Herringbone Baby

One of my dearest friends brought an adorable baby girl into to the world earlier this year.  Naturally, the baby was in need of a quilt from her "Aunt" Kelsie!  My friend isn't a big fan of super baby-looking pink things, so I chose the more classic herringbone quilt pattern with different colors mixed in.

When I stopped in the quilt store the owner had just started a quilt with these fabrics.  They had the perfect colors to coordinate with my friend's nursery, and just begged me to bring them home.

I'm currently quilting my pinwheel quilt, and it's coming along well.  Looking forward to sharing that finished project soon!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Charm Pack Pinwheels

A while ago I got some Happy-Go-Lucky precuts that I wanted to turn into a pinwheel quilt.  Now that my Marmalade Squares quilt is done it was time to actually put them to use!

Not only did I use precuts for the patterned fabric, but I also discovered Bella Solid charm packs at my local quilt store.  Being able to stack the precut squares is making this go together like a dream!  I'm still piecing the top together, but here's a glimpse of the process thus far...

Farmer's Wife Beginning

A couple months ago my sister decided that in 2015 she was going to make a Farmer's Wife quilt.  The idea is that you make a certain number of blocks (depending on how large you want the quilt to be) each week.  When she offered to let me join her, I was thrilled by the prospect!

So far my fabrics are Miss Kate by Bonnie and Camille, with a couple Happy-Go-Lucky prints tucked in.  I look forward to see what else gets mixed in as I go!

I'm planning to make a throw size quilt, so I'm only doing a block or two each week.  I didn't get a chance to post last week, so here are my first 2 weeks of blocks.

Peace & Plenty

Whirlpool

Basket Weave (My current favorite)

Box

This has been so fun already.  I can't wait to see how the rest of my blocks turn out!

Finished Marmalade Squares

Happy 2015, everyone!  One of my goals before the end of 2014 was to finish my Marmalade Squares quilt I started in the summer.  I'm pleased to say that I did!

This is my fourth completed quilting project this year, and it's the first year I've actually done "real" quilting.  In February my Ring of Stars queen sized quilt with my sister, then I collaborated with my sisters to make some wallhangings, and quilted a baby quilt panel.  I really feel I can officially consider myself a quilter!

This was really quite a fun project, and is done 2 months before Baby is expected to be born.  It's so nice to have things ready in advance!

Hearty Good Wishes

I got a new quilting book this week - Hearty Good Wishes by Janet Clare.  I discovered Janet during Moda's blog hop "Spell It With Moda".  I liked her letter and I loved her fabric line Hearty Good Wishes.  It's nautical themed!

What really grabbed me was her England block.  Could there be anything better than a quilted British Isles?!?  I suggest there could not!   I love the version on her blog; I love the version in the book.  I really love the version I'm dreaming up to someday make as a throw pillow for my bed...  :)

The entire book is delightfully British and nautical and unlike anything else on my shelf.  I can see myself using many of the patterns in this book.

Girly Letters

After Spell-It with Moda, my sisters and I made some quilted wallhanging letters for some little friends.  It was great fun to all work on the same project together!

Basic lines filled with beauty.  And a whimsical little decoration for each...

The girls liked them (though, I'm not sure children under 4 years of age fully appreciate things like this yet) and their mother was thrilled.  One of the greatest joys of crafting is giving!

Hand Quilting

I love the whole quilting process.  The piecing, sandwiching, binding: all of it is quite enjoyable.  But probably my very favorite part of making a quilt is the actual hand quilting.

All those tiny stitches making patterns across the quilt…

Being able to work on it while I watch television or sit chatting with my friends…

My kitten pouncing on my thread or snuggling in my hoop...

The feeling of being so close to the end…

Yes, this is the good part.  :)

The Quilting Stash

When I saw Bonnie and Camille's line "Happy Go Lucky" at my favorite local quilt store, it was love at first sight.  I knew I wanted some.  It didn't take long for me to become a fan of both of their fabric collections and blogs (check them out for some great inspiration!).  And since "Happy-Go-Lucky" was my first love, I indulged in my first precuts.

Four charm packs later, I decided they were perfect for a pinwheel quilt.  It will be my first experience with precuts, and I'm very much looking forward to it!   It's next on my list after I finish my nearly pieced Marmalade Squares quilt.

I also adore Bonnie and Camille's new line, "April Showers."  Unfortunately none of the quilt stores I usually visit carry any!  I even looked along the way when my sisters and I took a 17hr road trip to visit some good friends, but it was not to be found anywhere I stopped!

I had decided to order some online (even though I prefer supporting local stores) when, on the way home from my grandma's house, my sister suggested we stop in a little store we were passing but had not previously visited.   I'm so glad we stopped, because they had an April Showers jelly roll!  (And now I know of another great quilt shop ~25min away!)

I really wanted yardage to make this cheerful quilt, but I'm happy to have found anything from the collection.  Not completely sure what this jelly roll with eventually turn into, but with two other quilts to finish, I have some time to decide.  :) And in the meantime, I get great joy from just looking at it!

Happy Independence Day!!!

Sailor Dog

My sister found this sailor dog panel at JoAnns and gave it to me for my birthday because she knew - being the lover of all things nautical that I am - that I would love it.  :)  It made such a fun and easy project.  And is completely adorable!

The cats love a good quilting project!

Because it is a printed panel this was really just a hand quilting project.  It was made even simpler because there were no bulky seams to go through.

I went really very basic with the quilting, outlining the print and going diagonally through the sky.  But I did decide on a scroll pattern that resembles waves beneath the boat.

