Mosaic Tiles Quilt Along at Craft Buds

I have have been busting my butt here to finish this quilt lately. We are getting ready to move here in month, and I am supposed to be getting my stuff together and packing up my craft room. Instead, I decided to make my quilt for my baby girl to come in Early May.

I had fabric to a make a quilt, but once I found out I was having a girl, I changed my mind and went with something else that I had that I loved. I just wanted to use some girly fabric!!

I chose the Modern Bliss 2012 collection from Robert Kaufman, by Andie Hanna. You can see more pictures at Spoonflower. 

 

When I saw this quilt along I knew I had to participate, since I had fabric but couldn’t pick a pattern. So I purchased Modern Bee – 13 Quilts to Make With Friends for my Nook, and jumped right in!

I’m not the best at lining up things, so I arranged my squares a little differently. And after I put together my squares, I realized it was way too small, even after adding the border… so I added more to it.

I magically got them to all line up (which is rare since I have only done a few quilt tops, and well this is the second quilt I actually quilted). And I needed to add one more border, just to get the extra look I wanted.

Added some black binding, and completed the look. This is for the baby to have to lay on in the living room at our new house.

A quick back view. I quilted it very simple since I am still a beginner. But I love how it ended up looking! This was such a fun Quilt Along! There is still plenty of time to join in! Well plenty of time if you can finish in a couple weeks!

I know its not perfect, and not exactly how we were supposed to do it, but I made it a little bit more me, and I really enjoyed this pattern! I can’t wait to try the other ones in the book!

peace.love.dove.

A Fully Finished Baby Quilt

Nope, I haven’t quilted my Texas Teardrops quilt yet. I am still a bit nervous, and I am working on making my quilting space big enough and organized to do so. Plus we got our new dining room table to other day, so I had to put those projects on hold since I am no longer allowed to quilt/sew at the dining room table.

But my cousin, and best fried is due any day now. Her due date isn’t until August 23, but her belly is huge, and so is that baby. So for her sake, I hope she has it sooner than later! So I finished the baby quilt I was making for her. We picked out the fabric together when she told me she was pregnant, and then she loved what I used on the Texas Teardrops Quilt so I used my leftover fabric in it as well. Luckily they went great together.

Here is the final quilt that I am working on getting in the mail ASAP!

I kept it super simple because A – this is my first official finish. Not the first one I ever made, and B – She is waiting to find out what she is having, but teal is her favorite color… and well, green is mine! Which is why we are perfect because our favorite colors go together, and well, we are blood related, and the closest thing to a real sister I could get.

As a kid I always bragged about being two week older than her, but I know for the rest of my life she is now going to brag that she is two weeks younger! Growing up 5 miles apart from each other, but still going to school in two completely different school districts. Some people say we look alike, but she is blonde hair blue eyes, and I am brown hair green eyes. You tell me? Can you tell we are related and that our mom’s are sisters?

I’m the bunny, she is cookie monster. My brother Ian is the army guy.

At my wedding. My hair color changed over the years, but I am now back to my brunette.

And this is from her wedding.

Anyways, I hope you are all doing good, and well wishes to her on her first child that is coming any time soon! I have a lot going on here and soon and I will be back sewing once I get my room all put together.

Oh and one more of the baby quilt.

peace.love.dove.

A Day of Quilting

I had guests for a couple weeks, and I had been super busy. Yesterday I was able to pull out my sewing machine to work on a few baby blankets or baby quilts for the many pregnant woman I know.

Here is the top of the one I am going to give to my cousin. I am still figuring out if I want to add a border, trim it, or what.

I totally screwed up on this and wish I had ironed after each triangle, so the back side is a little crazy. I learned my lesson.

Next is a quilt that I had been wanting to do for a long time. I had purchased 6 mini charms from Simply Color by Moda, and I wanted to do a simple colorful baby quilt with it.

I will be adding a border to this one. I am thinking gray. I do have more squares and could do a square border around it, but I am all out of the pinks. But I have some of the fabrics to do a double border. We will see what I end up with, I could always do white too. Any suggestions?

This one is not perfect at all. I was working on trying to match up the squares. I am not the best, but I got better with practice. If I love this so much I might keep it as a wall hanging. Do you see Lucie hanging out under the table? She has to be near me all the time.

Next week I am hoping to get my L Letterpress out and work on some cards! I have been neglecting it while I got the house together, but I have some new templates I want to play with. I would also love to get my Christmas Cards done early!

peace.love.dove.

Texas Teardrops Quilt Along Finished Top!

I can’t believe I finally finished the top to my Texas Teardrops QAL I participated in!

