My "helpers"

I shared a picture of the kitties helping me on baby C quilt #3 but I couldn't post a better picture because I didn't want to give away what the quilt looked like!  But now that Kelley has received it, I can share more!

Pepé felt this was the best place for a bath. . .

So they were both laying on my sewing table, and didn't move when I asked them to.  So I just put the quilt on top of them.  And they both chilled there for a few minutes!

Minnie checking for stray pins and safety pins

Baby C #3 and his quilt!

Here he is with his quilt!

Baby C quilts #3

So I am a terrible friend!! When Kelley had her first two babies, I had those quilts to her LONG before the babies were there.  Well baby C #3 is almost nine months old, and he doesn't have his quilt yet!!

Part of it, was that I didn't know which pattern to use, and when I did decide on a pattern I couldn't decide on the fabrics.  I chose to do the pattern irish chain. I decided to go scrappy.

Here's the front and part of the back.  You can kind of see here, I chose to do a scrappy binding also.

I stitched in the blue squares, so big diagonals.  I wasn't sure what to do in the white spaces :/ I wish I had an embroidery machine so I could have put his name or first letter of his name in it.

Jacobs ladder keeps growing

I should have been in bed at least an hour ago. But I was working on my Jacobs ladder blocks!

This week was my first week back to school, and I've been stuffy all week. Well tonight was the first night I felt better, I don't have any school work and I haven't been in my sewing room for two weeks, I decided my machine and I would spend some quality time together!

This is what I got done (well some of it). I now have a total of 14 blocks. I have not decided how many I'm doing. I'd thought 20, 5x4, but I'm afraid it'll be too small, so I might do 6x5. Since it is so scrappy I'm not sure a border would work. We shall see!

As I lay it out, I feel like the lights and darks are so similar, but when I look at this picture I can definitely see the lights versus the darks!

The border workbook

I really don't need quilting books, with the internet being as vast as it is, but I can't seem to help myself!! I had to buy one online!!!

I found a border I just loved (that I plan on using with in the next few months) but I coudl'nt find a pattern.  Well I came to find out that it was in the book "the border workbook" after debating with myself about it, I had a little money in my paypal account, so I decided to buy it!!


I am glad I did, there are SO many cool borders in there! it makes me want to finish quilts just to add a border to them ;)

Baby C quilts #2

When Kelley got pregnant with her second baby she found out it was going to be a girl.  I was SO excited!! Girly quilts are so easy (pinks and purples!! I love purple!) and fun!

I also tried to a new thing for this quilt.  I used an equilateral triangle, which I had seen on fons & porter.  But I didn't remember exactly how to use it, so I have a lot of triangles in my scrap bins!

 Here is the finished quilt.

Here is a close up of the quilting I did.  Inside the triangles.

And the back and binding.  The back is minky, and the binding I used pinks and purples.

Scrappy Quilt contest

If you click this image (which is a link) you can be entered to vote for the quilt contest of the week.  This one is scrappy, and I had the perfect quilt to submit!!

My favorite scrappy project I have made thus far!  A log cabin, with all the fabrics I have used in others quilts.  Every time I use it I can think about quilts that I have made for all the people I love :)  Of course for the contest I could only post one picture, but here I have a few others ;)

This is one layout I tried out (there are a lot of ways to lay it out!!)

Here is Pepé helping me decide on a layout

Here is the finished quit with the back.  It has some purple minky on it.

And the top on it's own.

Block swap

Here's another block from the swap I am a part of
(more info if you click the image)

I did show the teaser pic here

Here is the full block

I like how it turned out!  Spools are SO much fun!

And the other one

Garden of Eden in red, white and black!

Baby C quilts #1

I have a good friend in Texas.  When I found out she was pregnant with her first baby I was SO excited for her! I of course wanted to make a quilt for the baby!

It was SO tough trying to find BOY fabrics!! there is SO much floral stuff out there!  Once I found the fabrics I had to decide on the pattern.  I chose trip around the world, which it was the first time I'd done it.

Here it is, with the back showing.  I used a minky type fabric, and it didn't lay quite as nice as I would have liked.  I used a prepackaged binding.

And here is the whole top! I love the way the stripes look!

Jacobs ladder

For another quilt I did, I needed 2.5" squares.  Well I made that Jacobs ladder block a few months ago, and that used 2.5" squares.  So I thought to use up the 2.5" squares I would make some more Jacobs ladder blocks, and then a quilt!! I am quite excited about it!  It's VERY scrappy, and I hope that it turns out ok!

 

Here are the four blocks I made tonight

And here they are together.

They're not helping!!!!

Traveling Stash give away

Now I do not currently have the travel stash, but one of my blogging buddies does!!

If you want more information on what the traveling stash is, or how you can get your hands on it go visit Handmade by Rebeckah!

Testing blocks

Does anyone else test a block out before they make it for a quilt?  I do that sometimes when I haven't done it before, just to make sure it's the right size, and so I know that I am doing it correctly.

Here is a tester block I did today.

This was SUPPOSED to be Ohio star, but I should have switched the square red and white pieces.   I do like how it turned out (minus the few corners that don't match up!) but I do like how it looks.  I think I might do one following the pattern and see which one I like best for the quit I am making.

August swap

Well my partner for August was Charlene again. She asked for red, black & white blocks.

Here's her teaser pic!

Block swap July

My partner for July was Rebeckah at http://handmadebyrebeckah.blogspot.com/

The block she requested is called borrow & lend. Since she knows which block she's getting, I made it black & white!

And I received a lovely kitty from her!

Big Bag!

My host daughter (from Chile) bought a boogie board on our trip to North Carolina.  Well she was hoping it would fit in her big suitcase she is taking back home.  But it wouldn't.  So she just figured she would carry it on the plane with her (as a carry on)

 Well I was thinking about it, and I told her I could make her a bag, she could even put her wallet in it (or her purse!)

 

Here is the bag.  I made it a little bigger than the board so she could have room for other things.

 (I am not sure why this picture is sideways!) but it's the two pockets I added

And here it is on top of her carry-on.

I added a little strap with a snap to the back so she could attach it, and it won't fall so bad!

I hope she can use it when she goes to the beach and such back home!  It was a quick and easy project!

I need to add a back to a quilt top I have, and make a quilt block for my exchange! I have the fabrics picked out, just not sewn up yet!

Finished projects

 I have some pictures of things that I have finished that are getting used.  The first two pictures are blankets I made for my friends Joe & Christi.  Joe and I have been friends for something like 8 years.  Him & Christi have two beautiful girls, and I made them these two blankets.

The first one is minky with FOE around the edges. 

The second one is minky and fleece.

And this one isn't a newly finished, I finished it at Christmas.  It's the Tetris quilt.  Well Hollie decided she liked it so much she is stealing it from her daughter!

Scrap challenge!

Well if the fabric swap challenge I'm in isn't enough how about another? I plan on spending as many days as possible of July in my sewing room.

Block swap continued!

So I shared the first block I received, and the first block I sent out, but now it's time for the third (I don't have pictures of the second (I would have SWORN I took pictures! but I can't find them, and haven't received my block yet)

 I received this block from Karyli who is at http://sewandsoon.blogspot.com/

And here is the block I sent her!

Block swap

This is the first block I've received. I love it!

This block is from Charlene at http://geemaswonderings.blogspot.com/

The block I sent is the Jacobs ladder block.