Something Completed!

Besides completing 12 years of marriage...Happy Anniversary Honey!!!...

 I  needed to sew something this week....feel like i accomplished something, completed something.

Mini quilts became the project!

 I had already pre cut the patterned pieces in the first mini for another project that i started and just did not like. I paired them with a solid navy linen like fabric, which was also used as binding. I came out to be about 20x20ish.

This next mini was made from the leftovers of my WIP Salt Air quilt. I love the colors and prints so much i did not want anything to go to waste. It is a mini mini at only about 10x12.

These might be the start of the mini quilt wall i have been thinking about.

 

Check out the other pretty things at Amylouwho's sew and tell.

 Leslie

Delilah's Delilah

Could there be a model any cuter than this? I think not!!!

I was able to finish her new quilt in record time(for me). I think when you only have a little time available to you, you sure start making the most of it. I just sewed whenever i got the chance.

Look at that leg...chubby, chubby leg!! I love it!!!

i randomly laid out the blocks from the Delilah charm packs that i had and really had to try hard at not over thinking it. I did not want to get stuck at some point in the process because i have terrible analysis paralysis.

The backing is from the same line, and i accidentally overbought yardage so i have plenty for another project.

I quilted it using a hot pink thread that matched the pinks in the fabric...husbands choice. I wanted to play it safe and use my standard off white but he voted otherwise. He said live on the wild side, so i went with it...and i think i like the result. The above pic is courtesy of my little helper, Mitchell....he wanted to help me with my quilty photo shoot. Man, it is hard to hand a nice camera over to a 6 year old.

Sharing finishes over at Amylouwho's has been on hold for a little while, but today she is back and the linky for sew and tell is open. How perfect that i finished this just in time to have something to share with all of you lovely ladies. Go on over and check everyone's projects out, they never disappoint.

Leslie

Sew and Tell- Baby Week

Ahh, it feels so good to get some of the things done that have been in my WIP pile for the baby. My to do basket is almost looking, dare i say, empty!!!!

I have acquired several cute flannel prints from Joann's with the intentions of making lovey blankets. Some i have had in stash for a long time, like the baby food jars print. Lovies are our favorite and every one we have given as a gift has been favorites for the new families too!!! They are versatile and warm and just so cute! These were made with two flannel prints(i am loving the animals)...squared...sewn right sides facing...turned out and top stitched! Easy Peasy.

I thought the baby food print would be good for some burp clothes. You can never have too many with a little on, i think....and all the ones i had made for my other two have since worn out. New ones were in order. I cut these into 8 pieces and then used the same sewing method as the lovey blankets.

Oh, and last but not least the Katie Jump Rope Hooter Hider!!!! I love this print. I used the tutorial here to make it, as i have for all the others i have made. Pretty simple and straightforward...but with pregnancy brain i am afraid i did some incorrect measuring. I am not sure it turned out the way it was supposed to, but i will reserve my final judgment until there is baby to nurse under it.

i am so thankful for Amylouwho and the motivation she provides!!! I am joining in this week at sew and tell. There are so many great finishes, as usual. Go and have a look and give them a little comment love!

Sew and Tell

Tonight was the big Amy Butler challenge over at sew and tell with Amylouwho. I had ideas floating around in my head but never got around to making anything this month until tonight. I decided it was time to make one of those mug rugs i have seen floating around blogland. I used some Daisy Chain and a little Osnaburg, and in record time. Talk about under the wire i just finished at 11:45 pm. I love it, just big enough for a mug and a snack!!!

**go see what everyone else made, you will love it. there are so many amazing things this week**

Double Check (sew and tell)

I did it!! I checked off another finish before the baby comes....this baby girl quilt(using Oh Fransson's pattern, inspired by Emily) turned out better than i had hoped.

I had the flimsy finished last week in time for sew and tell...however it took me a little longer to complete the rest of the steps...piecing the back, basting, quilting and binding. You know, all those things that make a bunch of fabric that you cut into tiny pieces a real quilt.

I even gave it the good old wash and dry. I was fighting with myself about this, as usual, but in the end i forced my own hand and it was just fine. Thank goodness for color catchers...i use them even when i probably don't need them, because it makes me feel better. I was worried that the nicey jane fabrics and the osnaburg would shrink differently, but they were surprisingly the same! Hooray!

