glimma

I almost forgot about this quilt, but my cotton and steel quilt (the 16 patches), reminded me of it.  I started this one almost a year ago, finished all the 16 patches and laid them out and did NOT like it.  (It's beginning to sound like I dislike all the quilts I make...not true, just the ones I put away for a long time.) I quickly snatched them up and put them away--out of sight, out of mind.  Which is pretty much what happened.  I forgot about them, which is a good thing because I just wasn't feeling it. 

Then I stumbled on this quilt (I LOVE that quilt), and felt like my glimma quilt could be saved!  SASHING!  So I played around with a few colors, and I think this essex linen (flax) will make it work!  Yay.  I'm actually feeling pretty excited about this quilt now, which is a miracle, because I was not happy with it before.

cotton & steel quilt top

I finished my cotton and steel quilt top.  I made 16 patches, then sewed them together.  I used this method and it works like a charm.  Easier than sewing (and cutting) every individual square together, but still looks random.  It's twin size, so now I have to decide quilting.  Something easy...

**I've had several questions about the size of the squares.  They finish at 2 inches, so I cut them at 2.5inches.

kaleidoscope

I am digging through my piles, sorting and accounting all the works in project I have going.  Here's the first I found and need to resurrect.  I started this one about a year ago.  I pinned this image on pinterest, because I loved the colors and knew they would be great in a quilt and I LOVE the colors...but, I don't know if I love this quilt.  

I realize this is the beginning stages and it usually gets better.  The pattern is Kaleidoscope.  I wanted to reverse the colors, so the background would have color and the stars would be white.  I love it this way, but I wish I had done it in 2.5 inch squares.  I know that would have been more work, but it would've been more effective.  Oh well, I'm not starting over, and I really want to see it finished, so I will persevere.  haha.  

Fall is still no where near making an appearance here in Houston, so it seems like good time to continue working on it.  Might help us get in the mood anyway.

another geranium

We were having family pictures taken at our family reunion, and I had clothes for everyone but my youngest, so I decided to make a geranium dress top.  I made this decision the day before we left for summer travels.  I was going to use my moms sewing machine.  I cut everything out, and my sister-in-law offered to make it for me...and I totally jumped at the offer.  First of all, I don't love using strange sewing machines, and second of all, she is a much better seamstress than I am.  (Thanks Mary!)

It turned out so cute.  I used the exact same fabric I used a couple months ago on her dress, but a different color.  I just feel like you shouldn't mess with a good thing.  It looks so great in this pattern.  

I love this pattern as a top.  It's cute with leggings and it's cute with shorts.

cotton and steel

I decided to go with simple 2.5 inch squares.  I'm feeling a little mediocre about this quilt looking at this picture, but I am already too far invested to change it.  So I'm hopeful it will come together and look good. 

It's hard to go wrong with such simple patchwork...

t-shirt quilt

My kids swim team coach retired after this summer's season, and I was asked to make her a quilt with the t-shirts from all the previous years.  They told me it would count as my volunteer hours, and I jumped at the opportunity.  It was a no brainer...any swimming families out there?  You know all about volunteering at swim meets.   Making a quilt felt like such a treat.  

I had never made a t-shirt quilt before, so I searched around pinterest to get an idea of what needed to be done.  Basically all you have to do is stabilize the knit t-shirts before you sew them all together.  I used the thinnest suggested stabilizer, Pellon #906f.  I cut the collars and sleeves off the t-shirts, then ironed on the stabilizer, then trimmed to the size I wanted.  Mine were 15.5 inches (I think).

Inspiration came from this quilt, (it was even the same colors).  I found this polka dot for the backing at Hobby Lobby.  Matched our team colors perfectly.

Our coach has several phrases she uses all the time, so we used them on a block.  We talked about having them embroidered (but I don't have a machine that embroiders, and the turn around time at a shop was too long), we talked about doing it by hand (but my hand embroidery skills are seriously lacking), I ended up free-motion quilting it on my machine (I stabilized this piece of fabric too).  I didn't trust myself to just free-hand it, so I printed out the phrases and pinned them to the fabric, then I just sewed over them 3 or 4 times.  It worked out really well, a bit of a pain picking off all the paper, but not terrible.  I wish I'd used a darker color.  Black.

 black and white stripes for binding

drawstring bags

Whoa, has it really been 2 months since I have been on here?  It's summer, and we are in our last week of it and I am not really ready for it to be over.  My kids have certainly reached the point when they need to get back into a routine, but I love the lack of structure that we have right now.  I'm not looking forward to the homework and busy afternoons.   Who's with me? the 4pm-8pm (during the school year) are the WORST!

Jeni's Lined Drawstring Bags are the best bags.  My son had a birthday party a couple weeks ago and wanted a piñata.  We were with lots and lots of cousins, so we made bags for all of them.  I didn't mind.  I love making them and pairing different fabrics together.  They are perfect for collecting piñata loot and toting it around with other treasures.