a quilt is nice

scraps quilt

2012-01-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

I finished this quilt up before we moved in October, but just barely got around to taking any pics. I'm not super in love with it. I like it enough, but something doesn't feel right. I'm not sure if it's the layout or the putty color...I can't put my finger on it, but that's okay, the point was to use up some scraps.

I decided to bind it in this small flower print (Children at Play) to make it a little more pretty, and it turned out to be my favorite part.

When I started this quilt I thought I'd make the whole quilt top scrappy, but changed my mind. I felt like it was getting too busy.

I love this print for backing. It also helps to pretty it up. This is it for 2011! (finally). Baby #4 is scheduled to come this week, so I'm pretty sure I won't be at my sewing machine for a while. Too bad, because I have really been feeling the itch!

ginger quilt

2012-01-04T09:08:00.000-07:00

My oldest daughter is 7 years old, and just before she was born I made her this baby quilt. She LOVED that thing (still does). It went everywhere with us, church, grocery store, airplanes, bed. It was her number one comfort item. Over the years it has suffered from wear, and eventually she didn't "need" it as much. But it was still always in bed with her.

Fast forward 5 or so years and my 2 year old discovered how soft and cuddly it is, and pretty much stole it from her big sister. Luckily she just likes it for sleeping, but it has always bugged her older sister. I haven't been super fond of it either. It's pretty ragged, and I don't want to see it completely wear out.

One day, my 7 year old suggested I make a new one for my 2 year old. I thought that sounded like a fair plan, so we went to work making a new one for Christmas. At first I wanted to make it as close to exact as I could, but decided I didn't want to buy any fabric for this project, so really only the pattern is the same.

I kept warning my 7 year old that this might not work. Her sister might not care for a new, crispy quilt. She might just want her older sisters quilt that is broken in and soft.

But you know what, it worked. My 2 year old loves her new quilt and was even willing to give back the old one! Yay!

I love both of these quilts, they seem so sentimental to me. I keep wondering if I'll have to make another version for our next baby.

one more christmas project

2011-12-21T08:31:00.001-07:00

I am making a quilt for my 2 year old for Christmas and for some crazy reason I decided to hand quilt it. I was a little nervous that hand quilting wasn't a good idea because of time, but I finished it up last night and just need to bind it now.

christmas projects

2011-12-20T09:30:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe it is already December 20th. My kids are getting so excited and we are enjoying the break from school. I decided to make some more pot holders this year to give away. I really enjoy potholders. They are such a fast project, instant results (almost).

I decided to try my hand at paper-piecing, I'm definitely no pro, but I enjoyed it. See look at my apple, it got chopped on the side a bit.

I'm loving the black and white binding!

I also put together some ornaments. These are great because you can easily slip them into your christmas cards.

I purchased the candy cane pattern here. I shrunk it down to make the ornament, which was a very bad idea, the pieces were so small.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Season!

a few things

2011-12-05T11:18:00.001-07:00

I feel like I've taken a quilting/sewing hiatus lately, and I have really started to miss it. We actually moved a month ago, and it has taken me FOREVER to get settled. Everything is finally unpacked, and I have even started to use my machine!

Before my machine was packed away, I finished up some Dear Jane blocks, and even realized that I like paper-piecing. It was fun. They are definitely not perfect, and this one in particular is totally wrong.

I either used white when it should've been red, or vice-versa on those outside triangles, but there is NO WAY I am redoing it.

In my move, I realized I have WAY too much fabric. It almost made me sick. I don't know how I have accumulated so much, but I decided to start getting rid of some of it. I hope to eventually destash some of it, but for now I sliced up some Japanese charm packs and listed them in my shop.

I also have some baby bibs that I'm trying to get listed. I made these just before I got pregnant and sick, so they got put on the back burner. I finally got pics taken and am slowly listing them in my shop.

sew to swap

2011-11-19T07:05:00.003-07:00

I was lucky enough to contribute to another book, Sew to Swap, written by Chrissie Grace. What a fun project this was.

I just have to point out what a great looking book this is, yes the quilts are pretty, but the instructions and directions are beautifully illustrated (by Ariel).They are one of my favorite parts of the book.

As the title suggests, the quilts are all sewing swaps. I was able to contribute to several of them, and it's so fun to thumb through this book and see all the finished projects!

You can find the book here, use promo code SEW2SWAP for a discount! Also, follow along with the tour!

November 20 A Little Sweetness
November 21 House of A La Mode
November 22 I’m Just a Guy Who Quilts
November 23 Little Bit Funky
November 27 In His Grace

christmas hidden stars

2011-10-07T14:01:00.000-06:00

I finally finished up a holiday quilt, and I am so happy with it! It turned out better than I had hoped. I first saw this pattern in this book and loved it--but I wanted mine scrappy.

I tried to use up my christmas-y fabrics, and added in some greens, reds, and blues. I think the mix works really well.

Here's a confession, I usually don't like my quilt backs. I hate to buy a lot of fabric for backing, and I'm too lazy to make cool quilt backs like so many of you bloggers out there make. So I usually piece what I have together (really sloppily), and then don't really like it. For this quilt, I really wanted to use up those holiday prints, so I am glad I did it this way. But it's definitely not my favorite part.

This candy-cane stripe called out to me as the binding. It just had to be, and it's my favorite part. I love a striped binding anyway, but red and white will always be my favorite!

We have a chance of snow in our forecast for this weekend, and even though I am thrilled that I actually finished this up before Christmas, I don't think I'm ready for winter. I'd like to see fall stick around for a while. Plus, I'm not ready to give up my garden tomatoes!

stacked!

2011-10-03T05:51:00.000-06:00

I cut strips for this quilt back when I was cutting squares for my market square quilt. I have been stuck on this quilt for a while... I had the blocks finished, but debated making it bigger. I ended up NOT making it bigger. I am totally okay with smaller lap size quilts. Plus I have plenty of large lap size quilts and smaller ones are easier for the kids to fold.

I have always loved this design of quilt, but I really fell in love with this quilt, and then had to make one. I love that it looks like books stacked on top of each other

It's a pretty easy design to make, but I don't use a pattern. I'll try to explain (without pictures), I cut strips of white and strips of color. I then trim my colored pieces to a good size to make the "books". I try to vary the sizes, but I don't plan this part out. I then add white to either side and trim it to the right size. Once I have a bunch of these strips, I sew them all together.

I used this great polka dot from JoAnn's (by Denyse Schmidt) for the back and bound it in green. I actually debated selling this quilt, we just have so many...but there are a few things about it that make it less than perfect, so I think we'll keep it. I like it a lot anyway, so I don't mind.

far far away

2011-09-29T06:41:00.002-06:00

I'm on a roll finishing up quilts that have been so close to being done for a very long time, and it feels so good.

I started this quilt a long time ago and really didn't like it much...I guess I kinda wished I'd used the fabric in a different way. That's the main reason it took me so long to finish.

Plus, the quilt is pretty big, and main fabrics are linen/cotton blend and it's heavy. I was really dreading the quilting process.

But it all turned out in the end. I really like it now, and quilting it wasn't too bad.

I used this fun zigzag print on the back and decided to use those zigzags as my quilting guide.

I didn't do a great job, I'm going to call it organic as opposed to sloppy--if it weren't for that dark purple print you wouldn't even be able to tell.

I'm mildly opposed to white binding, but it just worked so well for this quilt. I had to use it. I think it really frames it well.

cottage quilt

2011-09-26T09:27:00.000-06:00

It was probably over 2 years ago now that I was involved in the Cottage Quilting Bee, and I have finally put my quilt together and I think it turned out so great.

I received soooo many blocks, and it was so fun to figure out where to put them all. I ended up framing them on the front in white.

I pieced my back with orange fabrics that I had along with my remaining blocks.

I quilted it in large loops. It's not perfect, but I do like the effect.

and an orange stripe binding to finish it off. I am loving this color of orange. A big thanks to all those friends who contributed to this quilt. I love it.

flower garden

2011-09-15T13:05:00.001-06:00

I feel so happy to be quilting again, I actually forgot how much I enjoy it. My husband gives me a hard time because I usually plug in my headphones and ignore the kids so I can quilt...it's pretty therapeutic I guess.

Another really simple baby quilt, but I am really diggin' the colors--a little out of my normal range. But really pretty.

A close up, I love this little "dutch girl" print. It's so sweet for a baby.

I am determined (again) to make a dent in my stash, so I used this yellow 30's print that I've had forever. I think if I used what I have more for quilt backs, my stash really would start to shrink. That is my goal for the remaining quilts on my to-do list.

pinwheels

2011-09-09T17:03:00.000-06:00

I actually finished a quilt! Wow! Summer was rough this year for sewing. It seems like we were just busy doing other things. But I did get this pinwheel baby quilt finished up recently. I have several friends having babies right now, so I have to keep my baby quilts pretty simple. I kind of like them that way anyway.

