New Year, New Goals

I can't believe its 2014! This last year has been super crazy and wonderful at the same time. I started 2013 with great intentions of becoming more involved in the blogging community. This was kind of a fail due to the move and new job, but have every intention to be better in 2014. I also wanted to become more involved in quilt/sew alongs (win) thanks to Flickr! I created and received such wonderful blocks from the granny square bee, simply solids and the bee white black bee.

To ring in the new year I pieced this lovely! I'm so excited and in love with all the blocks I received from the Granny Bee, I have saved a few for the back! I taped it up to the wall behind our sofa, and I have to say I kinda love these bright colors with that blue wall. Maybe I can talk my hubby into hanging it once it's quilted!

Granny Square Quilt, LOVE!

Happy New Year! And here's to me keeping my goals

WIP Wednesday: Blue and Gray

I feel like this month is just flying by, and it's leaving me in the dust! We've been very blessed this month, my the In-Laws came to visit. While the boys worked hard on yard work and re-building our fence, Mom and I went shopping for some pottery! So, very little sewing happened until yesterday/today, but it is so good to have some family time!

My nephew B has been waiting patiently for a quilt of his own however,I don't think I can say the same for my Sister-in-Law (I kid)

For B's quilt I wanted something a little bit masculine and boyish! I choose some Parson Gray Curious nature, and some Simply Color by V and Co  and some of my lovely stash! I sure hope he likes it, if not it can stay here with me!

I am using this great tutorial by John from Quilt Dad. I am in love with the pattern and felt it fit perfectly in the boy quilt category especially with the Parson Gray fabric.

Parson Gray, Simply Color and Stash

 For the solid I choose a pearl gray color, and I am so happy with it. I got all of the HST's sewn together and trimmed up to 7"

Waiting to be trimmed

Trimming to 7"

 This picture makes it look like all of the fabrics are super gray, but I promise those are some nice navy blues in there!

All the HST's Trimmed and looking pretty

 The blocks will all eventually look like this. Note the word eventually, life is a bit crazy around here but I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

Today, I'm linking up over at freshly pieced, hop on over to see what everybody else is up to! As for me I'm going to try out a DIY Tagalong recipe! Wish me luck!

An Easter Finish

It's finished! I finally got around to finishing the English Garden's quilt. This is going to be Mother's Day quilt for Mom H. It's officially washed and dried to crinkly goodness, just waiting to be with her
.

This quilt top has been finished for a few months and just sitting in the UFO pile. I had just been procrastinating the quilting because I had no clue what to do. But after some consideration and wanting to get another 2013 finish I settled on straight line quilting.

So, yesterday morning I guilted (is that a word?) my husband into helping. I decided to try to spray baste this quilt. Recently I had read about spray basting and decided to pick up the supplies and give it a go. So we headed out to the driveway and got to work. Of course, as soon as we started getting the back taped and everything all situated-everybody in our neighborhood decided to drive by-isn't that the way it goes? But, we got it done in less than 10-minutes. No wrinkles, no pin pricks just a smooth quilt. This is where I started to worry about how it was going to go through the machine. I was prepared for the wrinkles-So I let it set another 10-15 minutes before I started feeding it through.

 

I choose to quilt 1/4 inch on either side of the vertical seams, I wanted to keep it simple and use straight lines.  Also, that's about all I feel confident doing. Someday FMQ will be something I try-maybe after a few classes at the LQS. 

I can not say enough good things about spray basting. Usually with pin basting I end up with a few puckers-even taking extra care they show up. I can with 100% honesty say I had ZERO puckers! Zero, I was amazed. This was by far my most favorite quilting experience, I didn't get pricked or scratched by those pesky little safety pins. I think working with a smaller quilt for my fist time spray basting also had a lot to do with it.

I finished quilting and binding this quilt in about 3 1/2 hours. Now to wait to give this to Mom H for Mother's Day, I just need to figure out a cute way to wrap it for her. Of course it wouldn't be a quilt from me if the Quilty Cat didn't help and of course I let him. It's hard to resist someone so stinking cute :)

I'm linking up over at From Pixels to Patchwork , Quilt Story and Sew Cute Tuesday! Hop on over and check out what everyone else is up to!

WIP Wednesday: another scrappy trip

 I'm on my second trip. A scrappy trip quilt that is-and it's been a little rough this time around.
                                                    

The first scrappy trip quilt I made was such a fun time, I couldn't help but make another. The first one I made was just a bunch of my favorite fabrics and no real plan, I just cut and paired 'em up.

