Monday, November 9, 2009

Cross country Christmas Blog-hop



Check this out. All these great designers are each taking a day with an intro and great idea they are sharing to get us all inspired for the holidays. It just started today (Nov 9th) and I love the first tutorial!! I have going to have to make one of these.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Spring Duet

I am soooooooo pleased with how this quilt turned out.

Sometimes things just come together and this was one of those times.
I am so thankful. I had just got a new pattern that I was so anxious to use and make so I was searching my stash for fabric. The more solid like fabrics were left overs from another project and unbelievable they perfectly matched up to a set of 5 FQ's I already had!! How fortunate can I be. So I was off and sewing. After I had the middle pieced I was stuck with how to border it. I had finally decided after mulling and looking for awhile that I would just border it with a nice wide white border. A day or so later I happened to go shopping and picked up 1 little charm pack of a new line that caught my eye (though I had no idea how I was going to use it yet). I brought it home and looked through all the fun swatches and FELL IN LOVE with this fabric and knew it would be the perfect finishing border!!!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Reuse - Reuse

Lately I have been using up some old jeans - reusing them for new and wonderful things.
I am really liking how these are turning out.

This cute bag...
is a great way to use up and old pair of jeans.
I used pockets from the pants on both the front and the back.
It was so fun to make and I think will be even more fun to use.





PicNic quilt...
I have also been making a picnic quilt out of old jeans and old shirts.
I am almost finished. This is it so far.

(the idea was inspired by a picture I saw on flckr)

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Scrappy Christmas Block Swap



From flickr I joined a Christmas block swap.
We were each to make and send 2 Christmas blocks to our swap partner.
These are the terrific blocks that I made & received. I am so excited
about this wonderful Christmas quilt that soon will be finished.

I'm just going to add one more borders then it will be ready to quilt!!
I think I will quilt it in red thread.

Yipee!!! Just in time!


(A little closer look at the blocks)

Punkin Patch


I am so excited for Halloween. I saw this cute quilt idea in a local quilt shop and knew I had to make me one for my holiday display wall. It is such an easy idea with snowball blocks making the pumpkin heads and just appliqueing on a cute jack-o-lantern face. It look so fun hanging up. Mostly made with scraps
(I only had to buy the fall leaves border)

Here is a Halloween quilt/decorations challenge you can join hosted by Toni with a giveaway!

Favorite Quilt

Amy is hosting an amazing quilt festival and is asking people to share their favorite quilt. My favorites are not always the best for fanciest (this one is very simple) but based more on what I learned in the process. So here is the one I want to share about my journey in quilting.

Back at valentines, I fell in love with the valentines fabric line by moda "Love is in the Air". I wanted a special valentine feel for my holiday display area. The first thing I made didn't quite give the look or feel I wanted so this was try #2. I finally got it right. Quilting is always a creative process and not everyting turns out right but that is part of the challenge and beauty of it. This is what I wrote that I learned from this particular quilting experience....
Lesson Learned: Things often don't turn out how we imagined or wanted but, we can still enjoy the fruits of our labors. It may be in a different way but still to be enjoyed. Also if we will do just a bit more work, what we wanted and imagined can also happen too!

This is the original quilt. It is not that I don't like it, it's just not the look and feel I wanted for my diplay area. This will be a very loved and used quilt in my family room area. I named it "Looking for Love" and it reminds me to find and give love to everyone I see.

Click here for my original post on this quilting project.

Park City Girl: Quilt Festival - Fall 2009

Unbelievable...this just started and I am already #373. Just look at all the inspiration!!!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Repentence...

Here is a quick repentence....

I learned my daughter was pregnant with her 3rd about a month ago so I started making a possible quilt. Since she already has 2 boys I was secretly hoping for a girl for her. I was following a quilt group on flickr and they were making wonky block. I so wanted to join in the fun and make her a quiltthat way so I pulled and pulled all my pinks and got started. Of course we didn't know what she was having yet so it was a gamble. I had thought I would call the quilt "Power of Pink" if it was a girl and if not the quilt would be named "Pink Wishes".


Well...we found out today that she is having a boy. Yipee!
I also had some quick repentance to do lest she, her husband or this wonderful new baby boy would EVER think that I was not thrilled and absolutely excited about this new addition. So I quickly got to work TODAY and immediately made a new quilt...
This is called "Spot Alot" and fortunately I had a bunch 5 x 5 squares of a baby charm pack. All it is waiting for a some material for the outside border then I will be ready to quilt.

We are excited ....we (actually my daughter) is having another boy!!!

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Teacher's Pet (for Alicia)


My niece Alicia was having her first baby and graduating from ASU with her Teacher's degree at nearly the same time. We thought this "Teachers Pet Quilt" would be the perfect gift to celebrate this new little addition to the family.

