was money well spent. I'm sure I'll be using it again.

I used brown/green/orange prints from my stash with Essex Linen in Natural for the sashing. This is a similar color palette to my Colorbrick quilt. The linen got a little shifty on me, but I love the look. The finished size is about 28 x 38.

I hand quilted around each cross with a variegated pearl cotton. I wish I'd used plain orange, but I was trying to only use materials I had on hand, so the variegated worked. (It's kind of crazy how much I can do using only materials I have on hand. Some may say I don't need to buy new fabric. I'm not one of those people, but some may say that.) My stitches are a little crazy in a few places. I need more practice for sure.

Thanks so much for your opinions on finishing! I'm so glad Toni reminded me of the binding flange tutorial on Jaybird Quilts. It was super easy, and it provided just the right amount of color. I used an orange print for the flange and Kona Espresso (I think) for the binding. My kitchen is adjacent to this room, and it is painted in a rusty orange color, so I think this ties things together nicely!

WIP Wednesday!

2011-08-24T04:57:00.000-05:00

**Special Alert**
Fellow WIPers: I don't mean to cause alarm, but have you looked at a calendar lately? Cause Christmas is 4 months from tomorrow. I think it's time to get my crafty Christmas to-do list in order!

Back to our regularly scheduled WIP post... Great week! Check it out.

Finished:

New pressing table! Tutorial here.

Starflower blocks for do. Good Stitches. Tutorial from Ellison Lane Quilts.

Red Letter Day quilt!

Ongoing projects:
Modern Crosses Wall Hanging

I finished hand quilting this and just need to complete the binding. Maybe tomorrow!

For the Love of Solids Swap

I'm tweaking my plan a little... The deadline for this is sneaking up on me, so I need to get sewing!

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
~~Red Letter Day quilt~~ (yesssss)
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2

To do:
4x5 blocks
~~do. Good Stitches Starflower blocks for August~~
Deer quilt
Garden Fence Quilt-Along
Vera bag #2
superhero quilt

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone else is working on!

A red letter finish

2011-08-22T19:57:00.002-05:00

Remember this quilt? I asked for opinions on the sashing, made some crazy graphs, decided on the black, and said I'd be back soon with the finished quilt. That was January 27. The quilt top got stuck in a pile, awaiting further attention. Lately I've been very eager to sew up my Lucky Stars blocks from my most recent bee, but it seemed wrong to do that before finishing this quilt from last year's bee.

So I finished it! You know I'm going to be excited to mark this one off my WIP list. A big thanks to the women of my bee who contributed these awesome blocks. The little borders are Kona Bahama Blue, as is the binding. The sashing is black. I quilted in straight lines with light blue thread. I'm not super thrilled with the way it turned out, but it will do the job. All of the prints are from Lizzy House's Red Letter Day.

For the back, I wanted to put the rest of my Red Letter Day stash to use. That fabric is too cute to sit in a drawer. So I sewed together large blocks of the fabric, keeping like colors together.

I've decided to donate this quilt as a part of Kate's (Swim, Bike, Quilt) 100 Quilts for Kids Campaign. She's asking for people to donate quilts to a local charity, and then link up to her blog in September. I need to research some charities in my area, but I'm going to be happy to send this to a new home!

Modern Crosses wall hanging--thoughts?

2011-08-19T16:37:00.002-05:00

I finished up my Modern Crosses wall hanging for my living room. It's about 29 x 38. I used Essex linen in natural and assorted brown/green/orange prints from my stash.

So, my concern..the natural linen is very close to the wall color, so I need to finish this in a way that will make it pop. I'm thinking a small orange border and brown binding? Or the reverse? No border, just brown binding? I don't have room to make it much larger than it is. I'm thinking I'll hand quilt this, but I'm open to suggestions on that too!

Please weigh in with your thoughts!

(pattern from Modern Log Cabin Quilting)

An improvement.

2011-08-18T18:58:00.002-05:00

Old pressing table.

New pressing table.

I much prefer Amy Butler's Nigela fabric to a ratty old towel. Go figure.

Tutorial from Oh! Fransson.

WIP Wednesday!

2011-08-16T04:00:00.000-05:00
Feeling good this week!

Finished:

Tree quilts

Done and delivered! I think they're happy in their new home. More here.

