Transforming Fabric Once Again

 I finished the "Check it Out" quilt top, a mystery quilt by Heather Spence, run by Missouri Star Quilt Company.  I used the jelly roll I won last year from MSQC.  I have yet to add the border(s).

I finally finished this quilt for my sister.  I had the fabric ("Indian Summer") for a few years and pondered about a few different patterns, but finally settled on this pattern, a simple 9-patch.  

50" x 70"

A simple daisy pantograph to match the little flowers in the quilt top.

The finished "Freebie 15 BOM" quilt top from the now-closed Traditional Pastimes here in Calgary.  I took out some of the bright blocks and used cotton fabrics instead of some of the provided muslin fabric, and sort of "designed" two of the blocks.  

This quilt was for one of my nephews, and he loved it.  

62" x 90"

I love this pantograph to match the squares and rectangles of the quilt top.

A baby girl "Diamond in the Rough" quilt.

(And my cute quilt holder. xo)

Now onto other projects:

I made hooded bath towels for my boys.  

I am working on a Scrap Dance Quilt Along.  Here are two of the month clues.  This QA ends in September and I am using up kids' fabrics for a baby quilt. 

Another project:

2" HST Swap (through MSQC)

I have never done a swap before so this was fun.

I used these templates and have sent in my 56 2" HST and now am awaiting a mishmash of 56" HST in return.  Not sure what I will make with these HST yet.

These are the 2 styles of fabrics that I did.  (Paper kept on and not ironed as per instructions.)

I am working on another Mystery Quilt: "Double Cross" by Heather Spence 

This time I am doing 2 quilt tops, the blue/pinks for my church group's cancer donation quilts, and the green/black is mine.   

The first 2 pix are Steps 1 & 2

Step 3 

There are 48 of each block now.

And finally...

Prairie Chicks 2015 BOM

April BOM

May 2015 BOM

At LONG Last: An Update!!

Once again, life just gets busy with caring for 2 boys.  Preschool is now finished and so are soccer lessons... and just in time for water parks, swimming, play dates and camping (which means ?less? time to update).  Sigh  Oh well.

Despite the lack of blog updates, I have been sewing.

Sometimes I have 5 minutes and do what little I can.

Sometimes I have a few hours to really catch up on things.

Usually my catch up time is in the evenings or on a Sunday afternoon...

but sometimes I actually manage an hour in the afternoon when...

wait for it... BOTH boys are napping or are quiet!  That is a treat!

Whether it is 5 minutes or a few hours, each opportunity to sew is soooo relaxing! 

Definitely Mommy Therapy!

So... here goes the list of items I have been sewing:

A baby blanket I made for Samuel last fall/winter... but I am not sure if I posted a pic of the quilt itself.  Backing is a brown chenille.  (My older son loves to snuggle under it, too.)

I got this mystery quilt pattern a year or two ago from Sheila @ Blue Patch Quilter, and I FINALLY finished it.  I love it!

61" x 63"

We visited my family in BC in April, and I lugged 2 quilts along.

This small quilt was for my parents.

They had asked me for a quilted tablecloth for their 5th-wheel so they have something nice to look at and touch while playing cards!  LOL.  

They even gave me specific dimensions!  

My niece "A" had requested a quilt.  These are the "Freebie 15" quilt blocks from the 2012-2013 year and the theme was "Vintage Plates."  My niece loved her quilt.

Gifts for the preschool teachers:

Flower pot with glove flowers.

Inside each flower pot: flower seeds, DIY sugar hand scrub, hand cream and a thank you card.

(Thanks to Pinterest for the idea!)

I decided to sew a bag for my stroller baby change pad... and then I decided to sew a baby change pad as well.  The whale fabric is cotton, the blue fabric is a waterproof PUL.  The bag interior is also made of PUL.  It was my first time sewing with PUL fabrics... and yes, I did use polyester thread. 

The change pad has a poly fill batting inside and I machine sewed the binding on the change pad.

Since I was working with PUL fabrics, I decided to also sew some bags.

I tried a few different styles.  

I made some PUL swim bags.  

The bag on the top right holds my son's towel and swimming trunks no problem.

My friend J has 3 little girls.  The baby was the recipient of one of my favourite baby quilts, and I whipped up 2 pillowcase aprons for her 2 eldest girls.  I didn't use a pattern, just winged it (which is pretty good for me!!) and I love the final look... but the aprons look so nice on these 2 gorgeous, precious little girls!!

