WIP: Finishing February Edition.

Agatha and I are keeping busy. Besides quilting work, I'm also spending time getting our house into shape. This nook is my current sewing spot, but I'm hoping to expand it to another tabletop soon as I use this surface to cut, iron, and sew. This table is 36" long, and I feel like that's expecting a lot from one tabletop.

 

I finished up my February bee blocks, and just in time! This one was based on Elizabeth Hartman's improv series in a color scheme of white, turquoise, lime, and purple. It measures 15" square.

My Lucky Stars Feb block is still a pile of un-ironed, uncut fabric. 

 

And I've been spending naptime quilting my Le Mille quilt in hopes of getting it finished. I don't think I'll make my end of Feb self-imposed deadline, but I'm making progress, and I'm happy with how she's turning out! 

What are you working on? I'm linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced and Building Blocks Tuesday at Quilter in the Closet. 

SS: Monday Stash?

I would've posted yesterday, but the postman was late with my squishy mail, and it didn't arrive until today. (Le sigh!) Still, it arrived, and it's TULA yum! (Oh, and some AMH ribbon.)

My fabric came from Fanciful Fabrics, and I paused and spent a good minute petting these lovelies before my kidlets demanded attention. The Meteors and Tree of Life prints are from the Birds and the Bees, and since they were end of bolts, they were on sale (yay!) The bottom print is from Tula's Salt Water collection, and I love love love love love it. I have big plans for that print. I may have joined a Tula fabric swap--I can't help myself! It's Tula, and I have a problem!--and while the Tree of Life print is my contribution, I'm planning to use the Seaweeds and Submarine print with the 10" squares I receive in return.

As if that wasn't enough goodness, the AMH ribbon was on sale, and I've been wanting to make a gathered clutch for some time now, and why not use the ribbon on the front? Yum yum yum.

I'm linking up with Fiona at Finding Fifth. It's her one year Sunday Stash anniversary, isn't that neat? Oh, and it may just be a certain hot pink girl's one year quilt blog anniversary in a few days, and there may just be a giveaway involved. Stay tuned, Friends!

Low Volume Finish

Last week was my HST BOM quilt finish, this week, my low volume quilt. Woo! This quilt was made for a cousin of mine who got married last weekend. (I finished it just in time to take it with me to the wedding!)

Some time ago, I participated in a low volume charm square swap. It yielded a bunch of lovelies, but I didn't have any immediate ideas for the charms, and when I did consider using them for myself, the presence of two small and messy kidlets dissuaded me.

I sewed them together in rows and added a 5" outside vertical stripe to either side to widen the top. To brighten it up, I used Anna Maria Horner's feather pattern and raw edge appliqued it.

Quilting was mostly straight lines on a diagonal through the blocks, but I did a bit of loop-de-loop FMQ in the borders.

And to balance out the bright feather, I pieced in a bit of red binding on the opposite corner. This idea was sheer genius. (Or perhaps it emerged because I didn't have enough binding material?) The backing is the same Ikea text print that I used for my HST BOM quilt.

I presented both my sister's quilt and my cousin's quilt to their new owners last weekend, and both sets of owners were excited! I wish I had gotten a shot of it wrapped up. I realized when I got to Texas that I didn't have a card or ribbon of any sort, even though I'd brought wrapping paper and tape. I faced the label outwards, rolled it into a cylinder so that the label still showed, and tied it in a large bow with a wine-colored sash I had brought with me. I think all future quilt gifts will be made in a similar fashion.

Several non-quilters commented on the backing fabric, asking me the significance of the numbers or why I chose that particular fabric, and I kept thinking, "Because it looks cool, peeps! Don't you know text fabrics are all the rage? This quilt is hip!" Maybe it's a quilters-only thing?

I'm linking up to TGIFF at Gingersnaps Quilts and Crazy Mom Quilts. I love WIP Wednesdays because you get an intimate look into the creative process of so many bloggers, but I LOVE Fridays because there are so many drool-worthy finishes!

BBT/WIP: February Blocks, Part 1

Block #1 is for the Make It Modern Bee. The request was for any type of 12.5" unfinished block in bright solids with white background. This color combination looks almost neon to me. (Which means that of course I love it.) I used this tutorial from Don't Call Me Betsy. The Kona solids are pomegranate, turquoise, and tangerine.

I had originally made this rainbow of geese for my bee mate, but for some reason, it wound up at 12" unfinished, and I do not have the patience to try and piece this again right now, especially since I have no idea how I made a paper-pieced block .5" shorter than intended. I used various solids...mostly Kona? I'll find something to use this lovely for, but right now, it's sitting on my wall.