Ongoing projects:
Modern Crosses Wall Hanging

This quilt has been on my mind for a while, so I'm glad to see it coming to life! I started on a wall hanging using the Modern Crosses pattern from Modern Log Cabin Quilting. I'm using a brown/orange/green color palette, with Essex linen in natural for the background. So far, I'm pretty much in love.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
sigh. One day, my friends.
Red Letter Day quilt
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2

To do:
For the Love of Solids Swap. Making some calculations.
4x5 blocks
do. Good Stitches Starflower blocks for August
Deer quilt
Garden Fence Quilt-Along
Vera bag #2

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone else is working on!

A tale of two trees

2011-08-15T19:00:00.003-05:00
My friend asked me to make two twin-size quilts for her daughters's room. She remembered this mini I made, and asked for quilts like that--just bigger. I used this tutorial from Allison of Cluck Cluck Sew as the basis for the mini, but making it twin-size required some figuring.

You'll have to use your imagination a little--when these are on twin-size beds, the tree will be on top of the mattress, with the white borders hanging off the sides. The top can be folded down so you can see the backing fabric.

We used a cream Moda Bella solid for the background. You can't really tell here, but the tree trunk is a fun print from Sanctuary. The leaves--all scraps and a few samples that my friend gave me. I appliquéd the leaves and did an all-over stippling (in cream).

A few process notes--this was a challenge for me, and there was definitely some ~~making it up~~ figuring it out as I went along. (Thanks to Elizabeth, Emily, and Angela for advice!) That's the good thing about making two--I was really able to refine my process the second time around. For the first tree, I prepared the quilt sandwich, then cut out the leaves and appliquéd them and quilted it at the same time. This led to some (expected) wrangling. I wasn't thinking I'd have room for quilting between the leaves, so I thought the appliqué would double as quilting. It ended up being more wrangling than I was interested in (and I was able to quilt between the leaves) so on #2 I appliquéd the leaves first, then basted and quilted. Much easier.

I didn't want any raw edges, so I used this appliqué method. Then I attached the leaves to the quilt using Heat N Bond Lite before stitching them down with invisible thread (as suggested by Linz!). I sewed around the perimeter of each leaf and a "vein" down the middle.

My friend chose these great Kumari Garden prints for the backing. Have you seen this line? I hadn't before this project. Love it.

Both quilts were bound using Kona Chartreuse.

Overall, I think they turned out pretty well! I'm glad to add these to my dunzo list.

(if you're wondering why I keep saying "dunzo," blame Tom Haverford. I'm not using it correctly, but I don't care, because Aziz Ansari is the funniest man on TV.)

My lucky stars

2011-08-12T16:40:00.002-05:00
I have this thing about Anna Maria Horner fabric--first and foremost, I love it, and she's one of my very favorite fabric designers. But when it comes to actually using her fabric, I kind of panic. She's so adept at creating a compelling color palette and using large-scale prints...but I don't think I'm very good at putting them to use.

This happened with Innocent Crush. I fell in love with it and bought some, and then it sat because I wasn't sure what to do with it. So, when my month in the VIBees came around, I sent the fabric to them so they could figure out how best to put it to use. And figure it out they did!

I know you're thinking, "Dang, she's lucky." You're right.

I asked the ladies to make me stars, and they sent back these blocks. I am beyond thrilled. I have been waiting for one last block to arrive, but I've come to terms with the (very sad) fact that it must be lost in the mail. As much as I hate that, it's time to now unleash the rest of the blocks from their plastic bin and make them into a quilt. I'm thinking I'll sash the blocks in more Kona Ash, but I'm open to suggestions!

P.S. I succumbed to peer pressure and joined Pinterest. Are you a pinner?

WIP Wednesday

2011-08-09T23:11:00.002-05:00
I'm going to keep my WIP post brief this week (you're welcome), so here we go...

Finished:

Kaleidoscope quilt

Done! More here.

Sew Beautiful block for Kati

Done!

Ongoing projects:

Tree quilts
I sewed the binding to the front of #1, and I just finished the applique work on #2. The end is in sight!

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
sigh. One day, my friends.
Red Letter Day quilt
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope baby quilt #2

To do:
For the Love of Solids Swap. Planning has begun.
4x5 blocks
~~Sew Beautiful blocks for Kati~~
do. Good Stitches Starflower blocks for August
Modern Crosses wall quilt
Deer quilt
Garden Fence Quilt-Along

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone else is working on!