I just love it.  What could be better than a baby quilt with a sailor dog on it?

Square Blocks

My marmalade square blocks are going together wonderfully!  At least, they were until I realized I hadn't cut out quite enough squares...  Just a little cutting and I can finish the last block!

These are really fun and easy!  Makes me want to try a postage stamp quilt.  :)

And look who my cat brought home with him the other day:

Literally, my (boy) cat walked inside our house and right behind him walked in this kitten.  He is so adorable, and very friendly.  Kittens are absolutely delightful!!!

334 Two Inch Squares

A few days ago I began turning my lovely fabrics into squares for my Marmalade Squares baby quilt.   There are a few larger pieces, but mostly 2" squares.  334, to be exact.   

A friend teased me that cutting that many tiny squares would be really tiresome, but I found it went surprisingly fast.  Gotta love a good rotary cutter!

And now I have a stack of sqaures ready to be pieced.  Done with the rotary cutter; on to the sewing machine!

New Fabric!

New fabric time!  Because I've nearly finished my current quilting project - and that means it's nearly time to use my adorable duckling fat quarter.  Yay!

I decided to use the free pattern/tutorial for the Marmalade Squares Quilt from Moda Bake Shop because I love bright colored fabrics on white backgrounds.  :)  So excited about this project!

Ring Of Stars Quilt

My Ring Of Stars quilt is finally finished!

As I mentioned in my binding post, I was motivated by Moda's Quilt Olympics to finish so I could enter.  My sisters joined me to get it done Friday...  And we did it!  But they had already taken down the competition.  :(  Oh, well.  I'm still grateful for the inspiration, and I'm so happy that my first quilt is completed!

It is a queen sized quilt and doesn't have a single machine stitch in it!  I even hand sewed the binding pieces together!  It was fun, but I'm planning to machine piece my next quilt.  And do something a little smaller, too.  ;)

It was a super fun project, and I'm so pleased with it.  (And as you can tell, my cats love it!)  I have quilter's callous' on 4 fingers and am already starting 2 other quilting projects, so I think I'm officially addicted to quilting!

Now to repaint my pink furniture, hang stuff on the walls, and complete the redecorating!

All About the Binding

In the last post I mentioned how much I love the Olympics.  Lovely evenings filled with fun sports, USA medals, and lots of crafting.

Well, in honor of the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Moda Fabrics is having their very own quilt olympics, and I am determined to finish my quilt so that I can enter!

So Sunday afternoon I cut off the extra fabric around the quilt to make the binding...  and discovered that I didn't have enough fabric.  Oh dear.  But that was the perfect excuse to make a trip to JoAnn's on Monday!  And I went a little crazy because all their quilting notions were 50% off - even batting!

All washed and cut out, the binding is ready for sewing today!

I have to be completely done on Friday, so off to the sewing room I go.  Wish me luck!

Snow, Kitties and Quilts

We have several inches of snow right now and it's beautiful.  Perfect for snuggling in a blanket with an adorable kitty.

Because it's been so snowy I haven't been out as much as normal.  I kept thinking, "More time to sew!"

But somehow I kept getting distracted.  I would walk into the sewing room with big intentions but end up on a cleaning/organizing spree for the next few hours.  Our sewing/laundry room looks better, but the skirt I wanted to work on is not any closer to being done...

The only sewing I've managed is finishing the quilting part of our bed quilt.  (Little happy dance!)  :)  Only the binding left until it will be completely finished!!!

See the little stars quilted in the middle of every pieced star?  :)

With this quilt so close to completion, I've been daydreaming about my next quilting project.  I'm all about quilts right now, which may or may not be related to my recent discovery of the Moda Bake Shop.  So much fun inspiration!

Quilt Kitty

Cats are very helpful on quilting evenings.  It's so inspiring to have an adorable kitty by my feet.  :)

My sister and I are officially halfway done with the quilting!!!

Elias's Blanket

Elias's blanket is ready to welcome him into the world, and I can't wait to meet the little guy!

This was my first time using a printed fabric for backing, and I love how it turned out!  I actually purchased this backing fabric because our local fabric store had only one blue flannel.  And since pink didn't really seem appropriate for this project...  But I love this flannel!  I'll definitely keep an eye out for printed flannel in the future.

Deciding what color to use for the running stitch along the binding was a hard decision.  Orange or yellow?  Then I realized I didn't have enough orange embroidery floss to make it around the entire blanket, so yellow it was!  Love it when hard decisions become so easy.  :)

Because I used the yellow around the perimeter, I chose orange for the message on the back.

Praise God for the blessings of children!

Just the Topping

I put together the top for baby's blanket, but wasn't able to finish as I had yet to purchase backing fabric...

But when I got a text this morning saying that little Elias had been born, I made sure a visit to the local quilting store was included in our afternoon errand-running.

So the backing flannel is in our dryer right now, and I'll hopefully finish the blanket tomorrow.  :)

Quilt, Quilt, Quilt!

You may remember that my sister and I are working on a quilt for our bed.  Well, we have finally made it to the actual quilting process and are making significant progress!

I just love looking at the back of quilts - all the tiny stitches making patterns on solid backing fabric.  And the white-on-navy makes it easy to see what you've already done!

We went ahead and painted our room "Nantucket Dune".  Yes, I choose a paint with a nautical name.  :)  But I also really love the sandy color.

I hadn't painted much before, so it was a bit of an adventure...  But now that the pink walls are gone, I'm very motivated to work on the quilt and finish my room makeover!