I quilted it with my standard straight line method using my walking foot and some thread that i had stashed away for just the right project. I used a king tut brand variegated thread that had most of the colors in this quilt and just a hint of pink. This was my first time working with variegated thread and it looks really cool. I like it. I am not sure if you can see it in any of these pictures, you might just have to take my word for it.

Many thanks to my little quilt holder. I chose these pictures, above, because i loved the shadows of her in each shot.

** I wanted to quick share this with all my fellow sew and tellers at amylouwho's. It is finished!! Please look at everyone's projects from this week and give them a little comment love.**

Sew and Tell...brought to you by Nicey Jane!

I did it!! i made the flimsy top for the babies quilt(if it is a girl) last night in time to share with all of you. I knew that nicey jane was the way i was going to go with fabric right away when i was thinking about making these quilts...but i just did not know what pattern i wanted to use. I hate cutting into something before i am really sure about what i want to do. But this week the inspiration came from Emily, who was inspired by this Oh Fransson pattern, and i knew it was just the right pattern.

I tossed around what fabric solid to set it with...waffling between white and the osnaburg, which is a nice nobbly linen look. Right now i am loving how they look together. The white seemed a little too bright. Hopefully i will feel the same after it gets a washing. My big plan is to get the back pieced and the whole thing basted at the very least today. I am crossing my fingers!

i had a very eager quilt holder....see her current fashion statement...mismatched socks, all of the time. I honestly do do the laundry, she just seems to like her socks this way! Score one for individuality!

**see what everyone else made over at Amylouwho's and send them a little comment love for their hard work!!**

Sew and Tell

A finish is a finish right?

this has been a good couple weeks for Mitchell in the blanket department. This one is just a few pieces he found in the fat quarter bin that he wanted me to do something with. The best part is that the bats and spiders on the front are glow in the dark, so he has it in his bunk every night for a little extra ambience. I somehow feel much more brave about trying new things when the piece is small. SO this time i tried a pinwheel and some free motion quilting. Not my favorite thing to do. I much prefer straight lines.

I thought that i would try out pebble quilting. I am sure, as with all other kinds of quilting techniques, there is a learning curve. Will i try it again? I am not so sure about that, but it was fun to do...despite the broken needle. I was just glad that it was a small piece, thus saving me thread. You ladies out there are not kidding about this kind of quilting eating up your thread like it is goingout of style. I used 2 for sure on this and it is only about 18x18. If you want to see some really awesome pebble quilting check out the video in this link.

**so, you know how it goes. it is sew and tell friday so head over to Amylouwho's and see what all the other ladies made this week. there is some really awesome stuff. Don't forget to tell them how much you love it!!!**

Sew and Tell...Confessions

...I know more confessions, but this week i was on a roll. This quilt has been on my WIP pile for several years now....and there is so much shame(i say this with a smile) in how easy it is to fix and finish an old project that was set aside for some reason. I got it ready to be quilted in half an hour.

This particular quilt was meant to be a birthday quilt for Mitchell about 2 years ago....boo hiss! The reason it was cast aside with total aggravation was because it was not lining up right, as far as i was concerned...seams and sashing. And i wanted it to...but through this quilt i have learned some valuable quilt lessons.

1. I learned that perfection can never be achieved in a quilt. Something is not going to be perfect, not going to line up, not going to be right. Perhaps i should look on this like the Amish do and add in a mistake on purpose and be ok that it is there.

2. I learned accurate cutting and a true 1/4 inch seam is absolutely necessary. For me there has been a learning curve on this. And i can see it in the work i did on this quilt just from two years ago.

3. I learned that I personally hate working with sashing.(hi honey!! i caught you!)

But when all is said and done it is going to be loved no matter what and it may not be perfect but it is done. As i type this tonight it is on Mitchell's bed being broken in. It has been out all week long(thank you Allison and Chris for helping me get it laid out and pinned) and Mitch has not once looked at it. I think the kids are so used to the quilts being for other people that he never thought to ask if it was for him. So tonight when i told him it was for him, a early belated birthday present(he will be 6 in two weeks), he was so excited and started loving it and using it right away. Mission Accomplished!