My pretties.

2011-08-07T19:15:00.003-05:00

Anna Maria Horner Perle Cotton in Geranium Wall. Purchased here.

I see some hand quilting in my future.

Baby Kaleidoscope...Finished!

2011-08-04T16:37:00.005-05:00
I ducked out between raindrops this afternoon to get a few shots of my finished baby kaleidoscope quilt.

I'm really happy with the way this turned out. I'm particularly excited that I was able to make the whole thing with fabric and supplies I already had on hand. I won the FQ bundle of Patricia Bravo Elements fabric several months ago, and I'm really glad I chose to use it in this project. I added a few extra prints from my stash too and used Kona ash as the background fabric.

I thought about stippling this, but I've stipped some big quilts lately, and if my delts get any bigger people will start confusing me for The Rock. I checked the Kaleidoscope Flickr pool and found some great straight-line quilting examples (thanks to Sharon and Debbie!). I decided to quilt in straight lines on either side of the seams. It does seem to distract a little bit from my not-so-pointy points. I used this pink dotty print from Pillow and Maxfield for the binding, and I'm pretty sure it bled a little in the washing machine. I've become really lax about washing because I haven't had any problems, so this is a good reminder. But no worries--it came out in a second wash.

Love the way the quilting pattern shows up on the back. I used some extra kaleidoscope blocks on the back with some extra Kona Ash.

Thanks so much to Elizabeth for another great quilt-along!

WIP Wednesday

2011-08-02T22:26:00.002-05:00
First WIP Wednesday in August! I was feeling a little pouty about the end of summer, but we've been having temps over 100 degrees lately, so now I'm thinking fall can't come soon enough!!

Finished:

Central Park quilts

Hooray! More here.

Ongoing projects:

Kaleidoscope babies
Got one basted tonight. I'm hoping to get this quilted and bound before Elizabeth's deadline!

Tree quilts

#1 is quilted, ready for binding. #2 is in the works. These are twin-size quilts for a friend. She's going to use them in her daughter's room. Sorry for the crummy picture. It's on a queen bed here, with the top folded down and the back showing. On the twin bed, the tree will be on top of the mattress and the white fabric will hang over the edges.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
sigh. One day, my friends.
Red Letter Day quilt
Postage Stamp quilt

To do:
For the Love of Solids Swap. Partner received. Waiting on a few solids to arrive.
4x5 blocks
Sew Beautiful blocks for Kati
do. Good Stitches Starflower blocks for August
Modern Crosses wall quilt
Deer quilt
Garden Fence Quilt-Along

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone else is working on!

Jack & Jill in Central Park: Dunzo!

2011-08-01T19:43:00.002-05:00
Feel like I've been working on these forever! I made these quilts for my friend. She wanted twin-size bed quilts for her son and daughter. We decided on Central Park fabric and the Lemon Squares (free!) pattern from Faith of Fresh Lemons.

Central Park was the perfect choice for this project because it has great boy/girl options.

I added a cobblestone border on both quilts and used Kona Zucchini as the binding.

We went with the purple/pink/green fabrics for the girl version...

and green/blue/stone for the boy.

The girl version got loopy quilting.

And the boy version got an all-over meandering stipple.

I was able to do some fussy cutting with the animals...

and trees.

The backs are Kona Bahama Blue and Kona Violet. (Pretend these aren't upside down.)

Ready to head to their new home!

I'm linking up to Sew Modern Monday at Canoe Ridge Creations!

Summer Fair: My first quilt!

2011-07-30T17:15:00.002-05:00
AnneMarie is hosting Summer Fair: A Quilt and Recipe Show this week. I'm showing you my first quilt, which I finished two years ago. If you haven't been reading my blog since the very beginning, this might be the first time you've seen it.

The story: I won a giveaway for a fat quarter bundle of Good Folks on Anna Maria Horner's blog. I really don't remember why I was reading her blog--I didn't know anything about fabric then, and I'm sure I had no idea what a fat quarter was! I came across this tutorial on Diary of a Quilter and thought I'd try making a quilt. My mom and sister had given me a sewing machine for my bridal shower a few years before (I'm sure they couldn't have guessed how much time I'd spend with the machine), so I got to sewing and was immediately hooked. This giveaway win definitely ended up costing me a bundle!

