Baby Blankets

My good friend is having a little boy.

I have come to the part of a quilter's life where the baby is going to be born soon, and I am not finished with her quilt. I missed giving it to her at her baby shower. Doh! Now - I am working to get it done before she give birth. It's not like I can ask her to delay that. Hehehe.

I will have pictures once I have the tops finished. So excited to be working in blues, instead of pinks.

Hope that the world is a wacky and enjoyable place for you!
Katie

Working

Hello!
I am sorry to say that I have no pictures this week. But I am working on things. Little things. I have made three buckets for me - that are all the same color. Honestly - I already had the fabric.

I have sent one bucket to my cousin, just because. Now, my mom has requested a bucket.

Sigh.

I am going to make her one, and I found a pretty remnant at Joann's.

Don't worry - I will take pictures!

Have a great day! Hope that you are quilting away!
Katie

Bucket

So - I have a lot of fabric. There was a sale for Black Friday at Joann's and I was a goner. I bought bolts of fabric. I know some of you know what I am talking about. Just a bonanza of fabric fun.

I decided that I was going to use fabric that I had to make some storage containers.

I am sorry that I disappeared for a while. Thanks for your patience with me!
Katie

Christmas presents

Hello!
I finished all the quilts I needed to finish for the little people in my family to get one.
Here are the pictures!

Quilting up a Storm

I posted pictures of the finished quilting that I have done recently.

1. Cars and Trucks
2. Sailboats
3. Butterflies for Ariane
4. Owls for Bea
5. Caterpillar for JoJo

I am super happy with the quilting being done on these three and I was jazzed to try and get another quilt taken care of...when my power went out. For hours! So, apparently, I quilted up a storm and it stopped my quilting in my tracks. 

I am hoping to get back to these two this weekend. I know that I can do it and it doesn't have to be perfect!

Hope that you are having a great day!
Katie

Quilting!

I have jumped in and gotten quilting done!

This is the quilt for Ariane. I tried for a lot of movement in the quilting, to go with the butterflies.

Here is the Owl Quilt for Bea. 

The quilting begins!

I have finished quilting the car quilt that I made. Nothing fancy - just stitch in the ditch.

 I don't want to have any quilting in the blocks themselves.

I think I am a minimalist when it comes to my own quilting. I like the quilting that others do...but I tend to cringe at my own. Perhaps that will change as I do more of it.

So - quilts to quilt:

1. Cars and Trucks
2. Sailboats
3. Butterflies for Ariane
4. Owls for Bea
5. Caterpillar for JoJo

These are all basted and ready to go. They are all Christmas presents, so I really need to get a move on.

It took me a few days of invading the dining room table, but I got it done!

Now....I need to pick a fabric for the binding.

I can do this.

This is MY HOBBY....a rant

Today, I was forced to confront a friend who asked me to quilt a quilt for her. She bought the fabric for me, and asked me to make her a Jacob's Ladder quilt. I haven't every done something like that, and I am intimidated.

I mentioned that I made her niece and nephew a quilt - and she said, "Mine should come first!" in this huffy tone.

And I was forced to defend making a baby quilt.

Then - I stopped.

This is MY hobby. This is something I do for joy and for peace of mind. And I told her that. I basically told her to back off - this is my hobby and she is not allowed to hijack it.

It really made me cranky.

Has this every happened to you? I find that more and more people EXPECT me to make them a quilt.

And honestly - I don't always want to. Not that I don't care about them, but I want my hobby to be mine. And my hobby isn't theirs to guilt me over.

I am free to make what I want, when I want. It is a hobby. Not a job. They aren't paying me for it.

So - I am making a stand. Quilting is for me. For my joy. And I am taking it back.

Okay....rant over.

Fabric is taking over my house...

So...I found more quilts to make

I decided that I need to make baby quilts for all the new babies in my family. I was in church...listening to the pastor share his ideas about a passage of the bible...in a very interesting manner. However, my brain kept trying to organize what I was working on. I was taking notes on what he said and taking notes on my TO DO for finishing quilts.

My list is pretty long. I have a LOT of tops that are complete. To be clear....I just want to piece and piece and piece. The quilting part isn't really getting me going, but piecing...LOVING it. So, now, I have a list of my priorities. And I can get started doing them.

I am currently sewing an endless number of circles.

Slowly working through the pile....one at a time. 

32 of these to do! Why are these so much more challenging than the dots?

32 dots completed!

Small distraction from quilt tops and basting...

I am currently working on small projects to give my daughters something pretty to bring to school.
I have made them pencil pouches using a very simple pattern that was very clearly presented with images. I used this pattern: http://hamelsthread.com/pencil-casetutorial/ 

Here is how they came out:

Vanilla bear chose the zigzag fabric and already has it full of school supplies.

My pumpkin bear loves the flowers and the orange inside. She is saving it to put in her desk at school.

I then started making them composition book covers, because it seemed fun. Also - I have a TON of fabric that they have picked out and I wanted to start using some. You know what it is like - you go to the fabric store with your little bears and suddenly they find 20 things that they love. I occasionally bow to the pressure and buy something cute for them. It usually ends up in my stash - unused and unloved. So...I decided to use it. I am using this pattern: 

So- this was my first attempt.

 I didn't pay enough attention to the measurements. I thought it would be okay...but it is about 1/2 an inch to small on both sides. Vanilla still loves it. 

We solved the problem of it being too small by cutting the cardboard of the composition book. The pages stick out a half an inch, but she thinks it is awesome.

This is attempt number 2 - where I paid close attention to the size in the pattern. Hopefully, it will fit better. Vanilla gets this one too, as the other bears don't really have composition books that I can cover. Their composition books are all color-coordinated for their teachers. 

Something I learned - Between the backing, and the pockets for the inside, this takes about 2 fat quarters....in case you were wondering. There is some left over, but I would definitely use two.

More tops are done...

So, I don't know about you, but I have some jelly rolls that I don't like that much. I have been trying to get rid of this fabric FOREVER. I made a bag out of 12 of the strips. Now, I have the strips that I needed something to do with. So - Another Jelly Roll Race Quilt. 

I have a new baby cousin who is going to get this quilt. However, I want to add something cute and girly in applique - but I have no idea what. Any suggestions?

My top is finally together. Now - I just need to finish it. It has only been 5  years. LOL

More things that I am working on...

I have started working on a dot to dot quilt for my best friend.
This is an old tutorial that Missouri Star sent out into the world. I got the fabric right after I saw the video...in 2010. Doh. FINALLY doing the quilt.




How to Make a Circle Quilt from MissouriQuiltCo on Vimeo.

Instead of a honey bun, I used a jelly roll.

On my way to trimming them down to 10 by 10. I had my daughter help, which lead to a few being a little short.

This is the plan. I have 4 circles cut...32 to go. Wondering if the 7 inch circle is a little too big.

I am also doing ANOTHER jelly roll race quilt, for a new baby in the family. I will upload pics soon. I also have this adorable panel with owls (pictures to come) that I will be putting together for ANOTHER baby in the family.

Honestly - I am doing a lot of piecing and loving it.

So - the goal is that I have everything cut on the weekend. Then, I can piece over the week while I work. I found that I can't cut while I am working. I need to have all the pieces ready to go, so that I can just piece. If I do, then I get SO much done! It is like making a meal for dinner and freezing it from the week. LOL. Gotta get everything planned, and then I can sew while I do my job.

Sewing is becoming my therapy. I LOVE getting things finished. It brings a huge feeling of job and accomplishment.

My mom's quilt

I had a great time making the top for my mom's quilt. It is the X's and O's quilt. It is not perfect, but it was very quick. I was using a pack of six charm packs. I had a TON of charms left when I made this, and I added a 20 squares to the pattern (5 blocks). So, I decided to use it as the border.

This set of charms had a lot of lights in it, so I used that for the centers.  What do you think?

The individual block

The finished top. Please note that there are two charms that match next to each other on the border. This was intentional. I appliqued hearts onto it, and I am going to have my bears write their names on the hearts. Sort of a signature filled with granddaughter love.

A finish!

The Ugly Quilt is done! Completely finished! 

I did free-motion quilting for the first time. No walking foot. No structure at all. I just made random shapes over and over again. It is NOT great, but it is was such fun! I didn't get a picture of the bound and finished quilt (sorry!) but I did get a picture of the finished quilting. My stitches are not consistent at all, but I really had a great time doing this!

A close-up of my very first attempt at quilting a block. Messy - but such fun!

My finished free-motion quilted quilt. All I have left to do here is the binding. 

Another top in progress

Again...I am making one of these for my mom. Finally. I have had the fabric for her quilt picked out for years. Purchased and stored. Ready to use. It is FINALLY getting made.

The fabric is from when I used to be part of the charm pack club with FatQuarterShop. I would get six charm packs of the same line. I really liked that because I could make one or two quilts with the fabric that I bought. I was really sad when they moved over to six different charm packs.

I was going to do a tumbler quilt, but I just did a charm pack quilt and a jelly roll race quilt. I want something with more of a challenge.

Applique!

Well - I got addicted to applique while working on my Jelly Roll Race quilt. It was so much fun, I decided to add more sailboats. I made as many sailboats as I had fabric for! What do you think? (Sorry the picture isn't great!)

So much quilting...

Hello again!

So....my life is crazy, which, of course, means that I am sewing a lot. I might be the only one, but when my life falls apart...I just want to piece quilt after quilt.

I decided that my list of UFO's didn't matter. I wanted to make something new and special.

So I did.

My good friend has two little boys and one of them is obsessed with cars. So I made him a quilt with cars and trucks. Then, I did a jelly roll quilt with sailboat fabric. I think the line is called "Daysail."

Quilt top came together very nicely. I was really happy with my points on this one!

Here is my jelly roll race quilt. I pulled out all of the flowers, because it is for a little boy. I like the strips. They give so much movement. But it is missing something....

I decided that it needs some applique. It is my first time putting applique on a quilt. 

I added two actual sailboats to the quilt. However...I wanted to add more. I am working on 4 more sailboard. :)

I LOVE APPLIQUE! I didn't realize how much fun it was. I will post pictures of my finished top.

Hope that you are having a great day!
Kate

Sewing...takes a backseat

I got a cold. A summer cold. 

My family is suffering from some serious summer funk and there has been a lot of emotional upheaval. Very dramatic and traumatic. 

So....I got a cold. Not only was my body feeling gross...but my soul felt like it had a cold too. 

My parents are off on adventures and came through New York on their way to Amazing...so I took a sick day, loaded my kids in the van, and drove to the train station, tissues in hand. 

We took the train to Penn Station, braved our way through the labyrinth of the subway system, and traveled to the Children's Museum of Art, which is awesome. The kids made lovely paintings, drew amazing animals, and played like wild monkeys. It was like a shot to heal my soul. 

I am inspired to sew again, with a focus on quilts for kiddos. I have a few in mind. Nothing dramatic, but soft, and sweet. 

Here are some pictures of the bears...on the train.

"Ummm...I don't want to eat dinner, but OHHH...you have an apple. I will take that!" says Sweetie Bear.

The joys of a good day, and a DVD player that has a battery. Vanilla hogs the screen, Pumpkin snacks on the New York Cheddar Cheese and Caramel Popcorn, and Banana Bear is nibbling on Scooby snacks. 

Vanilla Bear made a super hero cape for her hero - PEACE-BRINGER! She is powered by positive thoughts.

Still here...

Hello!
I am still here and still planning on a lot of quilting.
However, I went on vacation. Which...with 4 small children...is not really a vacation at all. Let's just say that I need a vacation from my vacation.
TOO much drama. Too many issues. SOOOO much driving.

But I am home now. And I am trying to figure out what to work on first.

The bag that I made came together very well and it worked wonderfully. It will also be awesome when I go grocery shopping, as it is so big!

I am going to set aside time to actually quilt the work that is basted and pinned. Once I get everything put away from our trip. Sigh....

Working hard...

Hello!! I hope that you are having a wonderful day!

I am working hard on the bag that I talked about in my previous posting. I posted the YouTube video from Missouri Star Quilt Company, and I am following them to the best of my ability.

Step 1: I really am not a huge fan of these colors...but I have put them together. I have had this jelly roll for over 5 years. It is TIME to use this!

I am using all of the Reds from the City Weekend jellyroll. These are the strips all sewn together. 

 The Lining: Honestly, I didn't want to buy any more fabric for the lining for this bag. I am going to be using this bad to hold all of the snacks for the trip we are going to be taking. So...it is going to get dirty. I decided that the lemons were perfect for the middle.

This is the only fabric that I LIKE for the lining that I already have. 

I am currently quilting this. Now, life keeps getting in the way of the quilting. I am doing straight lines down each strip. Four lines a strip.....48 lines total. I like it. It is fun, but man it is taking a long time. My 18 month old is trying to help, and that makes things a challenge. Let's just say that my lines are MOSTLY straight...we will call it Stra-vry. LOL. Slightly curvy. Mostly Straight.

I will be back with more pictures as I make more progress.