T-shirt Quilt for DH

I also finished a quilt for my DH out of some of his old T-shirts which he received for Christmas this year. It runs the gamut from his various motorcycles and corvettes, to hobbies that include gaming and racing. It's so HIM. He also made a number of the T-shirts I used in this quilt. He seemed to really love it and that's the best feeling of all. His mom helped me piece the top together when she was out visiting this past summer. It was fun to work on a project with her.
I don't know that I'll ever make a t-shirt quilt again though. The fabric was stretchy and even the flannel wasn't very stable, so making it a challenge to quilt without getting pin tucks in the back. There are two little tucks which annoy me but not enough to have picked them out and requilted those sections. Heh. It'll be fine. It's just a couch blankie for him and I'm sure he'll take it when it goes on his overnight motorcycle racing weekends with the boys.

Flannel Quilt for Dad

Happy Holidays to All! Hope they were joyous and fun filled. (Mine were - whoop!) Looking forward to New Year's too. Sorry, I can't believe that the last time I posted here was October! It's been a very busy couple of months. I'll try to be better in 2012. Promise!

So I did actually manage to *finish* a quilt! This one was for my Dad. He's not in the best of health (bad Rheumatoid arthritis) and because of that often has to just sit and do nothing. The perfect excuse to be a couch potato. Anyway how can you sit around and watch TV all day without something warm to snuggle up into? Simply, you can't. So I made him a quilt. (He did have an old ratty pink one, which I find hilarious since he's got this crazy aversion to pink otherwise.) So the dog inherited the old one and now he's got this! (Which I gave him for Christmas and he loved BTW)




The whole thing is made of flannel, front and back. Nice and warm! but hum... Not sure I'll do that again. It was kinda a PITA to work as everything sticks to everything else. ie. the fabrics don't slide easily to line things up and it tended to fray a lot more then quilting cotton. It wasn't the worst fabric I've ever worked with but it just wasn't as easy a nice unbrushed cotton. ;^)

Table Runner

Finished a table runner for my mom... just in time for fall. Good thing too since I started it way back in July. Heh. Hoping to see her soon to gift. Maybe this weekend?

Mug Rug

I finished a sweet little mug rug I made this month for an on-line swap. I'm not up to big projects yet but it was nice to revisit my sewing room for a bit.


I left the fringe of his scarf unattached for a bit of fun too.

The World of Amish Quilts

Normally I don't post book reviews here but since this one was quilting related I thought I'd pop it up here.


The World of Amish Quilts by Kenneth Pellman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed both the plethora of colorful images that were packed into this book along with the snippets of Amish culture, history and lifestyle. The latter explaining many of the choices of quilt design and color choice. In the modern quilt movement that seems to be happening these days it is inspiring to look to a group of quilts that seem to already embody much of "todays aesthetic" even if they were made over 100 years ago. Nothing is new! They are beautiful, artistic and inspiring.... now I want to go quilt.



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Fabric Friday - An Ocean of Fabric

I feel kinda bad that all I've been posting here lately is long ago fabric purchases. The reality is I haven't been sewing much the past few months since I found out I was pregnant and have been experiencing some severe morning sickness. However I'm very slowly starting to feel better and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things in the next month or so. I've set myself some goals and larger projects to finish up by the holidays so here's hoping I can get them done! I also have a few basic tutorials I've promised people I'd make and I'd like to get to those sometime in the next few weeks. Keep your eyes peeled! In the meantime, yes there's more fabric I can share.

My poor sister's quilt I started over a year ago and just can't seem to get done is languishing in my sewing room. Instead of torturing myself looking at all the quilting left to do on it I thought I'd just make her another whole top (yes that's easier!) and let her take it to a long armer to have the quilting done since my poor little machine struggles with shoving a queen size quilt through the neck. So Kiki's quilt - take 2!

Finished!

Yes, it's been a while since I actually finished anything crafty. But hey! Lookie here. I finally got something done. No doubt it's a small something, but a something none the less. I started this in the spring but I just couldn’t get myself to sew all those little straight lines once I’d started. Well, today was the day I tackled it without excuse. It’s larger then a mug rug, though I suppose it could be used for that. I originally intended it to be used kind of like a doily to put a vase of flowers on to keep any water off the nicer pieces of furniture in our home.

Fabric Friday: Christmas in July

So yeah, back in July, while out at the Sister's Quilt Show, I was thinking about Christmas. I've always wanted to make a Christmas quilt but could never really come up with a pattern that spoke to me. However because of all the beautiful quilts there I was struck with inspiration and now have a "master plan" in mind! So of course I now need to start collecting Christmas themed fabric. Here are the first three FQ's. Not very exciting yet but hey - it's a start! I don't think I'll get it done by this Christmas but maybe the next one... that's goal anyway. Not only will there be much machine sewing for this quilt but also a lot of handwork too that I just don't think I can finish up in a few short months.