I used the new Children at Play line from Sarah Jane (I've been a fan of hers for a very long time! I think she was one of the first etsy shops I [hearted] when I first discovered etsy.), it is a great line. I wish I could justify buying every single piece of fabric...

Inspired by this pillow, (I like it better, the smaller pinwheels are cuter.)

The Jack Quilt

2011-08-26T14:28:00.000-06:00

Well, I certainly didn't intend to take the whole summer off from sewing and this blog, I can hardly believe August is nearly over. I have lots of good excuses, but the main reason is I am pregnant (again). This will be #4, and we are really excited. We find out next week what we are having, I can't wait. My oldest started school last week, and we finally have some routine in our lives, and I might possibly have some time and energy to quilt.

Several months ago Sarah contacted me about testing her Union Jack Quilt Pattern for her. I happily obliged and think it turned out really great. There is no paper piecing, and fairly simple to put together. I originally thought this would make it's way into a complete quilt, but lately I am thinking it would look really cool as a pillow. hmmm...

you can find the pattern in Sarah's etsy shop, The Aftercraft

winner

2011-06-23T08:30:00.001-06:00

The winner of Block Pary--The Modern Quilting Bee is,

Tracy who said: It looks wonderful. I would love to win this.

I've sent you an email Tracy, and look forward to hearing from you soon.

don't forget to stop by the other stops on the tour for another chance to win:
6/23/2011 Tallgrass Prairie Studio
6/24/2011 Oh, Fransson!
6/25/2011 All Buttoned Up
6/26/2011 West Coast Crafty
6/27/2011 Connecting Threads
6/28/2011 Crafty Girls Workshop
6/29/2011 Whip Up
6/30/2011 Pink Chalk Studio
7/1/2011 True Up
7/5/2011 Block Party Bee Blog
7/6/2011 Anna Maria Horner
7/7/2011 Craftzine.com

block party blog tour

2011-06-21T07:00:00.017-06:00

I'm really excited to be the next stop on the Block Party blog tour for a couple reasons. First, because I think the book is a good one, and second, because I was lucky enough to be involved with each quilt in the book--and I think they are all great.

Block Party--The Modern Quilting Bee was written by Alissa Haight Carlton and Kristen Lejnieks, but the quilts were a collaboration of 12 quilters--the book followed our virtual quilting bee. I love actually seeing bee quilts finished...don't you?

Here are a few of my favorite quilts:

and here's my quilt:

my kids even made it into the book, and now they think they are famous. :)

My favorite thing about this book is there isn't really a pattern for each quilt, there are guidelines and suggestions, which leaves lots of room for your own creativity!

****giveaway closed*****

The folks at Stash Books are offering a copy of the book to one of my readers. To enter, leave a comment, one per person (make sure I can reach you via email). I will choose a winner on Thursday (june 23) morning. Good luck.

You can also follow the tour as it makes it's way around blogland:

6/22/2011 I Heart Linen
6/23/2011 Tallgrass Prairie Studio
6/24/2011 Oh, Fransson!
6/25/2011 All Buttoned Up
6/26/2011 West Coast Crafty
6/27/2011 Connecting Threads
6/28/2011 Crafty Girls Workshop
6/29/2011 Whip Up
6/30/2011 Pink Chalk Studio
7/1/2011 True Up
7/5/2011 Block Party Bee Blog
7/6/2011 Anna Maria Horner
7/7/2011 Craftzine.com

courthouse steps quilt

2011-06-10T09:27:00.001-06:00

I finished up this quilt a couple weeks ago, and passed it on it to it's new owner. I think it turned out great. This is the type of quilt that takes some pre-planning. You can't just start and hope it all comes together, because it probably won't. But the planning is worth it.

I used mostly prints from Denyse Schmidt's new-ish line for Joann's

and quilted it in a large spiral. I've done this before, but never on a quilt this big. It was hard. Especially in the middle, mostly because I had so much quilt I was juggling. I need to remember this next time I want to try it on a larger quilt. I struggled, and it's a bit sloppy. I suppose I could have tried to do free motion in the middle and wouldn't have had to move around so much, but my free motion skills aren't that great when it comes to circles.

This red binding print is one of my favorites, I cut it on the bias and made rounded corners--again. I still love them.

I used a great grey floral print I have had FOREVER on the back along with a blue tile print from the front. Nothing like using up a yard of fabric you've had forever, right? I think grey works really great with this line. (actually grey works great with everything it seems).

winner

2011-06-05T16:56:00.000-06:00

the winner of the Pooches and Pickups fq bundle is:

Melissa @ Love affair with my brother,

who said...

Love the fabric! Perfect for a little boy :) Your quilt is gorgeous too!

I've sent you an email, I look forward to hearing from you soon.

pooches and pickups--giveaway-----closed------

2011-06-01T20:16:00.002-06:00

giveaway closed!

Have you seen Laurie Wisbrun's new line of fabric for Robert Kaufman? It's so cute, and soooo boy. She sent me some fabric to play with and I came up with this fun quilt.

Here's something I don't believe I have ever mentioned on my blog, I grew up on a farm--a real life working dairy farm. I loved my childhood, and find myself wishing my kids could experience the country way of life. It was the best. I associate pickups with farm life... I grew up riding in their beds, driving them before I was 16 and feeling like that was totally normal...and there was usually my dog, Scratches, riding in the pickup...but she was pretty lucky and often got to ride in the front seat.

I made 4 random blocks, and then sashed them with this great tweed fabric from Robert Kaufman. It gives the quilt so much texture, but is actually really soft. I imagine my own little boy driving his trucks and cars around the quilt, using the sashing as a road.

Isn't this truck the spitting image of the one on Laurie's fabric?

I backed the quilt in this green dot. I think it works perfectly.

here's the fun part, Laurie has sent along some extra fq bundles (6 total) for one of you! Leave a comment to be entered in the drawing. One entry per person. Please be sure I have an email address to contact you! Good luck!

I'll choose a winner on Sunday, June 5th.

adornit giveaway--giveaway closed.

2011-05-18T10:24:00.003-06:00

*******closed********

I've recently been introduced to a new fabric company, Adornit, and they have graciously offered to give away a fat quarter stack and a coordinating pattern book to one of YOU.

Take a look, this a sampling of the Buckaroo collection:

this is a sampling of the vintage groove collection:

their Bugaboo Line: (don't you love those prints with words?)

their Long Live Vintage line:

Now for the giveaway. Just leave a comment, one comment per person, and you will be eligible to win:

One Buckaroo Fat Quarter Stack (includes 13 fat quarters) with a coordinating ADORNit Buckaroo Pattern Book

- OR -

One Vintage Groove Fat Quarter Stack ( includes 14 fat quarters) with a coordinating ADORNit Vintage Groove Pattern Book

I will randomly select a winner on Saturday, May 21st.

thanks for stopping by.

*******giveaway closed**********
adornit has offered to give away both bundles, so 2 winners were selected and have been contacted:

mimi

robin

wip wednesday--courthouse steps.

2011-05-04T10:16:00.001-06:00

I started another quilt. I have more projects "in progress" than I would like, but I'm completely out of batting and haven't bought more. Hopefully soon, batting will move to the top of my list of things to get...

linking up with freshly pieced.

wip wednesday-rainbow scraps

2011-04-21T08:53:00.002-06:00

I'm a day late, but still wanted to share. I needed to clear out some scraps and decided I wasn't sick of rainbows yet, and made this rainbow quilt. I always think it will make a bigger dent in my scraps than it does, I'm still almost overflowing.

I try to keep my scraps from getting too out of hand, so I have a method that seems to work for me. Scraps first go to a drawer in my sewing table. The scraps in this drawer get used a lot, it's kind of my go to bin for fabric. Once that drawer is full, I start sorting by color. I have a shoe size bin for each color (2 bins are missing from this photo). This is my limit--if the bin won't close I just have to start a scrap quilt. Currently my blue and pink scraps are really, really full. I've got to figure out a blue and pink scrap quilt I guess.

anybody have any great tips for managing scraps??

rainbow geese quilt

2011-04-19T11:24:00.000-06:00

I've been gone from the computer for a while, first our internet wasn't working and then we were out of town. I had hoped to post this before we left, but it just didn't work out.

I am going to be totally honest here, I LOVE this quilt. I only wish I had made it bigger, it's pretty small, baby size. I want to make another that's throw size. I'm not sure I will though. Maybe if I make the geese bigger.

I repeated the rainbow theme on the back.

My pink-loving ~~know-it-all~~ kindergartener informed me that pink isn't really part of the rainbow. and she's right, but I do like it with pink.