Just look at what a doll Tanner is!!1

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Halloween Swap

I joined a fun little swap. For September we were to send 3 fat quarters and some other fun goodies. This is what I sent....




I made a fun little bag that opens up from a small clutch.
I call it a "Jack-o-bag".







And this is what I got.....


so fun!!!
It makes me excited about Halloween approaching!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Super Sister - Happy Birthday!!

I have a wonderful sister. She is beautiful inside and out.
She has a terrific talented family and is one amazing woman.
She is definitely one of my heroes!
Since I have only one sister and that makes her even more special.
Happy Happy birthday sis.
I hope you can enjoy and use this fun little table runner.
Made especially for you in your favorite colors - Blue!

Monday, July 20, 2009

Finally - One ON TIME!!

I finally finished one Bday gift on time. My d-d-in law's birthday was Sat. and I actually got her gift done. I had actually bought the charm pack months ago when I saw it because it just jumped out at me and looked liked something she would like. Of course I never got around to sewing it until a week before (my typical procrastination) and I was sweating about it because I was having major sewing machine problems but we got them fixed....just in the nick of time! whew!

Back........................Front.......................Inside



It turned out so fun!!!

Best of all I think she like it too!

Friday, July 17, 2009

Chelle's Bag - Finally Finished!!!


Well it took me long enough (just because I got lazy and didn't finish for 3 months) but I finally have it done and better yet SHE IS USING IT!!!

The fabric used for this has sentimental value. The main bag fabric was from her Nana and the button on the front was from her great grandma Ivie. So it has a touch of vintage (truly vintage for her personally). Also it is not too big and simple yet classic for my classic gal. I think her favorite part is that pocket on the front, just the right size for her cell phone.


Sunday, June 7, 2009

More tops ready for quilting.

Here are some of the quilting tops I have finished in 2009, ready and waiting for me to get busy and quilt them.

Sew Around the World

Fantasmagorical Frames

Patriotic Pride

Beary Pink Baby

Journey of Life

Just a few, huh? I guess I need to really get busy quilting!!!!

But don't think that is all....oh no.... I just don't have pictures yet.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Still sewing







Just because I haven't been posting it doesn't mean I haven't been sewing.
I have been busy trying to finish up a few WIP's. But even while I say that I have also distracted myself and have been starting a few.
I joined the 9 patch block a day quilt along and have been going to town on that. (the first 2 pictures are week one and week two)

I find I can't usually do just one a day so I have used it to help me finish a 9-patch that I had started before to get it finished and it is almost done....yipee!
This one is one color with white which makes for a very antique looking quilt except this one is brights! It is all the leftover scraps from from my Summerlicious Starbursts.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Online Quilt Festival

How fun and inspirational, Amy of Park City Girl's is having a Blogger's Quilt Festival. She asked for us to post a favorite quilt and blog about it.
I love quilts and learn something new each time I make one. But the quilt I chose to use is my daughters quilt that she made at age 9, last summer. She is now 10



She wanted to learn how to sew and make a quilt. Quite a big project but we had the summer ahead so away we went. She chose her favorite colors bright and happy pinks and purples. She had recently seen me make a bargello quilt and wanted something like that so away she went sewing long strips of each color together. She loved operating the sewing machine but getting the hang of sewing straight took a bit, but with every strip she got better and better. At first I sat with her and helped her guide but soon she was doing it all by herself. I realized as she was sewing it our original plan needed to be modified and simplified for her to feel successful and not frustrated. So she cut the strips into 3rds and swapped one and added sashing (so no matching seams) She also wanted to use our leftover strips and then added a border. We took her quilt over to her Aunt Jaime's house to quilt it. I think running the big quilting machine was right up her alley since running computers is not scary at all but second nature to her. She didn't let me touch it, except to help her pin it on to get her started.


I love the confidence she has gained from sewing this quilt. She has even told me that she is going to help me get some of my quilts tops quilted and finished. (I have a tendency to get the top done but have lots and lots of unfinished "flimsies")

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Happy Birthday


Joyze had a birthday....unfortunately I was not here for it. In fact I didn't even get her gift done before I left town, but it is done now....Hooray!
It turned out fun and happy and oh so fitting for her. She wanted a nice big bag for toting all kinds of things around. (Of course in her favorite orange colors)

I had fun buying a few bright orange fat quarters, using blue fabric for the lining that I already had and filling it with an old blanket instead of buying the expensive iron-on fleece (it worked great)

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Newspaper Riddle



This quilt was inspired and started by a trip to Tucson for a quilt show. Jaime invited me to join her going with a bus load of women headed to Tucson. It was fun and awesome to see all the quilts and all the quilting supplies available to buy. At the show I fell in love with this "Bento Box" Quilt pattern and was anxious to make one. I purchased a jelly roll of whites and blacks, used a red material in my stash and went to town sewing. It didn't turn out exactly like I had in my mind. My black and whites are not quite different enough from each other. My blacks needed to be stronger, darker blacks and my whites lighter whites, so the quilt didn't come off with quite the romantic feel I was going for but instead it has a funner lighter feel. So my unromantic quilt turned into a fun, frenzy of ........ what is black and white and red all over? The NEWPAPER RIDDLE!

