Finishing Touch
There is a lot of really interesting
history about
labeling quilts. This is something I've never done - I know I should, but my quilts have all been gifts and I'm never finished early enough to get on a label. I was about to send off the
diamond quilt when I remembered
these posts by
Marisa.
Since I had to get this quilt packaged and in the mail today to be on time for the baby shower, I stayed up late last night to get this on there. I stabilized the fabric with Heat-n-bond, waiting to peel off the paper backing until after I was done writing. Supposedly the Heat-n-bond is washable, but I did decorative handstitching around the edge anyway.
I used a pigma pen like Marisa recommended and did really like it. It has a soft tip, and I wonder how it will wear after writing on relatively rough fabric, but for now it is fantastic. If you're a quilter, do you always label your quilts? I think I will from now on!
52 Nights Update - Night 17 - I got right to work painting when I got home and finished the nook - pictures as soon as I hang a few things on the walls. Then I made dinner (since it was after 8pm it was tempting to skip this and just eat junk, but I behaved!), and decided to do the quilt label. Handstitching did allow for a little TV time, perfect to relax after a busy evening!
Labels: 52 nights, quilting, sewing
Big Undertaking
When I started my master quilt, I did so knowing it was going to be a challenge. I'd never made a king-size quilt before, never used the true quilt sandwich method, never had to baste anything so large.
Drawing lines for quilting with a little help from Hitch.Luckily I have an awesome mother-in-law who is always excited to help.
Our innovative smooth and pin work positions.She borrowed a million safety pins and a cool pin-closing tool from a quilter friend and came over today to help me work.
Nifty safety pin closer thingy to save our fingers.She's teaching me the tricks she's learned - start in the middle, don't baste the whole quilt at once so you can resmooth after doing a section of the quilting, roll tightly so it fits in your machine... I'd be struggling so much more without her help!
It is still a huge project, but just working with someone else makes it so much better!
Labels: OPAM, quilting, sewing, wip
Getting Back Into It
Thanks for all your comments on my lost mojo. I'm feeling much better, and got some much needed crafty time in this evening...
Working on a tote for my cousin.
Planning two necklaces for special orders.
Figuring out how to make my master quilt the right size.It was very... restoring... to have some time in my craft room. I definitely get fidgety when I'm away too long!
Labels: jewelry, quilting, sewing, wip
Deadline Schmedline
A little peek of what I worked on this weekend...
This is not my master bed quilt. Yes, it is June, so I missed my
OPAM deadline. I never would have gotten as far as I did without the OPAM motivation, so thanks
Tara! Hopefully I'll get back to it soon, though the quilting is still a little daunting and I discovered today I didn't get enough material for the backing. Things don't always go well on the first try!
Even though I didn't make it for May, I'm going to try again in June. For June, my OPAM project is get our office nook in order - "before" picture forthcoming when I have some daylight.
Also, I was super excited to be blog browsing this weekend and see this on
whipup...
My
tea towel apron, so cool! Thanks,
Nicole!
Hope you're having a great weekend!
Labels: me, OPAM, quilting, sewing
Diamonds for Kali
This little baby blanket has been in my head for a long time.
I picked up the fabrics when I saw the Alexander Henry numbers print at JoAnns, it was just too cute to resist.
Then I saw the
Zig Zag quilt at
the purl bee but wanted to do a little twist on it.
Diamonds! It is quilted to fleece because I still love that so much. I'll add a few goodies to the package and then send it on its way to LA in plenty of time for the June baby shower. So good to have this finished!
Labels: quilting, sewing
Checking Things Off
Thanks to everyone who signed up for
RME with my referral! I reinvested in crafty folks by going on a little
etsy spree.
Going with my new motto
"finished is better than perfect" I have been trying to check a few things off my list!
Starting a very belated baby gift.
Getting the master quilt and new quilt tops finished.And can I just share something with you guys? There are limited folks in my life that will appreciate this:
Can you see that? Angled piecing, without cutting off any corners! There's a reason I don't attempt fancy blocks, as much as I would love to try Amanda Jean's
star quilt-along - I usually chop the tips off of any points I try to piece. So, yay! I'm excited!!
It feels really good to get to some long-awaited projects! Hopefully I'll actually have some finished projects to share soon rather than all these works in progress...
Labels: bags, OPAM, quilting, sewing
Just Popping In
Last night was officially
Night 11 of my 52 no tech nights, but I had an award dinner for work so I wasn't even home to be tempted. So tonight is no tech night instead, other than popping in here real quick for a
master quilt update.
I've somehow squeezed in piecing of the first few strips! I hope to make a good dent in the piecing tonight and finish tomorrow or Thursday.
