Finish It Up Friday!

Here's my finish for the week!

 

I FINALLY got Stella's quilt bound and washed.

This quilt's got quite a story.  Month's ago, Stella (my niece) who's 7, drew me a picture of a quilt she wanted.  Basically it was six squares with flowers in some of them.

Then, she came over and picked out one fabric from my stash that she wanted in her quilt.

Butterflies.

Then I pulled everything else and went to town.

Finding fabrics that went well with the butterfly fabric she chose was quite the chore.

Especially because i didn't want it to be overly pinky. (Yes, I'm aware the backing is pink.  It's just not overly pink.)

The design was something I came up with after messing around with mini dresdens in a runner.

There are a few things I'd do differently if I were to offer it at a pattern, which I might do, at some point.

I backed it using a great vintage sheet I scored at the Goodwill for $1.

She and her mom are coming over tonight and she'll get to take it home!

I also finished up a UFO for her mom, too...

...more on that tomorrow!

I'm linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts' Finish It Up Friday.

Honey Honey Quilt

Months ago, my in-laws asked me to make a quilt to add to a care package for a dear friend's youngest daughter, who is fighting cancer.  They all chipped in on the fabric, and voila.

I used Tula Pink's Honey Honey pattern.

I love how bright and cheery it is.  The quilting is pretty dense, I wanted it to be able to hold up to washings.

 

The back is a super soft pink minky, which I folded over for the binding.

A couple of notes -

The pattern was pretty clear, but I had a lot of the fabric for the centers left over.  Luckily, they're cut at 2 1/2" so I was able to unpick the sewing and add them to my scraps.

Minky fabric sucks.

It bunches and pulls and doesn't lie flat.

I'm sure there are tricks to working with it, but I don't know any of them.

It'll be awhile before I do that again.

Overall, I like how it turned out!

Back in the groove

I'm finally feeling like I'm beginning to get caught up with life.   I actually started and completed a project all in the same week.

(can you believe it?)

I made a little quilt for my mother-in-law for Mother's day.  The idea came from the a magazine I picked up - Quilt Almanac 2011.

I was rather disappointed in the magazine.  I was expecting templates and patterns for all the flowers and leaves, but there wasn't any.  The other patterns in the book were okay, but nothing super exciting.  I wouldn't recommend spending $10 on it, it wasn't worth it. 

Anyway, back to my project

It was challenging.

I'm not super comfortable with applique, but I think it turned out neat.

Each hand print is one of the grand kids.

I practiced my stippling and "organic" outlining.

I'm a bit more comfortable using fusible web.  The web had problems sticking to the back of the hand prints, even when I followed the actual directions on the packaging.

She was thrilled with it, which is what matters most.

I've started packing up my UFOs that I know I won't work on this summer.

I'm trying to be realistic, summer is busy enough and then adding in building and moving...  I'm totally thrilled to be building a house that's almost double the size of our current home.

(and I get my own room, JUST FOR SEWING!!!!!)

I'm also dreading packing and moving.

We've lived here for 9 years.  When we moved in it was just me, the Mr. and a nine month old baby.  We've managed to accumulate 2 more kinds and a lot of stuff in 9 years.

School will be out for the summer in about 6 weeks, and that's when I'll really start packing up everything.  We should be moving at the end of August.

Super exciting!

The Great Sew Mama Sew Pillow Contest

I decided to enter my Pure Hex Pillow in The Great SMS pillow contest. 

I was so frustrated and DONE with hexagons by the time I actually finished this quilt.

I wanted to toss all the extras and be done with it.

My inability to throw away any usable fabric saved me from that.

Instead, I unpicked the matching 1/2 hexes and re-sewed them into 6 scrappy hexagons.

Then I sewed them into an odd shaped table topper.

I  looked at it and thought

 hmm.

I wonder if I can sew all the edges together and make a pillow.

So I did.

It was quite the challenge.

I kept having to re-check the seams I was going to sew.

