Bye Bye 2014!

2014 ended with a trip to the fabric store (10 guesses how 2015 began???). A great-nephew was born in Novemeber. I knew exactly the theme for his quilt when I learned he was going to be a he.. LSU.  His dad is an alum who bleeds purple and gold and obviously I adore him.. why else would any self-respecting Hotty Toddy Rebel play with LSU fabric!  

Went with a very simple pattern to show up the fabrics... most of which were gifts from one of my sweet quilting sisters who lives in Baton Rouge and likes those purple and gold kitties too. Once I got the blocks done and the top together, the hubster quilted it up and it was time to bind away. And there was the problem. What to use for the binding strips. There was plenty of the gray used for the border, but it seemed.. well boring. I liked several of the fabric used in the quilt, but there wasn't enough of any to cut binding strips. So off to the quilt store we went and there we found a cut purple with gold polka dot print (we used the reverse of it in the quilt).  I think it turned out great... gives it a bit of childlike whimsy.  Afterall, this is a kid's quilt!

Next week it will wind its way down the road in a big brown truck to Tigerville where I feel certain it will be received with love. 

Slowly I return...

I am slowly returning to the land of Fabric!  I've worked on a couple of small projects over the last couple of weeks and today I started a Baby quilt for my great-nephew, Jack, who was born yesterday! I have a few small holiday goodies I want to work on, but most are handwork and I am thinking of making a mat for my sewing table with a drop down pocket to hold scissors, seam ripper etc. Although, I am not sure how practical it would be to sew with those thing between me and the machine!  Gotta think on that one.

So here's what's been happening in the Study-O concerning sewing / quilting / fabric...

My machine did not come with a sewing machine cover and honestly, when I first started sewing / quilting I didn't think there was a need for one. Wrong!  Machines get so dusty (at least mine does).. even when it's being used fairly reguarly. I have a clear vinyl cover I bought at a fabric store some time ago and it definitely does the trick, but I wanted something cute.. fun... and so I whipped this up...

I love the bright colors and especially the pink and green ribbon for the ties!  Goes very well with my bulletin boards.

I have seen several scrappy pillows on Pinterest that include a bit of Embrodiery.  There were lots of 2 1/2" squares left over from the Christmas Granny Squares quilt, so I decided to play a bit. I created a pillow front.. here it is turned 2 different ways.. a bit raggedy and such right now.

I plan to embrodier Merry Christmas in the white space and then finish it off with some cording or trim and backs (I do 2 pieces and create an envelope so it can be removed and washed).  We shall see how it turns out.. no matter.. it is fun to do something.. well, just for fun!

For months now I have had plans for a baby quilt for a great-nephew due in Novemeber..the fabrics have been ironed and draped over the back of a chair for weeks.. and today I finally cut the up and started sewing!  Baby Jack was born yesterday!  His dad went to LSU and loves the Tigers! As soon as I heard a baby boy was coming, I knew I'd do an LSU quilt. I am not an LSU fan.. I bleed red and blue and yell Hotty Toddy quite often (my hubby's alma mater, Mississippi State, is ranked #1 in the Nation right now.. we are a rather diverse bunch!).  You know I love the boy if I'm spending my Saturday messing with anything purple and gold! LOL!

And lest you think the mad quilter (a.k.a. my hubby) has given up the hobby, he has taken the granny square blocks and is adding a frame to each one.  This will create the look of white sashing between the blocks.  Can't wait to see this on the iron bed in the guest room!  It's going to be lovely!

Hope you are having a fabulous day doing whatever makes you smile!

"Belle"

Quilting in February

Slowly getting back into the swing of things and carving out some time for quilting.  I have had a bag full of t-shirts waiting to become a t-shirt quilt for over a year.  These belong to our daughter's fella, but the quilt isn't for him.. it's for her. I hit the ground running and got the top made and then hubs used his mad quilting skills to get it quilted in time for her birthday (Feb 14.. she's our best Valentine!) She loved it.. knew she would.  :-)  I love how hubs quilted it. I even love that he didn't use invisible thread this time. 

I also start a baby quilt for a little one due in April.  Here is are the blocks put together. Just need to add a border or two and the top is done.

"Belle"

Baby Quilts!

My sewing / quilting time has been greatly diminished the past few months. For a short while I was working 2 jobs.. both part-time but they added up to full-time together. Then one of the 2 asked me to go full-time and so I have been settling in to that position since the first of October.. and settling into balancing life working full-time (I came home when we had a newborn and 4 year old who are now 21 and 25).. add to that normal life stuff. and oh yes.. a wedding.. our baby boy is getting married Jan. 4, 2014 and so we are in wedding mode here.

So I accepted that some things would have to wait.. like my Granny Square Christmas quilt... and instead finished up the have-to stuff and now sewing central is packed away for the year. Sewing Central is setup in our dining room and any time we need to use it for holidays or such, it has to be moved. That will change this spring!  We will have 2 extra bed rooms with our empty nest and one is going to be a sewing room! I am thrilled!

The Have-tos were 2 baby quilts. Our soon to be daughter-in-law had put together a top for a cousin's baby but had not had time to quilt it.  She also had fabrics for another cousin's baby, but had not made a top. I had a top for my latest great-nephew just waiting for his arrival in Oct.

So... I whipped up a top with the fabrics she had chosen.. hubs and I sandwiched everything and he put on his mad quilter hat and went to town. Got them quilted and bound.  I think they all turned out too cute!

This first one is the one our soon to be DIL made.  Her cousin (the baby's dad) is a big Mississippi State University fan and so she decided his son needed a Bulldog quilt. I love the companion shirting fabrics we found at Stitch N Frame (This is a LQS for me, but you can also order online. Sign up for their Thursday deals. Great selection and prices!)

 Next is her other new little cousin.  Future DIL and I went to Stitch N Frame and browsed their fabrics. She picked these out and brought them home. I decided to do a simple patchwork pattern to highlight their cuteness.  I really like how it turned out. This is (I think) my first borderless quilt. I love love love the biding fabric.  Really sets everything off.

And last is the top by I had made earlier for my great-nephew (born in Oct.)  This is absolutely one of my favorite quilts ever!  I love the pattern... love the fabrics... love hubs quilting.. it is just precious, I think.

And now we are settling in.. not for a long winter's nap (which we need!) but for a busier than normal holiday season as we move towards the Big Day! I'll be back in January.. there's a Granny Square Christmas to finish up... another baby coming in February who will need a quilt... a rag-t-shirt quilt I have been trying to make for 2 years... and a Wedding Quilt to make for the happy couple (the goal is to have it done by their first anniversary!)... oh and a sewing room to create!!!!

"Belle"

Baby Wyatt

Another baby on the way in our family.. a great-nephew.. Wyatt.  I did a bit of research via his Mom's Pinterest account and found great inspiration for his quilt. Lots of blue and orange... some jungle things... and I knew I had to toss in a bit of U of TX fabric for these Longhorns!

This went together very quickly and I think turned out great!  It will be quilted after Wyatt is born and I add the label with his name and birthdate.  I like to add labels before quilting, so they stay nice and secure!

"Belle"

Kiddie Quilts...

I whipped together another Quilts for Kids quilt. This one was super quick and easy. I was going through a box of novelty fabrics and found a stash of nine-patch blocks.  I do not remember what I made them for or why!  I pulled out 10 that seemed to go well together.. all are bright fun fabrics that lend themselves to a girl.  I then pulled 10 coordinating fabrics. Tossed it all together and here is the result:

I am thinking I will call it ColorFilled Hope.  It is definitely bright and cheery and I love this smiling face..

Hubs has been busy working on kiddie quilts too.  A friend asked him to make a quilt for a "new" baby girl.  He came up with this...

And if you are thinking that is a big baby quilt, you are right! Hubs never does small.

He decided the wee ones big brother (age 3) needed a quilt of his own, so an I Spy quilt was born.

No doubt all of these will be loved. "Belle"

Chugging along....

Sewing Central has been chugging along..... Hubs has finished a top for a friend's new granddaughter...

and is working on an I spy quilt for the baby's big brother...

I whipped together another top for Quilts for Kids...

and the Christmas Granny Squares production line continues...

A run for some batting is needed soon so these tops can become quilts!

Photos of finished products will be forthcoming.

Belle

Anthropologie... nope just looks it...

My son's girlfriend is an artsy-craftsy kind of girl who loves to make things for folks.  2 of her cousins had babies this year... both sweet little girls... so JJ decided to whip up some baby quilts.  You can see the first one here... Bunting Baby Quilt

The 2nd quilt is simple, but classy. Very modern. Looks like something from Anthropologie. The new mommy and daddy loved it.. pretty sure the baby did too!

Good Job, JJ!

Isn't this birdie fabric too cute!?

"Belle"

Summer Colors for a Summer Baby

A sweet young couple in our church just welcomed Baby #3 into their family... yesterday in fact!  When I heard the nursery was bright colors.. pink, teal and orange.. I knew this was going to be a fun quilt to make!  I went with a really simple nine patch pattern and let the fabric do the talking!  And oh the fabric!  The nine patches are from scraps on hand in the stash. Some of the larger quares are from stash fabric, but a few were purchased just for this project. I think the colors are very summery and very fitting a little girl born in Summer. 

The Mad Quilter quilted it using orange thread creating fun linear patterns (so architectural! LOL) I how it looks on the back.  It adds a whole new dimension to this already fun quilt. The back, by the way, is a vintage sheet in the softest pink color.. and feels just as soft. So sweet. This was fun to make.. I would take one for myself!

Lots more has been happening in sewing central. Completed top (soon to be quilted)... finished quilt.. pincushions galore.. photos coming soon!

"Belle"

National Quilting Day!!!

So pretty much everyone in the US knows today is St. Patrick's Day, but for quilters it is another holiday too.. National Quilting Day.  NQD occurs on the 3rd Saturday of March, so not always on 3/17.

Hubs and I celebrated today by going to a fabric sale and sewing....

Here are the fabrics we bought...

Some bright fun butterflies (the white behind it is Kona Cotton Snow.. bought that today too..)

Some fun polka dots....

A WILD Print that hubby liked....

And one more polka dot.. a big dot.. that the shop owner tossed in as a happy.... 

And here is what was worked on today...

I finished up the house blocks and started making them wonky... the excess fabric gets trimmed off when they are squared up...

And hubs finished up the baby quilt top he has been working on... 

All in all I would say it has been a good National Quilting Day here!

"Belle"

Baby Quilt Inspiration...

Baby quilts seem to be on the upcoming menu here (I love making baby quilts!).  My son's girlfriend has another cousin expecting a baby and wants to make a quilt for the wee one, I want to do another one for a charity Bazaar and we have a young couple in our church expecting girl #2.  All 3 of these will be girl quilts. So lots of pink is expected!  

I have been looking around the Internet and have seen some lovely quilts to inspire..

This one is so simple and sweet....

I love the ruffled edge!

This is one of my faves.. I love the colors.. I will make this one day!

I am not sure a rag quilt is best for a baby, but I do love this. I have Fat Quarters for every fabric in this collection. It is one of my faves.  

Another very simple quilt, but oh so sweet.

The initial adds a cute detail to this one.

Some pretty Spring Flowers for a Spring Baby

Works In Progress...

Sewing Central is buzzing with several projects right now....

Hubby is making a baby quilt. Co-worker asked him to make it for her niece.  She bought fabric and picked pattern.  He has it laid out and is in the process of piecing the top together. I love the colors.. bright and cheery.. perfect for a little girl!

Once he is done with this, he has a quick project for the house... napkins!  These fabrics will be transformed into new spring napkins.  Won't they be lovely!

I watched a video last week on a really interesting technique for making quilt blocks with 2 1/2" strips.  We have a slew of these in our scrap stash, so I pulled a few and gave it a try.

Here is what the block looks like once done...

Here are a couple of possible layouts...

The technique really is cool.  You can watch it here: Amazing Jelly Roll Quilt

I may use that technique and some of our strips to make up another baby quilt for an upcoming bizarre to benefit the family of a little boy in need.  I made this top for it all ready..

It just needs to be sandwiched and quilted to be done.

I am also working on a new wallhanging for the breakfast room. I knew I wanted to use a specific Bible verse that has to do with House.. so a house block was called for... there are many, but one of my faves is found at Quiltville...  Happy Scrappy Houses

The pattern calls for 2" strips. The stash here is full of 2 1/2".. so I adapted and came up with this...

Looks great.. even before being wonkied.. but it is bigger than I want for my layout.

So today I cut down some of those 2 1/2" strips to 2" ones and pulled together some "kits" for house blocks.  They are waiting patiently for me to sew them together.

Plenty to keep us busy this week!

"Belle"