And did I mention that I'm being unfaithful to my dear, basic little Janome?
To tackle the king-size quilting in my near future, I am borrowing my mother-in-law's
totally amazing machine. I'm getting spoiled!
Labels: 52 nights, OPAM, quilting
Happy Mother's Day!
I love having both my mom and my mother-in-law in town, but it made for a busy Sunday! This morning we had brunch with Pete's mom, and I made a new make-ahead French toast that was so delicious.
The recipe is
here except I used real eggs instead of egg substitute.
Very yummy. And
Mint Bellinis, too. We also went out to dinner with my mom and my sister's family, so it has been a day of eating!
Among all the cooking I did get time to work on a new project.
I do have all the pieces cut for the
master quilt and I'll try to piece the top this week. Then I'll have three weekends to get it quilted to meet my May goal. It's nice to be able to still work on other projects, though!
Labels: cooking, family, quilting
One Project a Month
One of my favorite photoblogs is that of
Tara Whitney. She is so creative, and everything of hers is always so colorful and cheerful.
She suggested a challenge -
One Project a Month or "OPAM". I take this to mean a bigger, on your list forever, type project. And I have a long list of them.
I am going to jump on the bandwagon. We're still in the middle of the floor project, but to count that, I'd have to ignore the fact that I haven't really helped with it much. Thank goodness for my father-in-law! So my May OPAM is the quilt for our master bed. We have gorgeous bedroom furniture, and no bedspread because I keep meaning to make a quilt!
I can't believe I'm showing my messy bedroom!I've gone around in circles and been paralyzed with all the pattern options, but
one quilt has stuck in my head for months, so I'm just going to start cutting. As
Fiona quoted from one of her comments, finished is better than perfect. I think I need to make that my new motto! I'm a little nervous about making this goal, since I have a sudden onslaught of handbags to make for folks, but I think I can still do it.
Feel free to join in! Leave Tara a comment so she feels the love.
Labels: OPAM, quilting, sewing
Last Quilted Tote
Here is the last of the Christmas quilted totes... This one was for my mother-in-law, and might be my favorite! I had lots of practice by the time I did hers - I did hers last since she was out of town for Christmas. I stocked up on a few varieties of the vintage trim so I was able to use it on hers. The lining is light teal - I think I like using solid colored lining, it makes it look a little more professional.
I don't have a picture of it, but I actually figured out the blanket stitch on my sewing machine to sew in the interior pocket. I might have to make this standard practice, I love how it looks.
I do have some pieces cut and waiting to make one of these for myself, but the fast-approaching church auction might take precedence, we'll see!
Don't forget to sign up for the
Tea Towel Tote Giveaway! I'll do the drawing on Monday....
Labels: bags, quilting, sewing
More Bags - Mom & Sis
Don't worry, I'll get through all the Christmas presents I made eventually! I almost forgot to take pictures of these totes for my mom and sister, because I was finishing them so close to the deadline. I practically wrapped my sister's as we walked out the door to go to her house on Christmas day...
For my mom, a rich, pretty Asian print with cranes, one of her favorite birds. I didn't think I had any ribbon that would match but I liked this stripe with it so well!
For my sister, lime green (her favorite color) with pretty willow trees and turquoise spots. I thought to put on a little zipper pull when I got to making hers.
A funny story about my sister's bag - I had the fabric cuts for this tote all planned to minimize waste, and when I got to her fabric I realized the planned cuts made the pattern go the wrong way. So I re-figured the best way to fit in the pieces, made the cuts, only to realize I'd envisioned it wrong and the fabric would have been fine originally. So now I had a bunch of sideways trees ready to become a bag. I finally accepted that it would bother me too much, chopped up the pieces, added in some of the leftovers, and sewed it all back up with right-side-up trees. Kind of proves my tendency to overthink things, maybe!
Labels: bags, quilting, sewing
Biggest Bag Project Yet...
Happy 2008 everyone! I'm skipping the "2007 in review" post and jumping feet first into the new year. I
always start the new year with so much energy and this year is no different... Let's hope I can hang on to it for at least a few months!
So the advantage of an extended blogging break, especially as I geared up for Christmas, is a lot of Christmas gift-making to share! This year I decided to make my female family members
Vera Bradley inspired quilted totes. I really LOVE how they came out but since I had to have exactly the right fabric for each person, that meant quilting it all myself. Which took a long time for each bag!
This is the first one I made, for my sister-in-law. I loved it enough to know it was worth the time to make the next three. There's a zipper across the top:
And a small outside pocket edged with coordinating ribbon:
It's very roomy, about 14" across, 16" tall, and 4" deep at the bottom, with a divided pocket on the inside.