I bound it in white, which goes against EVERYTHING I know as a mother. Kids are messy! The less white the better, but I couldn't come up with a better alternative. I do love the white, and the little piece of rainbow on the binding. Hopefully it won't get too dirty.

WIP Wednesday--dear jane

2011-04-06T13:37:00.001-06:00

I almost don't want to admit that I started the dear jane quilt. It's been on my radar for several years. I eventually bought the book and it sat on my shelf for a year or more, and then out of the blue last week, I decided to just jump in. I've heard to just take it one block at a time.

if you aren't familiar with this quilt, you can read more about it here. It really is the most amazing quilt I think I have ever seen, and the reason I'm so nervous to admit that I started it is because these blocks are small (4.5" finished) and have so many pieces--I am not a super precise quilter. It's going to challenge me. I'm a little nervous I'll give up.

here's the original, It truly is a work of art.

I'm using Anina's tips and tricks. Most of the blocks she paper pieces and since I don't have any freezer paper, I've just worked on the regular pieced blocks so far. They are also the pretty simple ones. Wish me luck...one block at a time.

(linking up with freshly pieced again!)

WIP Wednesday--almost finished

2011-03-30T16:12:00.001-06:00

Linking up with Freshly Pieced again today, showing what I'm working on.

I am just about finished with my rainbow geese quilt, it has almost consumed all my free time-- I just had to see it put together. I am really liking it, but realizing that I am not very good at geese. Most of them have their points chopped off. Oh well, right??

I am normally a seam to side gal, but for this quilt I thought I might reduce the bulk by ironing the seams open. It definitely reduced bulk, but ironing seams open really slows me down, and I must of burned myself a dozen times. I suppose if I did it enough I'd get quicker, and I did appreciate less bulk. So what's your preference, do you like seams open or to the side?

storytime baby quilt

2011-03-29T10:26:00.002-06:00

You've seen bits and pieces of this quilt already. I really like how it turned out. There's no question that this quilt will go to a little girl. My own daughter has begged me not to let it go, I promised her I'd make another one.

Inspiration for this quilt came from several places, I guess I did a mashup of these two quilts.

I LOVED the quilting on this quilt, and had to try it.

I did concentric circles, but soon realized a spiral would've had the same effect without the stopping and starting.

the heart backing reminds me of those rainbow heart bracelets we used to have as kids.

and the binding, it reminds me of fruit stripe gum.

both the backing and binding fabric are from Robert Kaufman's Remix line.

WIP-wednesday rainbow geese

2011-03-23T11:12:00.002-06:00

Linking up with freshly pieced again today, sharing another baby quilt I started this week. I've had this idea on my list of to-do's for a long time. I am really into rainbow themes right now, and I always love flying geese, so I am putting them together in one quilt.

I'm getting excited to see it. I underestimated how many geese I would need (guessing never works) so I am back to cutting again. Someday I'll use the old adage, measure twice, cut once. I just get too excited to get started and don't want to spend time figuring things out.

machine binding tutorial

2011-03-20T20:08:00.002-06:00

I have had soooo many questions about machine binding lately, so I will share my method. I am not a pro at this, but I have figured out what works best for me.

Prepare your binding as you normally would. I use this method for continuous crossgrain binding, and this method (basically) for bias binding. (p.s.--I never roll my binding up like the above image except when I need to take a picture of it.)

I trim off my excess batting and backing fabric before attaching my binding. I never measure anything to determine how much binding to make. I know this isn't a good practice to admit, and I have even had to stop in the middle of attaching binding to add more. But, usually I come out with more than I need (phew), and any extra goes into a box and gets used for bibs or binding on another quilt. I guess I shouldn't say I don't measure at all. I usually lay my quilt on the floor, then cut my binding strips and lay them out along the edges of my quilt until I have enough.

I use 2.5 inch strips--when I first started quilting I used 3 inches, then went down to 2.75 in, and finally down to 2.5in, and I believe I will stay with this width. I'm happy here. I have done 2.25, but it's just too tight for me to pull around my quilt.

Line up your binding with edge of your quilt, about a third down one side of the BACK of your quilt. Leave about 6-10 inches of binding unstitched (I actually moved my needle down about 3 inches to leave a longer tail after I took this picture).

This next part is the part that takes some trial and error. I know that on my machine I set my needle at a 1, and use a stitch length of 3.5. Every machine is different, so you will have to try it out for yourself. I don't think the length of the stitch is as important as where your needle is. I move mine one notch to the right toward the edge of the quilt.

I line everything up...my quilt sandwich, my binding (both layers) and the edge of my foot. I highly recommend a walking foot to do this, it makes it so much more enjoyable and much less frustrating.

It is important to note that I do not use my quarter inch foot to do attach my binding. I like the girth of this foot more than my quarter inch. This foot works better for me to line everything up on the edge (as seen in the picture above this one). The size of your foot will make a difference on needle placement.

If you like numbers and measures, this is the distance from the edge I sew my binding on, looks like a generous quarter inch. (Am I stressing this distance thing too much? Trust me, it is important).

So, once everything is lined up and your needle is in place, start sewing. If it makes you feel better to pin it, then pin away. I prefer not to pin. (this quilt happens to have rounded corners, so no mitering happened with it.) If you need help with mitered corners, check out this tutorial, or this one. Sew around the entire quilt (mitering if needed) until you come back to the beginning.

Leave about 8-12 inches unstitched.

next comes the tricky part. If I successfully close up my binding on the first try, I count it as a win! Usually there is some unstitching going on.

Trim your binding so that both ends over lap about 6-8 inches.

I lay my quilt across my ironing board with the back facing up. Open up the right flap and iron it into a right angle (I eyeball it) with a small amount hanging over the top.

I didn't take a picture when I did it, but this is what the backside will look like.

The left flap will be opened and pinned down. (Be careful to keep your binding even with your quilt, don't let the quilt pucker, you will have to do some adjusting to get the bottom end pinned down, and it will appear that the quilt puckers. Just make sure the top edges are flush.)

Next, lay the right flap over the left and pin it down. Try not to stretch the fabric, you want it to lay as naturally as possible.

Using the folded edge as your guide, draw a line on the binding with a disappearing ink marker.

Now, line up the drawn line and the fold line from each flap of binding, and pin. (I apologize that this image is blurry).

Use the fold line as your guide, and sew down it.

I always pull my binding tight to see if it "fits" my quilt. You don't want to have much slack or the binding won't attach well.

If it looks good, trim off the excess (I leave about a quarter inch).

Iron your new seam open, and then iron the binding.

Now that your binding is closed you can finish attaching it to your quilt.

Next we will wrap the binding around the quilt and stitch it down to the top of the quilt. I still use the stitch length of 3.5 (it's about 9 stitches per inch).

If you want to pin it or use clips, go for it.

I straddle the foot and hold down in front and behind the foot until I have the needle in place.

Put your foot down and start sewing. I use my fingers to fold the binding over and guide it into my machine. Take your time on this part, it takes practice. I sew as close to the edge of the fold as I can.

It should fit around just perfectly and cover your seam line. This is why measuring when you sew the binding on is important, you don't want it to be too tight, and you don't want it to be too loose.

Continue around corners. When mitering, I use my seam ripper to hold down the folds until they are stitched.

This is the back of the quilt. It's not perfect, but it works. Once the quilt gets used and washed the fabric shifts and it pretty much disappears.

Here's the top...I hope this helps. Let me know if you have questions, or if anything is unclear.

p.s. isn't that heart backing fabric the best? I got it at my new local quilt shop. It's Robert Kaufman Remix (I think).

WIP Wednesday--bee imaginative

2011-03-16T09:31:00.000-06:00

Linking up with freshly pieced again today, sharing my works in progress. I can hardly contain my excitement over this project. All these blocks were made by my bee friends from bee imaginative, and I am just drooling over each block individually. I couldn't be happier about this quilt.

I'm missing some blocks, but couldn't resist sharing what I do have.

My inspiration came from this image first seen here.

work in progress wednesday

2011-03-09T08:33:00.002-07:00

I'm linking up with freshly pieced in hopes that I start showing more of what I am working on. It seems that lately I only get the finished product up here. I started cutting out these little squares last week (they are 2 inches each), and sewed them together into one big block.

I am a sucker for cute little prints (can you tell??).

on another note, does anyone out there have the HQ Sweet Sixteen Quilter? Do you like it? Pros, cons?? I have a friend looking into buying one. Do you recommend it?

and some exciting news for denver locals, a new quilt shop opening tomorrow! Snappy Quilts (in South Denver, located on the corner of Orchard and University). It's a good one, I've been inside and it's awesome. You will not be disappointed. I'm even lucky enough to get to work a few hours a month, so drop in and say hello!

rounded quilt corners tutorial

2011-03-03T13:57:00.002-07:00

Lately (if you haven't noticed) I have really been into rounded corners on my quilts. I really like how it looks, and how it seems to soften the quilt-- which I especially love for baby quilts.