Fabric Friday: Someday, a Fall Quilt

I actually do have a project in mind for this fabric.... I haven't started it yet as I'd like to have some templates made for the pieces that need to be cut out. I think it'll go much smoother with templates since the pattern is somewhat complex and involves Y-Seams, curves and a lots of odd angles. It should be a stunner when and if I can get it done. Hopefully with Snooky in school most days now I'll be able to devote the time to this project that it'll require. Originally the pattern suggests using solids but I adore pattern and just can't quite bring myself to work with solids. So I tried to get as tone-on-tone as I could. If I'm successful with this quilt top I might try to enter it into the Sister's Quilt show next year. That's my plan... oh, to have it quilt by check. ;^)

Fabric Friday: This One's for the Birds

The above fabric was a little bit of everything that caught my eye while shop hopping on my now long ago trip to Sisters at the beginning of July. I had bought some of the golden yellow fabric previously, used it in all sorts of things feeling it to be the "perfect" yellow, and ran out. So when I found this little FQ of course it had to be mine! I've also been resisting buying Fandango for ages now... I'm not sure why. I love that line and finally gave in allowing myself a few FQ's which I have no idea what I'll do with. The other FQ's were sweet and also hopped in my basket, again without much rhyme or reason. I hope I can find a use for them. The half yard cuts (rolled up on the right) I sort of thought I could use to make a small quilt lap quilt for Snooky with or maybe a dress but again, while I love the line, I don't have a project in mind.

Below was a mug from The Stitchin' Post in Sisters. It shows a close up section from this years annual poster for the Sister's Outdoor Quilt Show. I just love the sweet little bird and the bright fun colors!

Fabric Friday: Gettin' Dressed

Another fabric purchase from my Sister's quilt retreat in July. I've been making my daughter little slip-over-the-head dresses for summer. I saw the sweet little brown and pink fabric with the birds on it and immediately thought of Snooky's dresses. She'd look adorable. I paired it with some white/pink and solid pink I had in my stash, which I thought would make a cute lining and pocket fabric. My only thought is, I might have to get a new pattern and make this in the next size up, since she's already outgrowing the one's I made this summer. (Which means I hope I have enough fabric!) That way if I do get around to making it after the weather cools off, she'll at least be able to wear it next summer too.

Fabric Friday: A Love of Aprons but Not Dirty Dishes

I really do love aprons and couldn't help buy by some fabric and a pattern while on my trip out to Sister's in July.  Charissa found the adorable 30's retro fabric on super-sale at a quilt shop in Bend.  There were only a few yards left on the bolt, and to make it even cheaper we split the difference and "killed" the bolt.  I found the pattern at The Stichin' Post in Sisters.  It's reversible and adorable.  I got the fabric on the left at the SP too.  I'm hoping to make these up sometime in the fall, just in time for all the holiday baking and cooking that goes on around here.

Sister's Outdoor Quilt Show: Pt. 4, The Quilts

I think I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves. I had a great time (even if I wasn't feeling so great that day) there were so many amazing quilts, it was just a joy and an inspiration to be there.

Fabric Friday: It's so Mom

During my trip out to Sisters I *might* have spent a little bit of $$ on fabric.  One of the first fabric stores we stopped at I saw this fabric line, <i>Collections for a Cause - Hope by Howard Marcus for Moda</i>.  I can't remember ever seeing a fabric line that screamed my Mother quite so much.  I thought I'd pick up at least a charm pack to make her something small like a table runner with a little extra to finish up the project.  I tried to wing the pattern design in my head and so far managed to buy just the right amount of everything.  I might even have enough left over to make her a tote bag with the scraps.

I'm enjoying working with fabric that's a bit out of my norm. Also I showed the fabric to my Mom and predictably, she LURVED it.

Talk to Me Tuesday No. 7: Hot Hexi's

Talk to Me Tuesdays

Ira Glass on the Creative Process

I really like this piece Ira Glass did on the creative process.   Of course he's talking about writing and story telling but really you could apply a lot of what he says to any sort of creative endeavor.