I didn't turn out how I thought it would, but I totally like it.

I don't think I'll make another one though...

Well, maybe if someone asked nicely.

really nicely.

and gave me chocolate.

Pure Hexagons...Pure Craziness

Before Christmas I started building a hexagon quilt for a gift.

I used Jaybird Quilts hexagon quilt along as a guide.

I even purchased a jelly roll.  (since it was going to be a gift, I could ratioanlize the cost.)

*sigh*

I chose the Pure line by Sweetwater.

I played with the strips for hours before finally sewing and cutting them into triangles.

I got them all lined up on the floor, set out exactly how I wanted them to be.

It took hours.

I piled them neatly into little stacks, numbered and ready to be sewed.

I then managed to dump all my little stacks all over the floor.

On Christmas Eve Eve.

I'm glad the kids were sleeping because I sure didn't say "Golly, gosh darn!"

Yeah, I didn't give that one as a gift.

Last week I finally got around to re-sorting and organizing them again.

Then I PINNED them into little numbered piles.

and sewed 'em together.

Another top done!

Into the "QUILT ME" closet.

progress.

I had a few leftover hexagons and I played with them and came up with a pillow

It's a hexagon made of hexagons! 

It was a challenge.

It's done.

and I like it.

2010 Finishes - Big and Small

Looking back, 2010 was the year I really got into quilting.

 

Last year I finished 9 crib size or larger quilts.  The details for each are listed on my Big Finished Quilts page.

 

 

I also made:

1. crayon tote inside, 2. christmas potholder, 3. 12 days banner (2), 4. stocking sample (3), 5. Bitty Blue Front, 6. detail birthday dress, 7. Halloween Zig Zag, 8. cathedral in progress, 9. charming mini sent june, 10. girls new shade, 11. birthday shirt, 12. birthday dress, 13. STUD June anything goes, 14. Finished Summer Mini Quilt

I'm pretty sure there are a few small 'uns I forgot to photo, but overall, it was a productive year.

Much more positive to look at what I did finish than what I didn't get done.

What does 2011 hold for me, sewing-wise?

More finishes, less new projects.  I've told myself that I can start a new project when  I finish two older projects.  Wanna see my UFO list? 

1. String X's
2. Muffin's Trip Around the World
3. Carolina Christmas II
4. Tic-Tac Toe
5. Sew Buzzy Stars
6. Ravishing in Red
7. Alice in Wonderland
8. Crazy Mom Quilts Quilt Along #5
9. Double Wedding Ring Tree Skirt
10. Pure Hexagons
11. ColorWheel Geese
12. Em's Halloween Runner
13. Cool Braids
14. Harry Potter

 Some of these are pieced tops, ready to be quilted.

Some are blocks from bees, just waiting to be sashed and set...gonna design settings though...

Some have half the blocks pieced...

you get the picture. 

We will be moving this summer and I REALLY don't want to pack half finished projects...

I think I'll post this list in the sidebar.  Might help me make some progress on it.  Kind of overwhelming at the moment. 

Know what else this means?  I'm limiting my bees and swaps.

Right now I'm part of 8 different bees.

Too Many.

My life has gotten much crazier than when I signed up for them. 

Sew Bee It 

Bee Improvisational 

Not Your Grandma's Quilting Bee - Bumble Bees 

Not Your Grandma's Quilting Bee - The Hive

Sew Buzzy 

Scrap Happy 

[3x6] Sampler Quilt Mini Bee 

Ravishing In Red

I'm going to finish up the bees I'm currently in, and then cut back to one.  (maybe two.)

and limit my swaps to one at a time.

*sigh*

limits.  setting limits.

saying "no" is so hard.

I wanna sew more with my kiddos. 

I wanna sew stuff for my new house.

there are just not enough hours in the day.

Last Bit of Christmas Sewing

Alrighty, here's the last of my Christmas sewing reveal.

In the two weeks before Christmas I also made eight potholder/trivets, various sizes and styles, all made with a 12 days of Christmas Charm pack.

