quiltygoodness

split rail fence

2012-01-14T17:13:00.000-06:00

Here is another quick quilt I put together for a friend's baby. You would think with all the baby quilts that I know a lot of people having babies. This is true, and I would say I only make quilts for less than half of them! I just can't make one for everyone. Maybe this year I will make more baby items (bibs, booties, hats, etc) to make up for the fact that I can't make quilts for them. We'll see.

Anyway, here is the split rail fence I made.

Not any official pattern, I just made a regular rail fence but added a row to the top of each unit. I like how it turned out. Hopefully they think it is gender neutral enough!

solid squares

2012-01-11T18:43:00.000-06:00

I had a fat quarter pack of Kona solids and a bunch of Kona charcoal, so I cut up a bunch of 5" squares and got sewing. I had it basted and ready to quilt for over a month. I finally got to it the last week of 2011 and then just finished the binding.

I love it and I hope that the baby boy who gets it loves it too!

baby fishy quilt

2012-01-09T20:31:00.000-06:00

I had a package of 9 fish squares, so I turned it into this cute little baby quilt. It is pretty small (32"x32") but will be a nice blankie for baby (not mine, someone else's).

Excuse the wrinkles! It was folded up a lot.

Goals 2012

2012-01-07T10:13:00.001-06:00

Now that I reviewed how I did in 2011, what are my goals for 2012? Well, they are a lot like 2011, that is for sure. Overall I'd like to expand my sewing skills.

1. Make a piece of clothing for myself, and one for my daughter
Along the lines of expanding my skills and doing more "projects", I'd like to make myself a skirt and maybe something cute for my daughter. I think that the techniques involved in making clothes have always scared me a little (lots of curves! darts! pleats! zippers! smocking!), so working on clothes will be a good start to expanding those skills.

2. Make at least one project involving handwork.
It was on my list last year and I'd really like to get it done this year. I may sign up for an embroidery class, or if there is some book or tutorial that folks recommend, I am interested in trying it. Give me your best links!

3. Use more of my scraps.
Added to the list again this year because I failed so miserably last year! I think string quilts are in my future, or at least a few string-based projects.

4. Make 7 8 quilts.
I know, the number keeps going down! But I have two finished tops, three that just need binding, and then I can easily come up with two more after that. Ok I'll make it 8 again. Ha ha.

5. Finally make a tree skirt.
I have been secretly wanting to do this for a LONG time, so I really need to get on it. Every year I put up the Christmas tree I think how naked it looks with no skirt. I'll really do it this year!!

What about you? What are your goals for 2012?

Goals 2011 recap

2012-01-04T20:47:00.002-06:00

So how did I do?
1. Conquer my fear of zippers
I think I did pretty well on this one! I made a few wetbags for cloth diapers and the zippers really weren't so scary. They aren't perfect, but hey, I was making a bag to store dirty diapers--the beauty of the zipper is not so important as long as it keeps in the mess and stink.

2. More projects, less quilts
I think I did really well with this one! I made seven bags--two small tote bags, three wetbags, a diaper bag for myself and one for Dad. Oh, and a table runner as well.

3. Make at least one project involving handwork.
I have to admit I failed at this one. I didn't make anything with handwork this year! The more reason to add it to my list again, right?

4. Use more of my scraps.
Alas, also a failure! I've got a list of different projects that use scraps, though, so that will come in handy as I work on it this year.

5. Finish 8 quilts.
Yikes. I only finished 5. However, as I mentioned before, I have three quilted tops as well as two unquilted tops finished. So overall not bad!

6. Make a "seasonal" quilt.
I am not sure if I intentionally did this or not. I completed a forest looking quilt (which I will blog shortly, I promise!). It evokes fall but I didn't set out to make it as a fall quilt. I'll count it though.

How about you? Did you meet your goals for 2011 (quilting related or otherwise)?

hopefully really back this time!

2012-01-03T20:46:00.000-06:00

My last blog post was July 2011! Yikes! It has been really challenging working full time, coming home, cleaning the house, cooking, and wanting to spend time with baby L. Add to that the fact that my sewing room is attached to baby's room, so I have to walk through baby room to get there. This is especially a problem when I want to encourage her to nap but I want to sew too. No matter how quiet a sewing machine may be, I still worry.

So long story and lots of excuses, but I hope to be back. I actually have three quilted tops, two finished tops, and two unblogged finished quilts to share. So I haven't been totally slacking. I'll be back with a recap of my goals for 2011, how I did, and my goals for 2012. Then, on to the quilts!

Another WIP

2011-07-10T20:12:00.000-05:00

About a month ago I felt the need to get back to my sewing machine. I had a nice little stack of fat quarters, so I pulled out my Fat Quarter book from M'Liss Rae Hawley. I've wanted to make her "Garden Gate" quilt for a long time so I finally did it.

It came together very quickly. It's small, but I think it will be perfect as a wall hanging in little L's room. The walls are a nice yellow and this will go with them very well. Sorry the picture is so dark! I took it back when Chicago was still experiencing non-Spring. Summer is finally here so I'll be sure to snap a pic outside when it is finished.

I'm a winner!

2011-07-08T19:53:00.000-05:00

Also during my blog hiatus, I won two different giveaways. One was from Sheree's Alchemy and was this lovely half yard stack of fabric.

The other was a fat quarter bundle of Bella Solids from Shruti at 13 Woodhouse Rd!

Have I done anything with them yet? No but the possibilities are endless!

Catching up...

2011-07-06T19:52:00.000-05:00

I'm back! My little girl L is now 3 months old and we are really getting a good rhythm. I went back to work a few weeks ago and that seems to be going ok so far. Here and there over the last few months I've managed to find a few moments for quilting and projects, so I need to update things here. First up is a baby quilt for a darling little girl born last week.

I am currently quilting it and will show it when completed, but here is the top prior to quilting. I used the "Big Dots" pattern from "Quilts Made Modern". I didn't really need a pattern, but it was good to have an explanation of the freezer paper technique I really like how the circles have that nice turned under look. I've done applique before but usually just raw edge.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T20:56:00.000-05:00

To all the moms out there--happy mother's day!

why I haven't been blogging...

2011-04-13T14:36:00.000-05:00

My precious baby girl L has been taking all my time! I figure I can teach her to quilt in about 3 years, right? :)

dad bag

2011-03-19T10:34:00.000-05:00

I mentioned previously that I made a nice diaper bag for myself. Well I had to make one for DH as well. I used the "dad bag" pattern from Anna Maria Horner's book "Handmade Beginnings". The instructions were very clear and I had no problem following them. The cool thing about this bag is that it is almost totally recycled! Most of the fabric came from furniture store sample books.

The strap was taken from an old computer bag of mine that for some reason came with an extra strap. I did have to purchase a zipper, but the lining was from my stash (not sure where it came from though--I think a scrap swap with a friend).

And....I conquered my fear of the zipper! I will admit that the zipper is still not as lovely as I'd like, but it was my very first experience with a zipper EVER, so it'll get better the next time (and the time after that, etc.). One of these days I'll even do an invisible zipper (like the kind you use on pillows). But we'll take things one day at a time!

deep breath baby quilt

2011-03-18T14:43:00.001-05:00

At the CMQG retreat I finished this quilt top, so I wanted to quilt it as soon as possible. I used the "Deep Breath" quilt pattern from Weeks Ringle available here. I ended up making it much smaller than the pattern calls for, but it still finishes pretty large for a baby quilt (54.5"*41").

It was pretty simple, I got to use some more scraps, and it's super modern.

Plus I hope the blue hides stains well for the new baby.

I had originally planned for it to be bigger, so I had some extra blocks that I put together for the back.

I highly recommend the pattern if you need a quick modern quilt for any occasion.
**Edited to add--this is not for my baby--another friend is having a baby, so this is off to its new owner now!

table runner finally done!

2011-03-17T15:03:00.000-05:00

I have had this project in progress since November! It really isn't that complicated but I just kept getting busy with other things, and then got distracted by other projects. It's a simple table runner--the entire thing is made from scraps. Unfortunately it doesn't really make a dent in my scrap pile at all!

I do like how it turned out, and it is now off to its new owner!

The project was inspired by a table runner in the Spring 2010 issue of Stitch.

CMQG retreat

2011-03-15T18:34:00.002-05:00

As I've mentioned before, my guild is totally awesome. We had our first ever quilt retreat the first weekend of March. It was super fun and I'm so glad I went, as I imagine I'll be pretty busy soon and won't be able to have a carefree weekend.

It was a very unstructured retreat, so everyone could work on whatever they chose. It was fun to see what everyone was working on, and just to have dedicated quilting time. It was great getting to know people better--sometimes you don't have a ton of time at a meeting to hang out and chit chat, so it was great to have that. We had a few "10 minute tips" where a member would show a neat trick/tip that they know. We also had a charity challenge where we divided into teams and raced each other to see which team could make the blocks for a rail-fence type quilt the fastest. My team won! What did we win? Bragging rights, glory, fame...

Here is the "official" write up of the weekend on the guild blog. Here is Emily's post with her take on the weekend.

I worked on a table runner and a baby quilt (future posts as they are so close to DONE), and got to use Ebony's AccuQuilt Studio Cutter, "Mr. T". Wow. Who knew that a die cutter would be so popular? There was a sign up sheet and I'd say Mr. T was in high demand all weekend!

I got a ton of pieces cut for a drunkard's path quilt. I've wanted to make one for the longest time but the prospect of cutting out all those curved pieces using a template made my head spin. With the die cutter, I did 80 blocks in about 40 minutes.

I still have to sew them together, but my initial tries at sewing the curves has been great--they fit together so perfectly that I don't need pins! Can you believe it? No pins for curves. I told Ebony that she should rent time on the cutter--it saves SO much time that it would be worth it to pay $10-$15/hr just to use it. Seriously, if there was a quilt store with one, I would totally pay to rent it.

Overall, a fabulous weekend--and I didn't feel guilty leaving DH at home because he was at a conference in DC! We had such a great time that we'll be doing it again in the fall and next spring--the dates are already confirmed!

my guild ROCKS!

2011-03-14T20:42:00.001-05:00

I'm a proud member of The Chicago Modern Quilt Guild. They know that I'm expecting (any day now!!!) so at our last meeting they presented me with a quilt they made together. It was a total surprise--I had no idea they had planned something. Various people contributed blocks, Ebony did an AMAZING job with the quilting, Jen, Beth, and Sarah pieced the blocks together, and Sarah did the binding. I love love love it. It is so bright and happy. I know our baby will love it too.

Ebony quilted each person's name into the block that they made, including the ones on the back.

See how she made each one radiate out like a sunburst? Very cool.

Seriously, if you need someone to do your long-arm quilting, Ebony is your woman!

my new diaper bag

2011-03-08T20:13:00.000-06:00

As promised, here is a picture of the new diaper bag I made for myself. The pattern is from Anna Maria Horner's book "Handmade Beginnings", and the fabric is Joel Dewberry's Ginseng collection.

It is pretty huge but I imagine I'll fill it up with all sorts of stuff. I really like it because it is sophisticated and doesn't look "babyish". I haven't taken a picture of DH's diaper bag yet because I still need to attach the strap. He tried it on and decided that if possible he wanted an adjustable strap, so I need to get the right bracket to do that.

In other news, I had a fabulous time at the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild's first retreat last weekend. I'll post about it shortly once I get some pictures of stuff that I finished and/or worked on.

Sunday (Monday) Stash Report

2011-02-21T21:28:00.000-06:00

I know it's a day late, but here is my stash report. I got a lot of fabric this week but it is mostly for projects that I already have planned out. I've been busy but can't post pictures because our camera was stolen (long story) and I haven't bought a new one yet.

This week:

Fabric out:

7 yards

I made a diaper bag for my husband and one for me as well. There was lots of lining and pockets in both of them.

Fabric in:

11 yards

Some was the fabric for the diaper bags, some was for another project I have planned.

YTD:

Fabric IN: (16 yards)

Fabric OUT: 11.62 yards

NET: (4.38)

See how everyone else is doing here.

first finish of 2011

2011-01-10T19:43:00.000-06:00

I actually finished this last Monday, but I haven't had time to take pictures. This is a disappearing nine patch quilt made for a friend having a baby (aren't they all, right now?). I like making gender neutral quilts, even when the sex of the baby is already known. I think it is just fun, playful, and colorful.

Here is the detail:

I wanted to have a little more than just a solid border, so I added a bunch of squares after having an inner border.

I really like the effect of continuing the quilt to the edge, yet calming it a bit with the inner border.
It feels good to check another one off the list! Not to mention it was fun as well.

Sunday Stash report

2011-01-09T21:07:00.000-06:00

This week I added a backing and quilted a quilt (I'll show in another post). I also finished the binding on it, and started working on a table runner. I made a bunch of blocks. All told, I used 3.12 yards this week, and didn't add anything.

So that puts me at:

Fabric IN: 0

Fabric Out: 3.12

Running Total for 2011: -3.12

See everyone else's totals here.

Last finish of 2010

2011-01-04T20:23:00.000-06:00

I can't believe I never wrote about this quilt. My lovely friend Ebony is working on launching her line of patterns, under the name "QuiltPossible!" She is specifically focusing on making patterns that have rotary cutting directions as well as how to use your AccuQuilt Go! cutter as well. I don't have a die cutter but I volunteered to be a pattern tester for the rotary cutting directions. I've never tested a pattern for someone before. I had a deadline to finish the top by September 30, which I did. I found a small error in the instructions but luckily I was able to report back quickly. The quilt is a bowtie pattern and definitely out of my normal palette for colors. Ebony said we could use whatever colors/fabrics we wanted, so the choice was all mine. I feel like with quilt fabric, it is so easy to get stuck in a rut, always using the same colors, or at least all "bright" colors.

My DH really likes this one because he feels like it is more "masculine" than what I usually make. I am not crazy about the colors but I am still glad I pushed myself out of my comfort zone a bit.

For the quilting, I decided to try something different.

In each place where the blocks come together, I made a free hand flower. Then I outlined each "bowtie" to add definition. I really love how the quilting turned out. It was a lot less wonky than I thought it would be!

What's really neat is how you can see the quilting on the back.

Very cool. It was definitely fun to test out someone else's pattern and give them feedback. I've always admired the quilt tester (Laura Boehnke) from American Patchwork & Quilting--she does some great stuff using different color schemes to really help you see the possibilities of a quilt. Hopefully Ebony can use my finished quilt to give people an idea of the options.

Goals 2011

2011-01-03T15:24:00.004-06:00

As promised, I've been thinking about what I'd like to accomplish this year in terms of my quilting/crafting. Here is what I've come up with so far, knowing that in March my life is going to change quite dramatically and I may not be able to finish as many things as I'd like to.

1. Conquer my fear of zippers
I know this isn't a quilt goal, but for a long time, any time I see a project with zippers I pass on it. I have a zipper foot, so I know that I have the tools needed. I just need to do it!!! I know that a few years ago I just had to practice free motion quilting, and now I do it all the time.

2. More projects, less quilts
While I realize this is a quilt blog, there are lots of projects I'd like to do, especially with a baby on the way. I also feel like given the amount of time I'll have in the next year, smaller projects might be more manageable. A few things on my list: a Christmas tree skirt, a table runner for a friend, baby booties, a baby sleep sack, a diaper bag for me, a diaper bag for DH (that looks more manly), bibs, etc. I think that doing more projects will really expand my skills. I haven't worked much with bias tape, zippers, interfacing, or velcro, but all the projects on my list are going to force me to work with those, which will be really good for me to learn. Who knows? I may even make more clothes for myself or baby.

3. Make at least one project involving handwork.
This could be hand applique, paper piecing hexagons, sashiko, embroidery, hand piecing, etc. I've seen some beautiful applique with the Joseph's coat quilt along, lots of hexagons people do, and some gorgeous sashiko projects. I don't have good handwork skills, other than the cross-stitch I did when I was a little girl, or the binding I put on quilts. I have a lot of learning to do in this area. I haven't yet decided which type of handwork, but I'm sure I can find something--there are so many choices! If you have recommendations or tutorials to recommend, please pass them along!

4. Use more of my scraps.
I have a lot of scrap bins, yet I don't make much with them. I made one baby quilt last year almost entirely with scraps, so that was a start, but I haven't made much impact in that area. I think if I get into applique or hexagons then I can use a lot of scraps. If I make a string quilt then I can use a lot of strips as well. We'll see what comes of that. A lot of "scrap" patterns call for strips, and my scrap bin is overflowing with non-strip scraps. If I make more improv quilts than I can probably use a lot of scraps as well. Please send along suggestions for using scraps (tutorials, books, patterns, general ideas, etc)

5. Finish 8 quilts.
I feel like my quilt goals keep going down! Mostly I know that I need to finish 4 before April for various babies, plus one baby due in June. So I added two for whatever else might come my way (there is a wedding in May I'd like to make a quilt for as well). One of my quilts is "at the quilter" as part of Ebony's free quilting initiative. So I'll get that one back by the end of the year and it will count as a finish too. I realize that after March I might have a lot less time on my hands, so I want to be realistic.

6. Make a "seasonal" quilt.
At my parent's house, there is a wall in the dining room which has one wall for seasonal quilts. Depending on the season, there are different quilts up (4th of July, Fall, Christmas, Easter, etc). I have an idea for what I want to be the winter one. There is a beautiful "White Birches" quilt in an issue of Quilters World I have. It is white and grey with little red birds, so that might be the one.

Year in Review: Goals 2010

2011-01-02T17:01:00.022-06:00

Last year I posted my goals for 2010, so here's the update:

1. Complete 12 quilts.
I'm proud to say I met this one. Granted, I was planning to make more "large" quilts but that wasn't to be with morning sickness and the full slate of friends having babies that needed quilts made. That's ok by me though. I still met my goal.

2. Give away at least two quilts for charity.
I'm proud to say I met this one as well. I actually crossed it off the list pretty early in the year. Sometimes that goal really pushes you to tackle it early.

3. Make a quilt with circles/curves.
I made two! One was the Love Beads quilt, and one was the Pasteis de Belem quilt. I am no longer intimidated by circles. To make them even less scary, I purchased the CurveMaster foot, but I have yet to use it. I hear great things about it though.

4. Use more solids in my quilts.
I made one quilt entirely of solids, and I've been adding them more.

5. No quilt pattern repeats!
Sort of made it on this one. I guess you could say I didn't. The last finish of 2010 was something I have done before with charm squares. Granted, I didn't use a pattern either time, so I'm not sure that it is a repeat. :)

6. Make a "stack the deck" quilt.
Didn't do this. Alas, I couldn't find the right pattern/fabric/occasion to do so. I still like the book and will do one in the future, just didn't make it this year.

7. Make more improvised quilts.
Definitely did this! I made two (here and here) at Beaver Island Quilt Retreat, and made one prior to that which was my own made up pattern, while my Pasteis quilt was also totally made up. Not completely improvised but I'm becoming a lot more free with my quilt patterns. Sort of like recipes in cooking, I often use the basic outline and adjust as I want, or I just make up my own.

How did you do with your 2010 goals? Looking back at mine and how I did, I am pretty happy with how it turned out. I set goals not to fail or "break" my resolutions, but to give me something to work towards. As you can see, I didn't meet all of mine, but I am ok with that, as other priorities became more important. For example, I greatly improved my free motion quilting skills, helped start the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild, and made my first piece of clothing ever! I also got out of my comfort zone on three quilts (here, here, and here) in terms of color palettes. Those are great accomplishments and things that weren't on my radar at the beginning of the year. Tomorrow I'll be posting my goals for 2011!

finishing frenzy

2011-01-01T16:23:00.000-06:00

I got a bug in my bonnet that I needed to finish some quilts before the New Year, so I finished two quilts yesterday. Here is a quick one I put together with a charm pack of Hope Valley which I won from a giveaway.

The detail:

And the binding:

It's a baby quilt for my friend's little girl, due in March. Being that I am due in March as well, I am trying to get all the *other* people's baby quilts done before my baby arrives. I know that I'll be a lot less able to move freely as the time gets closer, so anything I can get done in advance is great for me.

Happy New Year! I'll be posting shortly on how I did on my goals for 2010, as well as what my goals for 2011 are.

Modern Quilt Challenge

2010-12-04T15:19:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned before, I made a quilt to enter into the Modern Quilt Guild's Challenge. You can read more about it here. I really enjoyed making this quilt. It was a stretch for me artistically--I made up the pattern myself, which I do sometimes, but this one I really planned out. I also used a color scheme I NEVER use, so that was good to push myself. Many people say that quilters are afraid of yellow. Well, my quilt is all about yellow!

So here is the inspiration photo I used:

This is taken at a bakery in Lisbon, Portugal, called Pasteis de Belem (Belem is the neighborhood). We went to Portugal for our honeymoon and it was fabulous--I highly recommend it! The bakery makes thousands of these little custards every day. The line is out the door, but it moves quickly. We didn't know when we first got some that most people order them by the sleeve (of 10!). We got 4 to start and came back for more. You have to have them hot, and you sprinkle a little bit of powdered sugar and cinnamon on them. They are just heavenly!!!

Here is a picture of the inside of one.

Anyway, the original picture inspired me with the little circles against a dark background. I abstracted them out and decided that 20 circles per block was about right. As I showed in earlier pictures, I cut out a bunch of circles of varying yellows and stuck them onto fabric using fusible web (Steam a Seam) and my trusty iron. For the yellows I chose a variety to give it more interest. Same goes for the greys--no two baking sheets are ever the same, so I found a couple different greys to use. After sashing and sandwiching the quilt, I then stitched down each circle. Some people would have done that before quilting, but I wanted them to end up a little "puffy" like the pastries they represent, so I opted for doing it all at once. If it was a larger quilt I may not have had the patience for that.

I REALLY love how it turned out. Even if I don't win, I am glad I made this quilt. The process was incredibly worthwhile for me. Not sure what I'll do with it next, as it doesn't really go with my house (at all) but a friend of mine moved to a new house and was thinking of doing her guest room in gray/yellow, so this might be a good housewarming gift.

not Pringles....

2010-11-22T21:26:00.000-06:00

At the last meeting of the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild, we had a lovely day of just sewing! It was super fun and there were lots of snacks and goodies, as it was our last meeting of the year and sort of our "holiday party". Lots of people came by my table to see what I was up to. They saw the piles of yellow circles from my previous post and thought that the heat n'bond circles were Pringles. They soon figured out what I was doing. I took off the backing from each of 180 circles, and stuck it to a yellow circle. Then I ironed them all down to the background. I added some sashing and I have a quilt!

I'm working on quilting it now and it is coming together REALLY well. I am really loving it, even though I don't normally make up my own pattern, or use grey, or use yellow. There will be more to see when I finish!

A process post...

2010-11-13T13:32:00.000-06:00

I've decided to enter the Modern Quilt Guild Challenge 1. It requires that you make a quilt inspired by a photo. I won't show the photo, but I'll show you the progress here.

It involves 180 of those little heat n'bond circles and 180 of those little yellow circles. For the fabric it helped a lot that I had one of those rotary compass cutters so I could do 4 perfect circles at a time. The paper I traced out while I was on the airplane and cut when I got home. I'll show more progress as they get added to their background.

Bloggers Quilt Festival

2010-11-02T08:27:00.001-05:00

Amy is hosting the Bloggers Quilt Festival again, and I am happy to enter this quilt into the show. I've shown it before but I really do love it.

This is a quilt I made for my friend's wedding. They got married last year, and I sent it a few weeks before their wedding. I don't send out all my quilts for longarm quilting, but I'm glad I did with this one. There is no way I could have done those perfect concentric circles!

Here is a close up:

They really loved it, and it went perfectly with their living room decor. It's based on a pattern by Jason Yenter called "Block Party". It was a lot of work but definitely worth it!

what I'm working on

2010-10-31T15:22:00.001-05:00

As I mentioned, I went to Gwen Marston's Beaver Island Quilt Retreat with my mom. It was very fun, very relaxing,and the location was just gorgeous. The lodge is right on a lake, and all the trees were changing colors, plus the weather was sunny and warm. It was so nice, and all the ladies were so friendly. I'll post more about it in another post.

While I was there, one of the women at my worktable had brought a pile of pictures she grabbed from catalogs and magazines. In it, there was a great picture of a carpet that really intrigued me. I don't have a picture to share, but it really inspired me. I pulled out my greens and browns and started cutting strips and hanging them on the design wall. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with it. I left it on the wall and went to bed. In the morning, Gwen came by and asked what I was working on, so I showed her and told her it needed "something". She directed me back to the inspiration picture, and pointed out that there was some gold in the picture that set off the other colors nicely. So I went back to my stash box and found some gold. That was just what I needed! So I put that on the wall and it didn't look so dreary anymore.

Now this whole quilt is not a color palette I normally work with, so it was a real stretch. I've been doing that lately--pushing myself out of my comfort zone in terms of color. I feel like it is so easy to get caught up in the colors you like, the palettes you like, that you may not "grow" a lot as an artist.

I was going to quilt it myself, but then my friend Ebony offered free quilting so that she could practice on her new longarm machine, and I knew it would be the perfect challenge for her. I don't know what she'll do, but I'm sure it will be great. She has a great eye for design and I've always enjoyed her quilting designs prior to her getting this new machine, so I am excited! I'll be sure to post once it is done.

finally another finish!

2010-10-30T15:21:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you, but I keep a little spreadsheet of all my finished quilts, with a tab for WIPs/UFOs. When I added this one, I was a little shocked/dismayed to see that last one I finished was in May. :( I'm glad to be back though!

This quilt I made from my scrap bin, so I'm proud of myself for actually using scraps. The green was something from my stash. I had sewed some of the strips together when I headed out to Gwen's Beaver Island Quilt Retreat. While I was there, I realized I didn't have enough green to do borders all the way around. Being that we were talking about liberated quilting, everyone suggested I just add cornerstones, and problem solved.

I'm really glad I did. They are quite liberated, plus I added some strips to get them to fit. But having seen all of Gwen's antique quilts, where people just used whatever they had, I knew that it would be just fine. I quilted this the Saturday before the baby shower and finished sewing on the binding the morning of the shower.

The mama to be loved it and was very excited that I backed it in a pink print with white stars. I guess the baby's room has exploded in pink, so it will fit right in. That's another one down and I've got two more tops to quilt, as well as lots of blocks I played with while on retreat.

Plus, since I've made my little one announcement (see previous post), I found out one of my friends is 12 days ahead of me, one is 12 days after, and another is about a week after that! So I've got three more baby quilts needed soon! I'd like to get them done before I am too busy with my own, so my goal is by the end of the year to finish two more, and the other one in January. We'll see how that goes!

Sorry for the Absence....

2010-09-30T10:26:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to apologize for my long absence. Two things have prevented me from posting. 1) I lost the cord to upload pictures from my camera. I kept looking, hoping it would turn up but now I am just going to order a new one. 2) I am pregnant (15 weeks) and there were quite a few weeks where I didn't feel like doing anything because the nausea was so bad. I'm feeling better now and will be back to our regularly scheduled programming shortly.

I recently made a quilt as a quilt tester for Ebony, and I'm going to the Beaver Island Quilt Retreat next week with my mom, so I am sure lots of quilting will be done! Once I can post pictures I should be back in business (until the baby comes, of course--then I might be a little busy for awhile).

basket liner

2010-08-14T16:19:00.001-05:00

I had a friend who really wanted a liner for her bicycle basket. She has a little dog that rides in the basket, and she puts a piece of cardboard in the bottom so she doesn't fall through the basket. She knows that I am a crafty sort of person, so she showed me this website and asked if I could do something similar (but without the straps to be a handbag).

I got the measurements and she bought the fabric, so all I had to do was figure out how it fits together. I've made a few purses before, so I figured the construction would be similar--make a lining, make the outside part, and stitch them together somehow.

Here is the inside:

I made a basic lining but added pockets to both sides. I also made some bias tape and stitched with an "x" to keep that key loop in place. I figured it would get pulled on a lot, so I wanted to make sure that it was secure. As you can see, I placed the key loop close to the pocket so your keys would fit nicely in the pocket.

The other side:

I didn't use a pattern, just made it up as I went along.

For the outside sashing, I originally thought that I would just sew it down. Then I realized that it has a function if you make the "bow" tighten the grip on the basket. So I made a big loop, stitched on edge between the lining and the outside, and folded over. Then I threaded through the "ribbon" that I had made. I should mention I did all of this PRIOR to actually seeing the basket in person. I think it turned out ok. I was really relieved that it fit, and very happy that the bow was found to have a functional purpose!

I'm back!

2010-07-26T21:53:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the long hiatus. I had to pack up my apartment, move to a new one, unpack, pack for an 8-day trip to CA, go on said trip, come back, go to a wedding, and clean the old apartment so I can turn in the keys. Whew! The good news is I have a new sewing room, all to myself. I am ecstatic. There will be pictures once it's ready. In the meantime, I can finally show the quilt that I made for Manuela for the ICE challenge with the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild. It was super fun coming up with a design--I made so many sketches and finally ended up with what I had thought originally.