I didn't give much thought to the design--just sewed the rectangles together. At this point, I was in way over my head, so I had it professionally quilted. I really didn't think I'd be able to quilt on my machine, but it didn't take me long to figure that out. I was obnoxiously proud of my finished product (kinda still am).

My friend Leah helped me pick out the backing and binding fabrics. We picked the blue Cathedral print for the backing.

The quilter used gold thread for the quilting. A good reminder that I should be more adventurous with my thread choice sometimes. (And one of these days I'll get around to fixing that popped seam.) This is the most used quilt in our house, and it remains my very favorite.

And now, on to the recipe part of the Summer Fair! My mom used to make this taco salad recipe for our family reunions, and it just reminds me of summer. I asked her to dig it up for the Fourth of July, so it's fresh on my mind. It's definitely not gourmet, but it's a blue ribbon winner in my book!

Taco Salad

1 can chili beans or red beans, drained
1 cup shredded cheese
1 or 2 cups shredded lettuce
½ lb ground beef, browned
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup corn chips or taco flavored chips, crushed
¼ cup French dressing
¼ cup mayo

Drain beans, mix with cheese, lettuce, ground beef, and onions. Refrigerate until serving time.

Combine French dressing and mayo. Then toss beef mixture with chips and dressing.

Be sure to head over to Gen X Quilters to see the rest of the Fair entries!

WIP Wednesday

2011-07-27T07:16:00.000-05:00
Not much on the WIP Report this week. Here's what I've been up to.

Finished:
Nada.

Ongoing projects:

Central Park Girl Quilt

Just need to finish up that binding, and these will be DONE.

Tree quilts
I hope to finish up the first one this weekend.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
sigh.
Red Letter Day quilt
Postage Stamp quilt
Kaleidoscope Babies

To do:
For the Love of Solids Swap. Partner received. Scheming has begun.
4x5 blocks
Modern Crosses wall quilt
Deer quilt

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone else is working on!

To the bat cave!

2011-07-25T21:10:00.002-05:00
So, despite my best efforts, Luke turned 4 today. He's been asking me for ages to make him a cape. We picked out the materials a few months ago, and I finally got around to making it for his birthday.

Little man on a mission. I used this pattern from Georgia Leigh (formerly Puking Pastilles). It's an excellent pattern, and she offers several different applique options if Batman isn't your kid's superhero of choice.

(Don't be jealous of my lawn. Clearly I spend more time sewing than landscaping.)

He thinks the neck is a little too tight. I made this as a surprise, so I wasn't able to measure it properly. If you make this pattern, I'd recommend trying it on if you can. No biggie--he just uses the second Velcro strip.

He hasn't taken it off all day, so I consider it a success!

P.S. Doubles as a dog cape!

WIP Wednesday

2011-07-19T22:26:00.002-05:00
I'm really pleased with my progress this week! I feel good about getting some things marked off ye olde to-do list.

Finished:
Central Park boy quilt

Fresh from the dryer and awaiting the completion of his sister-quilt.

Scottie Dog #2

. I made Scottie Dog #1 for my friend's little girl, and they requested a second. These are so fun to make! Great way to use up some little (2 1/4 inch) squares.

Cape for Luke

Luke turns 4 on Monday. I can't wait to give this to him! I'm sure I'll subject you to more pictures once it has been gifted.

July Bee Blocks.

For Megan,

for Krista,

And for Naomi. Done, done, and done.

Ongoing projects:

Central Park Girl Quilt

Quilting is underway!

Kaleidoscope quilt-along

I decided to make two baby quilts. The tops are done, and I'm thinking about quilting possibilities.

Tree quilts
I ironed out the logistics and got everything cut out. Need to grab some batting.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
sigh.
Red Letter Day quilt
Postage Stamp quilt

To do:
Scottie dog #2
Rectangle Squared blocks for do. Good Stitches (July) (fabric picked out)
VIBees block for Krista
Sew Beautiful block for Megan
Cape for Luke
4x5 blocks
Modern Crosses wall quilt
Deer quilt

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone else is working on!

On the fence

2011-07-18T20:56:00.002-05:00
Have you seen the Garden Fence quilt-along over at McIntyre Girl?

