FF: Another 241 Tote.

We've discussed my feelings about the 241 tote. I made two in 2014 and have made two (so far) this year. There will be at least one, maybe two more this year. I love this pattern!

This one had to be extra special because it was for an extra special person! I used some leftover shot cotton scraps from my Tessellated Leaves baby quilt, and I paired them with the trees batik I used on the back of the same quilt. I made another adjustable strap using navy cotton webbing and mailed it off. This is finish #3 from my Q1 FAL list.

I thought it would be fun to take a look at all four that I've made, side by side, so to speak. (I love them ALL.)

And because it was not only Christmas time, but my friend also has a December birthday, I made her this mini and sent her a couple extra goodies as well.

Believe it or not, I'm still not done with belated Christmas/birthday gifts. One day, I will be done! :) 


Hope you're having an awesome Friday! I'm linking up today with TGIFF hosted by Leanne at Devoted Quilter. 

Adobe Sunrise

Friends, this is Adobe Sunrise. Isn't she gorgeous???

My friend and quilting sensei K made her for me for Christmas, and I am so in love. K knows that I get a wee bit sad in the winter, and she knows I miss home a lot, so she made me this wonderful mini quilt to remind me of home. And of course, it's in my favorite color palette.

I love it so. Now. I have to figure out the bestest place to hang it in my house. Which is turning out to be quite difficult! But never fear! I'll make it happen.

Thank you, K. You're the bestest.

Secret Project of Awesome Unveiled.

Welcome to my stop on the Tessellated Leaves Quilt Blog Hop! 

When Yvonne of Quilting Jetgirl first started posting photos of her Tessellated Leaves quilt, I about died of the awesome. The color transition! The painstaking attention to detail! The awesomeness of the block itself! And when I saw the finished quilt top, it was like angels came out and sang. (I really like this quilt, can you tell?) Yvonne has since finished the quilt and has even finished a Tessellated Leaves pattern. And when I found out she needed pattern testers, I very enthusiastically asked if I could contribute.

This is my version of Yvonne's Tessellated Leaves pattern. The pattern has multiple size options and instructions for piecing a two color or a four color version. (At the end, there are also tips for making your own TL quilt like Yvonne's.) I chose a two color baby sized version, and after spending over a day mulling my fabric options, I opted to go with shot cottons. Specifically, I used Kaffe Fassett shot cottons in Blue Jean and Jade, and the backing and binding are Aegean.

The piecing was easy using the diagrams from the pattern. After I completed my first block, I taped it to the wall in front of my machine and was able to refer to it when piecing the other blocks. When it came time to quilt it, I was a bit stumped. I thought about doing something flowy and loopy, but then there was the question of what thread color. I considered echo quilting the individual leaves. In the end, I went with a standby Audrey strategy and quilted straight lines on the diagonal. I used two different thread colors to match the fabric. To be honest, when I first started quilting, I felt like my idea was a sissy approach and was a little upset at myself for not finding a more creative solution. But when I finished, I remembered once again why I quilt so many quilts with straight diagonal lines--I really like the look of the finished product.

While I was working on the piecing, I remembered a gorgeous tree-themed batik I had used in a quilt for my sister some time ago. I pulled out a scrap and realized that it matched perfectly. I made a trip to my LQS where I had initially purchased the fabric, and lo and behold, they still had some!

I matched my bobbin thread to my top thread, which gives the back a fun look with the intersecting boxes.

This was such a fun quilt to make, and I'm thankful to Yvonne for the opportunity to test the quilt for her. The pattern is now available for purchase in her payhip store, and if you buy it this week, you can get it for only $6, which is a great price. This deal ends on the 31st.

Be sure to check out the other awesome Tessellated Leaves quilts unveiling this week:

Sunday, January 25th - Introduction by Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl
Monday, January 26th - Debra @ Quilting Makes My Heart Sing
Tuesday, January 27th - Audrey @ Hot Pink Quilts
Wednesday, January 28th - Laurel @ Drowning in Fabric
Thursday, January 29th - Shauna @ Shauna's World
Friday, January 30th - Pamela @ PBarrettHill Fashion
Saturday, January 31st - Wrap-up by Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl

Oh, and if that wasn't enough, this is also finish #2 from my Q1 FAL list. Woo!

FF: Tote for a Friend.

Friends, there is something about having a list. I feel the immense need to conquer it. Vanquish it, even. When I check something off of it, I feel invincible. And like I pretty much rock. (Because, ahem, I TOTALLY do.)

I present to you, item #1 to be checked off my super awesome (and long) Q1 FAL list, a super awesome 241 tote for my friend Kim. It is a late Christmas present, and while I don't love it quite as much as the 241 tote that I made for me, I was sad to give it away because I would have totally rocked it. You know, when I wasn't rocking mine. Or my Tula raccoon bag. Or my beloved, special-occasion-only Tenshi Neko bag. Or one of the other many awesome bags that I own. (I own a lot of bags.)

This color palette had me singing. (Floral fabric is from Blend Fabrics...Global Bazaar, I think?) The floral was so bright and cheerful, and I don't think I ever would have picked it off the shelf, but when my friend Kim did--I let her help me fabric shop because I knew it would be a late gift--I was so excited about it. We teamed it up with the turquoise print and that navy solid-looking fabric which is actually a blender by Moda called Weave. It looks almost like a shot cotton. And y'all know my thoughts on shot cottons---yummmmmm.

This is the first time I got fancy-pants with this pattern. Kim had seen my bag (and liked it, of course) but mentioned that she would prefer a longer strap. Now...I could have just made a longer strap, but why not make an adjustable one instead? And out of webbing. That way I don't have to make a strap. (I really REALLY hate fusing interfacing, you know?) I used this tutorial, which was super helpful. I could only find webbing and hardware for 1", so that's how wide my strap is. (The pattern strap is a bit wider.) And the store only had gold hardware, which looks okay on this bag, but won't look okay on every bag, so next time, I might be ordering materials online. I also left off the magnetic clasp because the clasp on my bag kinda annoys me. (And by kinda, I mean really a lot.) Looking back, I wish I had made some kind of closure for it, but I'm hoping it won't be a big deal.

The inside lining is hot pink, which makes my pink-deprived heart so happy! I've been working with a lot of yummy blue lately, but it doesn't speak to my heart like pink. I'm happy to report that the bag has been delivered, and its new owner likes it.

I've probably said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again, but I really really love this bag pattern. I recently washed mine because of an unfortunate coffee spill, and the bag held up perfectly in the wash. And I already know who will be the recipient of my next one. (And it will be pink!!)

Items #2 and #3 from my FAL list are already finished, but you'll have to wait a bit for their reveal. One is my secret project of awesome, and the other is (another) late Christmas gift that I just dropped in the mail today. Soon, Friends, I promise.

I'm linking up with Michelle at From Bolt to Beauty for TGIFF. (And she better watch out, or I'm totally going to steal her new Sew Together bag.)

A bit of tidying.

I am out of batting. I am also out of interfacing, cotton webbing, and I never had the proper thread I need to quilt one of the tops on my to-do list. I need bag hardware. A trip to Joann's is certainly in order...except the wind chill is -4 degrees F, and there is no way I'm leaving my house unless it catches on fire, and it would have to be a pretty big fire at that.

So I've been tidying. Piecing quilt backs. Prepping binding. Putting fabric away. (Even throwing out my pile of pretty shot cotton trimmings, which hurt my heart a little.) Once I have some batting in my possession, the plan is to attack those three quilt tops and get 'er done. (I'm thinking a marathon basting session...do I even have enough basting pins? Note to self: get more basting pins.)

I've done as much on these bags as I can without interfacing, bag hardware, and the cotton webbing. And while it's nice to have a clean sewing area, and all of those projects are stacked nice and neat and ready, I'd like to be checking some of these things off my list, you know?

SO! The plan is to get to Joann's tomorrow. Buy all the things. Hurry home! Baste, quilt, and bind the secret project of awesome! Maybe baste some other stuff! Fuse all the interfacing! Maybe some other stuff too!

What are you up to this weekend?

Q1 2015 FAL List.

I missed the sign-ups for the 2014 Q4 FAL because I was traveling and had no internet--yes, there are places without internet--and I have no intention of missing out on the Q1 sign-ups for 2015! I really missed having that list of awesome to give me a good kick in the pants. Let's jump right in!

1. Baby E's quilt

Top is done; backing fabric is purchased
DONE

2. Secret Quilt Project of Awesome

Top is done, but can't show any pictures because it's a secret 
DONE

3. Tote #1

Pockets are cut; Fabric is purchased 
DONE

4. Tote #2

Most of the tote is cut; some of the interfacing is fused
DONE

5. Project Linus #1 of the year

Top is done

6. Project Linus #2 of the year

Top is done; need backingDONE

7. Banzo's Quilt

Have fabric; have a vision

8. TP City Sampler Quilt

Need a few more blocks, then to set the blocks

9. Gypsy Wife Quilt

Need a few more blocks, then to set the blocks

It's an ambitious list, that's true, but an ambitious list is my very favorite kind. I know some of these aren't going to get done. (I'm okay with that.) But time to get to it! I'm linking up with the 2015 Q1 FAL linky with Adrianne at On the Windy Side!

SS: Latest Acquisitions

Before the death flu descended on my house, I squeezed in a quick visit to the LQS. From left to right: purple star fabric to back Baby E's purple quilt, tree batiks (my fave batik ever) for a birthday gift, and the last four will be used for another birthday gift. I did not look at selvages because that would have been responsible. I do know the dark navy is a Moda weave, and I really like the look of it. Subtle texture, but awesome nonetheless. Wish I had picked up more of it.....

I'm linking up today with Molli Sparkles for Sunday Stash, woo!

It's 2015.

FRIENDS. Unless you've been living in a cave without a calendar, then you probably already know it's 2015, but it's still a bit of a kick in the pants to me. While I haven't been in a cave for the past few weeks, I have been dealing with the flu to end all flus, and OMG, I am so over it. I spent three days in bed, which is unheard of, and my husband has spent seven. (I've yet to see if today will be day eight or if the poor man is feeling well enough to be up for a bit. Just in: he's out of bed! Woohoo!)

Before I got waylaid, I was working on this stack of yummy delicious shot cottons. (Secret project of awesome, coming soon to an awesome blog near you! Or, you know, this one.)

This pile is slowly growing. Lots and lots of trimming. But you know what that means? Super sharp corners of yummo. That's what.

I finished my Stash Bee block--and more importantly, my "tutorial"--just under the wire. Block is based on the Glorious Autumn block by Fresh Lemons Quilts.

I finished this quilt top earlier in December for my newest niece, who decided she just couldn't wait to meet me, so she came three weeks early! Meaning I have to get this quilted pronto. Luckily for me, I picked up backing fabric recently, and now I just need to get batting.

Stupid flu. Wrecked all of my well-laid plans. It's day 1 of 2015, and I'm already behind. UGH. Alright! Off to work on the secret project of awesome. Because, you know, it's awesome.