A Busy & Satisfying Sewing Week

Finally... I have had time to catch up on some of my sewing & cross off a few items on my "to do" list.  Oh, that is a good feeling!!

Here's the June Star Search block (Two Toonies Thursdays @ Freckles Quilt Shop)

Only 2 more blocks to go until it gets quilted together!!

I finished off my 2 "Fandango" charm packs by making these 9 Disappearing 9 quilt blocks.  This will be a baby quilt that I will sell.  I have purchased the fabric for sashing, borders, backing & binding, but I have yet to sew/quilt it together. 

The first 6 months for Birdie Stitches Quilt Along.

I sewed 2.5x2.5 pieces together that will eventually be part of the backing for the Birdie Stitches Quilt Along quilt.

A photographer friend made a paper mobile for her baby due in October, so I attempted to make a paper mobile as well.  I used hemp twine; I cut each circle out by scissors and knotted each circle to the strands.
I chose the black & white because babies respond best to those colours; red is just for fun.  

Remember the black & white fabric that I won??
Here is a sneak peek of the another quilt that I'm still working on.  

I made this baby hat & the flowers a while back but I just didn't take a photo of them until now.

Another baby hat I crocheted a month or two ago. 

2 dishcloths.  The small one was a sampler one.
I had great intentions of crocheting more dishcloths but my wrists just don't tolerate it too well.    I would rather be quilting anyways.  

I just HAD to add this one... this is my son's craft from his daycare home.    Not bad for a 21 month old. (Ok,admittedly everything was cut, and he had help but he still put the circles on the glue on the paper.)
What a cute little ladybug.

The web photo of Modern Workshop fabric line  - for my next project.

The "real" fabric for Modern Workshops fabric line.
This is the fabric I won from Moose on the Porch Quilts for my Layer Cake Quilt Along.
I will now be using this fabric for another quilt along: The Synchonized Squares Quilt Along.
Quilt-alongs are fun... can you tell I enjoy them??

I also sewed 2.5 x 5 pieces of solid colours together for my P2QA quilt.

My finished quilt top for P2QA (Patchwork Squared Modern Solids Quilt Along).
I'm sure my quilt recipient will be quite happy with this quilt.
Now if only I can find some nice fabric for the backing!!
Quilt top measures 58" x 72".

Old & New Fabrics & a Woolly Monkey

A few weeks ago we visited my husband's aunt who lives a few hours away.  We stayed the night at her place, and she pulled out some quilts that were my husband's great-grandmother's quilts.  

These quilts were ever so carefully pieced together & were so lovely!!

These quilts were sewn with remnant fabrics and were, of course, all sewn by hand.

Quilt #1

A close-up of the quilting & some detail embroidery.

Quilt #2

I received my winning fabrics in the mail.

Here's the bundle of fabric (5 yards total) that I won from Toads U Sew.

Isn't this fabric just lovely??!!

Included with the 5 yards of fabric was also a small pattern booklet.  

I recently have been doing crocheting or knitting in the evenings while sitting beside my husband, and chatting or watching tv.

One of my evening projects: A crocheted sock monkey.

I played around with a few blocks of the black & white fabric...

Nine-patch with white/light in the corners, black in between and red in the middle.

Nine-patch with black in the corners, white/light in between and red in the middle

Disappearing 9 Patch #1

D9P #2

I'm not sure how I'll piece these blocks together: sew them together as 1 large quilt or place sashing in between the quilt blocks.

I also received my 2nd winning fabric pack: 

A Layer Cake, "Modern Workshop" by Liesl Gibson for Oliver + S which I won from Moose on the Porch Quilts 

I have many other projects to finish, so that will give me time to decide how I will use these fabrics.  

The May quilt block for Freckles Scrappy Star quilt-along.

Busy Working & Sewing

So (sew) ... I have had a busy last few weeks.

I worked a lot of shifts at my paid job at the hospital, but once home I was able to focus again on my wonderful husband and son and I also managed to get some sewing done. It feels so good to feel "caught up" - even though I still have a big list of things to sew & quilt.

Block #10 (Fresh Flower) for Moose on the Porch's "Layer Cake Quilt Along"

All 10 blocks thus far for the LCQA. I'm pretty sure I'll be using brown for the sashing.

Oh, the backing... it's going to be adorable!! I ordered some fabric that is going to used on the backing, but it will be revealed once the quilt is done. Yup, it's still a child's quilt.

The March block for the Scrappy Star quilt along, part of Calgary's Freckles Quilt Shop's Two Toonies Thursdays.

The 7 stars thus far, from September 2010 to March 2011.

I had this orange fabric sitting on the shelf what seemed forever. Actually, I bought it late last year but when I washed the cotton, I had added something dark, so the fabric stained blue patches. I had to go out and buy some more "orange" cotton fabric, but it just sat there for the longest time. Finally, I washed the fabric (didn't stain it this time) and quickly sewed this blanket together. I realized afterwards that it isn't fully rectangular, but I like the combination of the orange flannel with the yellow/orange cotton. Another baby gift ready to go...

Block-a-Palooza:

I would really have to rush it if I wanted to do the 12 blocks that are in the Block-a-Palooza quilt along, but I decided only to do 2 for now. Some of the blocks were pinwheels, but I chose these 2 b/c of the flying geese patches. I purchased a fat eighths specifically to do some of these blocks, so I just might do another 2 or 3 or 4 to make a table runner. The fabric has little Japanese blossoms printed on it - it's too cute.

Block #6 of the Block-a-Palooza

Block #3 of the Block-a-Palooza

The 2 Block-a-Palooza quilt blocks.

For Christmas, hubby gave me the Autumn Leaves Pre-fringed Quilt Kit. The leaves needed to be cut and appliqued (I've discovered I'm not really into applique). The fabric is a combination of various cottons and flannels. One thing about rag quilts is that they are very, very messy... thread shreds everywhere!!

I had laid out all the blocks for the leaves to be spaced out evenly, but somehow I messed up the blocks when sewing it all together. I didn't really realize that until the quilt was finished. Oh well, this quilt is NOT going to be pulled apart!!

Here's the quilt outside being ruffled by the wind before it got washed.

I joined another quilt-along: Birdie Stitches Block of the Month. Each month this year, there will be a new quilt block with embroidered centrepiece. This quilt-along requires 2 charm packs (which I did have) and 1 yard of fabric for the centrepieces & the sashing.

My charm packs: Bliss by Bonnie & Camille for Moda Fabrics.

White fabric for centrepiece: Kona white

January 2011 Birdie Stitches Block

February 2011 Birdie Stitches Block

The 2 blocks so far...

And here are some sneek peeks...

A quilt I recently finished.

A quilt I'm working on. Free motion is a learning curve.

I'm back to work tomorrow... it'll be a crazy work week, so that means no sewing for me, but perhaps I'll get some embroidery done for my 3rd (March) Birdie Stitches block.

Quilts: Outdoors + Latest Quilt Blocks

Last week I took some of my quilts outside for some more natural-light pictures. I am sooo ready to be rid of snow. Bring on Spring!!

Jelly Roll: Front (Jelly Roll Quilt Along)

Jelly Roll: Back

Summer Star Sampler 2010: Front (This was from the Summer Star Sampler Quilt Along)

Summer Star Quilt: Back

Block #8 ("This & That") for the Layer Cake Quilt Along

All 8 block for the LCQA - 4 more to go!

February block for the scrappy quilt block "Star Search;" these are the Two Toonies Thursdays' blocks sold at Freckles Quilt Shop here in Calgary.

First 6 blocks of the Star Search quilt... 6 more blocks to go. (These blocks are 9.5")