Emptying the Cupboard I

This will be the first of a few posts on finishing projects. I have this cupboard that Jess gathered all of my unfinished projects into and I couldn't get the door shut. It made me sad. She basically told me to either throw it away or get the silly things done. She can be tough but she did finish a rug for me to get me started. I whined a bit more and then I got started. This is my first finish, now I just need to remember how to go to the post office.

I could also have titled this, "Sorry I Didn't Answer the Phone Mom, I Was Working On Your Quilt" or maybe..... "Yes Mom, Your Quilt IS Done But No, It's Not In The Mail".

 Please, please ignore the lint.

When my mom was out for a visit last year she asked if I would make her a quilt for her guest room. I told her yes, but only if she'd help. So she decided she wanted a Turning Twenty, picked out her fabrics, helped me cut them up, and before she left we almost had the top done. I finished the borders fairly quickly and started quilting it, and then I started working  and my life went kinda topsy-turvy stopped. About two months ago with Jess, Micah and You Know Who keeping me company, I finished the simple (really?) straight line quilting. I used a blue variegated thread which made a nice grid pattern on the back. It finished out queen size with a bit of overhang, I hope..
I should have taken pictures of Micah and Grandpa "helping" me mark the lines... I hollered a lot, they thought it was funny. Sorry mom, even after a washing it'a a bit used (and still full of lint).
Oh, and Mom, it is in a box... I need to set it in front of the door so I won't forget to take it to the post office...

For those that are still reading, and asked where I work and what I do now, this is for you. Through a series of strange timing and weirdly connected events I am now working as an office manager for a small company that specializes in an area of building, both commercial and upper end residential. I really like it and if I can learn everything they need me to do in a timely manner, I think they'll really like me. No, it's not in the crafty creative vein that I love so much but it is a position where I take care of things and people, so now I concentrate on the part of me that likes organization. Judging from the first part of my post I've neglected that side a bit too long eh? It is funny though, I did manage to meld a bit of what I learned about display to make the books that hold the jobs legible. Such a little thing and it made me happy.

A Little Charm Quilt

The other day Jess said, "We should make some stroller quilts."

Then she made three.

With appliqué.

I managed to eek out one in twice the time!

 My challenge was to use fabric I had, and I did. Even down to the batting. Of course it's tiny, 35 x 35, so I'm not sure it should really count as fabric out...

Michael Miller Pod Pozy charm pack.

 Kaufman Kona chocolate border.

 Michael Miller Ta-Dot for the binding and back.

Sorry about the not so artistic sun spots. I wasn't in the mood for a do over. 

Next up is my gratuitous baby shot. Avert your eyes if you are tired of these........

Trying to capture golden baby lashes on a wiggly boy.

Heaven.

Hmmmmm

So, how are you?

I've been a bit sad, very distracted, too busy and elated beyond my wildest imagination.

 I finally finished my happy quilt started back here.

Except for having to photograph it indoors, I love it. I love it washed in all of it's crinkly goodness. The quilting is a simple row of flowers down each wide strip and doodles in the narrow strips.

These are muslins that I made to send to my girl Jessica. The white one is from the Simplicity pattern 2964 and the other is from the school house tunic. Both are modified a bit. Modified to be a bit roomier in the front. A bit roomier to accomodate my very own GRANDBABY.

Oh yeah!

For those of you who have had to endure me for the last few days...... It's not going to get better. I will in fact continue to announce it to anyone silly enough to stop and listen. If I've told you already, pretend you haven't heard because it just makes me happy to say it.

So, I am getting these off in the mail to see if either will do, then I will use soft lovely fabrics to make them and hopefully they will help keep her comfortable through the summer months.

I liked the Simplicity pattern enough to pull out my AMH Little Folks voiles and try one for myself.

I love it. A lot.

This fabric is lucious.

Light as air.

The colors, yum. 

Thanks Jennifer for being my photographer today.

What I did today

Of course it still needs to be quilted and bound. I sketched it out on Monday, bought the fabrics on Friday, drew the plan Friday night and finished the top today. It 36 x 48. Just big enough to get this idea out of my head and into fabric. It is all Kona cottons. As usual I can't remember the actual color names.

I'm not having much luck with the long arm lately so who knows when it will be truly finished.

I had to get this out of my head....

I was cutting some fabric Wednesday and this quilt popped into my head. I was hoping to have it completed but didn't have anything for backing

and I just couldn't wait to show you.

I used Fresh Paint by Marcus Fabrics and Kona solids. The white fabric is some from my stash.

What do you think?

It only took a million years

At least that's the way it felt. It did take me too long. Why is it I start with great intentions, I will finish this project before I start another, but it never works that way? Ever. I'm learning to live with it.

To help myself along, I decided to bind this on my machine. I don't mind doing it by hand but it would have taken forever and I was kinda over it. I like the way it turned out and may do all of my "everyday" quilts this way. This one is for me.

I used Basic Grey, Urban Couture for the top.

You know who and I had fun out in the snow. I seriously can't believe how deep it is and it's still coming down.

The back is purple Kona cotton with my left over fat quarters of Basic Grey.

Have a great day!

A Finished Quilt and Lovely Gifts

So, it's been awhile. Things have been a bit wonky lately. Even my car is not having enough fun. Her check engine light came on so instead of going home I swung by the mechanic and he said she is, um, well, kinda the human equivalent of blocked up..... apparently she needs a long drive on the freeway maybe as far as the Bodensee. Can you miss a day of work cause your car wants to go somewhere?

Anyhow, I finally finished my second quilt from Metro Blue Goes Green. Yes, it's another zig-zag, this time from half square triangles. I liked these so much more than the others I made. I also put a wide border on, or several borders, actually. Lesson learned, more borders are harder. I peiced the back trying to use up all of my leftovers.

I used really simple quilting. I followed the zig zag with a wavy line.

~

I got a box from my Sister. Talk about feeling loved! First of all, she wrapped everything beautifully. I almost didn't want to open it but I knew what was inside!

I love the tags.

She made me a cowl out of the yummiest plum color yak down. Did you know there was such a thing as yak down? I didn't. I love it.

Then there is this. This made me cry. This is from baby aplaca.

Holy Cow!

This frog is happy. He may go places with me. He also loves the pansy pin cushion.

And dish cloths, have you ever seen dish cloths this pretty?

More cowls. You have to touch these to believe them. If you are all nice I might let you touch them.

So after a fairly yucky few days, this all just made me smile.

K, buh bye.

It started to rain

Just as I finished Jessica's quilt, I took it outside to try and get a decent photo. It was raining. I tried anyway. I had to put it on the ground in front of my apartment and run back inside, stand on a stool on my little balcony to be able to get the whole quilt in. One day I will have a wall to hang quilts on when I photograph them. That would be nice. There are things that didn't go quite the way I wanted. I still like it alot. I learned that I cannot talk on the phone and cut a quilt top at the same time. That was a hard lesson.

Hope you like it Jess.

Quiet Sunday

Did a little of this..... While listening to this snore beside me.

Dear Summer,

Please stay through August, I have a new top to share with you! Yes, it's the smocked dress from Weekend Sewing adapted for me. I used a bit of my stash of Katie Jump Rope by Denyse Schmidt. I was fun to make ( thanks for the tips Jennifer), it's comfortable and I really like it.

I finally finished binding this quilt. I started it only 5 months ago. After sewing on the binding on, it took 7 more hours to complete the hand sewing. I timed it. I used a free pattern from AMH and the fabric line, Metro Blue Goes Green.

I really liked sleeping under it last night.

~

More later.