Progress!

I have progress to show you! Hurray!

I finished piecing Miss A's quilt top on Sunday (1/10) and got it basted the next day!

So bright and cheerful!

I worked on it for 2 days, and got the quilting finished on Tuesday night!

My stitches need work, but for me, done is better than perfect!

Thankfully, Miss A LOVES it! She couldn't even wait to get it bound before she started using it!

She's watching the downstairs TV here.

This weekend I plan on cutting the binding and getting it stitched to the back. I'm going out of town next weekend, so I want to do the hand part of the binding while I'm gone.

When I've completed it, I'll post the whole thing (hopefully with better pictures) with a pattern review. (Again, it's Round & Round by Thimble Blossom).

I'm pretty proud of myself! I know it's not the best piecing or quilting, but I'm usually so slow that I wasn't expecting to even start quilting before February! It's amazing what ACTUALLY sewing (instead of thinking about sewing) will do for your productivity! I will actually have this done before her birthday! (Even my husband is impressed at that!)

Since I pulled off the miracle of getting this done, I was able to work on my Thimble Blossoms Swap!

My partner likes brights, so I went with a couple of prints from Tula Pink's Elizabeth line. TP is usually pretty good about bright and happy colors!

Firework Mini by Thimble Blossom.

My goal is to get it basted and quilted this weekend, and hopefully half bound next week. It's just one block, so it shouldn't take that long, right? Again, I want to do the hand binding next weekend while I'm at my mom's.

It's kind of nice to actually be able to show you progress! That so rarely happens! It makes me want to sew more when I have something to show for my time! Maybe I'll actually get through all my UFO's this year! (Or is that just a pipe dream?)

Anyway, thanks for stopping by!

See ya!

EL

2014 Is Going To Be LEGEND . . . wait for it . . .

and I hope you're not lactose intolerant because the second half of the word is DAIRY! LEGENDARY!

Yes, I am quoting Barney Stinson. :)

Suit Up!

I'm super pumped for 2014! Lots of awesome things are happening!

Miss A is turning 3, and that means some sort of "school" for her . . . and more naps for me;)

Matching block necklaces!

BOTH of my nieces are turning 1, which is an AMAZING thing to say . . . BOTH and NIECES. I am an AWESOME aunt!

Santa Kisses!

Also, I will turn 30! Hurray! I've hit some sort of milestone! And I plan on CELEBRATING! You know, by quilting and knitting and stuff. (I'm a party animal!)

I started a Sky Scarf today! It's a scarf pattern by the amazing people at Leaf Cutter designs. Every day for the entire year I will knit one stripe. Each stripe will show the weather for that day. On December 31, 2014 I will have a VERY long scarf that shows me the weather for my 30th birth-year. Pretty cool, huh?

Blue skies!

I am also in a Simply Solids bee with the Dallas Modern Quilt Guild. Super Pumped about that! Something different every month!

I am doing another year of Don't Call Me Betsy's Lucky Star BOM. (and I am still 9 months behind on 2013). Maybe I'll do a different color pallet for 2014 and make one big quilt out of the 2 years!

I think this was March of last year . . . I'm about 9 month behind on 2013

Finally, as I am RUBBISH with New Year's Resolutions, I have made a commitment instead, to LEARN. I want to learn to crochet (I bought a book), I want to re-learn the piano (bought another book), and for PETE'S SAKE I want to learn to quilt using something other than stippling!!! (I need a book on that one!)

Maybe along the way I'll learn organization and eating healthy and all the things you're supposed to resolve, but I feel right now that this year is going to be FUN! SO THERE! :P

Happy New Year Ya'll!
See ya!
EL

Christmas Gifts!

Merry Christmas! I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing holiday!  As we have a 3 year old, it started out amazing, but quickly deteriorated with a few tantrums. She's still talking about what an awesome day it was, though, so I guess it's a win!

Her new house, and her Princess Dress, and her Pirate Spyglass.

She is a girl of many tastes!

Santa was VERY good to her, and she is very appreciative! She wrote him a thank you note! (Hurray for manners! Let's hope it lasts!)

I made very few gifts this year . . . I learned my lesson a few years ago and just do what I can.

I made my grandmother a Rainbow Quilt from a kit from Pink Chalk Fabrics. The quilt sewed up REALLY fast!

 So bright and happy! :)

 The backing (From Camille Roskelley's Scrumptious) was picked out by Miss A because "Flowers make Oma happy", and how do you say no to that?

backing

I also knit my grandfather a blanket; I've been working on it off and on all year, but I think it turned out very nicely!

Knitted!

When I finally cast off, it was 65" x 25" . . . yes, I almost cried! But after blocking it (thank goodness for tutorials on the Internet!) it ended up 65" x 45". I'm told he fell asleep on Christmas day under it, so I think he likes it!