Finally, I finished both of my February blocks for the Sisters' 10 BOM. Woo! I'm hoping to finish my second bee block and my February LS BOM block in the next day or so. Maybe? If I'm lucky and both boys simul-nap? Cross your fingers for me, okay?

I'm linking up to Building Blocks Tuesday at Quilter in the Closet and WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced. Thanks for stopping by!

HST BOM Finish

This lovely is packed and ready to go. I'm taking her to Austin, Texas this weekend where she'll change hands and go home with my sister as a very belated holiday gift.

I've been working on this quilt for fourteen months, but since it was a block of the month quilt, that's not so bad, right? My original idea was to make a gray and white quilt, which metamorphosed into a gray, white and yellow quilt, which ended with those pops of red and a red binding because why not? About halfway through the piecing process, I realized, who in my life really really really loves this color combination? My younger sister. And wouldn't a throw quilt in her fave colors make a lovely holiday gift? Oh, Friends. It would.

 

I didn't have any lovely assistants to help me hold her up for a photo, but this photo gives you a pretty good idea of the full quilt. If you were an In Color Order HST BOM'er yourself, you'll notice I didn't do all of the planned blocks, but in my eagerness to get it done, I pieced my twelfth block in November. (And I *still* didn't get it done in time for the holidays!) 

I quilted this with FMQ, including some big loop-de-loops in the border. The backing, as you can see in the top picture, is the large scale text print from IKEA. (IKEA, I love you!)

This was a really fun quilt. I started this BOM because I wanted to have rockin' HST skillz by December, and while I'm not sure "rock" is the word I'd use to classify my current HST abilities, I've improved significantly, and my later blocks definitely reflect the additional practice! It will be in my sister's mitts tomorrow, and I'm hoping she really really loves it. 

I'm linking up with TGIFF (at Sewing by Moonlight this week) and Crazy Mom Quilts.

stacks of yum.

Hi Friends.

I am still combating the illness that will never die. I've heard friends talk of these epic illnesses that take their family by storm and dwell in their homes for weeks, but I thought all of that was crazy talk. Until, of course, I encountered one. Today is day nine of a basic cold, and we still feel terrible.

And with no sleep and cranky children and a crippling fatigue, not to mention an amazing friend who is in town for the weekend, my sewing time has gone out the window, and with it, my plan to have two quilts ready to hand-deliver at my cousin's wedding in a week. I'll have to be happy with just one. (And that's only if I can get the binding finished!)

But I have been pulling fabric for other projects:

Make It Modern Bee Block - Bright solids on white

February Block for the Sisters' 10 BOM

Make It Modern Bee Block - Improv block a la Elizabeth Hartman

At least I'll have pretty stacks to dream of this weekend, right? And maybe, if my luck is really good, I'll get to tackle them on Monday. A girl can dream, right? Let's talk! What are you up to this weekend?

WIP: Three in the Works

If you've been reading long, you probably know I'm a bit...ummmm...ambitious when it comes to, well, everything. Skill level, work load, monthly to-do lists.... Everything. Though I will admit this week is a first. The first week I worked on three separate quilts. And while they aren't king-size mammoths, they are lap- to throw-size, and that was enough work for me thankyouverymuch.

I will finish this quilt. I will finish this quilt. I will finish this quilt. I was at my LQS over the weekend buying fabric for the binding and lamenting just how late this holiday gift will be when the woman tearing my fabric told me to inform my sister it's a very early 2013 holiday gift. Woo! I like her thinking. 

Why yes, that is stippling, pebbles, and clamshell FMQ! I decided, for funsies you know, to do different quilting in each block. Mostly FMQ. Because, you know, I am SO experienced with FMQ (I am actually a totally noob) and it's fun! I have yet to swear at a quilt, but I would have thrown this one if it was smaller and easier to manage. As it was, I had a tough time getting it out from under my machine, and by the time it was available for throwing, the need for quilt violence was replaced with sorrow and utter frustration. Thank goodness all that is left to quilt is the borders.

My low volume charms have become a low volume quilt top. But no borders. (Yet.)

 

I progressed with the quilting on my Le Mille quilt. I'm particularly in love with the backing. I can't wait to show y'all. And, like all good quilters balancing too many WIPs, the one I want to work on is the one that is the least pressing. You know, since I really should have those other two quilts done so I can hand deliver them in ten days. 

Just trying to keep it real and fun over here! I'm linking up with WIP Wednesdays at Freshly Pieced!

SS: BOM(s)? Check! Fabric? Double Check!

After the year of awesomeness that accompanied the In Color Order HST BOM, I knew I wanted to do another BOM this year, and when I saw the Lucky Stars BOM that Don't Call Me Betsy was offering, I freaked out at its awesomeness! Aren't her stars amazing? But what fabrics to use? (Isn't that always the dilemma?)