(I adore Kate Spain)

I didn't have a chance to take any pictures of them, Mr. Chaos was wrapping them as quick as I could finish them.

My sister-in-law was nice enough to snap of picture of the one I made for her, so you can get the general sense of what they looked like.

I've decided that grommets are the best.

love them.

gonna use them all the time.

I also made ten of these

Crayon totes for my nieces and nephews.

Yup.

Ten.

I only needed 9, but I somehow mis-counted the number of "boy" ones and "girl" ones so I have an extra boy one.

I'll save if for a random birthday gift.

All of the totes are different.

My kids picked who got which one, it was really fun to watch them figure out who would like what.

I was a bit nervous because the two oldest are in 6th grade, and I thought they might be a bit old for them.  I swapped out the crayons for colored pencils, and they love them.

That does it for my Christmas craziness.

four big quilts,

eight quilted potholders/trivets

and

ten crayon totes.

Part Four of Four ~ Completed Quilts

Here is the last of the four quilts I  completed in December. 

This one had been sitting in my closet for a year.  One of the first tops I pieced, it is super simple 8-inch squares.  Boring.  I think that's why it sat in the closet for so long.  :)

Simple Squares

This was gifted to Mr. Chaos' Aunt.

 Hope she likes it!

Well, that's it for the big quilts I completed in the weeks before Christmas.

Next, I'll show you the smaller bits I made too.

it was a super busy december.

Part Three of Four ~ Completed Quilts

This is the quilt I am the most proud of and I totally love it.   

May I introduce you to my Pinwheel Sampler?

I adore it.

I participated in PS I Quilt's Pinwheel Sampler Quilt Along.

Mr. Chaos helped create the layout, which I like better than the standard 4 x 4 square.

I quilted wobbly  organic circles in the pinwheel blocks

 and curly-q's in the blank areas.

I did a border of squares and mini pinwheels, which really finished it.

The fabric is Hello Betty - the retro colorway.

I didn't mean to purchase the retro colorway, it was the very first pre-cut I bought (it was a layer cake)

This wonderful quilt now happily resides on the back of my sister's couch.

She watched me build it, the WHOLE time commenting on how great the colors were and how much she loved it.

how could I not give it to her?

She's hinting telling me that she needs some matching pillows.

on a side note, JoAnn's was out of warm and natural when I bought batting for this one, so I went with organic cotton.

 (after my coupon was the same price as warm and natural)

i have to say, I may never go back.

It has such a nice, soft feel to it.

not stiff at all, it drapes very nicely.

 and it's still thin and wrinkly.

Part Two of Four ~ Finished Quilts

The next one I completed was a Christmas Sampler. 

The blocks were made for by the lovely ladies in the Christmas in July Mini Bee.

This one was a gift.

For my Mom (and Dad)

Quilted with the wavy lines again.

She loves it.

even told me she's gonna keep it out all year.

She'll just flip it over to the backing.

The cornerstones are signature squares I sent out with my fabric for the month.

Scrappy binding.

I think it turned out better than I had hoped.

Part One of Four ~ Finished Quilts ~

4 Quilts in two weeks. 

First I completed the this one, for Miss Mae.

Not a gift, just WAY overdue.  The top has been done and hanging in the closet for almost a year.

Pink Scrappy Bargello.  It's big enough just to lay on top of her bed, with no overhang.

I quilted it in pink with my new favorite wavy lines.

And the back was pieced from my stash.

Actually, the entire quilt is leftovers and remnant bin finds.

both girls have dresses made out of the pink cherries, and Miss Mae's 3rd birthday dress was made from the white with little flowers on it.   {Yikes!  that was five years ago!}

There are memories attached to almost all the pieces in it.

Each quilt I finished in December will get it's own post, so stay tuned!

wow. a lot of sewing.

Where to begin?

One project at a time.

Stockings.