I made my awesome SIL a quick scarf from a kit and tutorial from The Purl Bee.

Just me . . . posing (I changed shirts so I looked presentable!)

It turned out really well! I had a hard time giving it up! I got to try something new, elastic smocking, which was easier than I thought it would be.

Smocking

Finally "Mrs. Clause" made Miss A a baby doll quilt for her new baby and baby bed!

Baby's Quilt

Thankfully I have a stock of It's A Hoot from before she was born and was able to whip up a quick quilt that matches the one on her bed.

Kirsten's bed

It's an amazing bed. My Opa (who got the knit blanket) made me this bed and a matching trunk when I was a kid for my American Girl doll (Kirsten).  Santa found it in the attic and thought it would be perfect for a new baby doll grandma was getting her. Baby has slept in that bed every night since Christmas. It makes me smile!

Those are the only gifts I made! I took it easy this year and it ended up being a great Christmas! I hope you all had one just as good!

Happy Holidays!
See ya!
EL

Quilt Stats:
Name: Oma's Rainbow
Size: 64" x 64"
Design: Line Art Kit from Pink Chalk Fabric
Fabric: 2 Robert Kaufman Kona Jelly Rolls (one white and one multicolored)
Back Fabric:  Aqua Summer from Scrumptious by Camille Roskelley
Completed: December 16, 2013

Friday Finishes

*Still using phone photos. Thank goodness for Instagram!*

Woo hoo! It's FRIDAY! :)

Last night was our meeting of the Dallas Modern Quilt Guild! So I can show you my Modern Mini. We could only use solids that our partner brought, and it had to be modern.

I made this one for Rebecca.

Half square triangles! :)

Angie made this for me!

Front

Back

It's perfect! I posted on Instagram about Miss A covering up her stuffed kitty with a towel because he was cold,

I swear, we DO have quilts in the house!

so Miss Angie made this perfect quilt for her and Kitty to keep warm! :)

We LOVE it! She's already slept with it!

I also finished my picnic quilt a while ago, and since I wasn't blogging, you didn't get to see it, so here it is!

So cheerful! And no white! I'm "growing" ;)

We spent most of the summer having picnics in the backyard, at the Dallas Arboretum, and in the living room. Miss A LOVES it!  (I think I'm growing a quilter! Hurray:)

Yes, I'm also growing someone with sass!

Quilt Stats.
Name: Picnic Quilt (I know, I'm not very original!)
Size: 68" x 68"
Design: St. Louis 16 Patch (tutorial at Sew With Sass)
Fabric: Picnic Pals by Penguin & Fish (the back is some random cheap fabric from JoAnn's)
Completed: July 7, 2013 (I swear, one of these days I'll finish in time for the correct holiday!)

See ya!
EL

We're just going to ignore . . .

the fact that I haven't blogged since May. I'll give no excuses . . . you ask no questions, ok? ;)  (I just don't want you to know that I'm lazy!)

I have actually finished some things, though! I'll do it all a bit at a time so as not to overwhelm you!

First, I'll show you the quilt for my dad's 60th birthday!

I've been wanting to do a triangle quilt for a while now. I used the tutorial from Fancy Tiger Crafts!

The triangles are a mixture of green, gray, and black Kona solids I had lying around (sorry, I can't remember exactly which ones) and an Architextures print by Robert Kaufman.  The back is an old gray sheet (so it's super soft)!

For the label, I used a tea-towel with a calendar on it I bought from Spoonflower. I did the same thing on S's birthday quilt! (2013 is a big year! My niece was born, my husband turned 30, my MIL and dad turn 60 and my grandmother turned 90!)

He really liked it! My measurements were a bit off, so it's kind of skinny, but so is he, so it works! ;)

I'll show you more next time!

See ya!
EL

PS: for posterity sake, I completed this quilt on August 2!

Friday {Old} Finishes!

It's been a while since my last post . . . I think that last one is hard for me to look at, so I've been avoiding my blogger page.


Things have also been busy lately . . . with the warmer temperatures, I've been getting the kid out more. We've gone to . . .

the Dallas Arboretum,

the Dallas Zoo, 

and now we have gymnastics every week.

The only problem is that by the time nap/sewing time comes around, I'm pretty pooped too! So my sewing and blogging time is down a bit, but I'll try to be better for y'all.


But I have been working on things!

Mother's Day was last weekend, so I made my mom an Anna Maria Horner Art Student Tote.

(I'll dedicate a whole post to this one; it was hard but definitely worth it!)

We (S & A & myself) made my MIL some yard art.

S & A built and painted the frames, and I made the stencils.

She worked HARD!

Both moms loved their haul!