I am adding this to the project finishes over at Amylouwho's tonight for sew and tell this week. Have a look at what everyone is making it is well worth the time, and be sure to tell them what you think. Comments mean a lot to everyone!

Robots, Gears and Bugs

Doesn't that sound just like little boys?!

This is my 600th post...they seem to be flying by. SO for this post i wanted to share something i have been working on. None of it is finished, just works in progress.

This is the boy version of my nursery plan. Since we did not find out the gender of the baby it is my plan to make a girl version and a boy version. I had big ideas to make the whole thing like, what is now going to be used as or referred to as the dresser topper below....little squares inside big squares. But, my patience wore out as it usually does and i decided to just go ahead and feature the fabric by using big 8 inch blocks of fabric.

I used Cogsmo fabric by Cosmo Cricket. I really love it and it appeals to my husband nerd sense with all the gears, and circuit boards. I just got some more of it in the mail so that i could finish it all up. So what started as a quilt idea for the baby has turned into a quilt, a dresser topper and a wall hanging. I hope i love it all as much when i am done.

And this is the featured bug part of my post title....my son has had a knack lately for finding stick bugs. I had no idea we had them here in NY, as i have only seen them in the insect part of the zoo. But here is one of them...there are two named Camo and Flage. Mitch named them. They kind of creep me out when they are not in their container home. They are living together now, hopefully they don't duel it out to the death or loss of limbs!

***I am going to add this to sew and tell at Amylouwho's this week since it is the greatest amount of sewing i have gotten done in a long time. GO and check everyone else out. There is, as always, some really great stuff to look at.***

Finally Proof

When i got home from my sisters this week i was feeling especially motivated to get some sewing done. Perhaps the old adage, "absence makes the heart grow fonder", applies to my sewing machine too! I went right to work finishing this baby blanket i had started with a honey bun of Hello Betty fabric.

i considered all sorts of ideas for how i would quilt it but in the end i just went with my old standby... straight line quilting. It is fast and rather uncomplicated. Every row of stitching is about 2 inches apart. I got the binding on and sewn last night and this morning, my favorite part. It is a baby gift for a neighbor, so i hope she will like it.

I did not want to buy more fabric to back it and bind it so i went to the trusty stash closet to see what i could find, and that closet sure did not let me down. I, at some point or another, had bought a baby curtain on clearance in the hope that someday i would be able to use it for backing since it was so big. And that is precisely what i did. These elephants were just too cute to resist and i love them with the fabric of the quilt.

Now this last shot is just to show that i am already working on other things...trying to be real with myself about the projects i have started and seeing if i can just go ahead and finish them from where they are. Sometimes i think i am too ambitious with what i want to do....so i start a lot of things but don't really get many them finished. Craft ADD anyone?

**It is time for me to get back on the sew and tell wagon. So i am going to go ahead and link this up to amylouwho's to share with the ladies there. take a minute and go check out what everyone else has made this week. I don't know about anyone else but i feel productive, finally.**

Big Saturday Reveal

**i am linking this up to amylouwho's sew and tell this week. Check out what everyone else has made and let them know how much you love what they made.**

The other day i gave you a sneak peek of a little project i was working on for my sweet husband. Here it is in all it's glory. I finished it in time for his imminent arrival tonight.

Here is a close up of the words, in case it was hard to see as a whole. It feels so nice to get a project done from start to finish. I hope that he will want to hang this in his office, maybe.

The project was inspired by a short PSA that Chris saw one night while we were watching TV after the kids went to bed. He thought it was great since he is a geek himself so i offhandedly joked with him about cross stitching it on a pillow for him. We laughed it off but then this idea took shape in my head and i went with it.

Sew and Tell Friday!!!

I have been out of the loop for sew and tell for awhile, but i am getting my sewing motivation back. finally! You can see why in my last post.

This week i pulled out a honey bun i had of Hello Betty fabric. I just needed to sew something...and since i did not want to put a whole lot of thought into it i just did it in the order it came off the honey bun...with only a little bit of changing around.

It is just a flimsy at this point, but i will get to quilting it once i get my machine back from the sewing machine hospital. In the meantime i have been doing all of my sewing on Avery's Hello Kitty Janome. When you've gotta sew, you've gotta sew!

You know the drill...head on over to Amylouwho's and see what other pretty things everyone is making and tell them what a good job they did.