Friday Night Sew In—Update III

I finished quilting hubby’s B-day Quilt…

Excess has been trimmed too. Now it just needs binding and it will be ready to wash and wrap :)

Friday Night Sew In—Part II

I have been sewing away. I decided to work on hubby’s B-day quilt. I got it all pinned…

 

After pinning it I stopped to eat dinner and clean the kitchen. Thanks to Hubby we had BBQ chicken on the grill. It was yummy (should have taken a pic of that).

 

After eating I got busy quilting…

  As you can see I decided to stipple the quilt. I am outlining the stars and leaving the blue part unstippled. I am making good progress. Unfortunately, I really do not care for the way it is turning out, but feel like I have gone too far to rip it out :(

Maybe I will like it better when it is completed and washed.

Hubby’s B-Day Quilt Top

My hubby’s birthday is May 17. This year he is getting a quilt :) He wanted one that was ALL white…UGGGG. Needless to say, I nixed that idea real quick. I did however try to make him one that has as much white as possible.
A while back, I was making some wonky stars and made on that was blue and white. he really liked it. So that is what I used in his quilt.

Everyone is already in bed so I didn’t have anyone to hold the quilt top up for me. I HATE taking pics while they are laying on the ground because of the angle it gives. Anyway, after trying and trying to take a decent pic I got the idea of leaning over the upstairs banister. Turned out pretty good (better than the others anyway).
The back will be solid white with one star. I will use the center of the star to write something sweet and tag it (CJ’s idea). I am going to either stipple or loopy loop all over it (I think). I will bind it with the same navy that the stars are made out of.

Quilting is Done

Today I took a trip to Joann’s to buy some fabric to back and bind my Recess quilt. I decided to go with navy flannel for the back because I have seen (and felt) several quilts that have been backed with flannel and LOVED how soft and cozy they were. I came home and got my quilt sandwiched and ready to quilt. This evening I decided to go ahead and get the quilting done. Here it is. I still need to bind it. Having second thoughts about the fabric I bought for that. I got red and am not sure now…would love some opinions :)

To say that I LOVE this quilt would be an understatement. It turned out better than I had imagined in my head. I know that it is a super simple BUT I don’t care I LOVE IT!!!

I used Recess and it is about 54 inches square right now.

This quilt is for my Grandmother. It will be a Mother’s Day gift from me and the boys. My Mother passed away when I was a baby and she was my Grandparents only child. Mother’s Day is bitter sweet for her. My Grandmother is getting old and her health isn’t very good. I really wanted to do something special for her this year. I know that it will really warm her heart.

This quilt was inspired by a quilt that my Great Grandmother made for me when I was little. I will try to take a pic of it and post it in a day or two.

P.S.

This will be the 1st quilt that will be given to someone outside of our house (although it is still going to family). Up until now I have had a very hard time parting with the quilts. I still have a hard time. I really want to keep this, but I knew when I was making it that it would be leaving. I made sure to tell my hubby that it was for my Grandmother that way I couldn’t back out :)

Busy Little Sewer

I got a lot accomplished yesterday. I think taking pictures of all my goodies helped get me motivated by reminding me of all the cute fabrics I have waiting for me. 

I managed to finish sewing the top of my Nanny’s Charm Quilt I am giving her for Mother’s Day. I plan on going to Joann’s in a little while to buy some flannel for the back and fabric for the binding. I will try to get it sandwiched and at least ready to sew.

 

I also worked on the quilt I plan on giving my hubby for his Birthday next month. I made 6 of the 13 stars I will need. I plan on making the other 7 today (hopefully).

It’s a 1st

Today I made my 1st mini quilt and pieced back. I have seen many people making mini quilts and doll quilts and I have always wondered WHY?? Well today I found out. Fast, fun, and you get to try new techniques on a small scale. Here is what I made…pretty simple, but it is a start :)

This is the front…

This is the back…

 

I am going to bind it in the strip print.

Tomorrow during the CGQC Spring Sewing Party I will be making another one for the NAME THAT QUILT give away. I have just enough fabric.

