Meandering Path Quilt Top Complete!

 Yay! I finished piecing together quilt top that I have designed! I'm loving the way it turned out. I am also putting together a FREE tutorial of this so you can make one too! In the meantime I need to back it, quilt it and bind it. :)

I'm trying to figure out which fabric I want to have for the backing. I think I want it to be a predominately brown print and do the binding in a turquoise. Here are the three beautiuful Botany fabrics I have narrowed it down to:

Tendrils

Wildlife

Topiary

  Let me know what you think!

Sophie Skirt Set Part Deaux

This is the other skirt set I made for Miss Sophie. I wanted a little longer skirt this time. I used the amazing Pillow & Maxfield fabric, Whimsy. 

 The pattern I used was Sew Simiplicity's Emelia pattern. I haven't made something with a zipper in while and I had to tailor it a bit for her because again, not "hippy". 

I cut out one of the large flowers and used Steam-a-Seam to iron it on. Then I blinged it out with some iron-on crystals.

I'm just so glad she has a couple of options now. If I could only get her to wear something besides green or blue. I guess I should just be grateful it's not all black? Right?

Blogger's Quilt Festival!

Flora Market Baby Quilt

I am so excited to be a part of the Blogger's Quilt Festival! Thanks Amy!

I made my first official quilt 20 years ago, then made a king size quilt that I HAND quilted! I think that one did me in and I hadn't made a quilt-quilt again since. :) I continued sewing and actually started my own baby goods business,(not to mention getting married and having babies!) then an Ebay fabric business and just never made the time to quilt. 

Discovering the creative blogging world changed all that. I actually "took up" quilting again when I found Old Red Barn's quilt along. I loved the great tutorial and the community I found. Well I caught the bug again, big time! I can't stop thinking in quilt. I have about 7 different quilt ideas swimming around in my head at any given time. I needed a good excuse to make one. My beautiful newborn niece, Maris was the perfect muse.

I used beautiful scraps from some of my favorite fabric lines and fused them together. They are:

Farmer's Market by Sandi Henderson

Flora & Fauna from Patty Young

Soiree from Lila Tueller

Summer Soiree from Paula Prass

Pop Garden from Heather Bailey

The pattern is Vintage Baby by Kati Cupcake (minus the ruffles).

I love how they all blended together so well. I'm just so pleased with the way it turned out and so happy to be a part of the quilting community again!

Sophie Skirt Set

My daughter Sophie was in some serious need of clothes she could wear to church. She has only just turned ten but because of her height she is often mistaken for a teenager and she is actually growing out of size 16! The problem is she is not "hippy" or "busty" enough for woman's clothes, so needless to say it is hard to shop for her.

I guess it's good that I can sew. Maybe I'll tackle a few more dresses in the future, but for now I made a couple of skirt sets. 

I got this Cherry Blossom shirt pattern from Sandi Henderson's fabulous new book, "Sewing Bits & Pieces". It's made from fabric scraps and then I took some bright pink felt pieces to coordinate with the skirt and attached those with french knots.

 The skirt is made with Patty Young's Flora & Fauna line. It's so great because the fabric already looks like this! This was a yard of fabric, I cut it in half, sewed up the sides, hemmed it and attached an elastic waistband! Easy peasy, it took like 1/2 an hour. Gotta love that.
I post the other skirt set in a day or two :). 

I ♥ Botany

 I have totally fallen in love with Moda's Botany by Lauren and Jessi Jung. I was elated to receive these in the mail (got a great deal at Burgundy Buttons!) and got right on my next quilt. I've designed it myself, it's called Meandering Path. It's made with a Layer Cake and a Charm Pack. Can't wait to piece it together!

 

Woodland Bloom Outfit for Maggie

Maggie was chosen to receive the Responsibility Award for the whole First Grade! It was the perfect excuse to make her a new outfit. I've had this beautiful Woodland Bloom by Paula Prass for just that purpose.

I used Heat 'n Bond for the first time to put the flowers on the shirt. I think I prefer Steam-a-Steam. :) Then I made a "3-D" flower with a covered button and attached that to the shirt and made a similar one as a hair bow.

 I wanted the skirt to be a little longer than usual. There are two different borders. She was so cute receiving her award, even the principal remarked on her outfit!

Birthday Giveaway!

One of my favorite sites is The Polkadot Chair. Melissa always has the best projects, great tutorials and great style! Today is her birthday (and her company name) and in celebrating she is having an awesome pattern giveaway. Don't miss out!

Wheels Quilt for Luke

It is so good to have a schedule! I had to have this quilt made in just a couple of days for a family friend who recently had an adorable baby boy, Luke.

My dad had to hop a plane today to Baltimore where he will hand deliver the gift. I volunteered to make it and knowing I was on a tight schedule, I had to get it done! I should make deadlines for all of my projects so I can cross things off quicker.

It is made with Wheels fabric by Riley Blake. I love the colors. I made 4" squares and then bordered them with 2"x7" and 2"x4" rectangles. It has 6 blocks down and 6 across, so it's a square. I thought it might make a cute play blanket.

I quilted it by making straight lines 1/4" from the outside and inside edges of the squares and then I made a big X in the middle of each square. I love the way it turned out!

30's Doll Quilt

 My six year old, Maggie got Kit the American Girl and has been asking me to make a blanket for her.

Since Kit is from the 1930's we thought the 30's prints would be so cute. Maggie chose each of the fabrics and I did a simple patchwork pattern.

I cut each square 2", so each block is now 1 1/2". The back is a simple white flannel and bound in the green print. I quilted a simple "X" in each block.

The best part is that Maggie loves it and so does Kit :). (on to the matching pillow!)

Crossing Off the List

I am simultaneously working on like 5 projects. And that doesn't include various unfinished projects I have around. Why is it so hard to just stay with a project until it's done? I think I just get too distracted with new ideas, new fabric, new paper, new tools!

But I'm excited because I am accomplishing things that were on my craft to-do list ! In fact these two projects will tie it up. I am finishing up the doll quilt for Maggie and a skirt for Sophie. I'll post pics when I'm done!

Then the new list can begin....

Maggie's Big Day

Thought I would share a big day in my 6 year old, Maggie's life. She got her ears pierced!

I had to wait until I was 12 to get my ears pierced, but I told my girls they could get them done when they were ready. My daughter Sophie decided to do it when she was 9. Maggie has had mixed feelings, but she really wanted to do it when my mom could be there too. Well, we were all together at the mall and she said she really wanted to do it! She chose simple little "diamond" studs. And luckily they had two people to them both at once. She handled it beautifully and looks so cute!