Love this pattern, and Elizabeth's kaleidoscope quilt-along is wrapping up soon...

I'm thinking this might be a fun way to put my (somewhat embarrassing) Hideaway stash to use.

Buzz.

2011-07-16T09:48:00.002-05:00
I put my July bee blocks together last night. I had an easy month this time--all of the requested blocks were pretty simple and straightforward.

Krista is making a quilt for her son, and it's "evil brown" (her words!). She was having a hard time dealing with all of that non-color on her own, so she enlisted the help of the VIBees. It's based on Cherri House's Tempest quilt. The color is off in this photo, but it's definitely brown!

Now for something on the complete opposite end of the color/pattern spectrum! Megan had the Sew Beautiful Bee members make x and + blocks using this tutorial from Badskirt and Innocent Crush. Very fun.

Naomi is heading up the Peace Circle of do. Good Stitches this month, and we're using the Rectangle Squared tutorial from Film in the Fridge to make blocks for a teenage boy quilt.

Always such a good feeling to mark these bee blocks off the list!

Baby Kaleidoscopes (aka a lesson in fuzzy math)

2011-07-15T19:05:00.002-05:00
I originally made 20 blocks (I counted!) for Elizabeth's quilt-along. I planned on making a 5x4 throw-size quilt. Then last week I thought to myself, "Self, you need 2 baby girl gifts...why don't you take the practical approach for once and turn those 20 blocks into 2 baby quilts instead?" Made sense (I can be very convincing), so I set about making 4 more blocks, bringing my total to 24 so I could make 2 (3x4) baby quilts. Logical, right?

So after I made my extra blocks, I counted (three times) and much to my surprise I came up with 28. Eh? How did that happen? I puzzled it for a bit and then put my quilt tops together, figuring I'd put the extra 4 blocks to use on the quilt backs. After assembling my tops, I had 5 blocks left over, meaning I actually made 29. Is this a loaves and fishes type of situation, or am I really that bad at ~~math~~ (who am I kidding?) counting? Let's hope Luke never needs help with his homework when his father isn't around.

I'm much happier with my work now that the quilt tops are assembled. Sure, they still have their imperfections, but I think they're much less noticeable.

Some of these corner blocks are looking really good!

For the Love of Solids

2011-07-14T06:55:00.002-05:00

(I don't know why this is so tiny!)

I have heretofore shied away from the world of Flickr swapping. But when I found out Elizabeth and Megan were hosting For the Love of Solids (a Modern Swap), I was powerless to resist.

(Are you laughing at me for using "heretofore" in a blog post? I understand.)

Here's the inspiration mosaic I made for my yet-to-be-named partner. We're making one large item (table runner, set of placemats, pillow cover, tote bag, mini-quilt, sewing machine cover, craft apron, etc.) and one smaller item.

It looks like they're are still some spots available. Maybe you'll join in on the fun too??

WIP Wednesday!

2011-07-12T22:36:00.004-05:00
I missed WIP Wednesday last week, and I gotta say it made me a little twitchy. Here's where I am.

Finished:

Okay, I finished my Vera bag two weeks ago, but it missed out on WIP Wednesday, so I'm posting it here. Still in love.

Ongoing projects:

Central Park Quilts

The boy version is quilted, and the binding needs some attention. Girl version is ready to be basted. I'll be wrapping these up soon.

Kaleidoscope quilt-along

I'm caught up on this project. Now I'm considering a change of plans. I had intended to make the throw size, but I had no real purpose for it (not that that sort of thing usually matters to me...). I'm in need of two baby girl gifts, so now I'm thinking I'll make a few extra blocks and make two baby quilts. I have to admit--these blocks gave me a bit of trouble. They're on the puffy side, and I didn't have much luck getting my points to be pointy. I'm hoping a little quilting magic will hide some of these flaws!

Tree quilts
I'm making good progress on these. More soon.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
These are starting to make me sad.
Red Letter Day quilt
Postage Stamp quilt

To do:
Scottie dog #2
Rectangle Squared blocks for do. Good Stitches (July) (fabric picked out)
VIBees block for Krista
Sew Beautiful block for Megan
Cape for Luke
4x5 blocks
Modern Crosses wall quilt
Deer quilt

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone else is working on!

Back in action

2011-07-10T12:24:00.002-05:00
We're back home after spending Fourth of July week with family. I finished up quilting twin-size Central Park quilt #1 this morning (and boy are my arms tired!).

No, I haven't finished unpacking yet.

P.S. Confession time: I'm thrilled that Big Brother (possibly the guiltiest of summer's guilty pleasures) is back! I know it's trash, but it's my trash.

We have a winner!

2011-07-09T08:08:00.004-05:00
Thanks for entering my Go! Baby giveaway! I picked a winner this morning using Random.org.

Lucky number #103!

And that's....Marci!

Congrats, Marci! I just sent you an e-mail. I hope you enjoy your new Baby!

Want to win a GO! Baby?

2011-07-02T15:04:00.003-05:00
The folks at Accuquilt have a GO! Baby fabric cutter ready to give away to one of my readers. The winner will also get to pick out 3 dies. Worth commenting for?

To enter: Comment on this post. Any comment will do, but please make sure I have a way to contact you if you're the lucky winner. I'll close the giveaway at 11:59 p.m. CST on Friday, July 8. I'll pick a winner using Random.org. *International entries welcome!*

Good luck, and if you're in the U.S., happy 4th!

Sunshine in a bag

2011-06-30T20:02:00.002-05:00
File this under "sincerest form of flattery." I fell in love with these bags that Ali/a2(w) made for Kelly in the Goodie Bag Swap. I LOVE the Weekender bag, but I've also heard enough stories about that pattern to scare me away from it. After perusing ~~stalking~~ Ali's photo stream, I came across this bag, and decided I must have one like it!

Hello, new friend!
(fabric here)

The little pleating details make me happy.

Love how the straps turned from chevrons to stripes.

For the interior, I used this print from Ty Pennington's Impressions. (I'm loving the yellow/gray right now, as seen in my 4x5 inspiration mosaic.)

This is an excellent pattern, available from Green Bee Patterns on Etsy. I highly recommend it, and I'll be using it again for sure!

In conclusion: Thanks to Ali. Kelly is a lucky lady. Excellent pattern. Love my bag. The end!

Tumbler Wreath Tutorial

2011-06-29T10:09:00.005-05:00
The folks at Accuquilt sent me a Go Baby to try out, and I've been having fun playing with this little guy. I was able to pick out three dies. I was tempted by some of the more basic shapes (squares, strips, etc.), but I feel comfortable cutting those with my rotary cutter, so I went with the the Tumbler, Circles, and Drunkard's Path (mostly because I'm obsessed with these drunkard path blocks by Kate at Needle and Spatula!).

I love the look of a tumbler quilt (this one has been on my to-make list forever!), but I've been too lazy to cut out the pieces myself. I started playing with the tumbler die, and I came up with this quick little tutorial for you.

Tumbler Wreath Tutorial

Gather your supplies.
A charm pack of fabric (Scraps would be great too. You'll only need 14 of the charms, so a partial pack will work.)
Background fabric (Again, scraps will work great. If you're using the Go Baby, cut your background fabric into 4.5" x 11.5" strips)
Embroidery floss
Long needle
7" and 10" brass hoops (These are macrame hoops. I found them at Hobby Lobby by the jewelry-making supplies.)

Pick out your 14 favorite charms, and make your tumblers. Repeat with your background fabric.

Note: I had this happen frequently with my tumbler die. The shape would cut out fine, except for one string. Maybe there's something caught in the die? It didn't seem to matter if I used 1 layer of fabric or 4. Not a big deal--I just had to use my scissors to cut that pesky string! Overall, I was pleased with the way the shapes came out. They're accurate, and using the Go Baby is very simple.

Pair up your background tumblers with your print tumblers.

Place a background tumbler and a print tumbler right sides together, and sew using a 1/4 seam and a short stitch length. Leave the long side open for turning. (I used dark thread here so you could see my stitches, but you'll want to use a coordinating thread.)

Turn. Poke out those corners.

Stuff...

And sew up the opening. Now you have a cute little tumbler pillow! Make 13 more.

Take two of your tumbler pillows, and string them together using a doll needle and embroidery thread. Insert the needle 1/4 inch from the bottom of the tumblers.

I really like these long doll needles for projects like this.

