Sunday, December 23, 2012

Scrappy Mess

I have been collecting 4 x 4 inch squares for what seems like forever. Last month I decided that I would finally do something with them. Here is a little peak of a disappearing 9 patch quilt top called "Scrappy Mess". Right now its long enough to be a twin size but it needs more width. So either some solid on the sides or lots more blocks!


 
 

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Where have I been?? And a quilt top from the past (#3)

 
I really wanted to be a blogger who posted at least once a week, maybe even 2 or 3 times a week. But I have been so busy for the past couple months that I have not been able to sew as much as I want and that means that I have nothing to post! I was in Yuma for a few weeks, then vacation in Orlando, and now I am in California. I have decided that I am going to stop traveling for the rest of the year and once I finish moving (yeah, I am doing that too) I will concentrate on sewing!
 
Until I have new stuff to share, I will leave you with a quilt top from the past. This is something that I put together from some clearence rack fat quarters that I found at Joann's.
 

 

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Black, white and red!

I've been pretty busy all summer with traveling and I haven't had a lot of time to work on quilts. So the other night I pulled out a project that I had started a year or two ago just so I could get my sewing fix. I had most of the pieces cut already so I just needed to finish cutting a few new fabrics that I wanted to add to it and then start putting it together.
 
Here are the blocks laid out as I was playing around with the layout. I was one block short (you can see the open space at the top) so I took the top row and created a pillow cover with it. I don't have pictures of that one, but.....
 
 
I do have pictures of the other pillow cover I created with the extra 5 inch squares I had laying around.
 
 
Here is the back. I had a couple squares with roses on them so I used them to extend one side of the flap (its an envelope pillow cover)

 
I ending up moving some blocks around as I was sewing it together. I ran out of time when I was about halfway done so its still laying in the middle of the living room. I'll finish it next time I am at my house....which might be a week or two...


Thursday, August 2, 2012

Marine Corps uniform lap quilt

While I was cleaning out a few months ago I came upon some of my old uniforms that were no longer usable. I cut up some simple 6 1/2 inch squares and randomly put them together. Its a small lap quilt or baby quilt size but much better than all those uniforms taking up space. There are even a few pockets saved from one of my ex's dress uniform shirts.

It's backed with a plain tan cotton and bound with the old style desert uniform that makes up almost half of the squares.



Friday, July 27, 2012

Key West Pillow Cover

I've seen lots of tutes online to make envelope pillow covers and I've been wanting to make one forever. Well today is the 1st day of my "kid-free" vacation so I am trying to catch up on all my sewing and scrapbooking projects while I have tons of time. I got a box of fabric from my dad a few weeks ago. It was given to him by his cousin, who got it from a friend. I think.

Anyway...I found some Key West Hand Print fabric cuts in the box along with two larger pieces. I cut down the fabric pieces, which ranged from 10 x 10 to 10 x 9 to 8 x 9 inch squares, in to 8 x 8 inch squares and then started a disappearing 9 patch quilt top. That's no where close to finished so I will update on that later. The remaining pieces I cut in to strips and the strips that were smaller than 3 inches wide were used for this little project....




Here is the envelope back. It's not perfect but pretty good for my first attempt. I think I may make a couple more :) Please excuse the blue pillow that is stuffed in there, I need to make a couple blank pillow forms but that is a little further down on my to do list.



Oh, and here is a close up of the double needle hem...why did I wait so long to try that?



Thursday, July 26, 2012

Tea Rose Link Party

I am still new to the whole blogging thing so to get my name out there just a little I've joined the Tea Rose link party. Nothing too major just yet but hopefully this will increase my traffic a little and get my name out there. I really just want to show off what I make, even though I am slightly outside the box when it comes to quilting! :)
 

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Rainbow Scrap Quilt

A while back I found 15 Minute Play by BumbleBeans Inc and I started playing around with my scraps too. After lots of playing here and there I finally have a scrap quilt top to show! It's not as big as I would like so I think I will play around a little more with it. Maybe a rainbow boarder or something :)

Friday, July 6, 2012

My first quilt pattern, test #1

When I was in Yuma a few months ago, I drew up a simple quilt design that I wanted to try someday. I've drawn up patterns before and I've always wanted to try them but this time I actually bought the fabric that I wanted to use and got to work.


The fabric is from Connecting Threads and I love it. I've bought fabric from them before but this is the first time I have worked with it. (I really need to work through my stash, but that's another post....)





This is one of the units. I need to adjust the measurements a little, notice the bottom strip is just a little off...





Here are the other units while I was finishing them up.





All 4 units put together in to one block.





And a couple blocks laid out to see how they look together.




I ended up buying more of this fabric and I sashed the blocks with some tan. I am now thinking about adding a border but I'm not 100% sure about that yet. Once I get home I will add some more pictures of this one, I would love some feedback on any changes I should make. I think I am going to adjust the measurements and pick out some more contrasting colors to do a second test run.


Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Quilt Tops from the Past #2

This is a top I was working on a few weeks ago. Its made from men's cotton shirts with some tan quilting cotton mixed in. This is one of my favorite "go to" patterns that's not really a pattern at all. I cut a square for the middle in what ever size I feel like. This one was 5x5 I think. Then I cut strips and sew them on each side. Very good for scraps :) I know this block must have a name and an actual pattern but I honestly don't know what it is!

Monday, July 2, 2012

Quilt tops from the past #1

Since I am unable to post anything new or anything that I was working on before I came out to Az I'm going to post some of the pictures that I have on my computer.

This quilt top was something that I was working on when I lived in Tn. There are a few blocks that I put together with scraps just because I was playing around. I had plans to use a pink comforter as the batting but I never got to that part. I was watching a lot of Law & Order SVU reruns while I was putting this together so I will probably call it Persephone Pink after some early episodes when Benson goes undercover. I have been thinking about backing it with some pink fleece like I use on my tee shirt quilts but I am not 100% about that yet.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Its hot! :)

I made it out here to Yuma, Az this afternoon and boy is it warm :) I will probably go crazy over the next two weeks without my sewing machine but I did bring some quilting magazines and I have internet access so I hope to stay half sane at least. I found some pictures on my laptop of quilt tops I have in progress and I thought that I would share them with you....



This first one is made up of some light weight cotton and strips cut from men's button up shirts


The second is some more light weight cotton.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Yuma, Az

Starting tomorrow I will be out of town for two whole weeks! Normally that is not horrible but this time I can't take my sewing machine or any fabric to cut. Boo! What the heck am I going to do? Go through withdrawal! That's what!!

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

My first post :)

I have read lots of blogs here and there and all over the web but I never really thought about making one of my own using blogger. I have blogged over on Xanga for years but that was more personal and much more anonymous. This blog is meant to be all about my quilting and sewing projects. I opened a facebook to showcase my quilts and sewing projects and this seemed like the next step :) I want to start selling some quilts, probably on Etsy but that might not be until later this year since the summer seems to be too busy and we are never home!

Until my next post, here is the second quilt I made for my daughter. I finished it in 2008 when she was almost 4. She loves the Little Mermaid :) It's backed with a vintage sheet and the binding is kinda horrible but I didn't know the "proper" way to bind a quilt yet!