Finished Cru Quilt

Sitting here on a clear, cold afternoon surrounded by three kiddos trying so hard to get their work finished despite their energy.  Above me, the baby is jumping in her crib.

We are back to school but not too busy.  intentionally so.  which is why i haven't posted in nearly a month.  no rush to get back online.  the kids are growing too fast.  the internet, and my blog can wait.

Christmas was good, and I again used the break to bind a quilt.  Then took it outside to take pictures with Noelle and my brother's springer spaniel, Bentley. 

Oh, thank you for all the input on the backing.  We went with the Crosshatch Sketch for a neutral back.  I think it's perfect.    

Happy New Year! 

Girlfriends Gift

This was what I gave a few of my best girlfriends last year (because you can't expect me to post this year's).

A quick little quilted pouch with my favorite nail polish, by Rimmel and a Stila Lip Glaze, which I bought solely based on a Pioneer Woman's post. (although since using the glaze, i haven't been impressed, fyi.)

What are you giving the girls in your life?  how about the father-in-laws?  just kidding.  not really, i need ideas! 

First Quilt Contest Entry

Remember this quilt?  

I blogged about finishing the top last fall, but never posted once it was quilted. Now seems like a good time, since it's all autumnal and all and the Blogger's Quilt Festival is going on.

    

The idea came from a book called Quilting for Peace, where I saw one with shades of blue sawtooth stars.  It was beautiful.  

So I started one in shades of coral.  

88  sawtooth stars.  

It was slow and steady wins the race for this quilt, but I love it so it was worth it.

I had it professionally quilted last December by a woman who works at a local quilt shop.  I asked her to do an all over meander and avoid the stars.  She did such a tight meander and left the stars unquilted for me-which makes them really pop, don't you think? 

Then I took it home to my folks last Christmas and bound it fireside with my mom.  

Which is a pretty nice way to spend the holidays.  

Blogger’s Quilt Festival Stats

Finished quilt measures : 67″x 88″

Special techniques used : detailed piecing

Quilted by : Martha Wolf

Best Category : Two Color Quilt, Professionally Quilted, Bed Size
Entry No: 425

Nominations begin November 1st, 

so check out all the beautiful entries if you haven't been over to the Festival yet!

More on my quilt here:

• WIP: Sawtooth Post
• Finished Sawtooth Quilttop 

Finished Cruz Quilt

Finished the binding on the Cruz quilt while catching up on Parenthood.  Ohmygoodness, is it getting sad.  Think I cried in both of the last two episodes.  Bleh.  But I love quilting while watching tv.

Fabrics: 

Robert Kaufman Apron Dot , 

Cloud 9 Nursery Gingham in Sky, 

Woodland Trails Bear in Blue,  (love this print)

Kona Snow. 

Think I'll have to make a girl version of this quilt in the future, maybe to give, maybe to keep.

What are you watching these days?

Yellow Butterflies Quilt

My friend is having baby number three this month (or early next).  And it's a girl!  So when I told her I wanted to make a quilt for her, she asked for something yellow with butterflies. What is going on?  Two baby quilts in a row?  Well, they are fun.  

Still need to quilt Cruz' quilt, but school started and sewing time is rare.   

This one went together really fast and I think she likes the fabric...which is the hardest part for me when I'm making something for someone else.  

I used fabric from The Quilted Fish-Apple of my Eye via Hawthorne Threads 

and I love the blue floral one on the back. 

Butterfly quilts seem to be pretty popular these days, no?  Here are a few more from the interwebs:

Red Pepper Quilts-a scrappy one on black

Little Birdie Secrets- appliqued butterflies

Sew Mama Sew- paper pieced butterfly block

Have you made a spools/butterfly quilt?  I'd love to see!

WIP:: What do you name a quilt?

 

I have no idea what to call this quilt.  It's not exactly chevron, right?  But it was really quick and easy.  49- 7 inch square blocks rotated 90 degrees.  It should finish at about 48 inch squared and make a sweet birthday gift for a little boy due in November.  

That's it!  I'll call it my Cruz quilt.  That's the boys name...or one of the top three names or whatever, but it's the only one I can remember my friend thinking about and I think it's awesome, so that's it.  At least the quilt, I mean.  I'm not naming the child, just the quilt. 