My sister (Emmy's) first sewing attempt was a huge success.  I whipped up a sample, just to make sure my method was correct.

Took me about an hour.

Super cute, no?

mini red pom-poms!

 

these wavy lines are my new favorite quilting stitch.

(you'll be seeing more of them)

My machine does it all by itself and it works with the walking foot.

I loosely followed this tute - mostly the part about sewing in the lining all pretty.

Emmy did awesome.

Took her three or four nights to finish everything.

It was the first time I'd taught an adult.

She did all the cutting, pinning, sewing and quilting. 

She only had to re-cut 2 pieces and rip out one seam. (she did rip out that one seam three times...)

She did all the quilting, and when it wasn't perfect, I explained that she meant to do it that way, it's called "organic quilting"

we laughed.

a lot.

might have been the late hours - she could only come over after all the kids (hers and mine) were in bed.

it was fun

I totally hope she wants to sew again.

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night...

When I finally got home on late Saturday night early Sunday morning.

I was exhausted by the time I got to my car at the airport.

Then I had to spend 15 minutes thawing and scraping all the ice off the windows.

then drive home in the yucky cold rain.

I finally made it home and found my mailbox STUFFED with wet mail. 

This was in the mail.  luckily it had be sent in a plastic envelope, so nothing was wet.

Rapunzel!  and Sushi!  and Gnomes!

From Canada!

For those of you that are following, this makes 7 packages.

Seven wonderful bits of happiness.

I am so completely blown away by all of the caring, kind people out there.

Thank you.

I know I'm supposed to use all of them for me, but I feel like I need to give back in some way, so I want to give away a few things.

More than likely I'll be using stuff from my stash and not these beautiful fabrics, I haven't had enough of a chance to pet them!  Can't use them yet!

I did manage to finish The Boy's quilt.  The top has been sitting in the closet for about a year.  He wasn't too sure about the idea of spending the whole weekend away from home, so I told him that he could sleep with this and pretend I was giving him hugs to keep him warm.

May I present:

Holy Wonky Rails, Batman!

It finished at about 54"x60"

It's not perfect by any means, but done is better than perfect.

I pieced the back, making it a bit more subdued so he can flip it over when he's "too old" for Batman.

He doesn't care that it isn't perfect.  Or that the quilting isn't even and smooth.

He loves it.  and really, that's all that matters.

Gift Giving

Yesterday was my mom's birthday. Way back in April I had this grand plan to make her a table runner for each of the holidays and give it to her for her birthday. I did this one, for Easter. Two days ago my sister called to remind me that it was her birthday. So, yesterday I whipped up this nifty Halloween runner.

I couldn't find the power cord for my Brother, so I opted to try quilting it on my Singer. 

I am in love. 

It quilted up beautifully. The tensions are all correct without to much fiddling, and the machine runs smoothly, which helps me keep everything even.

Look!

  

even the back looks good.

You have no idea how proud I am of this little runner.  It's the first time my quilting looks as good as my piecing.

The Singer is now my official quilting machine.

Finished Coins!

Done and gifted! 

We went camping this week with friends, one who happened to be Kim, the new owner of this quilt.  She loves it!  Whew!  I have horrible self-esteem when it comes to making things for other people.  (what if they don't like it?) and as a trade, I wanted it to be perfect, since I adore my redone furniture. (which I just realize I hadn't blogged about yet)

Any-who, she adores it, so all's well.  This was the quickest turn around I've ever done.  one evening to piece the coins, one evening to piece the top, and a day to quilt, bind and wash it.

I'm still a newbie at the whole actual quilting process.  I outlined the coins and did loopy vines in the white.  It finished at about 50"x60."

Quilt Completion!

Done done done!  I finished the baby girl quilts for my twin nieces.  I only have pictures of one, my sis snagged the other one as soon as it was done.   They are the same though, so use your imagination.  :)

Stats:

fabric - hushabye by tula pink

pattern - flutterby by debbie mumm

quilting - icepurplepenguin on etsy