I couldn't shake the cathedral idea. That block just really reminded me of those beautiful cathedrals in Europe.

I had a lot of fun with the quilting on this one--I tried pebbles:

And made fluffy clouds!

And I had to have some wonky little trees!

I am not thrilled with the cathedral window, but here is a close up anyway:

And finally, the back.

I hope you like it Manuela! I had so much fun making it.

how could I forget?

2010-07-02T15:30:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I forgot to post this. A shout out to Jacquie, for being awesome in general, but I won her giveaway and got her quilt last week. It is lovely!

Thanks Jacquie!

Hip 2 Bee Square June

2010-06-30T18:32:00.000-05:00

Just by the skin of my teeth! I finished this block. Jan asked for some wonky trees or log cabins, and we had to include these cute owls. I had a vision of the owls sitting on the trees, with a little wonky tree to the side. Here is what it turned out to be;

It was fun, and those owls are super cute!

baby quilt finished

2010-06-28T18:30:00.000-05:00

I showed this quilt before but I've finished it now. It came out really cute.

Some detail:

And the pieced back:

I got it done super early! My friend isn't due until the end of September, but it works out. I am pretty busy in the next few weeks, and we are moving apartments as well, so everything is going to have to be packed up pretty soon.

More ICE at CMQG

2010-06-06T10:45:00.003-05:00

At last month's meeting of the CMQG, we started our ICE challenge (see my block here). Each person who puts in a block got to take one home. Now comes the hard part--we build on the block we got and make a mini-quilt. I got Manuela's block. I really love it, but I am having a hard time doing it justice. I've made at least six sketches, and I've got ideas for a few more. If you had this lovely block, what would you do with it?

And you can only use the fabric in that little pile there...

Quick baby quilt...more process discussion

2010-06-05T10:44:00.000-05:00

While I have not taken the "Process Pledge" per se, I feel like it is good to see how people come up with what they are doing. I had some cute David Walker "Oh Boy!" fabric, and I knew I wanted to make a baby quilt for my friends who are expecting in September. The fabric was so cute I didn't want to cut up the large-scale fabric, so I got out my notebook and designed a simple quilt. I am sure there are patterns out there for this quilt--I just made it up based on some basic measurements.

I knew I wanted 2.5" squares (2" finished) so I figured out that if I put four together, I would get a side of a square that is 8.5". So I cut my large squares 8.5x8.5, and cut a bunch of 2.5" strips.

Then I combined the strips together (length-wise) and cross-cut them into 2.5" pairs. Then I mixed them all up and laid them out, like this:

As you can see, because I was using pairs I ended up needing "singles" on the ends. I played around with the arrangement a little to make sure that there was some diversity--no pairs of the same color next to each other. I sewed each row together and then sewed all the rows together, and I have a completed top!

Now I just need to figure out what to use for backing. In general, it came together very quickly. Feel free to email me if you would like to make a similar quilt and have questions about the measurements or anything.

My first sewn clothing!

2010-05-31T15:32:00.000-05:00

I've been sewing for about 20 years now, and pretty much all of it has been quilting. I really don't think I've ever made a piece of clothing (I have made a few purses). I picked up the most recent issue of Stitch, and I just fell in love with the Ruffled Halter top from Oliver + S. I knew I had to make it for my niece, who will turn 1 in about two weeks. I was also reorganizing my fabric yesterday, and came across Meadowsweet. So I jumped in and made this:

It's super girly, I know! I feel like I can't do it justice until she's wearing it. I hope she (and my sister) likes it!

Paintbox Quilt finally finished!

2010-05-30T20:56:00.000-05:00

I started quilting this baby last weekend, but I ran out of thread, at around the same time that I also realized I had gone ahead and used the binding fabric for something else! So I had to wait on getting more thread and more fabric for binding. I got home from Texas (work trip again) to find my packages waiting for me. I got to work and finished the quilting and the binding!

My DH was kind enough to hold up the quilt for me to get a picture.

Here are some detail shots of the quilting--it's just stippling, because I was lazy.

Thanks to Elizabeth for hosting the quilt-a-long! I had a lot of fun with this one. I definitely had the moments when I thought I hated it, but now I love it again.

And for Jacquie's Spring To Finish Challenge, this is my last one! I made all my goals. I am super happy about that.

Finished!!! Here is the link to my post with my original goals.

What next? I feel like I have so much free time....ha!

Giveaway day was good to me!

2010-05-25T20:49:00.000-05:00

Giveaway was great! I won a giveaway from Katie. I didn't even go to that many sites--I had a pretty tough week for work (lots of flight delays to and from Baton Rouge) so it sort of made up for my week. I got the package yesterday. Thanks Katie!

It's a bunch of charm squares of Hope Valley, and a honey bun of Wonderland by MoMo. Not sure what to do with them yet, but super fun to look at!

And the winner is...

2010-05-22T12:50:00.000-05:00

Number 124! Nadescha, from Hungary! I'll have to figure out the customs forms and everything, but I'll be sending you an email shortly for your address.

Thanks everyone for playing along!

Bloggers Quilt Festival

2010-05-21T17:42:00.000-05:00

Whew! It's been a busy week in quilting/crafting blogland! There was no way I could get through all the giveaways for Sew Mama Sew's giveaway day. I did what I could!

Now you're probably here for the Blogger's Quilt Festival! A big thanks to Amy for organizing, as I really do love it!

Here's my entry (which my followers have already seen):

The pattern is called "Out of Line" and it is from Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr. I had a lot of fun with it. Those strips are really small though--some have a finished size of .50"

Here's a detail shot:

You can see the black ones are the thinnest strips.

And here is the pieced back:

The turquoise is "Proud" from Keri Byer, and the red is Joel Dewberry's Deer Valley.

The quilt was a barter with my friend Peter. He is an artist and traded us one his paintings for a quilt. I really love the painting, so I'd say it was a fair trade!

Enjoy the rest of the festival!

Giveaway Day!

2010-05-17T07:00:00.002-05:00

Today is Giveaway Day at Sew Mama Sew! Today I've decided I didn't have time to make anything, so I am giving away fabric! Who doesn't love more fabric?

I went with a little Asian-themed fabric. Each is about a fat quarter, except for the black, which is a full half yard. Also, each of the fabrics has some gold in it, which makes the whole thing a little bit shiny! I really love the white flowers--the outlining is in gold and it is super beautiful.

Everything is pre-washed. To win, just leave a comment telling me what you are working on in your crafty life. I'll draw a number at random (using Random.org) on May 20th at 9pm CDT (approximately).

ICE at the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild

2010-05-16T09:13:00.000-05:00

YAY! Today is our monthly meeting at the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild. We have a color workshop by Ebony, and the beginning of our ICE challenge. I think it stands for "Inspiration Challenge Event" so it probably doesn't need the "Challenge" at the end. That's me and my redundancy meter going off!

So the idea with the ICE is that we make a block with four fat quarters. We include the block and the leftover fabric in a bag. At the meeting, anyone who brings a back gets to take a bag home (from another person). Then in July we bring back the mini quilt we made with the block and the extra fabric. I'm excited to see what people come up with!

Here is the block I made. I used the tutorial at Modify Tradition. Of course, I didn't follow directions and cut my blocks too small--so I ended up cutting all the blocks to fit. It seems ok now but those triangles are going to get lopped off. Oh well-I am not trying to win any prizes here. Speaking of prizes....come back tomorrow for Giveaway Day!

Why I don't mind traveling for work all the time

2010-05-15T11:55:00.000-05:00

This has been a big travel month at work. This week I was in New York, next week I'll be in Baton Rouge, and the following week in Arlington, Texas. Certainly I have to deal with all sorts of travel delays, airport food, etc. But there are a few perks (besides the frequent flier miles). I get to visit my friends in other cities who I probably wouldn't see as often. And sometimes, I get to stop by an awesome fabric shop. I've always drooled over the fabric at PurlSoho. They just moved to a new space, and I got to check it out. It is gorgeous--very light and spacious. And the fabric was so lovely! I held back, and only came home with this:

The blue on the bottom is Anna Maria Horner's Little Folks Voile. The teal dots and the purple print are Echino, and I am not sure what the little fat quarters are--I think the purple is a shot cotton, because it's got a cross-weave of another color. No plan for them all, they just looked too yummy to pass up!

Can you believe it?

2010-05-09T20:27:00.000-05:00

Because I hardly can. I finished the disaster quilt.

This quilt has been haunting my UFO pile for a long time. It gets its name from the fact that it used to be a disaster. I think I started and pieced it sometime in 2007. It's from a book by M'Liss Rae Hawley about fat quarter quilts. I can't remember the name of the pattern, and I am away from home right now--I'll have to update later. Anyway, for anyone who has done quilts with LONG pieces like this one, you know that you need to cut them just right (and not WOF). Once you are ready to sew all the rows together, I paired them up, then paired up the pairs, and so on. This would all be fine, but I sewed them all from top to bottom. This means that when I finished, there was a weird curve to the entire quilt. You can't just trim an end to fix it either. I got super discouraged and put it away for awhile, thinking that I would just cut up the whole thing and re-piece it into something different. Instead, I came back to it in the fall of 2009 and took it all apart. I measured each column and made sure they were all the same size. Then I sewed them back together, this time alternating the direction of sewing, which stabilizes the whole thing. I was much happier with it this time. But I still didn't quilt it. So I finally found some fabric in my stash that is a sort of shiny red fabric (I think it may have some sort of taffeta in it?). I quilted it with soft zig zags down the long striped sections, and then just straight lines to frame it.

I actually really like this quilt now!!!!

The quilting really makes it much more interesting. Anyone got better names for it than the disaster quilt? Because I think it might stick around for awhile.

And that makes four of six items off my list for the Spring to Finish Challenge! Woo hoo!

Hip 2 Bee Square May

2010-05-07T18:02:00.000-05:00

I got fabric from Kerry and immediately went to work! She asked for wonky log cabins. I made two--she gave us so much fabric I still had a bunch left over.

I really enjoyed the fabrics she sent, as they were super fun!

I realize that they are not super wonky, but I tried cutting without a ruler, as well as wonking things up a bit. They certainly are colorful!

Hip 2 Bee Square April

2010-05-06T17:56:00.000-05:00

A little late, but I sent off Stacey's blocks today.

She asked for wonky stars, or houses, or trees. I went with houses and trees.

I hope she likes them! They are for the baby she is expecting (her first).

Babies on quilts

2010-04-29T17:05:00.000-05:00

Why I love quilting:

Just got this from my friend who received her quilt. Adorable!

Finally finished!

2010-04-28T21:14:00.000-05:00

I started this quilt in January of 2009. It's been hanging around, getting left at the bottom of the to-do list for too long. I finished the binding and trimmed the thread, and it's done!

I think we'll use it as a picnic blanket. Of course, it's still a little too cold to have picnics right now, but it'll be ready whenever the weather decides to change.

Here's the back:

And a close up:

Ignore the bad quilting...I got rid of the walking foot I was using because I had so many issues with it. My new walking foot is much better!

That makes two finishes off my list!

Ticker Tape Finished

2010-04-25T15:14:00.000-05:00

I finished my ticker tape quilt!

Rather than starting and stopping for each bit, I just sewed between them. I know some people have thread cutters on their machines. Alas, mine does not, so without it, something like this would be incredibly tedious. It was a fun exercise and I can't wait to see everyone's at next month's meeting!

Quilt Show Part 2: The quilts!

2010-04-23T22:29:00.000-05:00

There were some really beautiful and inspiring quilts at the show this year. I am always amazed at the creativity of the artists. Here are some that caught my eye. There were more but I think most people have posted my favorites already.

Polvs Articvs (North Pole) by Gloria S. Daly

The White City by Zvia Strahilevitz-Klein

I love this clothesline! She found little clothespins. Super cute touch.

"I Pray" by Harumi Iida

Emerald Treasures by Barb Forrister

The embellishment on those turtles is amazing!

Woodland Spring by Lisa Ellis
I found this one very peaceful.

Spring Field by Akiko Kawata

Building Up by Kathy York

The International Quilt Show will be in Cincinnatti next year, so I doubt I'll be able to make it. It was such a treat to have such a big show in my own town. But it's quite a lot of money to travel and get a hotel, etc for a quilt show. If I'm going to travel, maybe someday I'll get to the quilt show in Sisters Oregon!

Getting Motivated

2010-04-20T19:48:00.002-05:00

Jacquie is doing another Spring to Finish Challenge. We have until May 31st to get stuff done. I like how this year she has made people decide how they'll reward themselves if they complete everything on their list. I think it's made people be much more realistic about their lists!

Here is my list:
1. Finish this quilt. It is so close--the quilting is mostly done, and I just need to put on a binding.
2. Quilt and finish the disaster quilt. Then at least it will be complete and I can donate it.
3. Ticker tape quilt. I just need to sandwich and quilt this.
4. Paintbox quilt. I need to make the backing with the color swatches, quilt it, and bind.
5. Blocks for my quilting bees. I have two due this month. I just finished one but the other one I need more fabric for.
6. Prepare my block for the ICE exchange with the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild. I have mental sketches about what I want to do.

It's a lot, but I think it is do-able by May 31st. If I complete everything then I am buying myself the extension table for my machine.

Quilt Show Part 1: What I Came Home With

2010-04-19T18:01:00.000-05:00

Everyone knows that quilt shows are great for inspiration. There are so many amazing quilts and ideas swirling, you can't help but come home wanting to make something. But fully half the size of the show area is all the booths for shopping! I spent quite a while there (believe me, it was a mob scene, and pretty overwhelming). I ended up being not too bad.

A bunch of pre-cut yardage just because.

A new sewing foot! It is called the "Curve Master" and it is meant to help you do curves in your quilts with NO pins. As soon as I saw the demo, I immediately knew I had to have it! I will report back once I've tested it out a bit.

A jelly roll called "Silk Road". Lots of Asian-themed fabrics. I am not usually a jelly roll kind of girl, but if I didn't buy this I would have spent WAY more on all the yardage I wanted in these fabrics.

Two fat quarter packs. One is Tula Pink's Nest (the green one on the bottom) and the top one is Califon. Again, not usually a fat quarter kind of girl, but they were just calling my name.

Finally, some Shweshwe fabric from South Africa. These fabrics are really gorgeous in person.

They only come in three colors, and they use a resist process that includes copper presses from the 1850s. I was quite excited to learn that the factory where they are made employs lots of local people, buys cotton locally, and the employees own 45% of the factory. I try to be socially conscious in my purchases in other realms, but I am not always so good when it comes to fabric. I was thrilled to hear that this fabric I love is socially responsible too. Here is more information about the fabric and the process.

Look for more posts about the actual quilts I saw at the show!

April Chicago Modern Quilt Guild Meeting

2010-04-18T20:55:00.001-05:00

We had a really fun meeting today. Angela led a fun workshop where we each made our own "ticker tape" quilts. Everyone brought in a pile of scraps and boy, did we have a lot of scraps!! It was really fun to see what everyone chose as their background colors, and then how they laid out scraps, or chose different color schemes. I went with the "I'll choose what I like" scheme.

After I put it together, it reminded me of Freddie Moran's motto: "more is more". I can't say that all the fabrics go together or complement each other, but in a weird way, it works. I like it! Now I need to actually do the quilting, and do it by the next meeting on May 16th. I also have to prepare my block for our challenge. I better get back to work, as I've got a couple quilting bee blocks to take care of too.

Quick note: I went to the International Quilt Show Chicago yesterday and it was fabulous!!! I'll be spreading out my posts over the next week or so because there is so much to say!

Paintbox Quilt-a-Long Top Finished!

2010-04-17T09:57:00.001-05:00

I finally put together my quilt-a-long top!

I have to admit I am not crazy about the grey I chose for the sashing, but by the time I realized it, it was too late and I had already cut up 3 yards of fabric. Alas. I am sure that I can give it away to a friend of mine who will appreciate it.

Another shot of the whole thing.

I haven't really been home lately as I was in Iowa (my husband was teaching dance there) and then I was in Texas for work. I'm starting to think that I may need to take up some handwork, as at least that is portable. Do you have a favorite type of handwork? English paper piecing? Applique (I was thinking about one of these)? Hand quilting? Hand piecing (I saw this and thought it was gorgeous!)?

I'd love to dip my toe into the handwork pool but I don't want to try something that will quickly leave me discouraged.

Quick baby quilt is done!

2010-04-07T20:09:00.000-05:00

I finally had some time after all the Easter busy-ness to finish this quilt.

I ended up quilting in random straight lines, inspired by Kate and Jacquie.

I really love it. It was so fast and easy too. But it needs to go off to a little baby girl in Seattle.

A quick shot of the backing and binding.

For those of you who may wonder why my Easter was so busy, I'll just leave it at this: we had 7 people total for dinner (not too many) and we had this for dessert (in addition to the other courses):

My husband and I don't mess around when it comes to food! :) It's a chocolate and hazelnut souffle--individual ones for guests. There's no flour, so it was safe for my gluten-free friend. And incredibly delicious too. We had some leftover mixture so we baked a "leftover" one last night. Yum!

More Bee Blocks

2010-04-02T20:30:00.000-05:00

My Hip 2 Bee Square ladies have really come through this month. Here are some blocks I've received so far:

These are all from Becca. I really love them! Especially the flying geese hiding out in the block. Fabulous.

Here's one from Corey. I love the denim bit--it reminds me of the fabulous work clothes quilts from Gee's Bend.

These are from sweetposie. I really love the Japanese prints she's added here.

Kerry sent these along. Very nice. I think it will be good to have some smaller, "filler" blocks like this when I am trying to get them all together!

These are from Kim. They have a lovely flannel that I just love to touch. The whole quilt is going to have so many interesting textures in it!

These blocks are from Nicole. She added a lovely red damask to the blocks, and was even kind enough to send some extra. I may use it when putting everything together.

There's more coming, but I am starting to wonder what I got myself into! It is going to be a bit of a challenge to put everything together, but like I said before, I'll be posting process pictures as I try to figure it out.

Slow and Steady...

2010-04-01T21:04:00.000-05:00

I'm slowing making progress on putting together my paintbox quilt. Here are the blocks before I sewed them into rows.

I probably won't be able to put the top together before next week because as you may know, this weekend is Easter. My friend is becoming Catholic on Saturday night (which is a very long service), and I am singing in the choir Sunday morning. And of course, I am hosting Easter dinner as well. Whew! So there will be very little sewing this weekend. Happy Easter everyone, or Passover if you prefer, or just have a nice weekend if you are none of the above. :)

Quick liberated baby quilt

2010-03-28T21:26:00.000-05:00

When I got back from my trip, I had a nice package of solids awaiting me.

Some are for the paintbox quilt, and others were just because I am trying to increase the number of solids in my stash. I've been meaning to make a baby quilt for my friend B, but the paintbox quilt took over. Well, she had a lovely baby girl E on Friday, so I realized I had better get cracking! I was fiddling with some fabrics, thinking I would do a disappearing nine patch quilt, but I couldn't find enough fabrics to get excited about. The solids were calling my name! So I cut a bunch of 13" strips with varying sizes, each with a wide end and a narrow end (no measuring). I sewed them all together and then squared up to 12.5". The nine squares were done yesterday and then I sewed the top together at the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild meeting.

You can't tell from the photo here, but the borders are a light gray and the light color in the quilt itself is actually a powder blue. All are Kona solids. I don't have the names with me at the moment, but you wouldn't want to make exactly the same quilt as me, would you?

I came home and basted it and now I just need to quilt it.

It was super quick and easy. I recommend you try it if you want to make something quick, easy, and modern for that baby shower that is next week. :)

Hip 2 Bee Square--my month!

2010-03-15T11:10:00.001-05:00

I am so glad that March is my month for the Hip 2 Bee Square bee.
I asked for a block (or blocks) that are any size, as long as they are rectangle or square. I wanted them to be in a Gee's Bend style. If you aren't familiar with Gee's Bend, go to Google Images and search for Gee's Bend.

Also, I asked that everyone add a piece of fabric from their scrap bin, or an old shirt, an old sheet, curtains, whatever. It doesn't matter if it is not cotton. I really wanted to get the feel of their quilts, which were made with whatever they had, not just nice quilter's cotton.

It means now I get to sit back and relax and wait for my blocks to come in. Here are some lovely blocks from Keira and Debbie. I really love how they've incorporated other fabrics into the block.

Keira said her muslin (in the housetop block) has traveled with her family and is at least 10 years old. And Debbie added the beautiful blue corduroy to her blocks. I really love hearing the stories of the fabric that goes into the blocks--it gives the whole quilt such a beautiful meaning.

It'll definitely be a challenge to get all the multi-size blocks to fit together, but I think it will also be a chance to bring coherence to the quilt. I'm thinking that if I use similar colored scraps to put all the blocks together it will make it "fit". We'll see once I get all of the blocks back. I will probably be posting lots of different arrangements and asking for advice.

Quilt a Long Blocks Finished!

2010-03-13T11:10:00.001-06:00

Last weekend I went on a cutting craze to finish the paintbox blocks. Here is the stack after all the cutting:

Then I finished them up Monday and Tuesday.

Some yellow ones:

Some turquoise ones:

And finally, some green ones.

I still haven't started laying them out, or deciding what color sashing to use. I know a lot of modern quilters like white backgrounds or white sashing, but I just can't bring myself to do it. White gets dingy too fast, even when you wash often. I make all my quilts to be used, and I can't say that I am the most "clean" person. This is not to say that I am dirty, I just spill things a lot and am somewhat of a klutz. So anything white is basically screaming to get stained in my house. This is all being said when there are no kids in the house (I don't have children). If I did have children, I'd stay away from white even moreso. I really don't understand how folks can make baby quilts that are white! If the child loves your quilt, it will get snot, barf, mud, etc all over it and white just doesn't handle those so well. Just my humble opinion, really. :)

I will look at some neutral linen, or possibly some beige or gray cottons. I'm happy to hear suggestions if you think there is a color or brand I should use. What is your favorite neutral?

Not much quilting will happen in the next two weeks as I am leaving for Spain on Wednesday. Much food will be eaten but no quilting. I'm just glad to have the blocks done before then.

Fabulous fabric

2010-03-05T17:22:00.001-06:00

I had an internal goal of not buying any fabric in February. I was good--I didn't! That doesn't mean I didn't get any though. I ordered some fabric in the fall from FabFanatic Fabrics, and didn't get it until this week. It's lovely!

I am also showing some other lovely fabric I got in January. I haven't touched it yet, but I am taking it out to think about what I might do with it. One of my goals this year was to work with more solids, so this fat quarter pack (which was on sale) is the perfect start.

Who knows when I'll cut into them? I've got UFOs calling my name, and the Paintbox Quilt-a-long. But I can look at them for now. :)

February Live Piecefully 2 Block

2010-03-03T21:34:00.001-06:00

I realize this is a little late, but as I mentioned before, it has been a crazy February (who decided to make it so short?). Here is my block for Jessie.

She asked for something that was simple vs. complex. I made the little ladders and kept the lovely birds and plants in their natural habitat. I ran out of fabric, so I had to add the teal as well as the melon-colored solid. I hope she likes it!

Chicago Modern Quilt Guild meeting

2010-03-02T21:34:00.000-06:00

Whew! I have been super busy. In February, I went on trips to Indianapolis, Knoxville, and Milwaukee. I'm just glad to be home again. I'm definitely counting down the days though, before my trip to Spain with my husband. We'll be taking cooking classes and sightseeing, but mostly just relaxing--which is exactly what we'll need by the time we get there!

Anyway, I apologize for my absence. I realize I never followed up on how our first Chicago Modern Quilt Guild meeting went. It was a good crowd. Everyone seemed excited about getting started, and we did a bit of brainstorming to discuss ideas and what we'd like to get out of the group. Kate took some pictures and you can see them here.

I'm hoping that as we have regular meetings, we'll get even more folks coming. It's great to find other people who have similar interests, and to meet them in person. I love reading blogs and looking at Flickr, but there is something really great about meeting people face to face.

If you don't live in the Chicago area, you can see if your town hosts a modern quilt guild here.

Happy Quilting!

Paintbox Quilt a Long blocks week 6

2010-02-20T17:20:00.001-06:00

I had Monday off for the President's day holiday, so I went a little crazy with the catch up for the Paintbox blocks. Elizabeth is on week 6, which means I should have 48 blocks. I knew that I'd be busy this week and next, so I made an extra week's worth (in addition to just catching up to the 6th week). So here are some pictures of the various blocks I finished this week.

I really like these pink/red ones.

I really love the grey on the far right. It's hard to see here, but the print used is this gorgeous geometric print that has a lot of blue-greys in it. I really like the combo and might end up doing more quilts with that color in it.

Some purple blocks.

I got my husband a new camera for Valentine's day, so I am trying out all the different settings. I think they are better than before but it's still a work in progress.

And some blue ones. I realize that people are getting up close and personal with my floor a lot. I really wish I had a design wall I could use, or lay out a sheet, but if you saw my apartment, you would understand!

That being said, I've realized that you do not need lots of space and design walls to create great work. Paula Nadelstern, whose amazing solo show I saw at the American Folk Art Museum, did all her work at her kitchen table in Brooklyn! Of course, it wouldn't hurt, but if someone can do what she did, then certainly I can't complain too much.

Chicago Modern Quilt Guild first meeting

2010-02-15T13:06:00.000-06:00

I am so excited! We are having our first meeting next Sunday, February 21st at 2pm. It will be at the Park District of Forest Park. Everyone is welcome. It will mostly be an organizational meeting, to figure out logistics around what we're all about, how often we'll meet, etc. If you aren't already part of the Ning group, go here to sign up.

All the details are there, as well as photos of other people's quilts, and a forum.

I'm looking forward to it!

Paintbox Quilt-Along Blocks

2010-02-08T20:01:00.000-06:00

Some of you may have heard of Elizabeth's Quilt-Along for her paintbox quilt. I've always liked this quilt and it's been on my list to make for awhile now, so when this came up, I figured why not? I've just finished a few quilts so I get to start another one. I haven't kept up because life has been pretty busy lately, but here is what I've done so far.

I know that most people do the blocks in some sort of color order, but they're all going to get mixed up anyway, so I just pick up the next fabric in the stack and get to work on them. I'll be posting more as I make more, but here's my first few.

This is my favorite pair so far.

They are the same size, just the perspective is a little off.

February Hip 2 Bee Square blocks

2010-02-06T16:19:00.001-06:00

This month Nicole wanted star blocks according to a specific pattern. It was very easy and the fabrics were fun to work with. She gave us enough white fabric to make two blocks. She also said that we were free to make the center square pieced if we'd like.

In the block on the left, I saw that flower print and just couldn't bear to cut it up. It needed to be a centerpiece. After making the first block, I had these little triangles left over. I made the center of the second block using those leftovers. I really like how both blocks turned out. It's an easy pattern and a great way to use up scraps. I just might make some more of these for myself!

I hope she likes them!

Love beads quilt finished

2010-01-31T21:09:00.000-06:00

I finished quilting and binding the Love Beads top! I really love how the quilting turned out. I stippled all the teal areas, left the lines unquilted, and then spiral quilted the circles. It was really fun and the back of the quilt looks awesome.

Here is a detail shot of the quilting on the front.

And here is the back. I really love this quilt. I hope my friend and her baby boy like it!

Another great thing about this quilt is that it means I get to check off another one of my goals for the year. I had a goal to make a quilt with circles, so here it is. Believe me, if I can do it, you can too!

another charity quilt done!

2010-01-28T19:53:00.000-06:00

I just finished this last night, and threw it in the laundry. It's nice and soft and crinkled.

Here's a shot of the pieced backing.

And a close up detail.

I'm packing this up with the cat & mouse quilt and sending off to Quilts for Kids. That means that one of my goals for the year is complete!

I've been pretty busy lately--I am trying to find meeting space for the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild. Lots of phone calls and messages with various people. But I want to make sure I've explored the options!

January Hip 2 Bee Square

2010-01-21T09:42:00.002-06:00

Corey sent these adorable embroidered squares for January. She wanted them framed in the center with the lovely fabrics she provided.

While not the usual fabrics I work with, I love the end result. It is really adorable!

Love beads top finished

2010-01-19T21:38:00.000-06:00

I realized on Friday that I had Martin Luther King Jr. day off. Why I didn't plan ahead, I don't know. Sometimes I get so into the groove of work that I forget about the rest of the world. Anyway, I took advantage of my day off to do some sewing! I put together the blocks and voila!

This is the "Love Beads" pattern from The Modern Quilt Workshop by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr. I really like their idea of slicing off the halves of the circles on the sides. They call it "engaging the edge" and my husband agreed that it makes the quilt more dynamic--like it's continuing off the "page". This one is for a coworker who is having a little boy in February. I wanted it to be somewhat neutral, as the first quilt I made for her little girl was super girly.