Running out of time...school starts next week!  What are you working on?

Angry Quilting :: Finished Last Call Quilt

 This quilt was on my list of things to finish before school starts.  So last week I angry quilted it. 

I feel better now, but I started with grand plans of concentric circles and half circles and quarter circles.  It was too much-and too small circles.  

And I had to rip it all out and quilt it again.    

Only a few more things on my list...

and happy birthday to my best friend, the father of my children and the one who funds my quilting. 

i love you forever.

WIP: Last Call in Kona Solids

This is the Last Call block from the 99 Modern Blocks book.  I used Kona solids charm packs in Classics, Brights and Darks and tried to randomize all the colors.  Oh, and I also enlarged the pattern piece from the book to 143% so that the 5 inch charms were the perfect size.  

This finishes each block at 18 inches, rather than 12.5 inches.

  

Now I have to figure out how I want to quilt it...any thoughts?  I actually have another 3 blocks I could add to make it a 3x4 rectangular lap quilt, but I didn't add them on once I saw it as a 3x3 square.  I have a really huge wall in our living room that begs for a wall hanging...wonder if this might work.

What are you working on this  week?  Link it up to Freshly Pieced's WIP  Wednesday!  

March Bee Block and a Quilt Along

I mailed in my March block -Blocked In from 99 Modern Blocks.  I used my own stash for it-which makes it all the more dear. The other members' blocks seemed to be made of other bright fabric, so I hope they all play together nicely.  

And starting today my bee partner, Megan of City Stitches, is hosting a Quilt Along 

based on the Retro Flowers Patter by Christina at The Sometimes Crafter.  

Doesn't this look fun? May have to try curved pieces...

Etsy-Sometimes Crafter

Finished Magformers Quilt

It's small (crib size), but I really like this quilt.  While I was binding it, I bragged to Matt that my stitches were so stealth-like.  They were ninja stitches.
Of course a lot of things get labeled "ninja" in our house these days, thanks to having boys live here and all.  Not sure yet what purpose the quilt will serve, probably just a play mat for our living room where we don't have carpeting.

Have a great weekend!
ps:
part 1 of Magformers Quilt here.
linking up to Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts-thanks, Amanda Jean!

WIP: Magformers Quilt Top

I've blogged about them before, here and here, but these Magformers really are an every day toy.  We got them for Christmas last year, and I think they have been played with every day since.  In fact, over the weekend, we had a couple over for dinner, who said I 'actually didn't need to put those away' while I  was cleaning up after the kids to put them to bed.  They (real grown ups) didn't mind playing with them while I took the kids up to brush their teeth.

I even like playing with them. And creating quilt tops in my mind with them. Then on graph paper.

I planned to only use my stash, and I did.  But I really love solids and honestly don't mind having a stash of solids, so I made it smaller than my drawing as I was running low on purple and yellow.  and black, which I used all of.  and as soon as I used all my black, I felt the urge to run to the fabric store and get another 2 yards just to have on hand.  I'm not a very good stash buster.

What are you working on this week?

linking up to Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday.

Finished Cardinal Pillow

Wow!  Thanks for the input.  I loved hearing your thoughts.  And without them, I never would have gone in the direction I did.  This is what I ended up with:

I continued the branch down and toward the right so I could use white on the three sides of the left half (or third?).  It's not perfect but I think it still works.   Hope Mom likes it!

Linked up to Crazy Mom Quilts' Finish It Up Friday.

Cardinal Quilt Block on White or Wood?

Mom: Stop reading. 

So my mom emailed me a picture of a cardinal pillow she found online and asked me if I had any red fabric that color.  I took that as a sweet hint that she might like something handmade for Christmas...

Since I'm on a little quilting kick of late, I decided to try paper piecing.  Now that the block is done, I'm thinking it might make a better table runner than pillow.  And I figured I would put it in an all white runner and maybe a brown binding.  But I love love love the wood fabric (from hawthorne threads).  It's pretty cool, no? Is it too much if I put the block in the wood fabric?  

What do you think?  White on white with wood binding?  or wood all around?  maybe red binding? 

Oh, heck, I'll probably just bring it all undone to her house and ask her what she wants...but I'd love to hear your opinions.