Too bad you live so far away, J!!  Miss you!!

I had another baby quilt that I made lying around the house and I donated it to some friends who had a fund-raiser benefit to raise money for a private USA adoption.  They have 2 biological children, one adopted from Florida, and they are now in the final stages of adopting another child from California.

I paid for the annual block of the month from Prairie Chicks (Saskatchewan) and I am enjoying it so far.  Each month I make two 8.5" blocks.  So perdy.  

February blocks

March blocks

April blocks

May blocks

I am not sure I took pix of all the "Freebie" blocks from Traditional Pastimes, but here are a few of the latest blocks:

The cream fabric is "Osnaburg" - I TOTALLY detest the fabric!!  This block is so NOT match up, and I didn't like the cutting/sewing instructions.  I might rip this block apart yet.  

This quilt block looks quite orange, but it is actually quite reddish.

I didn't feel like being piddly with this block so I improvised.  

All the blocks so far for the Freebie 15 blocks:

I participated in the annual Spring Mystery Quilt by Heather Spence.  

I think this is the 5th or 6th or 7th quilt I have done one of her quilts, and they are fun!

Here are the fabrics I selected... earthy tones which remind me of a beach then looking toward a tree.

This quilt is called "Elevation" and I finished it just this past weekend.  

While digging around in fabric, I found this John Deere fabric and made 2 bibs, one for my little one and the other for his little cousin cuz my baby sister loves John Deere items!  (Yup, they live on a chicken farm in BC.)

Another quilt: "Diamond in the Rough", a Freckled Whimsy quilt along.

This was a fun quilt.

Measures 42" x 42"
Backing is a fun, modern blue striped fabric.

And finally...

I got so tired of my ironing board cover.

I bought this ironing board at Walmart because it was a lovely 18" wide board, and I like the wheels on the bottom, but the ironing board cover was made of thin, crappy fabric.

I have been procrastinating doing anything about the worn cover and the holes on it, but I found my energy and made myself a lovely new ironing board cover.  

Ta-da!!!

I put a piece of batting over the original yucky blue cover then this bright, fun floral cover.  

Best part?  

It was easy-peasy.

At Long Last: An Update!

Wow, has it really been more than 2 months since I updated my blog?! 

Wherever does time go?

Here is what I have been up to...

I had my "Floating Stars" quilt quilted by my friend Dalene, and here is the finale, complete with binding.

Don't you just LOVE the pattern?

I finished the Aim for Accuracy Quilt top.  

Backing & batting purchased, now awaiting quilting.

This pattern is a small version of Heather Spence's "Dan's Climb" quilt

I added a brown chenille as the backing. 

I participated in Heather Spence's bi-annual mystery quilt, and this is the finished quilt top for the Fall 2013 Mystery Quilt.  It is called "Mum's the Word".  

Isn't it delightful?

The border looks like strawberries on this photo but it actually is flowers, and it is Moda fabrics that match quite closely to the jelly roll fabrics "Vin du Jour".

I will finish the backing next year.

We visited family in BC in October for Canadian Thanksgiving, and I took this quilt along so I could finish off the binding... and then leave it at my parents' place so they could pass it along to my niece, Miss B, who wanted this quilt.  

This "Plenty of Fish" quilt is huge!  

I love the stars & swirls pattern that Dalene did for this quilt!

So... with a baby on the way, I wanted to do some sewing... but a sewer I am NOT!!!!!

I botched up this fitted crib sheet.

Somehow I messed up the measurements then cut the corners of the fabric, realized my mistake, then had to add inserts (2, not 1 - duh!!) into the centre of the crib sheet.  

Ok, just fire me!  Fail!!

Thankfully, it is a busy pattern, and it isn't a main show piece, so hopefully baby will not be bothered by it.

Sigh!

I made a nursing pillow cover from the same Dr. Seuss black/white/red fabric.

I haven't finished my last block from Traditional Pastimes's "Vintage Plates" Freebie 15 series, so nothing to show for that one.

This year's theme for the Freebie 15 is Spice Bazaar.

It will be comprised of squares & rectangles.

Sounds easy, but a lot of the instructions are in 1/16" measurements - ugh.  

Here are the new Freebie 15 blocks: the Freebie (left - "Anise") and the companion (right - "Cinnamon") as well as 20 4-inch 4-squares.  

(Photo taken on iPhone, thus the lousy colour quality.)

Seven more weeks until baby's due date!!!