I also started quilting the other baby quilt here. I got about 1/3 way in before my needle kept hitting the foot. Argh! See below--see where the needle gouged a hole in the plastic?

I've since realized that I should just get a new foot. This one is made of plastic, so it wobbles a bit, and then the needle hits the plastic and frustration ensues. I just ordered a new one. Take note if you are thinking of purchasing a darning foot: the more metal, the better. It will wobble less and probably just plain last longer. Now I have three quilts (love beads, this one, and this one) that are basted, waiting to be quilted. I'm just waiting for the foot to get here. Of course it'll get here on Friday, right before I leave for a family trip to Texas.

So I guess I'll have to get started on another quilt while I'm waiting for the foot to finish quilting my tops!

First quilt of 2010 complete

2010-01-11T18:57:00.001-06:00

As I mentioned in my goals, I would like to make and give away more quilts for charity this year. I didn't meet my goal last year so I figured a kick start would be helpful. I requested a kit from Quilts for Kids and got a package very quickly! Everything was already cut up into strips and squares, so it was super easy. They provided all the fabric (I added the binding) and the quilter provides thread, batting, time, and love.

I think I got the package on Wednesday and finished the top Friday night, quilted it Saturday and sewed the binding on Sunday. It feels good to have one down!

Here is the back.

It is really cute fabric--cats on the front and little mice in a maze on the back.
They ask that you send one of your own quilts to donate with the one you made from a kit. So I will finish up the other one I've shown and send these both together.

new charity quilt

2010-01-07T09:30:00.002-06:00

As I mentioned in my goals for 2009 AND 2010, I want to actually make and give away charity quilts this year. So I got out all my children's fabrics and started cutting. I'm making a quilt like this one on the Moda BakeShop, but with no charm pack.

Here's the finished top! While not an official goal, I'd like to use fabric I already have, especially scraps. This quilt is great for those small pieces that you may only have a 5"x 5" piece to use. I'll definitely post it once it has been quilted!

Circles aren't scary

2010-01-05T14:14:00.002-06:00

As you can see from my goals, I have been intimidated by circles in the past. I started working on "Love Beads" from The Modern Quilt Workshop by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr. You can see an example of the pattern here.

Here is my first half-circle ever!

It actually turned out ok. I don't know what I was so afraid of. Some tips:

Take your time. This is not something to do if you need to get it done before dinner.
Pin everything a lot
Make sure that your cut pieces are accurate. If they aren't, it is going to be tough to get everything to match up.

I'll post more as I get the quilt put together.

Chicago area quilters?

2010-01-04T21:54:00.004-06:00

With the success of the LA Modern Quilt Guild, I was wondering if there were people out there interested in starting such a group in Chicago. Please comment here or send me an email. Once I get enough folks interested I'll start figuring out days/times/locations.

EDITED TO ADD: Please leave me a way to contact you. Sara and ModQuilter, you are "no reply" comment bloggers so I don't have any way to keep you updated. If you use Blogger, to change this, go to Edit Profile, check mark in front of Show my Email, then SAVE. This will only show the word email on your profile page. This way if you leave a comment there is an email address that comes with the comment to my inbox. Alternately you can reply again and leave an email. I'd love to include you!

Fabric Favorites 2009

2010-01-03T12:26:00.006-06:00

Kim at TrueUp has posted a Favorite Fabrics question. She wants to know the favorites of 2009. She has a bunch of categories, but we only need to list 10. So here's my 10:

- Favorite Quilting Weight Cotton Collection

Deer Valley by Joel Dewberry. I can't really explain why--I love the colorways, love the mixture of organic and architectural elements. Very different from what is out there in general.

- Favorite Home Decor Weight Fabric or Collection
I'm voting for Alexander Henry Fashion for Home Birdsong.

- Favorite Under the Radar/Sleeper Collection
Pillow and Maxfield: Whimsy. I love this! I haven't really seen any buzz on it, or been able to find it many places, but it is gorgeous. I especially love that deep blue.

- Favorite Handprinted Fabric
Ok, I know everyone is going to say this, but Aunty Cookie is amazing. I love this one here, with the red cog/snowflake things. Awesome.

- Favorite New Designer
I also know everyone is going to say this, but Laura Gunn. Lantern Bloom is just gorgeous. I love how she has taken paintings and turned them to a design on fabric.

- Favorite Novelty Print
I really love this print from Cosmo Cricket's Snorkel collection. Just too cute! I didn't realize I love whales so much.

- Favorite Print from Japan
I think this one with the whale from Lecien is adorable!

- Favorite Organic Print
Near Sea Naturals: Eyes of the World. I love the jewel tones. I feel like most organic cotton I see is pretty plain and there aren't a ton of deep, rich colors like this one.

- Favorite Juvenile Print: Boys
I love David Walker's "Oh Boy!" collection. So my favorite print within it would be this one. You can see more here.

- Favorite New Fabric You Worked With in 2009
I had never really worked with upholstery weight fabric before, so I really enjoyed that. It means that I don't really need interfacing for the purses/handbags I make.

I can't wait to see what others put as their favorites!

New Year's Goals 2010

2010-01-01T11:12:00.000-06:00

After looking back at my goals for 2009, I think I'm ready to make some goals for 2010.

1. Complete 12 quilts.
I know, this is less than I made in 2009. This is because I want to focus on more large, complex quilts. Granted, I know at least two babies that need quilts made for them this year, but I'd like to focus on more "large"quilts. Also, I have two quilts tops that just need to be quilted, as well as two quilts that are already in progress.

2. Give away at least two quilts for charity.
Yes, this was a goal last year but hey, I didn't meet that goal, so I'd like to work towards it again.

3. Make a quilt with circles/curves.
Circles have always intimidated me, so I need to overcome that. And yes, this was on my list last year. I've already started to make "Love Beads" from the Modern Quilt Workshop. I'd also like to make a Drunkard's Path pattern. If you're not sure what a drunkard's path quilt looks like, type it into Google Images or Flickr and you'll see tons of examples

4. Use more solids in my quilts.
This is something I've started to do, but I'd like to do more of in the coming year.

5. No quilt pattern repeats!
I chose this again because I really have a ton of quilting books and patterns--enough to keep me busy for quite a awhile. I've also got all sorts of ideas for quilts without patterns. I really need to make quilts using those books and patterns or just go improv and make up something as I go.

6. Make a "stack the deck" quilt.
Along the lines of using my books, I have a book all about stack the deck quilts--these are similar to crazy nine patch quilts in that once you have all the pieces arranged, you cut things up and sew them back together again. More explanation to come when I get to those, but here is the gallery of the woman who makes these.

7. Make more improvised quilts.
My mom and I are registered for Gwen Marston's Beaver Island Quilt Retreat in September, so I need to have something to bring for show and tell!

What about you? What are your goals (in general or artistic) for this year?

New Year's "Goals" 2009--A Year in Review

2009-12-31T15:33:00.000-06:00

I don't like to have New Year's Resolutions. Call me lazy--I just feel like it is too restrictive to say a resolution. I do have goals, though, which means that I am working towards them regularly, and they are achievable. For 2009, I had a few quilt-related goals. I didn't have a blog at the time, so I didn't share them then. But here they are, along with how I did:

1. Finish ten quilts
I finished 16! Even I am surprised at this. Granted, a few of those were tops that just needed to be quilted, but I've got a few tops that need to be quilted now, so it all rolls over I guess. While not a goal for me originally, I am very proud that I made more quilts with triangles--I have mostly shied away from anything but squares and rectangles.

2. Give away at least 2 charity quilts
I am disappointed to say I did not meet this goal. I have one waiting to be given away but I didn't give it away, nor did I make a second one. I did partake in a group project, making two quilts for Quilts of Valor. I don't think that totally counts, although it is in the same spirit.

3. Make an x-blocks quilt
I made a baby quilt using the x-blocks template. Picture is here.

4. Make an improvisational quilt
I made two of these. See them here and here.

5. Practice free-motion quilting
Boy, did I do this!!! I quilted all the quilts I made this year, except for one. So one could say that I got lots of practice.

6. A quilt with curves
I started one yesterday, and made a bunch of half-circles. I'll post a picture soon. So it's on its way but I can't say that I made a quilt with curves until it is done. So I sort of met this goal.

7. A quilt from the Modern Quilt Workshop book
I sort of completed this one. I actually made a quilt from a pattern in The Quiltmaker's Color Workshop, written by the same people, Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr. So I think it counts. And since it is my own goal list, I get to say what counts. :) Also, the half-circles I started yesterday are from that book, so I'm on my way.

8. No quilt pattern repeats
I didn't start any quilts this year that were a repeat pattern of a quilt I've made before. In my "quilts completed 2009" you'll see "bundle of joy" and "pink rail fence". Those are patterns I've made before, but as the tops were finished in 2008, they were started before I made that goal.

I think in general, I did pretty well! So what are my goals for 2010? Tune in tomorrow for that one.

How about you? Did you have goals for 2009? How did you do?

Another finish!

2009-12-29T15:51:00.002-06:00

I am so happy with how this quilt turned out. I've shown it before. I found out a few weeks ago that I needed to finish this for Christmas, so I moved it to the top of my priority list. I finished it up on December 22nd, right before I left for Christmas at my in-laws (where I was going to see the recipient, a friend who was in the area). For those of you who are curious, it measures 46 x 67 after washing and shrinkage.

My father in law was very helpful in holding it up for photographing.

Here is the back:

Here's a detail shot:

And a picture of it folded and ready to go!

I bound it in a pale blue. I was thinking black and white and then I realized that would detract from the design too much. So something soft that blends in well turned out to be just right. I love it.