Repeat 1/4 inch from the top of the tumbler pillows. If your cutting mat looks as rough as mine, buy a new one.

Continue until you have all 14 shapes strung together in a wreath form.

Use a glue gun to attach your macrame hoops to the back of the wreath. I could see the brass hoops from the front of my wreath, so I wrapped the hoops in strips of my background fabric. (I went to the craft store looking for wooden embroidery hoops or a wire wreath form. I couldn't find either of those in the right size, so I went with the macrame hoops. I think any circular form would work fine.)

Hang, and enjoy!

I think this would be a fun addition to a nursery. I'm going to make another one out of Christmas fabric. OH! And wouldn't it be fun to make one using this candy corn tumbler tutorial? Yes, I'm doing that!

If you have any questions, let me know! And if you make a tumbler wreath of your own, I'd love to see it.

Also, Accuquilt is offering 22 free quilt patterns if you sign up for their newsletter. Check it out!

I'll be back soon with a Go Baby giveaway!

WIP Wednesday

2011-06-28T23:59:00.000-05:00
Back in action!

Finished:
*crickets*
Oh, I made some ribbon headbands for my sister. My attempt to photograph them was unsuccessful, so you'll have to take my word for it.

Ongoing projects:

Central Park Quilts

The quilt tops are finished! Just waiting on some backing and binding fabrics.

Kaleidoscope quilt-along

I had a last-minute change of heart. Instead of Loulouthi, I'm using Paradise by Pat Bravo plus some fat quarters from my stash (background is Kona Ash). Fabric is cut, and I'm waiting for the next step!

Go Baby tutorial
Almost finished! I hope to post this tomorrow.

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Red Letter Day quilt
Postage Stamp quilt (Long arm? Hand quilt?)

To do:
Tree Quilts (starting on this tonight!)
Scottie dog #2
Rectangle Squared blocks for do. Good Stitches (July)
~~headbands for my sister~~
Cape for Luke
Modern Crosses wall quilt.
Deer quilt

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone else is working on!

Riley Blake Quilt Contest

2011-06-28T14:16:00.003-05:00

Have you seen the quilt contest on the Riley Blake Blog? They're hosting a contest for quilts made with Riley Blake fabrics, and there are some great prizes. I'm entering my Hooty Hoot quilt. Check it out!

Central Park Twins

2011-06-26T16:44:00.002-05:00
I'm helping my friend with some quilts for her son and daughter using Central Park fabric and the Lemon Squares pattern from Faith (Fresh Lemons).

The Central Park fabric is ideal for boy/girl quilts. I used the pink/purple/blue/green prints for the girl quilt and the blue/green/yellow prints for the boy quilt. I added in a few Kona solids too. (I'm always surprised by the size of twin-size quilts. Just me?)

Faith's pattern allowed me to fussy cut some of the elements and highlight some of the large-scale prints.

Some Bahama Blue Kona makes an appearance in both quilts.

A bit of Kona Stone too. I added a blue cobblestone border to the boy version.

I used some of the green prints in the girl top to mix things up a bit.

Kindly excuse the stray threads...

The girl version got a purple cobblestone border. These cobblestones are my favorite prints in the collection.

We just need to decide on some bindings and backings and these will be off to their new home!

Change of heart

2011-06-25T06:58:00.003-05:00
So I was all ready to cut into my Loulouthi for Elizabeth's Kaleidoscope Quilt-Along when I had a sudden change of heart. Love Loulouthi. Love Elizabeth's design. But for some reason, the two together...I guess I lost that lovin feeling.

See? I was really ready to cut! I've been unsure of my ability to make the large-scale prints work, and as I was pressing the fabric, I just panicked.

New plan! I'm going to use my FQs of Pat Bravo's Paradise, minus then dark browns and plus a few FQs from my stash. I'm thinking Kona Ash for the background. (Or Snow? Thoughts?)

Don't feel sad for my Loulouthi. I'm sure it will find its quilty home soon.

Say hello to my little friend.

2011-06-23T19:59:00.003-05:00
There seems to be a Baby boom going on these days.

I'll be back with more once I've had a chance to try out this little guy.

(And, of course, I'll be giving one away!)

WIP Wednesday

2011-06-21T23:45:00.002-05:00
Gotta say--WIP Wednesday is helping me stay on track with my crafty goals. Here's what I've been working on.