The great thing about rounded corners is you don't have to do mitered corners on your binding. The bad part is you MUST use bias binding. (there are many tutorials out there on how to make continuous binding...i'm hoping to get a tutorial up soon on how I do it. Most everyone does it the same way).

Rounding your corners is super duper easy peasy. Really it is, the hardest part is the bias binding.

Here's how I do it. Once your quilt is quilted, trim the backing and batting

and square it up.

next, I fold my quilt in half, and find a rounded object (I use a bowl or lid...or a toy that's floating around my sewing space) that gives you a good curve on your corner. I don't have a great method other than eyeballing it to determine what size curve to use.

trace your arc with a disappearing ink pen, or a pencil like I use because I have misplaced my pen.

using scissors, cut your curve (I do two layers at once). repeat tracing the arc and cutting on the other two corners of your quilt.

that's it. You should now have 4 rounded corners. They do not have to be perfect, the binding helps to smooth out any imperfections.

now your quilt is ready to attach bias binding. Use whatever method you usually use for attaching. I am a machine binder, so I attach to the back and sew down on the front.

As you approach your corner, just ease your bias binding around the corner, and guide it into your machine. It works out great. I try not to stretch it too much, but it really doesn't hurt much if you do. (my son just asked if this picture of my hands was grandma...oh boy, i feel so much younger than my hands look, lol.)

when enclosing the binding around your quilt, it will almost ease itself around the corner. It's wonderful how easy it is.

that's it, once your binding is completely attached, you should have rounded corners on your quilt.

my neighborhood baby quilt

2011-02-28T09:50:00.002-07:00

I turned these houses into a baby quilt. I think it turned out pretty cute. I kinda wish I had used only one blue as the background, it would've helped unify it a little. But my kids love it, and so I love it too. This is the quilt I did the all over straight line quilting on.

I used an alexander henry print, called smiles around the world. It's such a cute fabric.

I used some flea market fancy on the back. I love this fabric as backing. It's perfect. Actually, I love any polka dot on the back.

and I rounded my corners (again), and I even took some pictures. I'll post a small tutorial soon to show those of you who have asked. It's really as easy as can be.

this quilt will soon have a new home, i just haven't decided where it will go yet.

straight line quilting

2011-02-22T08:04:00.004-07:00

I often get asked how I go about doing straight line quilting, so I thought I'd share my method...

Here's the thing with me, I hate marking quilts (I also hate pinning), so I try my very best to avoid both of those. Only taking the time to mark if it's absolutely necessary. I should also make note that I am not a perfectionist, I don't mind if my lines aren't even, or if they aren't straight. It just doesn't bother me. I do like my quilts to be well made, to stay together forever, or at least until they are worn out. That is the only area that I am a "perfectionist" in.

Anyway, anyone can straight line quilt, but I definitely recommend a walking foot. My machine has it built in, but most walking foot-s (or feet) look like this. Basically it helps move all your fabric through the machine together to avoid pulling/puckering/dragging.

I often use a seam as my guide when sewing straight lines. In my pips quilt, I used the diamond pattern as my guide. I sewed a very generous 1/4 inch away from my seam line, on both sides.

I did the same thing with my rabbits and race cars quilt. Since the blocks aren't straight, I did a lot of rotating at each intersection. I thought it would be very time consuming, but once I got going, it went quick.

I recently finished up a quilt that I quilted straight lines one inch apart over the entire quilt. It's pretty easy, a bit monotonous and maybe even boring, but I love the effect it gives. I'll post the finished quilt soon...

To sew one inch apart, I use a little tool called a quilting guide, I'm sure you all have one. It's so handy.

You slide it in behind your needle, and then tighten a (tiny) screw to secure it.

sidenote: the normal way to put the guide in your machine is in the picture above this one, but I like to remove the bulk of my quilt from under the machine as I go, instead of adding to it (which is what happens when the guide is on the other side).

I usually sew one line down the middle (sewing a 1/4 inch from a seam, so I don't have to mark.) Then I use my quilting guide, I adjust it's position to my desired distance from the needle, mine was one inch-ish away.

Line up the guide with your previous stitched line, and sew. It's easy. I keep my eye on the guide/stiched line. It's pretty cool how well it works. If you have puckering or pulling, stop and figure out what the problem is. Trust me, from personal experience, you will notice it once it's finished!

I mentioned that I don't mind imperfection, but if you do, I recommend checking to make sure your line is still going straight (use a seam as a guide), sometimes it can slowly start to drift and will no longer be parallel with the edges of your quilt. Just check it if you are particular about that.

I hope this helps someone, if you have questions, let me know. Or, if you have tips or techniques that you use, I'd love to hear them.

love day

2011-02-14T10:35:00.002-07:00

i'm kinda surprised that I haven't convinced myself that I need to make a valentines quilt. it would be so cute with red, white, and pink. i'll have to think about that for next year. why not right?

my daughter and I made these fun hair clips (tutorial here) a week or so ago, and i think they turned out adorable. fun little project to do with my daughter too.

i did adjust the size to better fit my daughters hair. The tutorial is for tiny clippies (about 3/4 inch), but they just don't stay in my daughter hair, so we used 1 1/4-ish inch clippies. Super cute.

happy valentines day friends.

p.s. is anyone out there playing words with friends?? i'm addicted. my username is nettiepete if you want to play.

rabbits and race cars

2011-02-09T12:57:00.003-07:00

I finished up my tumbler quilt last week, and we have been using it daily. it's been COLD here in denver. Did that huge storm hit everyone??? what a blast of winter it brought. I quilted it a quarter inch from each seam. I'm finding that the less quilting a quilt has the softer it feels. I thought I only liked super crinkly quilts, but I'm finding that I like less quilting too (especially on baby quilts).

I rounded the corners, again.  I have a feeling you'll be seeing a lot of those lately.  I love not doing the miters on the corners.  It seems to go so fast.

I didn't get a full shot of the backing, but it's mostly the mustard print, with some scraps from the front.

I used heather ross' Rabbits and Race cars line for this quilt, with some solids and basics mixed in.  It took me a while to come around to this line, but now I love it.  Such great boy prints.

I used my accuquilt Go! cutter for this quilt, and a 6 1/2 inch tumbler die.

pips baby quilt

2011-02-03T08:00:00.006-07:00

I finished up my Sherbet Pips baby quilt and LOVE it.  I knew I loved this line, but it is just so cute all together.   

 The colors are great, and can I mention how fantastic this gray is???  You know how gray can be a tricky color, sometimes it looks a little purple-y?  Well, this is a good one, really it is. 

my favorite part??  the rounded corners.  I've never done this before on a quilt, mostly because it requires bias binding and that means a little extra work.  But after doing a million potholders, I'm no longer intimidated by it.  I might even actually enjoy it.  Plus it's totally worth it for the rounded corners. 

One more thing about this fabric...it's super duper buttery soft.  I guess I just can't say enough about how much I love the Sherbet Pips. I believe it's set to be released in April.  

The verdict on this tutorial--I liked it.  I didn't have a problem with the edges being cut on a bias.  I do have an integrated walking foot on my machine, but it all came together nicely without stretching of fabric, and it lays FLAT.  I think it's worth giving it a try!

one block over blocks

2011-01-27T10:37:00.001-07:00

Blocks from my quilting bee last year (one block over).  I told you I'm really into houses right now.  Inspired by this quilt.  I'm still missing a few blocks, but I think I'm going to make it 4 blocks by 5 blocks.  So, I still have some houses to make.  I have debated putting some sashing in.  I LOVE every block, and can't wait to see it come together.

book review: Mix & Match Quilts

2011-01-20T06:00:00.001-07:00

I received this book in the mail several days ago and have enjoyed browsing through it.  It's called Mix and Match Quilts with the Accuquilt GO!  There are 12 projects in this book and they are all designed using the GO! cutter.   

If you have a GO!  cutter, this book is fabulous, but even if you don't have one, the projects are still doable. 

I was asked to review the Hidden Stars quilt in this book.  I have to admit that even though I consider myself a pretty modern quilter, I LOVE traditional quilt patterns.  I'm not good at them, but I love to look at them.  

I enjoyed the Hidden Stars pattern so much, that I decided to try it in some colors/fabrics that are more me.  I fell in love with this quilt that I first spotted around Christmas and decided to duplicate the colors using the Hidden Stars pattern.  (I know Christmas is long gone, but for several years I have been wanting to make a Christmas quilt, but when the holidays roll around, I don't have time to make one.  I have to do it now or it will never get done!)

