Wednesday, May 30, 2012

quilt #4.

I had intended to wait until I got to the west coast to start purchasing fabric for quilt #4, but I couldn't help myself when I stopped by a quilt store back home. I was very good and behaved myself when it came to the new bolts of Tula Pink's latest collection, but when I caught sight of a charm pack of Reunion by Sweetwater, I couldn't help myself. To be honest, the photos I'd seen online hadn't really excited me all that much, but actually seeing the fabric in person changed my mind, especially when I realized that it was the perfect kind of baby quilt fabric for me, and it would match the colors in this particular baby's room.

Of course, purchasing a charm pack meant I had to rework my entire quilt design. I've yet to buy the accompanying fabric--I really am going to try and wait until I get to our new "home"--but I'm excited to get started. I miss Agatha something fierce.

Eight days until we're reunited!

(Don't worry, I miss my husband too.)

And when I get there and have my for realz laptop, I'll post some pictures of the design, etc.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Blog Hop--Week One

I'm really excited to be included in the Let's Get Acquainted Blog Hop hosted by Plum and June. My turn isn't for awhile--thankfully, I have too much moving shenanigans to attend to--but this week, you have the opportunity to check out four awesome tutorials!


Nik from Bold Goods
Alyssa from Pile O' Fabrics
Kelsey from Kelsey Sews
Erin from Billy Button Designs

Go check them out!

As Agatha is in California and I am not, I've gotten no sewing in for two weeks. Not that I would have the time, but it still saddens my heart. I am hoping to visit a sewing lounge this next week, but as I tried very hard this week and was unable to get there, well, my hopes may be dashed. Here's hoping fora visit soon. There was some Alexander Henry fabric featured on their website that I may have to pick up.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

WIP: The Should Be Packing Edition

Sooooooo...this week, I should have been packing for our big summer move. (We leave tomorrow.)

Instead, I found myself sitting in front of my trusty sewing machine, Agatha, and putting together a quiltlet for the boys' room. I also should not be blogging right now, but a girl needs a break from packing her kitchen, right? Right.


I had intended to make a quiltlet to hang by my front door, and I wanted to fussy cut some fabric.  (I haven't been quilting that long, and I'd never fussy cut.) When I perused my stash, I didn't have any fabric that would particularly work. However, I did find the elephant in the top left, already perfectly cut to 3x3 inches. And I had a yard of the fabric leftover from the quilt I made for a friend's baby--who was born on Monday *squee*--so I fussy cut a few more squares, easy peasy style.

A few more fabrics were chosen to log-cabin my jungle animals, and I sashed it in white.


The fabric, in case you're curious, is called Jungle Gym, and I love it to pieces, especially this monkey sliding down a rainbow. So random. So awesome. (That square is my favorite.)

I actually finished the quilting using wavy vertical lines, and all that's left is the binding, which I'm planning to do in black with tiny white polka dots. I'm not sure when Agatha and I will be reunited, so I'm not sure when I'll get to finish.


I also finished my May block for the HST BOM at In Color Order. It's not my favorite, but I do like the juxtaposition of fabrics. And I love me a good houndstooth fabric! 

In other quilty bloggy news, I'll be participating in the Let's Get Acquainted Blog Hop at Plum and June. Doesn't it sound like super fun? I'll keep you posted on that!

Plum and June

And, I'm linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced! Yay! 


WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

WIP: Pinwheel Edition


I have a finish! My pinwheel quilt, Polka Dot Attack Pinwheel! is complete, and with our summer move looming in the very near future, it's none too soon! This is my second big finish of the year.


I started this quilt in late December or early January, I can't remember, and I finished piecing the quilt top in February, but it sat unloved in a closet because I had numerous problems with it. First, the fabric I had picked out for a border didn't work with the pieced top. I decided to forgo a border, but I didn't like the quilt's size sans border, so I pieced together another strip of log cabins (thank goodness for over-purchasing fabric) and attached that, which meant I had to also add a strip of fabric to the backing material because it wasn't wide enough. And with the extra row of log cabins, suddenly my original quilting idea wasn't going to work, and that's when it went into the closet. It was too stressful to think about. 

In April, I pulled it out again and got to work. With the excellent advice of my quilting sensei, K, we devised a new quilting strategy. The lines are spread out, but I think this will lead to a very snuggly quilt.


I LOVE the backing fabric. I was crazy about the black and white print from the moment I laid eyes on it, but adding a long strip of polka dot material with pops of colors from the front made me go gaga. I think my favorite part of this quilt is that it's staying with me! I've already enjoyed snuggling with it on my couch.

I'm also working on the May block for the HST QAL, but at this point, I've only cut my triangles and squared them up.

I'll sadly have to take a break from quilting to get packed up and on the road, but know that I'll be thinking about my sewing machine longingly. I'm linking up with Freshly Pieced.


WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced