baby quilt gifted

Isn't that the greatest quilt picture, ever ?!?!?!
I didn't get a picture of the quilt I made
with the new baby when I gifted it, 
so I requested a picture from the new parents, 
and THAT ^^ is the picture I received!
I just adore it!
A much better picture than the ones that I took. :)
The pictures I took pale by comparison - 
Front:

Back:

This quilt is the one that I pieced together last month at retreat.
I used my favorite block layout
of the X block and 16-patch block,
(aka: Good Night Irene).
I had about 50 different prints of fabric,
cut at 2.5 inches wide.
Makes it nice and scrappy, I think - a good 'Eye Spy' !
But since it's all strip-pieced, it really goes together
much quicker than it looks like it would.
And, yes, I did stitch in her name and mine in the quilting:

 Another good finish,
and great memories made! 

wedding quilt gift finished

So only after 4 years - I have a wedding quilt ready to gift!!
YAY, me!

It's a big one!, and I love it.  It will be hard to gift, that's for sure.
I gave the wedding couple the choice of colors, and design.  
They chose the Ohio Star (like the one I'd made for the groom's sister's wedding quilt), but I didn't hear their color decision for a couple of years.
Then I took my time making it -
so now, for their fourth anniversary,
it's a finish!

I used fabrics from my stash, mainly from the lines of 
Kathy Schmidt - Piecemakers,
Laundry Basket Quilts - Snow Bird, and
Minick & Simpson - Lexington

The pattern I used is from an older book -
40 Fabulous Quick Cut Quilts by Evelyn Sloppy.
It's a great book, and well worth the original price.
Now it's available (through Amazon and others) for ridiculously low prices.
I've used many patterns over and over from this book, and
each has been a wonderful finish.
Definitely worth adding to your library!

I'm lovin' this quilt!

My strawberries baby quilt is finished!

Strawberries for Anna:

I made this quilt for my daughter's (from kindergarten on) 
best friend's first baby.

I know I shared this quilt when I was making the blocks,
and I had one of the strawberry caps on upside down.

I almost left it with the upside-down top, 
but realized I couldn't -
it was going to be gifted to a little one,
who would not meet her grandmother - 
my friend and also a quilter,
who'd lost her battle with cancer just a couple of years before.
So, in my friend's honor, I corrected it, 
as she would have if she'd made it herself, for her little grand-daughter.

 * * * * * * *

Sometimes after I've made a quilt from a pattern, 
I'm over it, as in - been there, done that,
and never even consider making that pattern again.
I was hoping that would not be the case after I made the baby quilt to gift.
But this one is so cute, that I think I'll have to make another one,
this time for me to keep here at the homestead.

These are the fabrics that I originally chose when I got the pattern...
for making the quilt for myself -

Civil War reproduction pinks, reds, and greens.  
I just don't have a background fabric that's not so bright-white-new looking.

Now this stack of fabrics is with the pattern, 
added to the growing stack on the shelf of  the 'someday' list.
(: My list of the 'someday' quilts sure is growing! :)

Does everyone have a waist-high stack (or mile-long list)
of someday quilts (or something) to create?

Happy Thursday!

my story and sticking with it

I have a wedding quilt gift to make.
The wedding was a few years ago, so, yes, it's due.
I awaited the color choice of the wedding couple before I got started.
Their answer was:  'Neutrals.  Maybe with some blue?'
My question back was which color of blue?
Marine? Baby? Navy? Aqua? Turquoise?, etc...

Finally, working with/talking through their momma, 
I got the answer: 
'Navy?'

So, after three+ years of awaiting answers
 (: That's my story and I'm sticking with it! :),
I've chosen some fabrics:

Some from the Lexington line, some from Songbird, 
and other random pieces from my stash.
Fat quarters totalling:  3 3/4 yards light, 2 3/4 yards medium/dark, and then 1 3/4 yards dark & blues (the pattern called for red/greens for this).
This fabric accumulation has been hanging out on my table this past week...
and after seeing this photo again, I think I'll pull out the light, fifth from the left - too medium looking.  Also, the flash on the blues make them look too bright, so I may pull the blue with stars, second from right.

I'm using a pattern called Anniversary Stars, 

 from the book: 40 Fabulous Quick Cut Quilts by Evelyn Sloppy. 
I've used more than a handful of patterns from this book, and love it.  They are quick to cut, the directions are great, with nice illustrations.
But. 
Though the quilts ARE quick cut,  
they. are. NOT. quick. to. sew. back. together.
So, this may take me a while. Longer.

I used this exact quilt pattern for this recipient's sister's wedding gift.  
And it's great for this couple, too.  Ohio Star looking for an Ohio-born couple.  The title of Anniversary Stars, great for a wedding gift I think.
I just need to find a border fabric.  Hopefully THAT won't take me another year.

the start of a new great-nephew quilt

I'm thinking an 'eye spy' type of quilt,
maybe in the 16-patch/X block layout...

something that's not too elaborate,
since the little/big guy is already here!
(little because he's newborn, big because he weighed in at almost 10 lbs.!)

I gathered up a whole bunch of boyish novelty fabrics -
48 to be exact,
and cut a 2 1/2 inch strip from each fabric.
Here are most of the strips of novelty fabrics that I cut: 

I sub-cut 10 inch cuts from each fabric, sewed four of them together, sub-cut again
and sewed them into 16-patch blocks.
Here they are, unpressed:

Now, just to make some 'X'-blocks as the alternating blocks!

Problem though...
I chose a light tan mini print for the setting fabric, 
but after I did some figuring, and I don't have enough. 
Bummer.
The other setting fabric options I've found so far are white/light fabrics, and the new little/big guy's family lives very rural-y, and they have well water, so a light/white setting fabric just won't work well for them.