I don't have all the dies to make this pattern, but I was able to adjust the size of the blocks and use my 2 1/2 inch strip cutter and make it!  I love this in a scrappy version!  I think the stars are going to be even more hidden than the original!

find the book here. 

next stop on the book tour:  quilt hollow

projects

2011-01-18T12:15:00.005-07:00

it's already a new year!!! can you believe it, so far this year is just flying by.  I spent the first 2 weeks sick.  it was awful, I felt like I was pregnant again (which I'm not).  Even being sick, I managed to still do some sewing.

I made a whole slew of bibs (again).  I just love them, i've had several requests for them, and it's almost as easy to make 1 as it is to make 10.  plus, these are great to have around for a simple baby gift.  I've listed them in my shop.
*bib pattern found here.
 I even used some of my sherbet pips scraps. 

 I also made some more potholders, i do love these potholders.  they are big, and cute.  These are also great to have around to give away. tutorial here.

and I made yet another zigzag quilt.  this is exactly like the first one I made.  I received an email asking if I could duplicate this quilt.  I was lucky enough to find all the fabrics...many of them are out of print. I used this tutorial, and LOVE this quilt.  I don't tire of zig zags.  

 Turns out, my first finish of 2011 is a duplicate.  that's okay right?  it's all about the process. 

my first one here, and 2nd here.

Oh, and I also ordered a Blythe doll. I just adore all the cuteness that I see! I'm also a little scared to admit I bought a doll. At least I have a daughter to blame it on.

new starts

2010-12-29T15:39:00.001-07:00

did you have a merry christmas??  we definitely did...as much as i hate to see it all end, it's also a bit of a relief.  i seem to feel like i have more time or something...

so i guess that's why i started two new quilts this week.  my house is defnitely a mess, but oh well.  it feels like i should be on vacation or something.

i was lucky enough to get some sherbet pips months ago, designed by my blogging buddy, aneela, and have been debating what to do with them.  i think i'm finally set on half square triangles.  

 I discovered a new method for half square triangles, and it's awesome.  the tutorial is here, check it out.  it's pretty genius.

I'm planning to do a value-type quilt.  I think.

and then i decided to make some more houses.  i am loving them lately.  

totally inspired by the house expert, krommama.

modern relief winners

2010-12-14T17:41:00.002-07:00

our modern relief winners have been selected using random.org. The grand total earnings is $5,852.36 USD!

Wow! Thanks to all who participated.

thanks again for making our first { modern } Relief a success!! If you are one of our lucky winners… please hang tight your Quilter will be contacting you soon to get your info!! Have a wonderful holiday season!

potholders

2010-12-13T15:44:00.003-07:00

I have been making potholders lately!  My first attempt at potholders, and they are FUN!  I used this tutorial, because they are just too cute.  I love the houses, and I love the rounded-ness of them.

These will go to friends and neighbors and teachers for Christmas, and I'm trying to convince myself that I don't have to include goodies with them.  This is enough right??  Every year I tell myself I want to give something besides sweets, there's just so much of it at this time of year, but every year it just seems so necessary!

In her tutorial, nanette suggests making dozens of them...and I am! I may be over-doing it, but I keep thinking of someone else that I want to give something to. Plus I want some left over for myself! 

drawstring bags

2010-11-23T15:42:00.007-07:00

i mentioned that my daughter's birthday party was a couple weeks ago, so i whipped up some drawstring bags for the kids to collect their pinata goodies. I LOVE these bags--tutorial here, they are the PERFECT little size. Try it out, you'll love them too.

here's when my little guy told me that what i had put in the bag did not belong.

i think i like them as much as my kids!

and don't forget, you can still purchase tickets for the raffle.

and lastly, i have listed some more charm packs (fairy tales this time) in my shop.

modern relief

2010-11-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

i mentioned a charity auction in my last post (it's actually a charity raffle, which is even better if you ask me), so here it is! my friend heather has put this whole thing together, and i am so happy to be part of it. i don't think i ever feel like i give as much as i could...

{ Modern } Relief is a simple concept. We are Modern Quilters uniting through the holiday season by bringing the warmth of our quilts and the warmth of your hearts together for others in need. This season, 2010, we will be supporting World Vision. We hope YOU will join us in taking a stand against hunger by participating in our fundraising raffle. Please let me introduce to you World Vision.

World Vision is leading the effort to end hunger.

In the next seven seconds, another hungry child will die.

World Vision is on the front lines of the fight against hunger. Today — and every day — we’ll distribute nearly 600 metric tons of emergency food aid, nourishing the hungry. We’ll give local farmers the seeds, tools, and training they need to grow their own food and feed their own communities. And we will plead the cause of the hungry in halls of power all over the world.

Please join us in creating a world without hunger — a world in which no child dies for want of nutritious food. This site offers in-depth information on hunger, its causes, and how it can be stopped. You can learn more about key hunger-related issues and share what you discover with friends and family. Use this link to begin your journey.
Please meet the members of this season’s event and view their donations that they have generously provided to this fundraiser raffle.
Heather from { House } of A La Mode

Amy from Amy's Creative Side

Elizabeth from Oh, Fransson!

Nettie from a quilt is nice

Aneela from Comfortstitching

Brioni from Flossyblossy

John from Quilt Dad

Kate from One Flew Over

Ashley from Film in the Fridge

Katy from i'm a ginger monkey

Tacha from Hanies

Amanda from Sasikirana Handmade

Jennifer & Jessica from Twin Fibers

Nova from a cuppa and a catch up

Ryan from I'm Just A Guy Who Quilts

Julie from Jaybird Quilts Jacquie from Tallgrass Prairie Studio
Alissa from Handmade by Alissa

The Guidelines:

- To enter this raffle please click on the PayPal button, this will bring you to the { Modern } Relief PayPal account.
- The cost to enter this Raffle is $10.00 per entry.
- Entries are unlimited, so please feel free to give till your heart’s content.
- Winners of the raffle will be chosen by a random generator on December 1st, 2010.
- Each { Modern } Relief Quilter participating in this event will post the entire list of winners for the donated quilts on their blogs during the second week of December and the grand total of our contributions to this cause.
- Additionally, they will also contact their personal winners at that time too.

We THANK you!

cornflower quilt

2010-11-16T13:25:00.001-07:00

inspiration for this quilt here

I went ahead and finished up this quilt last night (even with several christmas projects on my to-do list).

 it will soon be available through an online charity auction.

 it's baby size 

backed with birds

i've also listed some little red ridinghood charm packs in my etsy shop.

horses

2010-11-12T14:16:00.002-07:00

my daughter is a horse lover (also a pink lover), and has been begging me to make her a "horse blanket" for at least a year.  Her 6th birthday was last week, so I surprised her with this quilt.  

 She only kind of cared.  I guess a quilt is only a little exciting to a 6 year old. 

I collected as many horse prints as I could find, and struggled with a design that would look good with all the prints (many different styles) and finally decided on a wonky star quilt.  I used several different pinks for the background, and think it looks okay.  Some of the busy pinks are too much, but I was using my scraps, so i'm happy with it.. 

I found the backing print a while ago knowing she would love it.  It's my favorite part.  

 I LOVE this print (stable mates by alexander henry).  can you tell she likes pink?

 wait, the backing isn't my favorite, the binding is.  Lately I have really been loving white striped bindings.  LOVING them so much.

crosswalk quilt

2010-10-22T10:04:00.001-06:00

We are enjoying a long fallish summer here in Denver, and the leaves are resisting the urge to drop, but I fear our beautiful weather is going to end soon.  We've been trying to enjoy it while we can, so I haven't been sewing as much as I should (I have a few gifts I must finish up in the next week). 

  I was able to bind this custom baby quilt last night, and it's a new  favorite (isn't it that way with every quilt?).  Inspiration for this  quilt is here. 

I went bold on the backing...really bright orange. 

and bound in an aqua dot.

oh, and besides the weather, I've been on a puzzle kick lately...my husband thinks it's a really boring time waster, but I love it.

winner!

2010-10-11T11:04:00.002-06:00

And now the winner of the GO! Fabric Cutter is #259--  

Michie who said, "I have been itching to make a hexagon quilt but all of the cutting is pretty daunting. I would love to be able to use the Go!"

please contact me Michie (nettiepete at gmail dot com) to claim your prize!

(thanks everyone for entering, I wish I could offer one to each of you.)

And a sneak peak at a baby quilt I started as a custom order. We've since decided to go with a different design, but I still really like this one, so I'll probably finish it up and save it for the next baby gift I need. (wouldn't it be nice to have one ready when a baby shower comes up!)

GO! Fabric Cutter giveaway--contest closed.

2010-10-05T14:20:00.002-06:00

I was able to sew up my tumbler quilt top this past weekend, and I am really loving it.  it went together like a dream. All my corners matched up with no forcing of seams.  it was wonderful.

now, the giveaway...the good folks over at accuquilt have offered up a Go! Fabric Cutter plus 3 dies of your choice for one lucky winner!  

contest closed!!! 
to enter, leave a comment and I'll pick a winner next Monday, October 11th.  