I have fabric on hand for a bag like this for myself but I think I need a little sewing break before I get started on it - and I think my machine deserves a tune up after all that quilting!
Labels: bags, quilting, sewing
So Many Babies!
It seems like every weekend these days I have another baby shower to go to or a new baby to visit. Last weekend it was a second shower for my sister, and though she protested, I insisted on bringing another gift. I have to start early spoiling my new niece/nephew, after all!
I started out keeping it pretty simple - some useful things from her registry, etc. But then I saw this adorable Halloween hat/onesie at Target and couldn't resist:
Then I decided to embellish a couple onesies with leftover fabric from the
baby quilt.
Finally, I decided to try out a tag blankie, since I've heard so often how much babies love them. And of course it had to match the blankie.
So I maybe ended up going a little overboard. But it's fun to have a chance to try all these baby gift ideas I've been saving! Pictures from yet another baby shower coming soon...
Labels: quilting, sewing
Monkeys and Buses and Gnomes!
I finished the baby blanket for my sister's shower just in the nick of time - literally! I was wrapping it and signing the card as they pulled in the driveway. I couldn't be happier with it, though! I wanted to keep it for myself!
I fussy cut sock monkey fabric, and
Heather Ross camper vans and gnomes. The overall design was definitely inspired by
this quilt at
Hillary's.
I saved a little time using the
flag trick I saw on
Lady Havertine. I sewed the fussy cut pieces to one long white piece before cutting it apart, and strip-pieced the other fabrics before cutting to the right size.
I used fleece on the back for extra cuddliness, of course! And I added some of my favorite books to complete the gift.
I think the mom- and dad-to-be are pleased, and my sister promises she'll try to influence this quilt into "blankie" status!
Labels: quilting, sewing
Turtle Quilt
The turtle quilt is finished!!
The top is mostly small squares, with a few rectangles and the larger turtle squares thrown in. The back is pieced together of fabrics with different textures, I thought that might be a neat idea for a baby exploring what things feel like.
The main section is flannel, but there's plain cotton, fleece, and minky also. Anyone have good tips for taking pictures of a full quilt? These just don't show it off very well!
I got the appliqué done and the top pieced so quickly I thought for sure I was going to fly through this quilt. But when I started trying to quilt it, the soft flannel backing kept bunching, even with my walking foot. After hours of picking out stitches to try again, having it do the same thing, spending more hours picking out stitches
again, I gave up and tied it.
I still did a traditional binding, and after washing it I am very pleased with the final product.
I'll have to try again with the machine quilting, but this time the frustration just wasn't worth it. After what I ended up going through to finish this quilt, it's going to be hard to give away!
Labels: quilting, sewing
Family Crafting
I've
posted before about the handmade things I've received from my family, and I have another treasure to share!
When I saw my grandma out in California last weekend she had brought with her this quilt she'd been saving to give to me.
This is all hand-pieced and hand-quilted by my great-grandmother - my father's father's mother. The craftsmanship is just amazing.
And one of the neatest things to me is that this type of fabric is so popular right now - I'm sure I could find reproductions of almost these exact prints!
This quilt is in remarkable shape. There are a couple stains you can see on the white backing, but that's it - no tears or loose stitches. Now I just need to figure out a way to display it!
Labels: family, quilting
Auction Purses
Our annual church auction is fast approaching, and I can't believe it, but I am already finished with my donations! Last year I made a
baby blanket and a
quilted purse. The purse was very popular, so instead of a blanket I made an extra purse.
One of them is just like the
bag for the Relay for Life auction. The other one is the WIP from
Sunday's post:
I really love the fabric - whenever I have an excuse like this I can't resist buying extra yardage, so luckily I have some leftover for other projects! I quilted it to some leftover fleece so it wouldn't be too bulky, and it has an interior pocket and magnetic snap. I am in love with magnetic snaps, I bought a big package of them on eBay and hopefully they'll last me a while!
I also had to make another one of
Beki's awesome
flowers since it really just adds that extra something.
These both will be in a silent auction... Hopefully I'll be able to keep myself from obsessively checking how well they're doing!
Labels: bags, quilting, sewing
Karen's Quilt
As I think I mentioned, I was able to finish my mother-in-law's quilt well before they returned from their trip at Christmas. I love the fabrics I chose, I think I might have to use the leftovers for another project! Unfortunately, the photo I took is not so good...
Despite what you might think from the lack of time I took for proper documentation, I really am happy with how it came out. It went together really well (not crooked, like in the photo). And she really seems to like it. I do love the way the binding comes out when I hand stitch it!