Finished:

Pool Robe

pattern from Made

June block for Sew Beautiful Bee

House block for Cara

Ongoing projects:

Central Park Quilts

Quilt top #1 is complete. I added a border in the purple cobblestone print.

43 out of 63 blocks finished for quilt #2. Almost there!

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Red Letter Day quilt
Postage Stamp quilt (Long arm? Hand quilt?)

To do:
Tree Quilts
headbands for my sister
Cape for Luke
~~Cara's House Block for Sew Beautiful Bee~~
Modern Crosses wall quilt.
Deer quilt
Kaleidoscope Quilt-Along (starts June 23)

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone else is working on!

Little pink house

2011-06-19T15:02:00.002-05:00

This month, the members of the Sew Beautiful Bee are helping Cara make blocks for a house quilt, which she's giving to a family with a baby in the NICU. Here's my contribution. It's located in a mushroom field not far from the airport.

Pool robe

2011-06-18T19:37:00.002-05:00
I saw Dana's beach robe pattern yesterday and had one of those "must make one now" reactions. Luke is spending lots of time at the pool, so i knew he'd put it to good use. One nap time and $6.99 later, and Luke had a robe of his very own.

(Warning: side effects include turning 3-year-olds into Kung Fu warriors.)

Dana's pattern is made from a beach towel, which is awfully smart. Also smart: the ties are sewn into the robe (cause I know we'd lose that thing before we got out of the car).

I had intended to make the hooded version, but the towel I bought wasn't quite big enough (and I ignored Dana's advice to buy two towels to be safe). Oh well. Still cute!

My bias tape is kind of sloppy. I might go with the store-bought version if I make it again.

It's a great pattern, and Luke really likes it (I suppose that goes without saying). Mom and son are both happy!

Note to Luke's pediatrician. I know you said we should try to keep him out of the pool until Monday if possible (swimmer's ear). But on a sunny, 95-degree Saturday, we decided it wasn't possible. As you can see, we feel really guilty about it!

WIP Wednesday!

2011-06-14T22:49:00.004-05:00
Welcome back, Wednesday! Here's what I've been up to.

Finished:

Scrappy Scottie

June blocks for do. Good Stitches

Paula requested gray and green hourglass blocks.

June block for VIBees

We're helping Meghan make a man quilt for her husband, who is in the Army. She sent us some cool red and aqua fabrics. Her husband is Airborne, so I thought an airplane block would be cool. (tutorial from Badskirt)

Ongoing projects:

Central Park Quilts

54 out of 63 blocks complete for quilt #1. I hope to have a finished quilt top soon!

Completed tops awaiting quilting:
Red Letter Day quilt
Postage Stamp quilt (Long arm? Hand quilt?)

To do:
Tree Quilts
headbands for my sister
~~June blocks for do. Good Stitches~~
Cara's House Block for Sew Beautiful Bee
Modern Crosses wall quilt.
~~Meghan's block for VIBees~~
Deer quilt
Kaleidoscope Quilt-Along (starts June 23)

Head over to Lee's to see what everyone else is working on!

Quilt backs!

2011-06-13T16:46:00.000-05:00
Rebecca at Chasing Cottons is hosting a link up of quilt backs. I've seen posts by Angela, Lee, and Kati, so I figured I'd join the fun!

I love coming up with an idea for a quilt back (wrestling with the larger pieces of fabric...not so much). I've made quilts with just one fabric on the back, but I prefer a pieced back because it allows me to use up scraps and it's often more fun! When I make a pieced quilt back, I have two goals: 1. Try to somehow reference the front of the quilt and 2. Spend no money. Sometimes I'm more successful than others!

Here are some (okay, maybe all...) of my pieced quilt backs!

Sanctuary Slices back

Supernova back

Modern Sliced Scrappy back

Dirt bike back

Colorbrick back

Finn's quilt back

Pinwheel back

Scruffily back

Simple Abundance back

Arcadia back. Saved my favorite for last. I used up my stray honey bun strips for this one. I get a little misty every time I see Arcadia...

P.S. When I was looking back through my old blog posts, I was surprised to find out that I used to, like, read and cook and stuff! So weird. I was also a little surprised (and somewhat concerned) to find out that I've finished 13 quilts this year. My name is Katie, and I'm a quiltaholic...