Good luck, one comment per person please.

and in case you haven't heard, there is a new Go! baby cutter. i haven't used it, but i think it's adorable. you can see more here.

little bag

2010-09-29T08:09:00.001-06:00

 big things are happening around here, my daughter lost her first tooth!  very exciting.  we decided to make a little bag to put the tooth in for the tooth fairy.  

what is it about a little bag that is so fun to put treasures in??

this bag measures about 4 inches square

i might be catching a "bag making bug". this is really fun, and i can think of so many other uses, plus I love to see my kids toting them around.

ruffle bonnet

2010-09-27T07:53:00.000-06:00

last thursday was nursery rhyme day at my daughter's school.  she was little bo peep. 

 i made this bonnet, and thought it turned out really cute, and it was soooo easy. i'm not really much of a maker of things other than quilts, but this was really easy.

i used the tutorial found here, and adjusted it a bit to make it bigger.

go! fabric cutter

2010-09-21T09:54:00.003-06:00

Have you seen the Go! Fabric Cutter?  It's making quite a showing around blogland, so I was thrilled to get my hands on it and give it a go.   

The way it works is you run dies through the machine, they come in all shapes...almost anything you could hope for, and almost like magic it cuts your fabric for you.

I decided to really give the tumbler die a try.  I love tumbler quilts, but am lazy about cutting them out (you can see a great tumbler quilt on the box). 

I find that it easily cuts 4 pieces of fabric at once.  You stack the fabric over the die (for this particular die, I use pieces of fabric that are about 8 inches square).

Then you place a cutting mat over the fabric (you will have a fabric sandwich).

Roll the "sandwich" (die, fabric, mat) through the machine (my kids LOVE to help with this part). 

and just like that, you have the perfect tumbler block, 4 of them actually. 

I have heard concern about the fabric wastage, I don't like to waste fabric either, so my solution is to cut the pieces as shown above.  All I will throw away is the top tiny piece, the rest will go to my scrap bin.  I quilt most often using scraps, so this works perfect for me. 

this is what I am working on.  A rabbits and race-cars quilt.  I'm excited, I am debating on how large to make it.  I think it will be a smaller lap size for my 3 year old, maybe for Christmas.  I'm sure he won't be thrilled about it, but I don't think I want to give this one away.

I also tried out the hexagon cutter and tried piecing them with a machine, which can be tricky with those 3 seams coming together...but I found it to be much easier than I thought.   

There are lots of strings, but those can easily be snipped.

I have really had fun with this machine, look for a giveaway coming soon.  You can have one too!  

tuttle quilt

2010-09-09T10:42:00.002-06:00

i almost feel like this post is unnecessary, since this quilt looks almost exactly like another quilt i made several years ago--i rarely make such similar quilts, but i had left over blocks from the first quilt, and i really liked that quilt and wanted to use those blocks, so i made another...i like this one just as much.

this quilt is for a friend's (who i don't see as often as i'd like) brand new baby here in denver.  i hope he likes it.  

i used a blue pindot on the back. i love blue. i also love zigzag quilts, and i have never made one to keep. i'm thinking maybe one for a bed. zigzags would look great on a bed...

winner

2010-08-24T09:27:00.000-06:00

and the winner is Alisa who said, 

"Cute shop.  I really like the Yellow White Stripes pillow.  So bright and cheerful."  

I've sent you an email.  Thanks everyone for entering.

I'm not sure if it's summer or what, but I just haven't been feeling the quilting bug lately.  I am working on a baby quilt for a friend of mine, but I feel like I have to force my self to work on it.  I'll post it soon, it's just about there.

My daughter started school last week (my first), and I knew she wanted to wear a skirt the first day, I offered to buy her one or make one, and she actually chose a handmade one!  I was thrilled, and think it turned out really cute. 

I used the tutorial found here (really, really easy!)

be still shop and a giveaway--closed

2010-08-19T10:33:00.001-06:00

--giveaway closed--

i am in love with the simpleness of this pillow!

my new friend sarah contacted me and offered some fabric to giveaway on this here blog.  Of course I was excited, who doesn't love a giveaway.    She has the most beautiful cushion covers for sale in her shop.  I really had a hard time picking a favorite, but I think I narrowed it down to this silver one.  It's lovely, and I really like the shape.

and I think this cotton tail one would be perfect in a baby or child's room.  It reminds me of peter rabbit and all of beatrix potter's books. 

So, the giveaway. Sarah has offered this lot of fabric (there's even some flea market fancy to win!). Just leave a comment telling me which item in Sarah's shop is your favorite. I'll pick the winner on Monday, August 23rd. one entry per person please.

market square!

2010-07-27T08:43:00.002-06:00

I finished my flea market fancy quilt, and I LOVE it a lot.  Just simple squares, 3 inches each, randomly sewed together--I literally drew each square out of a bag, the only adjusting I did was to make sure that nothing exactly the same was next to each other.

It's a good lap size, measuring 52 x 66 inches.

I quilted straight lines about 1/4 inch from each seam.

I almost pieced together more of my hoarded flea market fancy stash for the back, but decided to save it instead.  I used some cake rock beach and sandi henderson in green instead.  

 I'm pretty sure green is my favorite color, it seems to be my go to color in a colorful quilt-- when I'm not sure what to use.
 for now we'll use it as a picnic blanket, it's just too hot to sit under it. I'm so happy to finally have all these prints in a quilt.

caught up!

2010-07-13T15:05:00.003-06:00

i am caught up on amandajean's quilt-along. phew! i really don't love falling behind.

and now looking at this I see I messed up in the middle, bummer. oh well, there is no way i am fixing it, it's not that noticeable, right???

another

2010-07-07T08:07:00.000-06:00

I have definitely been bitten by the hexagon bug, and I couldn't resist turning them into this bib.  I love it.   

and this bib might have convinced me to make a hexagon quilt.  

I hope I don't go crazy.  

1.5 inch hexagons

bib pattern found here.

turns out

2010-06-25T09:20:00.004-06:00

I might actually enjoy applique and hexagons.   I held off for as long as I could, but I just couldn't resist how cute these little hexagons are.  I don't know that I will ever make a quilt with them, but they are so fun to add to projects.  

These hexagons made their way to a bib.

Now that my baby is 8(!) months and eating solid food, I'm finding that our bibs from the older kids are pretty much worn out.  I made couple of these several months ago as an easy quick project.  I just think they are adorable, so I whipped up a few more for the babe and a few for my shop. 

and I always love a stack of quilts, so of course I love a stack of bibs...it's like a bib sandwich. 

pattern can be found here.

the calvin quilt

2010-06-21T09:34:00.001-06:00

with the help of my block party friends, my little boy now has a quilt for his big bed...I LOVE this quilt.  

 I wasn't sure about the quilting when I first pulled it out of the dryer, but on the bed, I absolutely love it.

currently my kids are playing musical beds (not sleeping in their own beds), so the quilt is actually on my daughters bed.  She loves the horse stuff on the back.  I chose this print because the fabric is so, so soft. 

 thanks to the great ladies who contributed to this quilt, I love every square.. 

another

2010-06-15T12:49:00.001-06:00

I'm quilting along with amandajean...and even though the last thing I need is another quilt in progress, I just couldn't resist--everything she touches turns to gold. I'm using a Good Folks fq bundle, I think it will look great.

scraps, in progress

2010-06-14T10:12:00.000-06:00

my scraps have gotten the better of me and are starting to drive me crazy, I'm still working on a layout for this one. I'm not sure I like it (yet), but I do LOVE that I'm using up some of my super old scraps.

once upon a time

2010-06-01T08:30:00.002-06:00

a sweet baby quilt that will soon be off to it's new owner.  I saw this twinner quilt last week and it reminded me that I needed to get mine posted.

the backing is a Nicey Jane print from Heather Bailey (i love this print, in all colors).

I stippled this quilt because it's the fasted way to quilt (for me), I know, I know i'm supposed to be trying different quilting methods--next quilt will be different.  now to get this mailed off before the baby arrives...

update:  the fabric is by alexander henry, called "once upon a time"
i googled it and found it here.

winner and another in progress

2010-05-20T10:14:00.001-06:00

the winner of the Lush giveaway is #126 mommymae who said: sweet giveaway. thanks!

send me your address, and I'll get this shipped out right away. 