I think my next stab at quilting will be a traditional quilt, with batting and everything, for some friends who are having a baby in April. How fun!
Labels: quilting, sewing
Finished WIP
The quilt that was
in pieces a couple weeks ago has been finished and gifted! I couldn't be happier with how it came out.
It looks especially wonky in this photo, and it isn't perfectly square, but it is better than it looks, I promise. I quilted it to fleece, as usual, but actually hand-sewed the binding this time.
I love how the hand-sewing looks, but it was such a pain on the fleece to get actual fabric and not just fuzz. I think this would be easier with a traditional cotton-backed quilt.
I think my mom loves it, and that's what counts. I made one for my mother-in-law, too, with a different design, but the photos are still on my camera. They'll show up here eventually, don't worry!
Labels: quilting
WIP Friday
...or, Why I Need a Quilt Wall!
Here is a current work-in-progress spread out for arranging. Luckily, this WIP has made it much farther since this picture, since it is a Christmas present! I am no longer panicking that it will not get finished.
It would be much easier to do this if I had a nice felt quilt wall like
Amy's.
Spreading it out on the couch at least helped me envision the finished product. This will have to do until I get my act together and finish my craft room!
Labels: quilting, wip
Let's Get Started!
Here it is November 1st, the first day of what will hopefully be quite a good posting month! I am already planning to finish many projects that have been woefully neglected, just to feed the blog. I guess that's a good thing?
A couple weeks ago my parents bought a new fifth wheel RV to travel the country in their retirement. My sister had the wonderful idea to throw them an "RV-warming" party. Unfortunately, we couldn't seem to swing it logistically, so we decided to settle for RV-warming presents. I immediately thought of the
wonderful quilted placemats I bookmarked ages ago.
I couldn't decide whether to do everyday, or holiday, or how to do the everyday, so I did it all by making two sets of two-sided placemats. One set has fall on one side and Christmas on the other:
The other set is all patchwork on one side and mostly khaki on the other.
I think next time I might just buy matching napkins in a solid color... They weren't hard to sew, it just took so much fabric. I do love that floral print, though!
Labels: quilting
For Grandma
My grandma's birthday is coming up, and last year I sent her one of my
first attempts at making jewelry. Though I think I've improved a lot since then, I decided to send her something different... a lap quilt!!
I've
mentioned before her love of red and purple, so I was just thrilled to find these fabrics on my
girls' trip to the quilt shops.
Since time was short (I want to take this with me when I head to California this week so I don't have to ship it), I decided to tie it rather than quilt it.
The overall pattern is very simple, but I love it!
The next challenge is to make the carry-on sized bag I picture in my head in only two nights after work so I can take it on this trip, too!
Labels: quilting, sewing
Auction Blankie
I mentioned
a few posts ago that I was going to make a flannel blankie for our youth group's auction at church. I found some adorable flannels on sale at JoAnns, and went for squares instead of the strips I used for my
last rag quilt. I love it!
See the things my husband puts up with? He's holding the blanket up so I can take a picture of it. This was so much easier than trying to take a picture of it on the floor! Check out this adorable bunny fabric:
This blankie was so fun to make - despite my sore wrist after snipping all the seams. It is so cozy, I think I want to keep it! Well, I can probably part with it, since it's for a good cause.
Labels: quilting, sewing
First Rag Quilt
I am going to a baby shower for my pastor's wife on Sunday, and of course I wanted to take something homemade. My mother-in-law had recently made an adorable rag quilt (for those who don't know, you basically sew the front and back of the quilt at the same time, then fringe the seams and wash it... see the picture below since it's just about impossible to describe!). Though my mother-in-law's was in sweet pastels for a future baby gift, I know my pastor's wife is having a boy (and I'm a fan of primary colors, even for girls). So I picked out some awesome flannel!
Can you see the sock monkeys? You would never believe how silly I acted when I found this. I love monkeys, and sock monkeys have a special place in my heart! Here's a close up of my favorite of the flannels, the monkeys and the fish:
I'm already watching for more cute flannel, since this blanket was so easy - what a great thing to have on hand for an unexpected shower!
Labels: quilting, sewing
Wedding Quilt #2
Also known as the quilt you thought I was just making up! Well, I wasn't making it up, and it's finally finished. The binding went pretty well - I started with the normal foot on my sewing machine, but was having issues, so I put on the new walking (i.e. "even-feed") foot and it was amazing! I wish I had used it the whole time. Here is the final product:
I'm not sure what I'll do when I actually want to make a quilt with batting. This one is again quilted to fleece - the softest, prettiest green. I couldn't get a good picture (I really miss that wonderful afternoon sunlight I get in the summer and fall!), but this gives you the general idea.