The day before Mother's Day was S's 30th birthday. Among other things, I decided that 30 deserves a quilt!

I haven't gotten any great photos of it, and I'm still working on the "perfect" label, but I'll get on it and show y'all as soon as I can!

I've also been working on a St. Louis 16 Patch for a picnic quilt. (The fabric is Picnic Pals by Penguin & Fish. Just too perfect, isn't it?)

I ADORE this fabric! Remember when I did some embroidery for Alyssa at Penguin and Fish? She sent me a fat quarter bundle as a thank you, and I can't wait to finish this up!

Just look at this chipmunk and turtle. Too cute, right?!?!

Tomorrow I'll be at Saturday Sew for our Dallas Modern Quilt Guild, and I hope to finish the blocks (and maybe piece the top!).

Next week I'll be taking Miss A to see my parents in Lubbock. We'll be flying, and I've decided I need a new bag to take with me . . . so we'll see if I get it done in time!

See ya!
EL

90th Birthday Quilt

My grandmother is an amazing woman! Among other things, she actually had the patience to teach me to quilt! Some of my earliest and happiest memories are being at her house, underneath a quilt on the quilt stand, listening to her and her sisters talk and watching their needles. (Also, watching cartoons. She had cable and we didn't!)

She is the main reason I sew. Quilts mean love to me, and I want to be surrounded by things that remind me of my childhood and of her. So I sew! (Seriously, say it out-loud. So I sew. :)

This weekend, NannyPud turned 90. Obviously we threw her a major party! For my part, I decided she needed a quilt, as she is always making a quilt for one of us!

In October, I sent my family (basically her siblings and decedents) 5" squares of Kona Snow ironed onto freezer paper and asked them to write something and send it back.

Some were elaborate.

(My mother, who hasn't sewn in 20 years and swears she hates it, whipped these 2 up without a pattern. She just drew them out and filled them in! That's talent! :)

Some were simple.

All were filled with love.

I also printed out pictures I stole from her house onto Printed Treasures Printer Fabric. There were ones of her with her kids and grandkids and siblings. This is my favorite, one with my grandfather.

Finally, I laid it all out with random fabric squares.

There is a blue one from DS Quilts Picnic Line for JoAnn's (they don't have it in the stores anymore, so no link), a green one from DS Quilts (I know its Denyse Schmidt, and I'm 99% sure I got it at JoAnn's, but I can't find it online, and I don't know the line, sorry), and the red Mama Said Sew Sewing Guide fabric from Sweetwater.

I blogged about the middle rectangle here, a dedication block I embroidered.

The back is a grey sheet from Target and I appliquéd a fabric copy of the invitation to her party in the center.

 All in all, it turned out really well! Everyone loved it, especially NannyPud! I'm really glad I did this for her, she is amazing and deserves an amazing quilt!

See ya!
EL

PS: Here is my block. It's an iron-on from the same Stitcher's Revolution packet I got at JoAnn's as the dedication block.

WIP Wednesday

Honestly, I have a TON of Works-In-Progress (WIPs). I counted last year sometime and had about 30. That number has only increased! The problem is, I love starting quilts, but don't have enough attention span to work through them when I get stuck. My favorite part of the process is cutting the fabric! (And yes, I will cut your fabric if you piece mine! I get asked that ALL THE TIME! ;)

But I will show you the WIPs I'm focusing on this week!

First of all, I became an Aunt for the first time last week! My sweet niece was born on Wednesday, February 6. We didn't know she was a girl until she was born, but as soon as I found out, I ordered Anna Maria Horner's Receiving Blanket! My SIL  made Miss A one when she was born, and it was the BEST BLANKET EVER!

Anna Maria Horner puts together the absolute softest flannel and sweetest voile! I wanted to pick my own fabrics, but I'm not good at matching colors, so I ordered her kit. I'm so glad I did! The Raspberry kit has the most beautiful colors!

I received the fabric yesterday, and put it together last night.

All I have left is to finish the binding so I can give it to her next time I see her!

I'm also working on a real quilt for The Niece from Material Obsessions called The Zoo. Her nursery is done in wild animals, so this works for her!

As you can see, I have a bit more to go!

Finally, I decided to make myself quilt labels. I ordered some amazing ones from an Etsy Shop called MommieMadeIt last year, and LOVED THEM! The only problem was I had to buy a TON (like 60) and we all know how bad I am at finishing things. I think I only used 5 or 6, and they had the year stamped on them, so it didn't really work out. This year I'm making my own.

I simply made 4 columns in a word document, wrote my name and year, and inserted a clip art picture. I'm planning on cutting the columns out and hemming the sides. Then I'll just cut them out as needed and sew them into the binding.

I hope they work out!

See ya soon!

EL