Thanks everyone for your comments, it's always good to hear that you love fabric as much as I do.

and here's another work in progress...I'm hoping that if I put these treasured fabrics together in one quilt, I might stop hoarding them!

giveaway---CLOSED

2010-05-17T10:44:00.002-06:00

it's giveaway day over at sew mama sew, so I'm giving away 3 fat quarters of the hard to find Lush.  

to enter, just leave a comment on this post, be sure to include a way to contact you if you are the winner.  I'll randomly select a winner on Thursday, May 20th.

also, the folks over at fat quarterly have featured me over on their blog...you can check it out here.

doll quilts

2010-05-14T10:57:00.001-06:00

first of all, thanks for all your kind comments about my summer blocks quilt.  many of you asked about the pattern, and for the next 6 months it's the property of sew hip.  after that, i'll be sure to make it available.

Several months ago, I wanted to test some spoonflower fabric, so I made a doll quilt (so fun, start to finish in just a few hours).  and the next day I wanted to make another. 

It was then that I decided I was going to make one doll quilt every month...(that was back in february).  Well, a doll quilt a month didn't happen, although I still have hopes. It just seems time comes and goes way to fast.  That reminds me, I also started taking a photo a day at the beginning of the year...I kept up with that for several months, but just realized the other day that I let that one go too.  I'm perfectly okay with it though, if a hobby becomes forced or stressful, what's the point.

isn't this dress print the cutest?  You can find it here. 

I love the back of this quilt...it's a japanese print I've had for a while. I didn't have a big enough piece to use on a large quilt, but it's perfect for this doll quilt.

both measure about 18"x22"

summer blocks

2010-05-11T13:54:00.002-06:00

several months ago the ladies at Sew Hip magazine in the United Kingdom contacted me about doing a quilt pattern for their magazine.  

Of course I said yes, and the magazine arrived in my mailbox a week or so ago.  I honestly forgot all about it, and thought to myself, "I don't subscribe to this magazine"...I started flipping through it and my memory came back once I saw my quilt in it.   

What an honor.  It wasn't until later that evening, when my husband mentioned it that I even noticed it on the cover!  I am thrilled. 

I have to admit that it wasn't always thrilling.  I was contacted on my due date, and the craziness of a newborn plus 2 other young children took over my life, the realization that I had very little free time, and the weariness that comes with a newborn had me second guessing my ability to get it finished.  We even had a week or two where we thought it was lost in the mail...none of this was thrilling.  But seeing my quilt in a magazine is beyond description.  So, thanks to the gals at Sew Hip.  It looks fabulous!

I showed you the binding a long time ago...It's one of my favorite parts.

my other favorite part is the quilting.  Straight lines about an inch apart.

(they even named it for me, which is an extra bonus, since I consider myself very uncreative in the quilt naming department.) 

fairy tales

2010-05-06T15:48:00.002-06:00

it seems that about once every year I go into my serious baby quilt making mode and that time has arrived. this quilt will be for the baby girl of a close family friend. I found this fairy tale panel several months ago, and just love it. I know I say this alot, but I really LOVE baby quilts, they are so fast which leaves NO time to get sick of the quilt.

update

2010-04-05T10:57:00.004-06:00

once upon a time, i had a hustling, bustling etsy shop...then we moved and i got pregnant, and i just don't have time to spend with it.  i've updated my shop, i'm cleaning out my supplies, what you see is what you get. Items include hair clips, ponytail holders, and headbands, they make great gifts!

positively quilt

2010-03-18T14:20:00.004-06:00

My own plus quilt, inspired by this quilt.  

this was a fun one to make, and went together really fast.

I quilted with vertical straight-ish lines (about 1-2 inches apart), and then horizontally about a half inch from my seam line of each row. (that sounds so confusing).  you can see it in the following picture.

 I am trying really hard to use up the fabric and scraps of prints I don't like much anymore, so my plan is to use some of my less desireable fabric in every quilt I make.  This is one of those prints, dark green- gingham-ish, and you know what, it's one of my favorite blocks.  It works perfectly in this quilt.

bound in dark green.

crazy geese

2010-03-10T09:42:00.006-07:00

I finished my first virtual quilting bee quilt, and I am so happy with it. I had my reservations at first, but as usual, once it's all quilted and bound it takes on a new life.

I debated what to bind this quilt with, and ultimately chose this great ruler print from American Jane. I love it up close, but kind of think it looks a little "dirty" from afar. Oh well, this will likely be used by my kids who love to make messes anyway.

For the back I used some sheeting, and showcased one of the blocks (that was stitched by HAND). It's a lovely block.

thanks to all those involved in this quilt! i love that it has a piece of each of you. what a fun year we had.

new project

2010-02-23T15:27:00.002-07:00

my bowls are working for me again. i fell in love with this color combo (especially the dark green and aqua), and then saw this quilt, and a new project was born.

my own version of this quilt.

olives quilt

2010-02-09T09:30:00.002-07:00

it's been the year of the baby in my family, and i think this is the last one for a while. my husband gave me this pattern (single girl by denyse schmidt) for christmas, and i thought a baby quilt would be the perfect way to try it out. can i just say that i LOVE this quilt. it might be my favorite.

i have been in a green/grey mood lately, and i am still not sick of it. it also helps that my high school colors were green and grey, so it's a nostalgic color combo for me.

hope my new nephew (who's coming even as i type this) enjoys it.

i'm also trying to step out of my stippling comfort zone, i quilted this in lines about 3/4 of an inch apart--i am so pleased with the result.

***updated: grey is kona coal. on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being hard), i'd give this a 6. not too hard, not easy. it's somewhat time consuming, but different than quilts I normally make so it kept me interested.

block party quilt top

2010-01-19T12:34:00.004-07:00

a (sloppy) peek at my block party quilting bee quilt. this one will be for my sons bed, so it's bigger than normal and i'm totally dreading quilting it. i really like it though!

inspired by this great quilt.

bee inspired quilt

2010-01-11T10:51:00.005-07:00

I put together my quilt blocks from our bee inspired quilting bee, and I am having some serious doubts about my choice of layout, I kinda wish I would've used some sashing. Oh well, I don't ever redo, so hopefully I'll like it more once it's quilted and bound.

binding today

2010-01-05T11:25:00.003-07:00

i'm binding a quilt today that i won't be able to show you for a while, but i'm really excited about it.

and what's with purple? i've never been much of a purple girl, but lately i have been drawn to it.

quilting goals for the new year:
finish my 3 bee quilts from last year.

finally finished

2009-12-29T10:55:00.006-07:00

my christmas present to myself!
a completed, one and a half years in the making, quilt. this quilt was part of amanda jean's quilt along.
it is really big (for me), and i really love it!

i backed it in mostly blue, with a little orange

and bound with an orange stripe.this is my favorite staranother favorite star.
i really enjoyed the traditional-ness of this quilt. i love modern, wonky, unmeasured quilts, but i also love the order and straight lines that a traditional quilt provides.

small squares

2009-11-16T10:13:00.005-07:00

I finished this quilt a couple months ago, but didn't want to post it until it was in the hands of it's new owner (my nephew). This was originally going to be a zigzag quilt, but at the last minute I cut up my 5 inch squares into 2.5 inch squares and sewed them all together. I think I really like it this way...a simple design.

color inspiration came from here.

I used heather ross buses again as the backing (I am quickly running out of this print, and it's my favorite...)it's been a long time since I've done an all squares quilt, and I forgot how much I like it!

Not much sewing/quilting going on here, we welcomed our baby girl, Ginger Anne, three weeks ago today.  She's our 3rd--I swear time has sped up, days go by and I feel like I haven't accomplished much, lol.  We are starting to find some routine now, and looking forward to the holiday season (which will add to the craziness!).

nine patch

2009-10-12T16:01:00.007-06:00

i finished up my nine patch quilt, i realize it's not a stunning as the larger ones that many have made, but large is not my thing. I actually really like this and may even start making more 9 patches for another, a great way to use up scraps!
I pieced the backing with random fabric from my stash, i'm not super happy with it, but it does add to the scrappiness of the quilt.

close ups...and the binding, now this was a happy surprise, i don't even remember purchasing this fabric, but i think it works great with this quilt!

star quilt top

2009-10-01T11:35:00.005-06:00

i am so excited about this quilt. i started this blog when i joined amandajean's star quilt along (over a year ago). it took me forever to finally put the top together, and i don't know why! i love it, but it's going to have to wait a while, i'm not going to baste anymore quilts before the baby. it's too hard to get down on my hands and knees...especially one this big. i'm looking forward to it though, it might just be a new favorite.

in progress

2009-09-30T09:16:00.003-06:00

it may seem like i haven't been doing much in the quilting department, but lately, it's all i feel like doing.  i have 2.5 more weeks before my due date, and i think that my nesting instinct is exhibiting itself in the form of quilting.  i could sit at my sewing machine all day, but alas my kids don't really like that.