I made a quick lunch trip to the post office, so this is now on its way to San Antonio!
Labels: quilting, sewing
Christmas Quilt
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful time celebrating, both the events of 2005 and the start of a fresh new year. I try not to make resolutions, but I like
Andrea's idea of
New Year's intentions. This year I intend to finish what I start, procrastinate less, and do what it takes to feel good about myself - to make myself a priority in my life as well as those around me!!
So, now on to the crafty. Rather than finish the wedding quilt that has been waiting for binding for months, I started a new project for my sister's Christmas present. Luckily she wasn't visiting until this weekend, so I had a little extra time - which I needed! I was putting the finishing touches on as they called from the Houston airport! I had already thought of this quilt and bought the fabrics on eQuilter when my sister mentioned she'd like a lap quilt with big blocks of color. Lime green is her favorite color, so here is the result:
I found some wonderful fabric for the backing. It was in the fleece section, but it is fluffier and softer than fleece... It is so cozy! I need to make one of these for myself one of these days!
I don't think I'm going to attempt any more quilting before I get a walking foot for my sewing machine. From what I've heard, it's definitely worth the minor investment!
I hope everyone had an amazing holiday season, and good luck with any of your New Year's Resolutions/Intentions!
Labels: quilting, sewing
The Quilt!
Alternatively titled "Holy Cow I Made a Quilt!" as I exclaimed to my husband as the last stitch was sewn. I know pictures say more than words, or something like that, so here:
Instead of using batting and cotton backing and all that, I just quilted the top to some polar fleece. So easy! And cozy! I want to keep this for myself! Here you can see the yummy blue backing:
Quilt #2 goes under the needle this weekend.
EDIT: I went out to the kitchen after posting this, and just had to take a picture of my kitty... he always finds the best places to sleep, like on brand new handmade quilts!
Labels: quilting, sewing
Productive = Happy!
It really feels like I got a lot done this weekend! I have everything ready to start sewing
Wedding Quilt #1, but since the wedding for Wedding Quilt #2 is actually sooner, I went fabric shopping. I picked out the fabric for that quilt, cut everything out, and got all the squares sewn in strips:
The focal fabric for this quilt is so pretty:
I'm really pleased with how this is looking, I can't wait to get it finished! Now I just have to sew the strips together, back it, quilt it, bind it... and then do the next one!
We also got paint for the living room. That was a tough decision, because we're painting it red, and it's very scary to pick out red paint - I had no idea! Stay tuned for before and after pictures.
Labels: quilting, sewing
Even More Impressed
Amy over at
KingPod makes the most amazing small quilts. I have always admired them, but alas, cannot afford one. Or rather, cannot explain it to my husband! So I tried to make my own, and it's hard! Here is how they came out (very unprofessionally framed):
It is a lot harder than I thought it would be to plan and execute these. From a distance I am quite happy with them, but they're rather sloppy if you look too closely.
I have an even greater respect for Amy's work, now! The slippery fabric (light blue and bright green) was especially hard to work with. I am planning on hanging them on the wall next to my dresser, and I think they'll look really good on the green walls.
Peter's comment: What are those? (I say "pictures".) Huh, that's pretty cool.
Nice to know I have such a supportive husband!
Labels: quilting, sewing
May Quilt Square
The pieces for my May quilt square are cut up. It didn't take too long, but there are a lot of pieces in this one!
I learned a neat trick for the triangle pieces - it's hard to explain, but the larger pieces in the corners all become triangles. Here are the directions for the final square:
You can see a little better now what it will look like.
In other news, I finally got out my scrapbooking things again to work on my wedding album! I have a lot of work to do to meet my goal of finishing it by our second anniversary - only 4 months away now!
Labels: quilting, sewing, wip
April Block
A local quilt shop (apparently ranked very high in some national quilting magazine) does a Block of the Month deal. You pay for the first set of supplies, and if you finish your block and bring it to the next meeting, you get that month's supplies free. Quite cool! I got in a little late this month, so I had to do my block tonight in order to take it tomorrow to get next month's...
Anyway, this is my first time ever doing piecing like this, and I have to admit I thought it would be easier. Here is how it came out:
I'm not sure if it's because I didn't cut the pieces out myself - my mother-in-law did to save me time, and I do trust her, but I suppose there's a chance some of the pieces were cut a little off - or just because I stink at doing consistent seam allowances... whatever the problem, it is definitely a little crooked. Oh well, not bad for my first try!
Labels: quilting, sewing