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Just My Luck


It is a brand new month, the year is zipping by so I need to take off my valentines stuff and get out some St. Patrick's day stuff. I knew it was coming so I started on a great green quilt. I pulled out all the misc. greens I had and started thinking. At first I was thinking only about using green but as I stewing over ideas in my head I saw a beautiful multi-colored Irish Chain quilt. Now I have always wanted to make an Irish Chain and what better time than for St. Patrick's. I had always seen an Irish Chain with 2 and sometimes 3 different fabrics but this one had a multi chain. So off I started. I wanted it very mish-mash with no planning so I sewed a white strip to any green strip (2 1/2 strip x about 21 inches -or whatever I had) then I cut those into 2 1/2" double blocks and started putting them together in 3's (with either an extra white or green block. Next made those into a 9 patch then pieced it all together with extra white squares. This is a really simple quilt but with stunning results.
Welcome.....Just My Luck!!

Of course this is still a "flimsie" but I did get done the Table Topper I made to match which I am calling "Lucky Charm"

Lesson Learned: The thing I gain from this quilt is the importance of simple space (or solids) that is what makes this whole thing visually work. Space that lets the eyes rest and makes the color pattern POP out and SING at you. It all the colors were mushed up right next to each other all the time it would be so busy, but with the space it makes beautiful harmony. How we need our own space too. How much better we are to each other when we have space and time to be ourselves, to do things we enjoy alone and apart but then when we are together we are ready to pop and sing and just a much better person.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Bow Tucks Bag


I got to got to a class at Cutting Edge Quiltworks and learned to make Pat Sloan's Bow Tucks Bag. It was fun, Jaime and I got to go together and and we almost got completely done. I love my new bag. I used some fabric that I already had. A Black Denim material with believe it or not, purses stitched on it in a border at the bottom. A bright black, colorful multicolor. It's a fun finished project I am already using and enjoying!!

Check out these pockets!!!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Journey of Life

This was a real fun project. I started with a scrap bag that I purchased. I wanted to make a zig zag quilt but I wanted to do easier piecing...so this is what I came up with....I took one scrap and sewed it to one long 4" by WOF piece of muslin or other light strip. Then after they were all sewn I cut them into triangles and they opened out to perfect 1/2 square triangle blocks.
This is how I put them all together. I could not bear to let the leftover end pieces go to waste so I sewed them together to make the hourglass blocks and added them as a border on the bottom and top.


I call this my "Journey of Life" because of all the up's and downs and twists and turn that come to us in our lives. But look at how beautiful and wonderfull the tapestry of our life looks like when we can see the whole picture not just our current triumph or trial that we are in the middle of right now.

Looking for Love



For Valentines I fell in love with a beautiful set of fabric. It was " Love is in the Air" by Moda. Being the frugal (OK cheap) person that I am I couldn't bring myself to buy more that one charm pack and 1 yard of 1 fabric to enjoy but I wanted a whole quilt for my holiday display wall. So I looked around at what I had - some great red material and came up with a pattern to use (one I had done before (my "Parlor Windows" that I originally got from AP&Quilting Mag. Apr 2008 Dandelion wished ***this was my first Quilting magazine and my first project from a Magazine). Sew, sew, sew and this is what I came up with.

BUT....while I liked the pattern, fabric and quilt, it came out too dark. Not the "Valentine feel that I was wanting. I did love the little table topper that I made using the leftover fabrics. It did fell very "love like".




So I had to try it one more time....one more charm pack. I went a bought one more charm pack, not sure what pattern I would use and lo, and behold in the store they had hanging on their wall a quilt that was just the look I wanted. They let me take a picture of it. So I went home figured it out and made it!! I love it, it is just what I wanted. The only thing left is to add a great red border then brown border and quilt it. I couldn't wait so here it is displayed with my holiday display wall. Notice the cute Valentine notes of Love that A&M family gave us - perfect!


All (meaning my first quilt) is not lost because I did find I love it in the family room on the lazyboy...so it has a great home. Now if I just get these all quilted for next valentines - I will be prepared!! Another bonus is we will get to use it and not just view it. I am sooooo pleased!


Lesson Learned: Things often don't turn out how we imagined or wanted but, we can still enjoy the fruits of our labors. It may be in a different way but still to be enjoyed. Also if we will do just a bit more work, what we wanted and imagined can also happen too!