happythings

Log cabin-ish scrap squares, rainbow set

 

I made more squares of the same style as the ones from Bea's big quilt - enough for a few more baby quilts. For this one I tried a rainbow set and I like it except the white line just "falls off the page." 

If you haven't done an easy, no fuss type log cabin block, Krommama posted this tutorial.  Her explanation and photos are good.  I don't do everything just the same way as her and you won't probably either and that is just perfect.  Anyway, this will get you started if you need help.

I tried a new-to-me wavy line quilting pattern, inspired by Pocket Farmer's newest quilt (which was in turn inspired by Caro's quilt which I somehow glossed over without noting that neat quilting.  I really pulled on the quilt more than I do with straight-line quilting so I was concerned it would be too loose/puckery and wouldn't lay flat in the end but it really turned out OK!  Yay.  And it certainly was easy.  You can't see the quilting very well in either of these photos but if you click onto the links above you can get a better idea of what I attempted.

And the back is cute and orange.  I originally got this fabric for another project from the nice ladies at Sew Mama Sew.  (It is the Katie Jump Rope line - and it's on sale right now!) On the computer it looked red red red and that, along with the coloway name "Geranium" had me expecting a totally different color than it is.  I have never seen an orange-red geranium.  Oh well - it was a treat to have some cute new fabric to bind and back this colorful quilt! 

Bunnies for babies

 

I made a cozy chenille/flannel blanket for some friends' new baby girl and had some extra fabric so decided to make a smaller blanket in the same style for a charity project.

 

I also made the new a baby a little onesie to match using the tried/true freezer paper stencil method.  It is cute but the subtle color difference has given me a photographic challenge and this is the best I can do. 

Another baby, another quilt

 

Another eye-spy quilt.  Same size and layout as this one, but a little more girly this time.  I think it took me longer to get it in the mail than to actually make it. 

Now, to get it quilted.

 

I made this quilt top for Bea out of every fabric that she likes.  She gets attached to fabrics that I sew with and makes sure I save a little piece "for her."  Well, I have, and this is what I decided to do with them.  I've been working on the scrap log cabin style blocks since last fall.

The quilt will generously cover a full size bed - here it is laid out on our king size bed for better viewing - the largest quilt I've made.  I've decided that it is beyond my capacity for quilting so, though it pains me to do so, I believe I will hire someone with a long-arm machine to quilt it.

I used a  free-form method of making log cabin blocks to make oversize blocks and then trimmed them down to size (9.5 inches).  You must all know how to do this, right?  It is so fun, calming, and addictive.

Small scale crafts

 

Just catching up the blog on some small scale crafts I've made this year.  Above, another of my favorite felt-backed hexagon coasters - this one for a long-distance friend who likes polka dots, florals, and red.  I made another of these in a more muted palette for my Mom for valentine's day but didn't take a picture.  I don't do much sewing by hand but for some reason these are very satisfying to me.

Also - a second stuffed wren by special request. 

A cool freezer-paper stencil t-shirt for Bea - she painted it.

 

And a little set of baby doll accessories for my niece's second birthday - some fabric wipes stuffed into an old travel wipes container, a couple of diapers for a very small bum, a "mattress" bed, pillow and blankie.  (I made her a crib/wall quilt and bunting before she was born with the same fabrics.)

 

David painted the spare bedroom light blue (I know it looks grayish green in this picture) for my valentine's present and I finally got around to hanging up some photos from a few of my favorite real-life and on-line photographers.  Since then, I haven't spent nearly enough time in front of those pictures and that sewing machine.  But that is another story.

Enough with the introspection. Let's get back to the quilting

 

I made this floor quilt for a neighbor's new baby boy. 

I learned a few things.  My supply of boyish eye-spy fabrics is getting pretty thin.  I like making these straight-forward kiddie quilts and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

 

and, 3 years and more than 60 quilts later, I still have not found a great way to take photographs of my quilts.

