FWQ - Blocks #12 and #16

I can't believe it has been so long since I last blogged!  It was a crazy busy summer and so far has also been a crazy busy start to the school year for us.  My youngest has had a hard time adjusting to our new schedule, but slowly things are improving.

Well now that I am back, the first thing I decided to do was join a quilt along.  Angie from the Gnome Angel is hosting the Farmer's Wife 1930's Sampler Quilt Sew Along.

The fabric that I am going to use throughout the quilt along will be from Bonnie & Camille.  I decided to stick to one designer, but am using a bunch of their fabric lines such as Vintage Modern, Scrumptious, Daysail and Vintage Picnic.  I have to wait to use the Vintage Picnic line because that one does not come out until February 2016.

I will be hand piecing these blocks because I wanted to make this quilt like someone would in the 1930's.  I have never hand pieced before, so I am going to leave myself open to use my sewing machine if I get too far behind.  I have totally enjoyed this process.  It is a great thing for me to do while I watch TV with my children and my husband.  I feel like I can spend some quality time with them as well as enjoy something that I love as well.  It also helps that all the new Fall shows are coming out too!

So first up is Block #12 - Becky.

It turned out perfect!  Again I highly recommend hand piecing.  It is very therapeutic and relaxing.  Here is the second block #16 - Bonnie.  I really like how this block turned out as well.  

I didn't complete the 3rd block #8 - Aunt, but will get caught up sometime next week.

Linking up to the Farmer's Wife 1930's Sampler Quilt Sew Along hosted by Angie from the Gnome Angel.

Happy Quilting!

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June 2015 Goal

I am grateful that we are finally headed into summer!  We wrapped up our last week of school yesterday and had Mae's dance recital this evening.  It will be so nice to enjoy some relaxing days by the pool, sleeping in, and finally some time for quilting.  We have had a lot of yard work lately and still quite a bit more to do, but hopefully with a lot less running around more stuff in the house and around the house can get completed, which brings me to my goal for June.  I started these pillow shams about a year ago now and it is time to get them finished.  It is a tutorial by Maureen Cracknell from Maureen Cracknell Handmade, which you can find here.  I just loved them.

My oldest daughter's bedroom is Cinderella.  I really need to get this done because I think my "Cinderella" days are coming to an end with her.  I have only had the fabric for several years now and I started this pillow sham about a year ago!  

My youngest daughter has a Minnie Mouse bedroom, so I am going to make one for her in Minnie Mouse.  I haven't started hers, but I am hoping that both of them go pretty quickly and will give me an excuse to put out the summer sheets, wash their comforters, and summer-ize their bedrooms.  

Linking up to 2015 - A Lovely Year of Finishes hosted by Melissa from Sew Bitter Sweet Designs and Shanna from Fiber of All Sorts.

Happy Quilting!

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Blogger's Quilt Festival - Small Quilt Category

It is that time of year again, the Blogger's Quilt Festival.   This is my very first time ever entering this quilt competition and I am extremely excited to be a part of it.  There are always so many beautiful quilts that get entered and I love to see everyone's hard work and hear the "stories" that go along with them.

This quilt definitely has a special story.  I must say that this quilt was made for a fighter.  My sister was pregnant with her first born daughter and she ended up delivering early due to severe complications with pre-eclampsia.  The baby had quite the up and down road in the NICU for 5 weeks, but she is now home with her mother and doing well.  She will continue to be monitored closely by her doctors over the next year, but like I said this beautiful little girl is definitely a fighter.

Now more details about the quilt.

My sister found this pattern she liked on pinterest, so I drew it out on graph paper because I was unable to purchase a pattern for it.  She chose the same color pallet for the quilt as she had in her wedding and I must say that I just love how all these different fabrics came together and complimented each other perfectly.  I especially love the gray dot background I ended up using.  My sister's favorite fabric was this coral cloud fabric which I used on both the front and the back of the quilt.

I made the quilt out of 48 6.5 inch (unfinished) half square triangles.  The quilt finished at 36 inches by 48 inches.  I chose a wavy quilt pattern, which coincided with one of the fabrics used in the quilt.  I also used this same coral wavy pattern for my binding.