More digging through the stash closet yet to come!
If you don't hear from me for a few days, please send help -
I may have fallen into the rabbit fabric hole!! :)

What are you stitching on??

baby quilty finish

I stalled and stalled...
just needed to stitch in the new, great-niece's name and day of birth
to get it off the long-arm machine.
She was born on August 25th,
and I knew the name that day,
so really, I was just stalling.
It was a simple job to stitch the birth specifics,
but I didn't do it that week for whatever reason.
Finally got it done and off and trimmed,
then it took me another week to get it bound...

I do like how it turned out.
It finished 40" by 48" - a good size for a baby, I think,
The new great-niece lives out of town, so
I don't get to meet her until mid-October.
But, here's her quilt:

And the quilt back (made with left-over blocks):

A closer view of the fabrics and my free-hand quilting:

Next up, a start for the new great-nephew!
Hopefully it won't take me as long as this one did!

Happy Stitching to you!

Quilt Crackers, of the patriotic sort

I recently needed a wedding shower gift and
could not think of a single quilt pattern that
was 1) fitting for the bride-to-be, and 2) quick.
(Oh, I knew the shower was coming, and I could have made this gift eons ago,
but I like to think I work better under pressure :)

SO, me being me, and on the perpetual time-crunch,
I remembered that I had recently come across
the block pattern called Crackers
from the early 1900's, that I just loved.
Though the 'cracker' reference is probably
from the staple of flour-crackers sent to soldiers during wartime,
I liked the patriotic spin of 'firecracker'
so I made the vintage block in red, white, & blue.

Here's the finish, ready to head to the shower:

The table topper, unfurled:

It measured about 34" by 42" after washing.

the 'Crackers' block

I quilted with a variegated (King Tut) red/white/blue thread
on my Sashiko machine.

and here's the back:

(I always like to look at the quilting from the back of a quilt.
Do you also?)

Here's my pattern for

my Patriotic Firecrackers:

2 1/2 inch by 6 1/2 inch strips, and

5 inch squares cut in half diagonally for the corners (these are a little over-sized for squaring up).

(I do pre-starch (Best Press-unscented is my fav!) all my fabric pieces that are going to be cut on the bias, so there is less stretch apt to happen when piecing.)

I made my blocks all from scraps, with about 15 different cream fabrics and 12 or so each of the blue and red fabrics.  Though scrappy, I did still keep each block of the red/cream strip-sets with blue corners, and all the blue/cream strip-sets with red corners.  I think if you wanted, you could really mix it up and have a beauty of a quilt.
Pretty, simple, and a great stash-buster!!

I LOVE how it turned out, 
and so did the Bride-to-be.
Now I want to make another for myself!
Maybe I can squeeze it in right before the wedding quilt?? :)

Happy Stitching!

quilts & back-pattin'

meandering away on customer quilts,

so not much to share picture-wise...

Just this little girly quilt I made...

I have another great-niece!

I used a Buggy Barn 'crazy' pattern.
If you are familiar with their methodology,
then you'll understand that I used 3 stacks of four fabrics.
That made me end up with twelve blocks -
the perfect size for a baby girl!!!
(I used mostly the line of fabrics:  Garden Gate Plaids by Renee Nanneman/Andover)

By the way - she's only four months old and I've already finished and gifted her her quilt!
That's good for me!! :) I'm going to pat myself on the back a little...

It's rainy and overcast here today...
not a good finished-quilt-picture-taking day,
so I'll save those for tomorrow.

Back to meandering for me.
Hope your day is going well and your week is FAN-tas-tic!!!

Birth Month gift winners

Thanks SO MUCH
for all of my great February birthday wishes last month!!!

I have decided that all that replied to my

birthday month question and were followers 

are gift winners!

(a little late, I know, but

here's the list & I've already sent an email) -

Pokey,
Diane K,
Where in the world is Jefferson City MO,
Cheryl at Teapots,
Debbie of S. Dakota, and
Ronnie.


Congratulations!, & I have some cool gifts
to give as soon as I get your snail mail addresses!
(As I didn't have email addresses for
Sandy and Sharon who left messages,
so sorry, I can't send gifts :(

I'll share pics soon of the birthday gifts, promise!,
but I want to keep the suspense just a little longer...
it's the same as celebrating my birthday all month long -
drawing it out a little more, & I love the suspense!!!

Happy March Stitching!!!

hearts to you

Thanks for all of the birthday month wishes!

I'm getting my birthday gifts

ready to send out

to all of the followers who have already responded-

(GIFTS = hearts, of course, 

fat quarters, roses, make-dos,

& chocolates are getting packaged & ready to ship)

Don't forget,

if you still want to get my birthday gift to you,

you have until the end of February...

just become a follower,

 leave a message telling me your birth month

 and what you do for your birthday.

Happy February!

I second that!

A friend and I were just speaking about the job market and economy not just here in Ohio, but across the entire U.S. 
A couple of nights ago on the national news there were the lastest reports on unemployment and how our county here in Ohio had the lowest/best rating in our state, while neighboring counties had the highest/worst rating.  So we talked about this not just national problem but the local market, too.
And we had decided that we love our jobs!!!  
No T.G.I.F. for us!!! (ThankGoodness It's Friday), but that we look forward to going to work and the people we work with and see, no matter the day of the week.
We GET to work in a quilt shop, touching fabric, rearranging things, planning projects, making kits, stitching to our hearts content, and getting to visit with others who share the same passion. 
This morning when I went through my blog-roll and read the latest entry from Mark at SparkSpace, I was glad to see that he thinks the same thing - not about quilting, but about his job...
Selective dyslexia - not TGIF, but GIFT...
Check out his thoughts on this exact subject. 
I second that!