This is my FIRST quilt, and my FIRST QAL, and I am so glad I did it!! To find out more about it, you can visit The Quilting Lodge QAL page, or the Flickr group! There are a bunch more quilts posted in the Flickr group. The talent is amazing in there.

Here is what the top looks like.

I love the fabric I picked out! I think it turned out great! I got it from Jody at FabricShoppe,Modern Fabrics on Etsy. She is awesome, and I have to support my home of Minnesota, which makes me love her even more! I can put a post together of the fabrics I used in case anyone is interested in knowing what they all are. Unfortunately she is almost out of a most of these fabrics (and why wouldn’t she be, they are amazing) but she got some new stuff in, and I am in love with all of it! Now to decide what to make next!

I know my quilt is not perfect, but I kind of like that, since it is my first one. I still have a lot to learn, and now I need to learn how to actually quilt it! Let me know if you have any good websites to visit on how to do this, or online classes to take to learn the actual quilting process, or any tips or tricks I should know!

Thank you so much for all the love I have got along the way! You crafters are the best online community, and thank you for letting me be part of it with you all!

Next on my list to is prepare my house for my very first visitors to Hawaii!!

peace.love.dove.

Don’t trip over your husband

note to self. don’t trip over your husband.

This might happen.

And you might get it on the quilt you are working on…

You  might try baking soda and water, but what you really need is a tide to go pen… seriously…

I freaked out.

hopefully I fixed it! I was trying to get my husbands opinion on what fabric I should back the quilt with…

and yes, I tripped over him. He thought he was more injured than me, but then he saw my blood trail and felt bad very quickly!  But the quilt is saved!

peace.love.dove.

Texas Teardrop Quilt Top (minus border)

I am caught up! I borrowed my friends sewing machine to add the last couple pieces to this top! But now my sewing machine is dead, and I don’t know what to do about it.

Anyways, here is the top!

And for size reference, here it is on the bed.

I am so excited I have gotten so far on it! Next week I add the border!

peace.love.dove.

Texas Teardrop QAL update

I am trying my best, and I am almost caught up…

except I think my sewing machine hates me. For a little while I was doing great. I could feel my grandma’s presence, as I sewed. She was an amazing sewer. But as I almost finished the quilt top, I put the two corners on the wrong side, and then my sewing machine fully stopped. Nothing. So I have two corners to put on, which I will do tomorrow, at my friends house. Then off to find a sewing machine repair place on the island… if it costs more than $50, its probably best I get a new machine… so let me know what I should get… I want something for everyday sewing and good for quilting. Comment away, because I need some help. Right now I have a Singer Esteem that I got for my wedding 5 years ago.

Quilt Along… Here are some pictures

Squared up!

laid all out

rows done!

Attaching the rows!

Later this weekend I will show you the finished quilt top… minus the border, which hopefully I can get done if I fix my machine, or get a new one… I am so close.

Way too close. I love doing a quilt along, because I feel like I am actually going to finish something. I think it is the best way to do my first quilt. I am working on another quilt too, but I am going to finish this one, before I finish the other!

Now back to my vodka limeade… yeah, it was one of those kind of days. The sewing machine is still in pieces on the table…

peace.love.dove.

The Beginnings of My Hawaiian Quilted Pillow

So I started taking a Hawaiian Quilting Pillow Class.

I have been wanting to make a quilt but I don’t more for a few more weeks (YEAH!!) and I don’t have a sewing machine until then. Then it will take at least a week to get my house together before my husband will let me start to play, so a hand sewing class I thought would be a perfect way to start.

The colors aren’t exactly as I had hoped they would show up in pictures, but here is my cut out “snowflake” pattern. It is called Ginger.

We were to come to class, and not take out the pins yet. I am showing it on my background color which is gray. I chose two different blues, but this is what my husband picked. Which was my first choice too, but he said it was more Hawaiian in color, and I would have to agree.

Once we got to class we got to open it up! Then we pinned it to the back fabric, and then basted it.

I love how it looks!! Unfortunately my edges keep fraying. I want to blame that on my scissors I bought. Because my fabric is Kona, and thought that was good fabric. They were sold out of the brand of scissors I wanted, and out here, we do not have many choices. I might have to buy a new pair online.

Now my homework is to hand applique the pattern to the back. I will tell you that I have learned several new tricks to tying knots, what basting even was, and how to do the invisible applique stitch! Well at least that is what I am going to call them!

I will definitely update you with my progress. My next class is Tuesday, so I will have to have to entire top appliqued to the backing by then. For a beginner, she said this may take 10 hours… which probably means I should start now! Cause I am sure it might take me longer.

I will update you some time this week or next before I head off to class!

peace.love.dove.