I "borrowed" the quilt back from my niece because I photographed it back in February 2015 when I had finished it.  During that time it was winter, which equals very cold drab weather and not the greatest pictures.  I must say that I love these pictures so much more plus now you are also able to see my adorable little model.  She is definitely a keeper!

Linking up to 2015 - The Blogger's Quilt Festival  hosted by Amy's Creative Side.

Happy Quilting!

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April 2015 Goal

I just bought this new book on my kindle called "Love the Home you Have" by Melissa Michaels, which I purchased last Tuesday and I haven't been able to put it down.  I wish I could have photographed it for you guys because the cover is just super cute, but I purchased it on my Kindle which does not photograph well.  Bummer.  It is such an awesome book though.  Something that I really need to read right now.  It basically talks about how to "fall" in love with the home you already have.  In Chapter 4, she talks about your home love language and what she means by that is your home is your own blank canvas waiting for you to put your own touch on using your own creative talents.  Well here I am a quilter, and do you know that if you were to walk off the street right now into my home there would not be a trace of my love for quilting anywhere!  I have no quilted pillows, no quilts, no table runners, or anything like that in the main living areas of my home!  Nothing!  Anyways, this month I am going to change that.

I just love half square triangles.  I love to make them and I have a machine quilting pattern that I have wanted to try for some time now.  I drew out a simple design that is pretty common in the quilting world that will work well with the machine quilting design that I have in my head.  The fabric collection that I have wanted to accent my living room with is called "Rebel Roses" by Heather Mulder.  I am not sure if you can even buy it anymore.  I have had the fabric for several years now.  Big surprise.  It has been collecting dust in my basement for awhile and now it is time to finally cut into it.  I can't wait to start to add more of "me" to our home by taking the first step and doing something simple like make this pillow!

Linking up to 2015 - A Lovely Year of Finishes hosted by Melissa from Sew Bitter Sweet Designs and Shanna from Fiber of All Sorts.

Happy Quilting!

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Irish Chain Twist Quilt Along - Twist on Traditional Units

I have been so busy that I got a little bit behind in this quilt along over the past couple of weeks, so I am starting to catch up and should hopefully get caught up next week!  But here is this week's homework.  I will say I loved Melissa's pressing tip.  I had never pressed from the front like that before and it really made a difference so the strips didn't stretch at all.  Thanks Melissa!  First up is Melia's quilt top, which will be made into a large floor pillow:

Here is Mae's:

Linking up to the Irish Chain Twist Quilt Along hosted by Melissa from Happy Quilting.

Happy Quilting!

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February 2015 Goal - Finished!

I am so excited to finally share with you my finished goal for February!  I couldn't post until today because today was my sister's baby shower and I did not want her to see this ahead of time.  I wanted it to be a surprise and I just loved how it turned out!  I can't wait to photograph baby Chloe on it.  Yes, my sister's baby decided to show up a little bit early, but thankfully everyone is doing great and hopefully Chloe will get out of the hospital soon!

So let's get to the pictures because I know that it is everyone's favorite part.  At least it is mine.  Here is the finished quilt top before quilting!

The quilt was a little bit harder to photograph then I had hoped because it was kind of big (36 x 48 inches), but that should make it a great play quilt for Chloe to play on.  I decided to quilt wavy lines on it because I did not want to detract from the pattern and I wanted it to be soft for Chloe to lay on so dense quilting would not have worked either.  

I picked a wavy lines coral print that I had used in the quilt top for the binding.

My sister's favorite fabric was the cloud print, so I used this for the back.

Here is my sister at the shower right after she opened her gift.  I think she liked it!

Since I had leftover fabric, I also made her a couple of bibs using Camille Roskelley's Charming Bibs pattern.  This is a really great pattern and it makes some nice larger bibs for when the kids get older.  Here is Bib #1 modeled by my youngest.

She is just getting so big.  I wish she would stop!  Oh well, what can you do.  Here is Bib #2.

