H Pillow

I finished up this pillow last week (or maybe the week before that--yikes!) and I'm so happy with its cuteness!

A few years ago, I made an L pillow for one of my sons' friend's birthday. And apparently, Miss L's little sister was so enamored by the pillow that she kept asking when she would be getting her own H pillow.

Her mama contacted me to see if I could knock one of these out for her birthday, and how could I say no? It especially doesn't hurt that Miss H is a serious cutie patootie.

The construction wasn't terribly complicated. I cut a 14.5" square panel out of that fun chevron print I bought ages ago with plans to use it for my niece's quilt. It didn't work out with my plans for my niece, but this is a super awesome use of it! I basted it, and FMQ'd it all together. I almost never stipple, but this seemed like a fun time to use that particular FMQ pattern. After that, I cut out two H's, sewed them together, leaving a space along one of the sides, then turned it right side out. It needed a good press, then I topstitched it down to the panel, using a turquoise thread because I thought it would add a bit of flavor.

The back is an envelope closure, in keeping with the L pillow I made a few years ago.

I'm so excited to pop this in the mail for Miss H! Happy Monday, Friends. I hope your last few days of February are stellar!

Reyna Shawl Finish

I posted this in-progress blocking shot on instagram the other day. This is the Reyna Shawl by Noora Laivola, and it is a very late Christmas present for my Mama. When it was dry, I promptly unpinned it, admired it, tried it on, then packaged it up and posted it. It was supposed to arrive yesterday.

I have NO photos of it, and I am taking solace in the fact that I know I'm not the only one who has been so eager to gift something that they completely forget to snap a photo. In fact, I've done it before, and I'm 99% sure I'll do it again. Still, UGH. Nonetheless, it is finished, and it is the fourth finish off my Q1 FAL 2017 list.

We dropped off friends at the airport this morning after a lovely visit, but now, life must return to normal, and I have laundry, homeschooling, and kidlet affairs to juggle. What does your Tuesday look like?

Coast to Coast Traveling Bee Quilt 1

As I'm piecing these stars for Alison's quilt, my husband asks me why I'm working on a quilt for a person I don't like. And I reply, "Alison is awesome. Why would you think I don't like her?"

And then I start panicking. Does the quilt look like junk? Does he think I've made a mess of Alison's lovely medallion?

Thankfully, no. APPARENTLY, friendship stars look like ninja stars to him, and APPARENTLY he thinks I'm the sort of person to send people death threats in their quilt tops. What a punk. 

So I tell my husband that I'm calling him out on my blog for insinuating that I have violent tendencies, and he starts backtracking. "No!" he says. "Ninja stars are useful tools. You're using them in the quilt to show your friend you've got her back."

RIGHT. :)

Here's the quilt as it stands right now, and I'm pretty excited about it! I'll drop it in the mail this week, and then I get to start work on Susan's!

FF: Northern Lights Quilt #4

You'd think after three iterations, I'd be done with the Northern Lights quilt pattern by Jaybird Quilts, but you would be wrong. I love this quilt pattern. I love each one I've made. And this new one *may* be my favorite one yet. It's the first one I've made for a girl, so the pink solids may have had something to do with it. I've yet to make a prints version--maybe next time?

Colors are: Kona Clementine, Kona Punch, Kona Cerise, Kona Crocus, Kona Purple, and to be honest, I can't remember what the blue is. Kona Caribbean, maybe? I *think* that's it.

The chain piecing began, and it was oh-so much fun working with this attack of color. YUM. I love me some bold, saturated fabric.

AND THESE SEAMS SLAY ME. (In a good way.) I finally FINALLY figured out how to line up the rows to almost always wind up with perfect or near perfect seams. In the past, I've guessed and usually had to rip out 8-10 connections to make them nicer. This time, I only had to rip out one. WOO!

And here's the finished top. I have the backing already, but I realized I don't have batting on hand. So that's ordered, and then hopefully I'll be basting this one and getting it quilted up lickety-split. This quilt is for a baby due in March, but she came really early, and I'd like to have it done soon! Until then, I really need to get moving on another baby quilt, this one for a baby due this month.