It feels good to check another one off the list. I've got two more tops that need to be quilted. One is on the sewing machine right now and I'm about halfway done quilting it. Hopefully I can finish by December 31st!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T12:09:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you, but I get really depressed by the amount of waste that I see on Christmas. There is always the huge garbage bag full of wrapping and tape. Last year I made a bunch of bags for wrapping Christmas presents. This year I did the same.

My sister, who received a bunch of presents in the mail from me (she is in CA and I won't be there this year) got quite excited about them and decided to make some herself. I highly recommend doing so. They are re-usable! Hopefully as you give them away, others will be inspired to think about how they wrap things (and maybe even make their own). There are tutorials from folks here and here, but as you can see, they are pretty easy and I just make mine without measuring--just using the item to be wrapped as a guide.

Merry Christmas!

Fun tutorial

2009-12-23T10:24:00.004-06:00

I made these little pincushion organizers for some lovely ladies. I used the tutorial from Elizabeth, found here.They were pretty easy and fun to do.

There is another one not pictured here. I did them "assembly line" style so it took about as much time as it would have take to do one. I think I like the green/brown one the best. I hope the recipients like them!

I love mail!

2009-12-16T20:37:00.002-06:00

So I got a package in the mail recently and it made me so happy! I won a giveaway from Heidi who is running the Old Red Barn Quilt Along's Round 4. I was thinking I would do it but I have been traveling too much for work and just haven't been able to keep up. But Heidi was generous enough to give away these lovely fat quarters!

They are from Amy Butler's new LOVE collection. They are delicious. Now I need to decide what to do with them. Maybe I'll just look at them. :)

I've been super busy and I haven't even been home lately. I am hoping that once I get home from all this traveling for work and family that I'll be able to stay home for awhile.

And the winner is...

2009-12-06T18:22:00.002-06:00

#101! Trusty random.org brought it up and that turns out to be Diane! Congratulations Diane. And thanks everyone for playing! I appreciate all the lovely comments. I've got a lot of ideas about homemade Christmas presents! Now to get to work...

Giveaway Day!

2009-12-02T07:32:00.002-06:00

Welcome to my blog for Giveaway Day! Sew Mama Sew organizes a giveaway day all over blogland, with many fabulous crafters participating. You can see others here. I'll be giving away this cute little bag.

Sorry for the light--when I use a flash it is super washed out. It's a deep purple on the outside, sort of a velour fabric, and a reddish fabric on the inside from Basic Grey's Urban Couture line.
It's got a snap closure and a pocket in the lining. Also included is a fat quarter of fabric!

To enter, just leave a comment telling me what Christmas or holiday gifts you are making this year. If you're not making anything, what would you like to make? Also, please make sure that I have a way to contact you--through your blog, email, Flickr, etc.

I'll use random.org to choose the winner on December 6th--St. Nicholas Day.

Good luck!

Hip 2 Bee Square November

2009-11-30T20:23:00.002-06:00

Keira requested a disappearing nine patch block. She even sent us the squares already cut up! So it was pretty easy to put this together. Above is the "before".

And here is the after. Just under the wire though. I didn't get my fabric until two weeks ago, and I've been out of town, and under a pile of work at work, so my sewing machine has been neglected as of late. I whipped this up while DH was making dinner. To see what else I whipped up while he was making dinner, tune in on Wednesday for Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day. I'll be giving away something cute.

progress on "out of line" quilt

2009-11-05T19:28:00.000-06:00

A while back I posted a big pile of strips. There were over 100 of them, and now they make this lovely quilt. It is a gift for some family friends, but they don't know they're getting it yet. :)

Obviously I still need to quilt it, but I'm so happy to be making progress! Here is a more close up shot.

The pattern is called "Out of Line" and it is from Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr's book The Quiltmaker's Color Workshop. I highly recommend it if you don't own it already.

"block party" quilt finished

2009-11-03T18:31:00.003-06:00

I got my quilt back from the longarm quilter and finished the binding. It was a beautiful fall day on Sunday, so I took it outside to get some better lighting.

A detail shot.

As I mentioned before, it is a gift for a family friend who is getting married.

I pieced the backing, to give it some extra interest.

I need to make an extra special label for it before I send it off. I hope they like it!

The pattern is called "Block Party" and I found it in an old magazine. It's by Jason Yenter, of In The Beginning Fabrics. It's pretty simple--similar to a "bento box" quilt in that you cut up the squares once you have finished them. But rather than no sashing, or sashing the outside of the block, you sash inside. I really like the "window" effect. The finished size is 67*79.5, so not a full bed size but a generous lap quilt--large enough for two newlyweds to snuggle up in (DH and I tested it to be sure). :)

Live Piecefully 2 October

2009-10-28T18:22:00.000-05:00

These blocks are for Dorie. She wanted 8" blocks that were cheery, for a children's quilt. I miscalculated a bit and one of my blocks ended up too large. I'm not sure if she would be ok with just cutting it smaller, or if I should have taken it apart and re-done.

I'm going to let her decide because I really think it could go either way, and it will depend on what other types of blocks she gets.

I hope she likes them anyway!

Hip 2 Bee Square October

2009-10-26T21:09:00.004-05:00

This block is for Marblesbestfriend in Hip 2 Bee Square for October. She asked for a traditional log cabin block. The fabrics are not something I would have chosen originally, but they are really nice and I really like how they fit together.

I like the vines and how they draw your eye up the block. I hope she likes it!

quilted maps!

2009-10-16T10:09:00.002-05:00

Wow. I just came across this and thought it was a brilliant idea. I don't have a longarm machine, so I'm not sure how easy/hard this would be to do with one. Obviously you could print out some maps and trace them onto fabric, then sew them on your home sewing machine. I'm really intrigued by the idea of making the quilting be a map of an area special to you.

Alternately, I could do some tracing and use different colored scraps to make a quilt that looks like my neighborhood. i have seen a quilt like that before, and I adored it. I am so intrigued and excited about this! Who knows, you may see some works in progress soon...

I would share pictures but I want to respect her copyright--just check it out, really!

Quilt Festival!

2009-10-08T09:32:00.002-05:00

Earlier this year, Amy at Park City Girl hosted a Blogger's Quilt Festival. I participated then, and had a blast looking at all the entries. You can see my previous entry here.
She had such a good response that she's doing it again. A big thanks to Amy for organizing such an undertaking!

I'm happy to enter this quilt into the fray.

Here's the back:

It is machine pieced and quilted by me. I don't usually name my quilts, so if you can think of a good name, please let me know.

Also, I don't normally use all fabrics from one collection. In this case it really worked with the pattern I chose, which calls for a lot of different fabrics. Normally I am sort of a "choose your own color combos" girl. It measures 67.5"x71.5".

I made it for my best friend Sara. She was the maid of honor at my wedding and quite deserving of the quilt. You can read more about it here, which is when I first posted it. In general, she loves it and it really fits her "surfer girl" personality (she lives a block away from the beach in CA).

Enjoy the rest of the quilts in the festival! I know I will.

catching up

2009-10-06T20:01:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to post a final picture of this quilt. I quilted and bound it awhile ago, but only got my little "hang ups" to hang it on the wall recently. It's nice to have something that I made displayed like artwork. I definitely get people asking about it when they come over, which is nice.

As you can tell, I am still working on getting my quilting to lay perfectly flat. I've read about various techniques for doing so, but I haven't had too much success with that yet. I guess I'll have to practice on the next one!

HST baby quilt finished

2009-10-05T19:21:00.003-05:00

I've been super busy with work, so haven't had a chance to blog at all. I'm just coming up for air. I finished this over a week ago, and it is already off to its new owner. The quilt was really quick and easy--I just cut a bunch of 6 7/8 squares and then cut them in half. Arrange, and sew. Super easy and fun.

Here are some more pictures.

Back detail.

Back--I just used strips left over from the front to piece the back.

Front detail close up.

It's another "not finding out" baby. Actually, for her first baby, I got my friend a maternity shirt that said "not finding out". She loved it and is excited to wear it again.

Live Piecefully 2 block for September for Sam

2009-09-21T21:32:00.003-05:00

This is my block for Sam. She told us to go crazy, any size. I have to admit, I went a little safe on this one. I used a pattern from Quilter's Cache called Octagon and Twist.

It was pretty easy, until I got to the part that had tricky seams. It turned out ok, but I guess I didn't look at it too carefully before jumping in!

I hope she likes it.

Next Baby quilt in Progress

2009-09-20T08:15:00.000-05:00

I feel like everyone around me is pregnant, so here's another baby quilt I'm working on.

It's just a bunch of triangles in a variety of fabrics. Some "Red Letter Day" by Lizzie House, some other fabrics I don't really know the origin of, and then various Kona cottons.

It is for my friend whose son is shown here sleeping under the quilt I made him.
I feel like the second (or third or fourth) child often "gets the shaft" so to speak in terms of toys and special items just for them. So I want to make sure that baby #2 gets a quilt just as nice as the first one.

Hip 2 Bee Square September

2009-09-18T16:36:00.003-05:00

This is my block for Kim. She wanted something traditional, and something that used the little critter guy she provided.

It was a fun block to do. I used another block from Quilter's Cache called Beacon Lights Variation. The instructions were very easy to follow, and it really showcases the monster guy in the center.

finished zig zag quilt

2009-09-16T20:00:00.005-05:00

I finished this quilt last weekend. I hadn't realized the baby is due October 3rd, and the shower was announced a week before it happened! The baby shower was on Sunday, so you betcha I was sewing the binding on the night before. I really like how it turned out. I did a basic zig zag outline, and then did some curvy lines in the border (also with the walking foot).
Quick shot of the back.

I tried to make it gender neutral (she doesn't know the baby's sex yet). I think it turned out "baby" without being too cutesy or too girl or boy. At the baby shower there was the standard oohing and aahing. People are always amazed at homemade goods. I like giving homemade goods, as I enjoy making them, and I put a lot of love into them.