Being busy

So . . . I have been busy. Mostly working, but also volunteering and gardening and organizing. I wanted to post about a few projects I have finished.
 
The first one is a little zipper pouch from Amy Butler's book about bags (Style Stiches).  I think this is the small size. I've never had a zipper look this good! But don't worry, there is still room for improvement. You can even see part of my messy sewing room behind by machine.

 

 
A bigger finish has been delivered but the recipient has not arrived yet. Here is a little quilt I made for  Baby J.  Be prepared for a few photos!
 

 
I wanted the quilt to be girly, but not TOO pink. This is my first wonky log cabin; I feel like my 'modern quilting' education is progressing. I showed this quilt to a friend and she kindly said "I don't thing the squares are quite right. " Hum, should working on making my wonky blocks a little wonkier.  I free motion quilted swirls in an all over pattern. 

 Another successful quilt back!
 

 A full quilt shot. Honesty, I'm not sure which way is right side up.
 
 

 

Name: Baby J's Quilt

Design: Wonky log cabins

Quilting: FMQ with swirls by me

Size: Um . . . I'll estimate 40" square

 

I have so much more projects to work on! Maybe soon I will have a little sewing time.

 

 

 

Who-lee-uh

 

 

 

let your heart be strong

I made this quilt for someone that had a very tough year. But the sad story in not mine, so you will only hear the quilt’s story.

 

Name: let your heart be strong

Design: Adapted from Reverse Starburst Block from Dairy of a Flutter Kat

Size: 64.5x67 inches (before washing)

Quilted with kind-of straight lines by me

 

I love the blocks made by Kat and decided to make some of my own. I thought simple was better, so I just stayed with three colors.  Here is my original plan in my notebook. I made the back after watching Elizabeth Hartman's craftsy class, Creative Quilt backs (it's free). Turns out you have to use math to get the backs square. Figures.

 

I actually added the grey background as below, then changed my mind and added the white as I had originally planned.  This did require a little time with my seam ripper :(

 

I really wanted to make something colorful and soft that would send with the warmth a little piece of me. Really, I made this quilt for me. Not for me to keep but for me to heal. Like each square made the world okay. I know it’s a little silly but that is how I feel. And did I tell you about how I got some of these beautiful scraps? Thanks to WiseCricket

Some more pictures . . .

 

 

Linking up to Finish it Friday

who-lee-uh

knitting squares

So . . . I have been busy and mildly sick but we are doing much better!

A few months ago I thought it would be a good idea to learn how to knit socks. Socks seem like one of those important things to know how to make. Just like it seems like a good idea to know how to bake bread. The only problem was I don't know how to knit. Actually I think I did learn how to once, but that was a long time ago.

I spent weeks dreaming of knitted colorful and not so colorful socks. I imagined the texture of the wool/synthetic fiber I would use to create feet warmers for me and my husband. I did not think it would be any easy task to learn to knit socks so I decided to take a class. And I found one!

The shop is really small and the class room is really crowded but I am learning to knit. Projects number 1-6 were washcloths. I knitted. I purled. I did something called loop over and then I knit together. Impressive right?

This week I am knitting in the round. I think this task is important for making socks. I'm not really sure yet. We will see.


who-lee-uh

linking up to Finish it Friday

for her and her love

A dear friend of mine was getting married. I had been helping her learn quilt. "I want to make you a wedding quilt! What type of quilt would you like?" I asked. As she looked through my collection of books, we admired colors and patterns and what her love would like. "This one!" she exclaimed. It turns out she really likes unicorns. And she really likes pink. So the quilt was made with love for her. Now she is  a married woman. Even though it's a little girly it should keep them both warm.

 

Name: Cheyanne's Quilt

Design:Daydreams by Cheryl Arkison, from the book Sunday Morning Quilts

Quilted: Me, spray basted and quilted in a loopy design with my Brother

Size: squarish lap size

It was really fun to piece the top of this quilt. I think I really like working with girly colors. The unicorn fabric was the first fabric choice, and it was fun to pick out 1/8th and 1/4 yard fabric for the stripes (my stash does not have much purple or pink).  My least favorite fabric I used was the grey, I'm starting to think that grey can be a tricky color. Does anyone else notice this?

The basting was done with spray; I like it so much better then using pins! My free motion quilting still has room for improvement but I like it. The backing is a light purple print, found at the Fabric Depot outdoor sale. Some of the fabric outside seems to be a little lesser quality, but this fabric is nice and soft. The backing washed well too.

The quilt is bound with a nice purple fabric. I hand stitched the binding to the back, which reminded me how much I LOVE to machine bind my quilts. It's faster and the binding seems so much more secure. Plus my fingers are not so tired when I use my machine.

Besides quilting, I have also experimented with baking. True, I used an at-home kit, but we did a good job shaping the pretzels don't you think? The funny looking ones were made by my husband.

Hope you are keeping busy too

who-lee-uh

ps I am linking up to Finish it Friday

Some Finishes

I think having goals has been helping me get things done! Of course I have been busy . . .

 

January started with a vacation to Newport (and a trip to the Tillamook Cheese factory)

 

 

January has been super busy with service in freezing cold weather (literally)

 

 

And we had an amazing assembly program (with funny photo of me and T)!

 

 

But I digress . . .  Here is finished project number one for 2013!

 

 

Quilted with wavy lines 

 

 

Pretty backing fabric too

 

 

Name: Purple Stars

Design: Martha Washington Stars

Quilting: Me

Size: Large Lap

Completed January 2013

 

I am also making good progress on my other plans . . .

 

 

 

Talk to you soon!

 

Who-lee-uh

 

Preview of 2013

A new year with many new projects to start! It seems like every week I get an inspiration for a new project to start. Before I begin making more messes, I need to finish some of these beauties. Here are some of my works in progress to be finished (early) this year:

1) Modern Leaves: A modern log cabin I am making for my mother dearest. The fall colors are some of her favorites. I can not wait to use the panto I especially ordered for this quilt :) It will be BY FAR the most difficult pattern I have attempted to long arm.

2) Martha Washington Stars: A Sandy (Canby Quilt shop owner) inspired green and purple quilt. I have the recipient picked out but I have not decided on a pattern. This one will also get long armed due to the size and very slight wonkyness of the outer boarder. This was my second quilt class at Let's Quilt

3) Hip to be Square made with Kate Spain fabrics: Made for a very special friend. I love the colors so it was very easy to work with. All of the squares are pieced, but not the top is not completed. This quilt also needs a better name. Hum . . .

4) Buzzn' Around: Sawtooth blade style quilt made for my father in law. It has very masculine colors. Even with the shortcuts in the pattern, these pieces are very small! But I only have a few blocks to go!

5) Amy Butler Cosmo bag: You should know I am not good at things that don't lay flat. That's all I have to say about that.

So here's to a good start to the new year!

who-lee-uh