I have decided to keep this one because:

• I don’t have any mini quilts and I think this one will be cute on my wall.
• because I just think it is so darn cute!
• because I can :)

The best part of this quilt and the one I am making tomorrow is the fact that everything I used to make them with is scraps. The charms were left over from the BIG quilt and there were not enough to do anything with. The white fabric is left over strips from another project. The strip fabric on the back is the tail cut off of the binding on the BIG quilt. I love that I found a way to use up the scraps. Oh, even the batting is from scraps. I took 2 strips from the excess of the BIG quilt and pieced them together and then cut the size I needed :)

Spring Sewing Party CGQC

UPDATE: 3:18 pm

I am finished quilting my mini quilt

It is a good thing that I decided to quilt on it while the pizzas were in the oven because after we ate I decided to get some meat out of the freezer for dinner. When I pulled out what I wanted a 20 lb package of frozen meat fell and hit my foot…OUCH! Thank goodness I have good reflexes or I would have a few broken toes. I managed to get most of my foot out of the way. I was hit on the very edge of my foot. Not enough to do damage, but still enough to hurt. So now I plan on going upstairs and working on binding my BIG quilt. I will check back in with everyone later.

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UPDATE: 1:50 pm

I am showered and back in my PJs (I know sounds lazy, but oh so comfy)! I still haven’t made lunch. hubby had to run to work and I thought I would wait for him. Turns out it is going to be a while so I am headed to the kitchen to make home made pizzas…YUMMY. Then I will be back to try and get this little quilt quilted before hubby returns. I think when he gets home the fam is going to go upstairs and watch a movie or 2. I may or may not work on bind until the movies are over. I will just have to see :)

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UPDATE: 12:49 pm

I have everything ready for quilting…

Even my batting is pieced together from scraps :)

 

Pinned, taped, and ready to go!

 

Before I start quilting I am going to take a break, make lunch for the fam, and get a much needed shower. I would love to stay in my PJs all day, but I do have to have a shower :)

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UPDATE: 12:14 pm

I have the back together and it is all from scraps. Believe it or not what I had left when sewn together made the EXACT size I needed for the back. Don’t you just love it when it all turns out?

Not sure what it is going to look like with the striped binding, but it is the best I could do :)

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UPDATE: 11:40 am

I have been piddling around, but finally have the top sewn together. Now I just have to figure out what I will be doing for the back. I can not make it the exact same as the other one because I said this was going to be a scrap project and I don’t have another one of those white squares for the center and I don’t have enough striped fabric scraps to go around one any way :( SOOOOOO I need to come up with a new idea to use what I have. I was going to cut into my yardage and got called on it by hubby. He said “man that sure is a BIG scrap”…LOL.

For some reason I can not seem to get a decent picture today. My camera is acting funny. You would think that it would be taking great shot since the sun is shinning. I must have messed up a setting somewhere :(

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UPDATE: 10:27 am

All the pieces of my star are finished and ready to be sewn together…

I tried to make this one a little WONKIER than the original one :)

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UPDATE 10:04 am

Ok I am making some progress. Here is what I have so far…

I actually cut my triangles last night when I made the other mini quilt…Does any one have the ruler I have shown in the picture? It is a Simpli-EZ Jelly Roll Ruler by Kimberly Einmo. I love this ruler. The markings on it make cutting charms, Jelly Rolls, and Layer Cakes a snap :) I have her triangle on too and it is also great!

 

Here are the triangle that will be the star points…isn’t the VERNA fabric just yummy. I really hated to not use these beautiful Bright pinks in my QUILT but now that I am making this cute little mini I am happy that they were left behind :)

Of course I have to have white squares for the background…Kona Cotton (my favorite white).

Putting them together…sewn and ready to trim…

 

I can see a star forming :) Don’t you just love it when you start seeing all your pieces coming together to make your pattern?

Ok, I am off to finish the rest of the star and decide how I am going to do the back.

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UPDATE: 9:15 AM

Good morning all. I am up, had a bowel of captain crunch (not exactly the breakfast of champions, but it will do) and I am ready to sew :)

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Friday 9:35 pm

I have decided what I am going to do for the Party tomorrow. I will be binding this little cutie.

This is the front…

 

This is the back…

The binding will be in the same striped fabric.

I will also be making another one identical or close to it for the mini give away quilt for the NAME THAT QUILT contest. If I have time I will try to make a second mini quilt (more than likely it will be in different fabrics) for the second give away quilt. Then I will probably wrap up the evening by finishing the binding on my BIG VERNA quilt.