i joined the 9 patch quilt-along with amandajean...i did, but i didn't. i didn't do a square everyday, and i didn't do 70 squares. i of course made my quilt smaller, someday i hope to brave larger quilts, but this one is going to be a good lap size, good enough for me anyway. in a perfect world i can get this one basted in the next few days and quilted before the baby comes.

i have also been working on this quilt, and should have the top finished today???

and another baby quilt, that i can't reveal just yet.

little red doll quilt

2009-09-25T13:48:00.004-06:00

i confess i am not in love with this doll quilt, but my daughter tells me she LOVES it--so it's a success.  i wanted something quick to work on, and settled on a doll quilt.

i used many of my little red ridinghood prints and was liking it okay, until i tried out a new quilting method (pebbles, first seen here).  i think the pebble quilting is totally wrong for this quilt, and probably the reason i am not happy with it.  the good news is i discovered that pebble quilting takes forever, and i probably won't try it again (maybe on a small quilt), but i do like the way it looks.

princess and the pea baby quilt

2009-08-27T08:48:00.001-06:00

inspired by this quilt back
(sorry this image is blurry)
I finally got this quilt off to my brand new niece (i gave you a sneak peak here), so I can now show it in all it's glory. I like the quilt itself, but I just love the color combination which was inspired by a quilt seen here.

framed quilt

2009-08-24T16:01:00.007-06:00

my husband tells me that this quilt looks like picture frames, so that will be it's name. i took my sewing machine pedal to the shop, and they fixed it in 5 minutes--no big deal. i was happy.

this quilt was started forever ago (seems like it, anyway). my sisters and i did a fabric swap last summer and i finally got a quilt made out of it. i'm really liking it.

i'm not in love with the back (particularly the daisy print), but i am happy that i used that huge piece of fabric up and it's no longer sitting on the shelf for me to wonder what i will ever use it for.

mangled

2009-08-19T08:20:00.004-06:00

yesterday i vacumned up my foot pedal cord--so frustrating. i won't be sewing for a while. hopefully the cord can be replaced, and not the entire foot, they can be pretty spendy.

wagon wheels

2009-08-13T08:07:00.006-06:00

I finished up my spiderweb quilt, and definitely think it looks a lot more like wagon wheels than spiderwebs.
It measures 40in X 40in.

I used the tutorial found here, with some slight modifications...It's made up of 16 blocks, but I didn't 'spiderweb' each block all the way. I wanted the wagon wheels to all be complete, so I omitted some of the piecing, I also didn't paper piece (not a fan of picking off the paper--I guess I am lazy, I would rather be doing something else).

One of my all time favorite prints on the back, happy campers by heather ross.

I didn't expect to love the binding as much as I do, but I found this really great red polka dot, and I think it just makes the quilt!

I'm nearly 31 weeks, and this will definitely be for our baby girl who's due to come in October.

mushrooms and coins baby quilt

2009-08-07T12:15:00.005-06:00

this is a custom made quilt, with a request for lots of mushrooms!

my favorite part might just be the backing, originally i was going to put more mushrooms, but then i stumbled on this 3 little pigs print from sew deerly loved  on etsy.  i really, really like it.

another

2009-08-04T08:01:00.000-06:00

i'm thinking these look more like wagon wheels than spiderwebs...this will probably be for our new baby, i don't think i want to give it away.

a quilt top!

2009-07-30T11:13:00.003-06:00

is it really july 30th already? it has been a busy month for us, so not much sewing going on. i did manage to finish up this quilt top, and hope to get it quilted before too long...

spiderweb

2009-07-01T09:42:00.005-06:00

I finally gave in and decided to jump on the bandwagon and make one of these spiderweb quilts. I am using the tutorial found here...although I'm being a little lazy and only using three strips and I decided to forego the paper-piecing. This will be a baby quilt, not very big--which is good, I lose interest in quilts fast, and this one is somewhat labor intensive.

color

2009-06-25T07:17:00.005-06:00

i don't know where most of you get your color inspiration, but mine often comes while unloading the dishwasher.

i think this combo will make a lovely baby boy quilt.

scrappy rail baby quilt

2009-06-17T09:01:00.006-06:00

I got this quilt finished up last night, and I am very happy with it.
I've mentioned that I really like anything American Jane, but I am so crazy about these doll clothes, cute!
I ended up piecing the back of this quilt, I am really trying to NOT buy fabric--I want to use what I've got--No, I must use what I've got.

and all 4 baby quilts stacked (my favorite) together.

baby quilts #3 and #4

2009-06-13T16:13:00.005-06:00

I have the quilt tops finished for 2 more baby quilts.  YAY!  The end is in sight, and I have since realized that the 6th of the 6 baby quilts I had to do was one for my own baby (which we just found out is a girl), so there's no rush on it.

I'm feeling a little lukewarm about this first one, a scrappy rail fence...but I always like scrappy quilts better once they are finished, and I do love these fabrics--i'm a big american jane fan.
this 2nd pic is a teaser, I don't want the recipient to see too much of it, I'm really liking this one.  Hope to have them quilted this week!

may bee blocks

2009-06-10T12:41:00.006-06:00

june is on it's way to being half-way over, but thought i'd post the blocks i did for various quilting bees in may:

block party:
cottage quilting bee:
bee inspired:

jump rope baby quilt

2009-06-08T13:50:00.007-06:00

I finished another on my list of baby quilts (4 more to go). I'm really happy with this one, especially since it sort of just fell together. I already had the strips cut out, with plans of making another quilt like this one, but instead chopped them up a little and made it into a coin quilt of sorts. this quilt measures 38x41in. Not too big. I try to keep baby quilts a reasonable size so mom can carry them around if needed, also the backing doesn't have to be pieced--which is a big time saver. i used this plaid piece on the back, it's not my favorite (i thought i was ordering something different online), but I really like it on this quilt.

another in progress

2009-06-02T14:45:00.003-06:00

Another quilt top done. Hopefully I can get this quilted soon...I need to make a trip to JoAnn's for some thread and basting spray. I love the Katie Jump Rope line, so this will probably be a favorite.

and, I couldn't resist some of the far, far away line of fabric (i haven't bought fabric in forever). the princess and the pea print is too good to pass up.

raspberry stripes baby quilt

2009-06-01T12:37:00.008-06:00

One baby quilt down, 5 to go. I am determined to keep these baby quilts simple since I'm already behind on them (the babies have been born). I did simple stripes with blues and pinks--not one of my normal color combinations, but I think I like it. I didn't really like this quilt while I was working on it, not sure why--maybe because I did some loopy quilting, but now that it's finished and washed, I like it. The back is my favorite part! The quilting is really sloppy--if I was a redo-er, I'd have picked it out and started over, but I'm not, so sloppy it will be.

scrappy circles quilt

2009-05-12T12:56:00.008-06:00

I haven't been sewing as much lately, first of all because I am pregnant (#3) and just barely starting to feel like myself again, second of all the weather has turned beautiful and we've been out a lot. It's been a nice break. I feel like my quilting comes in waves...we'll see if I have the energy to get going again. I have about 6 baby quilts that need to be made for friends and family. I love making baby quilts, so fast and quick.

I used all of my Heather Ross stash for this quilt, and even received some rare pieces from Rachel and Amy (check out amy's stash, incredible!) to add to it, so generous of them. It's super soft, and I think we might just keep this one for ourselves...

I used some of my smaller scraps for the back along with the pink happy campers. I was going to quilt in circles, but chickened out and just did a regular stipple. I still like it alot.

several of you asked about the difficulty of the circles. I would say this quilt is intermediate, not hard, but not for the beginner. I have always been afraid to try curves, but I found this to be fun (especially since there are no corners to match up).

I purchased the pattern here.

twin scrappy log cabin

2009-04-09T10:52:00.007-06:00

finally, i am finished with this quilt. i don't think i have ever been so ready to be done with a quilt. this was a slow one for me.

it measures approximately 74x90 inches (twin size), and i know i definitely prefer baby and lap size quilts. i might be done with larger quilts for a while, they are just not as fun for me. i guess i like quick fast results.

backing is apples and pears in blue.

i did a pieced binding because i just couldn't decide whether to use blue, green or yellow.

circles

2009-04-02T14:55:00.005-06:00

i think i'm getting my quilting drive back, all i want to do is work on this scrappy circles quilt. I laid it all out and asked my 4 year old daughter what she thought of it, and her response was, 'it's not very pretty.' lol--she's my toughest critic.

update: I purchased the scrappy circles pattern here.

(and, i'm almost finished with this quilt, it's been a beast.)

blocks

2009-03-30T15:21:00.006-06:00

i don't know what i was thinking when i signed up for 3 quilting bees.  i enjoy them all, but throw a busy month in there, and it can be a little overwhelming.  this past weekend i got myself completely caught up!!  being caught up feels really good!

block party:
bee inspired:
cottage quilting bee: