Home and catching up

We've been busy moving my daughter, and we're not finished yet.  But all that driving time means stitching time, so I've accomplished a few more blocks on the 1718 Quiltalong.  They aren't perfect (applique in a car rarely is), but they are finished, and finished is good.

I've also been busy making things for the baby's room--dust ruffles and crib sheets.  The shrinking width of fabric from the once standard 45" to today's 41 or 42" really has complicated making crib sheets.  Very annoying to have to sew an additional piece on for the needed width.  Crib sheets used to be so simple.

I don't have any good photos of the finished products, since they're already in the nursery, but you can get an idea of the pretty lime green my dil chose for the room.

 

I've also been making a bunch of economy blocks and have discovered that my accuracy is even worse than I thought!    This project is going to have to sit a while until I get my patience restored enough to try to match points and sew the blocks together.

 

 

This lone block and its mate is still up on the wall because I have lost both the side pieces AND misfiled the fabric I cut them from.  (I'm making two of each block, since it is so much work to cut different ones from stash--and then put it all away)  May someday the fabric will turn up...I hope.

 

And as if that is not enough to work on, I started another new project with scraps, playing along with everyone doing the Quilt Vortex quiltalong by Crazy Mom Quilts.  Nothing much to see yet, except a mess of scraps in my once clean sewing room.  It's fun to have a project that doesn't require much accuracy or thinking or matching and uses up fabric I already have....perfect for me!

Blogger's Quilt Festival #2 -- Turn by Turn

Hi again!   This is my second entry in the Blogger's Quilt Festival which started today and runs through May 29. 

Many thanks to Amy's Creative Side for hosting the festival and giving us all the opportunity to see the lovely projects everyone has been working on this past year.  The quilts are amazing.

My entry is a quilt from a pattern found in Quilt Sampler (Spring/Summer 2011), called Turn by Turn.  I started it in February 2013, sent it off to be quilted in March, and didn't finish it until November 2014.  What can I say--I hate to do bindings and I'm not good at finishing.  This is during the binding process, but shows the richness of the Kaffe fabrics better than the other photographs.

 

   

 

It was quilted by Yvette of Yvette's Custom Quilting.  The quilting is hard to see, but really lovely. It runs along each strip of color, with a small separate design on the brown and white dot.  I likely wouldn't have chosen the brown and white dot for the lattice if it hadn't been used in the magazine, but it worked really well to set off the colors of the Kaffes.   

 

 

The backing is also a Kaffe, a print called Bekah.  It is one of my favorites for backing.  Really a gorgeous fabric.  I was a little sad to use up my last piece of the print.

 

The binding is a fabric by Philip Jacobs called Chard, in blue, which has enough teal and pink to pull it all together.

And just because this photo was in with the others, and because Bryna was so sweet at this age (and at that moment), here's the finished French General.  I'm guessing I didn't post a photo because it was to be a gift.

Both Turn by Turn and the French General were Christmas presents this past Christmas.  I was sorry to see them go!

 

Turn by Turn is entered in the Large Quilt Category of the Blogger's Quilt Festival.  It measures roughly 110 x 120 plus the outside border, so maybe 120 x 130?  (I didn't measure it before it was given away)  I pieced it, and it was quilted wonderfully by Yvette of Yvette's Custom Quilting.

 

Be sure to check out all the other quilts in the Large Category at the Blogger's Quilt Festival.  And thanks for stopping by!

Blogger's Quilt Festival -- Pastel Turn by Turn

In looking at my old posts, I realized I hadn't shared promised photos of my two finished Turn by Turn quilts.  Since the Blogger's Quilt Festival started today, it seems like the perfect time--and motivation (!!), so they will be my two entries. 

This is the smaller of the two.  I apologize for the wrinkles.  I had to run out in between rain storms to try to photograph it despite a bit of wind.  Fortunately, my "helper" was pretty picky about getting it "just right".

The two quilts are made the same way, but this one is scaled down so that the blocks measure roughly 6 inches.  This was supposed to be a baby sized quilt, but so many of my Kaffe pieces clamored to be included and I couldn't say no, so it ended up being 60 x 60, minus a little for shrinkage.

As always, Yvette did a lovely job quilting it.

The back fabric is from a Lakehouse fabric line called Sausalito Cottage. 

I purchased it while traveling and had to piece it in order to have enough.  As luck would have it, just after piecing it, I remembered why I had purchased it.  It is supposed to be an inner border for another project.  (oh well)

 

 

My helper was exhausted from all the work.  Fortunately she can (and does) sleep anywhere and anytime.

 

Be sure to check out all the lovely quilts in the Blogger's Festival at Amy's Creative Side. 

This one is in the Small Quilt category.  It measures just barely under 240" in total. It was pieced by me, and quilted by Yvette of Yvette's Custom Quilting. 

 

Thanks for visiting!

 

Catching up--a little!

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted!

My darling little baby (and terror) has grown into a big darling, who loves to pull up and eat my hostas and tulips if I dare turn my back.  She also eats every scrap of fabric (and some cut pieces), threads, batting, Kleenexes and one pin, stolen from my table, has been found in her mouth. So not much sewing has been done.  This is her typical pose.  She also sleeps in this ladylike position.

Despite my puppy challenge, I have managed to start a couple of projects.   First, I began a couple of baby quilts, for much wanted babies 2B, only to be told that the parents did not want any quilts.  "Other people are making us quilts."   And yes, the father is MY son.  How did this happen?  I still wonder how I failed him.

I'm sure you all can imagine how I felt about not making a quilt for my FIRST grandbabies--twin girls due this summer.  Severe depression and many tears does not begin to describe it.  To compensate for the depression, I felt it was appropriate to start something new.  Several somethings new, actually.  But this is one I can share. 

 It is from the 1718 Coverlet book by Susan Briscoe.  There is a group on Facebook which is doing it as a quiltalong.  It is a closed group, so you have to join to look at the many quilts--and they are in a wide variety of fabrics. 

I am doing my way as a "quilt-very-far-behind".  It has a lot of applique and I am painfully slow and now have a hurt thumb, so this may become another UFO.  I am using Chicopee, by Denyse Schmidt, and 25+ year old fabric that coordinates nicely with it.  A perfect reason to buy fabric all the time--colors come and go, and a girl must have a stash to meet those needs.

I also finished two more blocks from Just Takes Two.  At this rate, it might be another two decades before I am finished.

I also managed to sew some baby outfits.  Not wonderful, but they are done.  The shower is tomorrow.  I just have to wrap them.  I have lost part of the present that needs to go in the package., so have been hoping it will turn up.  Guess I need to clean house.

 

Unfortunately, AFTER I bought the fabric and started sewing, I learned that the mom2B doesn't like baby pink.  Sigh.  It's been one of those times.  I went with something conservative, instead of Kaffe types in an effort not to be too quilty.  The moral is:  Just be yourself and use the fabric that inspires you.  Let the chips fall where they may.

 

 

 

The photo is confusing, but they are reversible.  The one on the left is the front of the pants, the one on the right is the back of the reverse.  The pants are Quick Change Trousers from a book by Anna Marie Horner,  Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby.    The pants stitched together easily (although with two of them, seems like forever,compared to one)  The hats are from another book I borrowed from my library, and since they did not go together well, I won't recommend it. 

 

And, for those of you with excellent memories, I did finally manage to finish piecing my pink and green pyramids.  (It will need to rest a bit before I can figure out a back for it--I have to get the pink and green triangles out of my brain).  I'd show you a photo, but I folded it up and tucked it away as soon as I was done.  Maybe I can stand to look at it again in a couple of months.

 

 My design wall is now covered with the 1718 pieces and a bunch of threads.  It's a wonderful change!  I'm also contemplating doing an I Spy economy block quilt for the twins for when they are bigger, but I'm not sure I'm up to two of them. Happy Quilting!