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RSVP

I can not wait until Saturday. That is when the CGQC is having it’s Spring Sewing Party. I will probably be finished binding my VERNA quilt, so i think I will work on a couple of wall hanging with the left over charm squares. That should keep me busy, and maybe I will actually finish the project on Saturday. For those that don’t remember my Valentine project took forever and my machine ended up having to go in to the shop.

Now I am off to do some more sewing :)

A Little Shout Out

I love to hear when someone has done an exceptionally good job at something. So I had to share my fabric experience from this evening. I order striped fabric from Rossville Quilts to bind my latest quilt. It came in the mail this afternoon. When I received the package I knew what was inside so I didn’t bother to open it until this evening when I was ready to make my binding. Much to my surprise I opened up a perfectly cut and squared yard of stripe fabric. I didn’t have to do a thing! Thank you Rossville Quilts for saving me a step (one that I hate might I add). If you have never ordered from Rossville Quilts you should give them a try. They have some of the lowest prices and always have great customer service.

Name that Quilt--GIVE AWAY UPDATE

EDIT: I have decided that there should be 2 chances to win. In addition to the Name winner, I will randomly draw a second name from one of the comments of this post. The prize will be another mini quilt from the left over charms. For those of you who do not have a name suggestion please tell me about your favorite fabric line. Right now mine is VERNA.

I will choose the Quilt Name and have the drawing on Wednesday. Good luck :)

I need a name for my new quilt. I am HORRIBLE at naming quilts. This is where you come in. Help me name my quilt. If I choose the name you suggested there will be a prize in it for you :)

What is the prize you ask? Well, I had just enough squares left from my charms to make a Wonky Star mini quilt. Of course I don’t have it made yet, but I assure you I will by the end of the weekend.

Here is a picture of the charms that I have left. Some of them will be used in the mini quilt.

The binding for the quilt you are naming is going to be in the striped fabric on the left (pictured above).

Now, put your thinking caps on and NAME THAT QUILT!

I will post a picture of the quilt again AFTER I have the binding on and have it washed. Remember the squares are raw edge appliquéd so they will be frayed after washing. This will make for one soft, cozy, charming quilt.

I am in LOVE

With this quilt. I just finished the quilting, trimmed it down to the size I wanted it, and it is ready for the binding…now if only the mail would get here with my binding fabric :)

I can not wait to bind and wash this one. I just LOVE it!

For the most part the spacing turned out pretty well. I did learn a few things during this project. If anyone decides to make a quilt like this, I HIGHLY suggest pinning it with safety pins in the middle and then gluing down the corners (gluing first). I didn’t do this at first and had to go back and glue down the corners. I was in a hurry and ended up stretching some of the squares. So it kind of got out of whack, but not enough for me to be bothered by it in the end.

It took a while to get the squares spaced. I made 1 inch spacers from the cardboard inserts from a Layer Cake and charm packs (worked really well too).

 

All in all this was a FUN project, one that I am sure I will do again :)

Oh and thanks to everyone who left comments on the spacing and the BRIGHT pink squares!

The Prettiest Scruffy EVER

Ok I know I am in VERNA mode right now, but come on, it has to be one of the greatest lines there is :) Anyway, while blog hopping this evening I came across this http://www.dollsfromtheloft.com/2010/02/theres-new-girl-in-town.html I couldn’t believe my eyes, it is just too pretty for words!

Need Help :)

I can't decide between 1/2 inch spacing or 1 inch spacing…what do you think? Top part is 1 inch. Bottom part is 1/2 inch.

Verna Quilt Update…

I have all the squares laid out on my sheet. I still need to perfect the spacing, but it is coming along.

This is how I had it laid out at first.

I wasn’t sure I was in love with the BRIGHT PINK squares. I only had 4 of them and to me it just needed a couple more so I took them out and now it looks like this…

not sure why the picture turned out so dark, maybe my flash didn’t go off? Anyway here is it without the BRIGHT PINK squares…what do you think? Layout 1 or layout 2?

Here is a better picture of layout 2 taken from the side angle.

I wish the charms had more of the bright pink squares, but each charm only had 1 of each fabric and I only had 4 charm packs…I am thinking without more of the bright pink I am liking the second layout better. Leave a comment letting my know what you think.

Off to get them spaced correctly, this should be fun….NOT