Linking up to 2015 - A Lovely Year of Finishes hosted by Melissa from Sew Bitter Sweet Designs and Shanna from Fiber of All Sorts.

Happy Quilting!

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Irish Chain Twist Quilt Along - Cutting

I am super excited because I am finally in a position where I can join quilt alongs and hopefully keep up.  Melissa from Happy Quilting is hosting a quilt along in conjunction with the release of her new book Irish Chain Quilts that is coming out in April.  I am really excited for her.  This is her very first book!  You can see the details of the Quilt Along here.

I have decided to make 2 wall hangings that I am going to make into very large floor pillows for my girls.  I have been wanting to make the girls some of these for quite some time.  This week our goal was to cut everything out, so here is Melia's:

Melia's is being made out of Scrumptious by Bonnie & Camille.  Her favorite color is orange, so she is just going to love this.  The (A) represents the pieces for the X block.  I have never sewn with triangles, so this will definitely be a first for me.  I am just a little bit nervous about this.  Wish me luck!  (B) is the Petal Block.  Again I have never done applique before, so this will be another first for me!  Man, Melissa from Happy Quilting is really pushing my quilting boundaries that is for sure.  (C) represents the Square Block.  Shown below is Mae's future pillow:

Mae's pillow is being made out of Monkey Tales by Erin Michael.  She is so excited about it.  She is in ballet and loves pink and purple, so this should hopefully be a hit!  Although she is my more picky child.  Sorry the photo didn't turn out as good.  I couldn't get the lighting quite right and the fabrics are light.  The A, B, and C all represent the same as Melia's above.  Mae's looks a little bit different because I am only using 4 fabric choices with hers and Melia's I decided to use some fabric from my stash and cut into a fat eighth bundle.  I am pretty excited to get started on this project.  Hopefully it turns out as well as I hope.

Linking up to the Irish Chain Twist Quilt Along hosted by Melissa from Happy Quilting.

Happy Quilting!

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February 2015 Goal

My goal for February is to take these half square beauties and sew them up into the quilt I have drawn out below.

My sister's baby shower is at the end of the month.  I can't wait to see this one come together.

Linking up to 2015 - A Lovely Year of Finishes hosted by Melissa from Sew Bitter Sweet Designs and Shanna from Fiber of All Sorts.

Happy Quilting!

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January 2015 Goal - Finished!

Talk about squeaking this one in at the last minute!  I literally just finished, which is why my photographs aren't the greatest, but I did manage to sew and trim all 48 half square triangles!!!  Woohoo!  And I have the trimmings to prove it!

I am saving all of my trimmings to make a new bed for our newest family member.  We have had her for about 6 weeks now.  The kids just love her!  I read in a magazine somewhere that fabric scraps make good filling for dog beds, so I am going to try it!  I think by Fall 2015 I just might have enough.

  

Linking up to 2015 - A Lovely Year of Finishes hosted by Melissa from Sew Bitter Sweet Designs and Shanna from Fiber of All Sorts.

Happy Quilting!

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January 2015 Goal

In years past, I have had a very hard time keeping up with things like this, but this year, I am taking a more laid back approach.  I will be making my goals a little bit smaller, so they are more achievable.

Over the past summer, my sister shared that she was pregnant with her first child.  To say that the family was excited was an understatement!  Around Halloween, she found out she was having a girl.

She decided on this kind of funky chevron quilt, which I have drawn out.  She saw a picture of it on pinterest but there was no link to a pattern or anything like that, so I drew it up on graph paper and am just going to roll with it.  This is the first time that I have ever done this!  Hopefully it turns out.

She chose the following fabrics:

Aren't they pretty together.  My sisters and I are hosting a baby shower for her on February 28, 2015.  I would like to have this quilt completed by then.  So the plan for this month is to sew up 48 half square triangles.  I just can't wait to see how this project comes together.

Linking up to 2015 - A Lovely Year of Finishes hosted by Melissa from Sew Bitter Sweet Designs and Shanna from Fiber of All Sorts.

Happy Quilting!

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