Then! I remembered this lovely stack of FQs. They have been waiting patiently in my sewing closet since 2012's Christmas in July when I won this bundle. (But I didn't post anything about it online, so it still counts for a Sunday Stash post, right?) It's my type of Christmas bundle, in that it's not very Christmas-y at all, but could still pass if pushed. Exciting, right? I wanted a special project to showcase all of these gems, and this is just the thing.

The Greens and Blues (Missing one or two of the fabrics I already cut into)

The Whites and Tans

The Pinks and Reds

I thought having all of these choices would make picking fabrics for the blocks so easy, but I spent over an hour figuring out which fabrics to choose for January's, and I can't imagine February's will be any easier! You can see my final pick here.

I'm linking up with Fiona's Sunday Stash at Finding Fifth because it is awesome fun. You should link up too!

the good and the bad.

The Good:

• Cleaning the battery contacts on my camera=working camera! Woo!
• Discovering that the 4 yards of Ikea fabric I bought on clearance (see above) has a larger WOF than I anticipated, meaning I didn't have to piece a back for my HST quilt, meaning I only had to use less than two yards, meaning I have enough leftover to serve as the back for my other quilt. Woo!
• Getting in some quilting yesterday, then attacking my knitting as my husband and I sat and watched the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. The best part? It was totally his idea to watch it. (He just finished reading P&P for the first time and is curious about the video adaptation.) Woo!
• I was honored with the Versatile Blogger award. (See below.) Woo!

The Bad:

• My entire family appears to have come down with a cold=there goes my quilting weekend. Boo.

Anna from The Crooked Banana was a peach and honored me with this award. I'm going to sit out the nominating portion of this one as I just finished Liebster-ing, but I will tell you seven more crazy random things about me. Don't laugh!

• I love epic board games. (I'm totally stealing this one from Anna, but since it's true for me too, I think it will be forgiven.) I LOVE Dominion. I'm up for playing Settlers, Pandemic, Small World, etc., but Dominion has truly captured my heart. A couple of nights ago, we played using the standard deck plus the Seaside and Hinterlands expansion. It. Was. Glorious.
• The first crafty thing I can remember doing was making friendship bracelets. I had a box of embroidery floss in tons of colors, and I would charge friends five cents a color to make them a bracelet. (Even then, I had to slash my labor costs to compete in the market.)
• Before he died, I had a chance to see Pavarotti sing, but I gave my ticket away so I could go hang out with friends instead. (In my defense, I hadn't ever really paid attention to who he was before then, but now I could kick myself for not going.) 
• I love college football. (The American type, though I do enjoy playing the other type.) I'm a Big Ten girl, and I love Ohio State. (Yay Urban Meyer!)
• I started my first blog many many many years ago on a website called teen open diary. It was all kinds of awesome. I wrote about my thoughts on Christianity and other stuff, and I got into the occasional shouting match with other bloggers over our interpretations of particular parts of scripture. It was all sorts of emo and drama, and I was not sad to leave that venue. It is also when I started to learn how to use html. 
• For many many years, I thought I was going to study cellular biology at university. I wanted to  eventually work for the CDC. Then, in my senior year of high school, I gave myself permission to pursue what I really wanted to do--creative writing.
• When I was a freshman in high school, I got chewed out by the school librarian for reading Jane Eyre during my lunch break. Apparently, she had never seen a freshman reading a novel of that variety voluntarily, and she assumed I was up to no good. 

There you have it! Seven more entirely random things about me.  Thanks, Anna, for thinking of me! And to all of you other Friends out there, I want to hear about your weekend plans. Will you get some quilty time?

Hello, February!

Hi February! It's good to see you. Could you bring some warmer temperatures my way? Thanks a latte! Love, Audrey

I didn't get much done for January, and I had to fight the clock for every minute I got!

Blocks for the Sisters' 10 BOM

This month I gave myself a short list:

• Make It Modern Bee Blocks (2)-check
• Lucky Stars BOM Blocks (2)-I got January done. I'm calling it good.
• Sisters' 10 BOM Blocks (2)-check
• Cape for Banzo-nope
• Unpack-check

I'm not sure my poor son is ever going to get his cape. Good thing he has his trusty hooded bath towel to wear, right?

And as for February, here is my seriously ambitious plan:

• Make It Modern Bee Blocks (2)
• Lucky Stars BOM Block (1)
• Sisters' 10 BOM Blocks (2)
• Cape for Banzo
• Quilt for my sister--baste, quilt, and bind
• Quilt for my cousin--start to finish
• Le Mille Quilt--finish quilting and bind
• Organize and purge junk and clean all the things!  

Wish me luck! I'm linking up with Fresh Sewing Day at Lily's Quilts because FSD is awesomesauce!