Sister's Quilt Show - PT 3: Christmas in July

So by Friday night we had a full house with the addition of Jen, Jill and Pe'tra arriving.  I'd put on a pot of chili earlier in the day so that evening all we had to do was fill our bowls and our bellies.  Who wants to cook when you're having fun?!  After dinner we had a quilters Christmas in July.  There was a gift exchange and it was super fun to both hand out the goodies I'd been working on for everyone all month long, as well as get a pile of neat stuff too.  Heather took some great photos of the exchange so I'll borrow some of hers... I was too busy Ooooing and Aweing everyone's stuff! lol

I made tote bags using Sonnet of the Moon's Tote Bag Tutorial.  I liked that I could really vary the style depending on fabrics and whatever block I chose to make for each one.  I tried very hard to choose patterns, colors and fabrics I thought the recipient would enjoy.  I think I did pretty good - only missing one persons taste by a long shot.  Ooops!  More on that later...



Heather!


Here's Heather's bag.  She'd given me a bit of Mendocino to use on another quilt and I thought since it was her fabric to begin with wouldn't it be nice to make a small project using it?  It's such an awesome line, every little thread deserves to be made into *something*.  So I designed a block that utilized hexi's and showed off the mermaids.  The front of the bag is all hand pieced.


The lining on her bag - I do adore all those mermaids!



Jen!


Jen's bag I did first, cause it was easiest.  She's got a big personality and you pretty much always know what she likes and doesn't like so it was pretty easy to pick fabrics and colors and style and get gettin'.  I made some "3D" Flying Geese See tutorial here so they're textural and make little pockets.  She can tack them down later if she likes.  Orange is a good color for her, warm just like her personality!



Barbara!


Barbara has this awesome red leather handbag that *I love* and so I just let that be my color inspiration.  Plus she's a happy bubbly summery kinda gal... I just went with that feel and came up with this for her tote.  I did see another bag that was similar and was inspired to try it (but now I can't remember where, so not totally my design).  Anyway it was fun to do a raw edge applique which I'd never tried before.  The bottom of the bag says SUMMER!



Colleen!


Colleens bag was more of a challenge since I don't know her all that well and she doesn't keep a blog for me to poke around on to be inspired.  I asked Heather a couple of times what she likes and she said brights.  So while I was shopping for fabric for another of the bags I noticed the fun paisley and the pretty aqua.  I'd originally picked them up for myself to make something with but then thought they'd be perfect for Colleen.  I even used a bit of left over orange from Jen's bag to finish it off.  Five years ago I'd also bought templates to make a drunkards path quilt and never got around to it.  While I was brainstorming for pattern ideas for this bag I'd remembered the templates and was really happy when I found them buried in my sewing room under a bunch of stuff.  I didn't have to buy them - woop! I really like the way this one turned out too.



Jill on the left.


Jill's bag was probably the hardest for me to design.  She has a bit of an eclectic style so it wasn't easy to nail down any one aesthetic.  She'd recently shown me a bag she'd received in a swap using Mendocino fabrics and linen.  She loved it.  I didn't want to do a copy of it but I wanted to keep in the spirit.  I used linen for the background and did use Mendocino in the bottle portion... cause I thought it was kinda funny to have mermaids swimming around in a beer bottle.  I'm friends with her on FB and this summer there'd been a few posts about drinking beer on the porch and it just seemed summery and fun and appropriate.  I stitched some song lyrics on the bottle, "Get up and dance, get up and smile, get up and drink to days gone in the shortest while." I used these words because summer is short, the Sister's quilt retreat weekend is even shorter and one should enjoy it all while it lasts. =)



Pe'tra on the right.


Pe'tra had mentioned on her blog that she really liked yellow and linen together.  Okay! That makes it a lot easier. Then it was just a matter of coming up with a pattern that I thought was modern and kinda cool.  I was surprised at how much I really liked the combination of these fabrics.  I thought the yellow might wash out too much next to the linen but it really didn't.  It's a great summery, sunshiny pallet.  It was fun too because the PMQG had a scrap swap in June so I was able to grab a ton of little yellow scraps for this project to make it charming... no two fabrics are the same.



I had originally made the pink bag for Charissa because she was very enamored of a pink triangle quilt in last year's show.  I also figured since she's got a husband and three boys, no one would dare borrow her pink bag. Ha!


I made this bag for myself as I'd wanted to try Cathedral Windows for a long time.  I didn't really want to commit to a huge project so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to give it a whirl without committing a ton of time and energy into a whole bed covering.  I figured if it came out a little wonky I wouldn't mind but wouldn't consider giving away anything shoddy.  Well as it turns out, Charissa does NOT like pink. Ooops!  She told me later that she liked the pattern (of the triangle quilt she was looking at) but pink was way too girlie for her tastes.  She did however LOVE the green/grey bag I'd made for myself.  So, what the heck, I traded her.  I'd rather she have something she really loves then something I think she should like and or have.  I do like the pink one, so no skin off my nose either.   Though I might have to make myself another Cathedral Windows tote for myself sometime soon. ;^)



One of the key people that makes my Sister's trip possible is my own sister, Kiki!  In order to keep Snooky from being too heart broken that her Mama's gone (OH she *LURVES* her Mama) I try to keep her extra busy.  One of the ways I do that is to send her over to her Auntie's for a few days for a slumber party with her cousins.  She loves it and it's a special time they all get to have together.  It wipes my sister out, since her kids are both pretty mellow and Miss Snooky is a spitfire.  So as a thank you to Kiki, I made her a bag too. She likes beachy colors so blues, aquas and a light washed yellow seemed right.  I also liked the pattern from the pink bag so I just went ahead and used it again.  It's kinda funny that my sister and I wound up with "matching" bags... except for the color. That's always how it was when we were kids, we'd get the same thing but in different colors so we could tell them apart.



Christina was supposed to join us but injured her finger and had some other personal stuff come up and just really couldn't get away for the weekend.  It was sad that she had to back out but Heather took her bag and will give it to her the next time she sees her.  Christiana likes Denyse Schmidt's Flea Market Fancy and I had a bit of green so I used it up and she'd also mentioned that she wanted to make a quilt out of the modern log cabin book by Susan Beal.  It wasn't too hard to figure out the pattern so I just whipped one up. I dunno why but I felt a strong desire to stick a giant orange button in the center of the the block, so I did! Ha.



In return I got a pile of awesome stuff!  Barbara made the really cool framed graphic in the back left.  It's now sitting in my sewing room under my clock where they fight for how early I should go to bed (Stay up and sew! No, it's late!)  Next to it, to the right is the little wrist strap bag in yellow and red that Jen made.  I love the little people in the fabric, very adorable. To the right of that is the little pink box that Colleen made filled with chocolate, a candle, and a little notebook.  I will have to say that has now been completely absconded away with by my daughter. lol.  If it's pink, it must belong to her, right?! Pe'tra made the bird and I've tried to pu it up high so Snooky can't claim that one as well.  The little green flowery bag at the birds feet was made by Heather.  She also made us all bracelets to boot.  I love it but not sure how to best put it to use yet.  Jill made the templates for the quilt pictured just above Heather's bag.  It was on my "to do" list already so, how fantastic that I now have the templates for easy cutting?!  Charissa made the little bag in front of Jen's.  I'm thinking I'll use it for punch cards as it has a lot of sweet little pockets inside.  And lastly the bag on the far left was also made by Jill (it's where she put the templates)  I love the fabrics!


I just love all of Pe'tra's little birdies all lined up for their portrait.


To be continued...

Sister's Outdoor Quilt Show - PART 2: Shop Till You Drop

A week ago today I was in Sunriver with "the girls" having a great time.  We wavered back and forth between hitting up a few new-to-us fabric shops in Bend or hanging around the house sewing.  Guess which plan won out?!  I made a cup of coffee, grabbed my bag and out the door we went!

Our first stop was Quilt Works.  They opened a year ago and we were glad to help them stay open.




I love the "DREAM" sign in the background.  It was a dreamy weekend!  Also behind Barbara on the left was a cool thing I'd not seen before, chalk cloth!  You could write on it like a chalkboard and wipe it clean.  It was pretty neat.  Barb bought some.  I would've have but what would I do with it?




Charissa has a happy day fabric shopping.

Not only did they have a shop but they also has a small gallery upstairs where they were displaying a variety of quilts.  I wish I'd thought to get the names of the artists but I was a little distracted. There was some nice stuff.




The Three Sisters Mountains




Smith Rocks



















While I wasn't bowled over by this pattern I LOVED their selection of Japanese fabrics, which this sample shows off nicely.  I wish I'd bought some now... ah well.




I put this pattern book on my wish list too.  I adore aprons and that middle one is calling my name.  I probably would've picked it up but I'd bought an apron pattern the day before at the Stitchin' Post.

The next place we found ourselves at was at Sew Many Quilts.  That place really had a lot of eye candy!  I didn't take many pictures there but it was a fun place.  I spent too much $$. However I can partially blame my mom, ha!  She's really wanted me to make the quilt in the picture below for her.  There was a local shop that used to carry the kits but she hemmed and hawed for so long they sold out and stopped carrying them.  Then she was really sad that she didn't get it.  So when I walked into Sew Many Quilts and saw it hanging on the wall I called her right away.  They had four kits left when I'd walked in the door and by the time my Mom had finally made up her mind (she had to think about it and call me back) there was just ONE left!




I got the last one!




While waiting to hear back from my Mom I wandered around the store Oooing and Awwwwing.  I really loved this Halloween sample they had on display.  I think I need to get back to embroidering, it's been *ages* since I've done any but as I recall, I really liked it.




So much fabric so little time!

To be continued....