Made in 2008

 

OK, Evidently my New Year's resolution needs to be to stop being so hard on myself.  Not enough for a mosaic?  Clearly, I am delusional. 

After I wrote that post about only sewing 1 thing for Christmas, it kinda hit me.  It isn't like I went out and bought fruitcake for everyone.  I made stuff.  I knit, for one thing -- 4 scarves, only two of which I thought to photograph, and mini-scarves for Bea's stuffed animals.  And I did actually sew more stuff - stuffed animal fish/bird/bug for Bea.  And I made two different calendars from my photos.  And I made 4 freezer paper stencil T-shirts, none of which I thought to photograph.  And I made 7 batches of granola and cookies and candy for relatives and neighbors.  And I completed a sentimental ornament photobook for my cousins.  Yeah - and I wanted to beat myself up for not sewing more. 

So that's when I decided to look back at what I did sew for the year.  So, take that, self. 

My first response is to beat myself up about being too self-critical but that doesn't seem like the answer...

And so it begins

 

I resisted for as long as I possibly could.  But thanks to a most excellent lesson this afternoon from my mother-in-law (not to mention the needles and yarn), I have now started down the slippery slope of knitting.  I CANNOT believe I am doing it. 

I am not good enough yet of course for it to be relaxing or second nature - but I can definitely see glimpses of the zone.  I don't have high aspirations - I've set my sights on scarves for the homeless at Christmas.  (After Bea's beautiful rainbow scarf, of course!)

Now, I have to get back and knit a few more rows.  It has been more than an hour and I'm getting nervous I might have forgotten how.  I joked I couldn't go to sleep or I might forget how to do it.  Bea says I can knit in my dreams instead.  I just might.

It was a challenge, that's for sure

 

Gah.  I know it is not the right attitude, but I am SO glad that this is done.  In early summer I signed up to participate in the Linus Connection's annual quilt challenge.  This year the challenge was to make a quilt using a couple of sample packs of charm squares donated by a local quilt store.  Sounds good enough, right?   But the fabric I was assigned is SO not me. SO.  Which should be fine, right?  Because after all, the quilt isn't for me. 

Since I was uninspired, I decided to sew the squares randomly into half-square triangles and go from there.  That led me, after much debate, to these sorta square-within-a-square blocks which could be cool to try again.  That led me to the need for sashing because the seams of those blocks are bulky.  Sashing isn't really my thing either but I like how this thin white one turned out.  Then of course I needed a white border but didn't have enough of the same white fabric.  That led me on a chase to find more but no fabric store in town had the right white.  Argh.  If this were any other project I would have definitely given up by now because if I don't even like the fabric of the quilt there is little motivation to keep struggling.  But, I had to finish it for Linus and for the challenge.  So, ala Mr. Gunn, I made it work.  It is boring, twee, and done.  And now I can work on some fun projects.  

I do hope it is a comfort to some little baby.  I didn't think a kid would like this, but Bea is in LOVE with it and wants it or one exactly like it and please mommy I need some scraps of those exact fabrics!!  But I think it is mostly because she can't stand for me to give away quilts.  Some day she is going to "get" the whole sharing/charity thing, right?  I'm not raising a future textile hoarder, am I?

OK - Thanks for "listening" to my excuses and ramblings on this little quilt!  It will hopefully be the first of many this fall. (quilts that is; not excuses)

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PS - Thanks also for "listening" to my ramblings about my yard & plants this week.  It really did help me step back and appreciate the nice parts of my yard.  I'm inspired to get out there and work again.

I'm as surprised as you are

 

I have finished some quilts -- made for, who else, the Linus Connection.

A couple disappearing nine patch baby blankies -- flannel backed with fleece/chenille.

Another eye spy/matching quilt

Actually, I made these tops at our church sewing bee earlier this summer but have just now finished them!  Maybe there is hope for my quilting after all...