This 'scrappy trip' is for my Grandma, and I set out with a plan-sort of...I had the fabric (more about that here) I knew I wanted one color to run down the center of each square, I debated between green or red. And then I got to thinking, 'do I really want to use these colors?' Of course all of the doubt came AFTER all the strips were cut and sewed into rows. So I made a couple blocks, and left the rest uncut and sitting in a pile on my sewing room floor, pouting just a bit about the mess I was getting myself into.

The last few days I had been staring at the wall of eight blocks, trying to find the ambition to finish up the rest of the blocks-and I did it! Today was a great day, I kept telling myself that if this quilt was going to be at Grandma's by Mother's Day then I needed to just do it. So, I got all of the strips cut and ready to go-to keep me motivated to move along.

I can't get enough of those binding clips-they are so great!

After I got the fist block of the morning done and up on the wall with the others, I was surprised at how much my opinion of the colors had changed. I guess a few weeks away from it really helped. 

First block of the day done-LOVE IT!

Once all of the blocks were done and arranged, rearranged and maybe rearranged again, I was in LOVE! I got them into a layout I was pleased with and realized all that worrying was for nothing!

Choosing the red for each of the center blocks is probably my favorite part, it really helps define the diamonds!

A finished top

I'm sure I will be dreaming of how to quilt this tonight, but my plan for now is to quilt in the diamond pattern you can see-maybe in the red and then a few in the middle. I'll keep dreaming!

Tonight, I'm linking up with over at a Quilt Story and tomorrow over at Freshly Pieced!

A busy little Bee

This weekend was full of fun. There were garage sales, good food, lots of sun and some green beer and of course a little sewing!

I have a few (well more than a few) bee blocks to share today that I finished, and they should be with their owners by now or very close. These blocks have been so much fun to make over the last few weeks, and I am so glad that I have gotten involved in these bees and swaps. Currently I am in 3 Bee's and a Swap and I am having a blast, the ladies are so much fun and very creative and it's fun to be sewing with these ladies.

Bee White Black Bee Blocks

 February's Block for Mama Miss

March block for Leona

Mini String Block Swap

these blocks are 6.5x6.5 unfinished

Red's and green's string blocks

Bright string blocks (my fav)

Granny Square block bee

Red, aqua and pink for Jane

 

 Virtual Quilting Bee Block

for this bee I choose greens, light/dark grey and whites-very simple and different-and this one is staying with me. I can't wait to see all of the blocks together

Check out the bee and join over at Diary of a Quilter

Simply Solids Bee

I'm the queen bee in the simply solids bee for March and I choose the Tilt-A-Whirl block-you can find the tutorial at Fresh Lemon Quilts. My color choices and my the back for the quilt.

Simply Solids color choices

Tilt-A-Whirl Block

All of these blocks have been sent out, and I hope you ladies love them :) Happy Quilting!

A little help, with this little lovely

I just got this lovely quilt top back from it's stay in the quilt shop. It's going to a pretty special person, but I can't say who because she probably reads this little piece of my world.

English Gardens

All that is left to do is baste this lovely and quilt it but I need some help! I have no clue how to quilt it, the only quilting I personally do is straight lines and stitch in the ditch and I'm not sure that is going to cut it with this quilt. Please, help any thoughts would be great!

I'm really hoping to get this lovely basted by the end of the week, but we'll see. I'm thinking about ditching the sewing machine for the beautiful weather we are having here in the Q and taking a hike in the foothills!

I'm linking up better off thread for Sew Cute Tuesday

 

 and at Quilt story

 

 Head on over to Better off Thread and Quilt stories to see what all the other lovely lades are up to this week :) There are some great finishes!

Sew Stitchy

Welcome Friday, I'm glad you are finally here!


The last week has been a struggle for me and quilting. Not sure what is going on, but when I get home from work, all I want to do is just lounge. However, I've been getting in some quality time with Pinterest and Craftsy for some quilty inspiration.


I picked up Aneela Hoey's Sew Stitchy when it first came out. (I can't get over how cute those little spools and pins are) I didn't have a plan in mind for the fabric when I bought it, but after my Pinterest and Craftsy binge I set out to make a cover for my sewing machine. After some quick measurements, a couple tries at a tumbler template out of a Mac&Cheese box, I was set. This was a fun and quick project, the best way to get back into the swing of sewing.

Sew Stitchy Cover

I just love how this little area of my sewing room looks so much cuter :)

Sew Stitchy for my Sewing Machine

Today I am linking up with Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts, head on over to see what else is going on :)