Mama's Getting Crafty!

Quilts away!

2009-08-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

Baby E has gotten her quilts and her Mommy just loves them! Which is good because I love them both dearly( and daddy too!)

You can see the embroidery and quilting of this one in earlier posts but here is the label I made using PolkaDotBunny's embroidery design.

I also made this Peter Rabbit quilt for her. I have been saving this fabric for a while to make a quilt for this baby!

The little carrots and radishes make me smile.

I even thought far enough ahead to buy the matching flannel for the backing.
I happened to have enough of that floral binding left over from when I was binding tea towels, and it was jut complementary enough to be cute.

All folded up and ready to be shipped.

There is only one more baby due in the near future and his quilt is done already... I will post it later...
now I have to finish my commissioned quilt and will start planning Christmas presents...

conquering the WISP's

2009-08-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

Hello all!
This last week I have slowly been conquering my pile of wisps (works in slow progress) that are taking over my desk and staring at me...

This project I started last December and it is going to be put back on the shelf for a while! I hate how it looks and am not sure what I want to do with it... right now it puts the crappy in scrappy...

This quilt top I started last year as well, but the pattern was written poorly and when it came time for final assembly the blocks didn't fit together, so I put it away in frustration.
I got it out this last week ironed and re-measured everything and cut some of the blocks down to fit and the top is now done and ready for quilting! Hooray!

I used this opportunity to try to match the pattern of the border with mitered corners. I like how they turned out quite a bit.

I also made two more pairs of nine patch squares for the one a day quilt along...

I also made this 9 patch from some left over hst from another quilt...

I used about half of the completed squares to make a baby quilt for my cousin's new baby girl.

I have had this cute flannel for a while. I picked it up off of the clearance table before we moved...
I also found that really cute stripe fabric that I think will be binding the next few baby quilts...

I used the leftover binding to finish off this project that I started a couple months ago...
I saw a organizer like this in a Magellan's catalog and knew I could make one my self...
here it is completely open showing the outside...

Here is the inside... you can tell from the crooked pockets that I didn't really have a pattern that I was working from. I was just winging it, and I didn't really even bother to pin it...
There are 4 rows of 7 pockets each one is approximately 4 1/2" x 3".

To close it up you fold the two sides to the center and then feed the ribbons through the buttonhole in the center there.

Then fold it shut like a book and tie the ribbons...

This works really well for me... I dose out my daily medications and vitamins into little plastic bags that I got from the package store in the mall and have almost a whole month ready to go...
I keep this on the top shelf in the kitchen (right above the coffee mugs) so I see it and remember to take my vitamins everyday while keeping everything safely out of reach of the boys.

I also have pictures of some other quilts that are on their way to their owner, so I won't post those pictures until next week...

more blocks...

2009-07-29T22:24:00.000-07:00

Here are blocks 14-17 for the QAL.

I am also to this point on all the baskets for my commissioned quilt. Tomorrow I will add the bottoms and then I can start embellishing the baskets that will be in the center...

This pink is the secondary color for the baskets... the majority of them are plum colored.

Keeping myself busy...

2009-07-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

I have been chugging away at the block a day quilt along.
I have been making twins of each pair all with white alternating blocks...

Here are pairs 6-9.

And 10-13. That's 26 total blocks...

I am not making one block a day as you can guess. but am definitely averaging it!

I also finished Baby E's quilt and am washing it now... I am waiting on the delivery of my printable fabric so I can make the label...

A better shot to see the quilting...
Please don't laugh at my uneven and wobbly stitches... this is my first handquilting project...

Quilts and crafts

2009-07-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

I have joined up on a quilt along since I have nothing else to do around here...
This one is sponsored by Crazy Mom Quilts and is the One-A-Day quilt along. The goal is to make one nine patch a day for 70 days. I got a head start this weekend and picked out the majority of my green stash and the white on white prints.

I am actually making "twins" of each set so that I can set this qult without any sashing.

I made an art smock for Jimmy for when he goes to school.

and it's reversible.

I made a tablecloth as a present that is yet to be mailed. All the chicks are dancing differently.

One more top almost finished

2009-07-07T17:07:00.000-07:00

I had originally purchased this pattern to be Joey's bed quilt, but now have second thoughts about it. I have added a black and rainbow batik border to try to tone down the pink, but it still is a fairly girl looking quilt and Daddy is grumbling about it being on his boys' bed...
So it may end up being a present for someone who needs a rainbow! You never know...

Pajama day rocks!

2009-06-16T13:20:00.001-07:00

We had a massive size change over here at chez crafty and Jimmy came up on the short side for pajama pants. I let him dig through my fabric and made him a few new pairs.

He loves to wear his pajamas all day!

He now has quite the variety to choose from.

This was a great stash buster! I forgot I had this lizard fabric...

2009-06-13T00:43:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the embroidery on the whole cloth quilt for Camas's baybee!
I think after all this embroidery in a row, I might not need a thimble to quilt it, the callus on my finger is getting so thick!
Now I just have to settle on a quilting pattern. I have been staring at it too long close up, so this is currently hanging on the wall until I get ready to mark the quilting. probably later this weekend...

You can click on the picture for a closer look.

I also got two wall hangings back from my long arm quilter. I finished binding this one today. Tomorrow I can put the label up and hang it on my poor empty wall!
This is from Mount Redoubt Designs. With my own modifications of course...

I am looking forward to getting the rest of my quilts back from quilting, and have to decide which color of my two color wall hanging to bind it with... decisions, decisions!

A gift for Baby K

2009-05-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

There is a bun in one of my favorite ovens and it will be done in three more months...
Time to get stitching!

This whole cloth quilt is using the patterns from this book.
I'm almost half way done with it...
I still haven't decided if I will have time to try to quilt it or if I should tie it...

Cute baby animals and little crawling things play all over this quilt...

Mama's been painting

2009-04-24T17:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since I posted here, but there has been much going on in the way of moving. I am just getting back into the crafting groove. The first thing to be done in out new house was to paint.
Jimmy asked for a jungle room and we picked out this mural from Elephants on the Wall.

This was great fun to do and I really enjoyed adding my own touches to it.

Jimmy says that the monkey dancing is the Mama, the hanging monkey is the Daddy, the swinging monkey is Jimmy and the climbing monkey is Joey...

So among other things (like a river, fancy nails and lips) the Mama and Daddy monkey have wedding rings on.

A look into this corner where there is a mini-mural, connected with a free handed bird of paradise in bloom and other plants along the bottom.

And off to this corner where I extended a branch around the corner to add some parrots at a later date. I also added a red ti plant and you can see where the river flows off into the distance...

Joey's murals were from Moppet Murals on esty. The train mural is just ast the pattern intended with the exception of a blue sky- I thought it was redundant on a blue wall...

Joey also has a city scene. This is the as far as the pattern goes. I am currently expanding it down the wall and have added a park and a hot air balloon. I will be adding in a bike trail and our family on bikes and a trio of wind generators in the background. I am still trying to cope in my little green heart that there are three exhaust billowing cars going down the road... maybe I should add little "H's" to them to show that they are hybrid or, even better, hydrogen powered and those billowing clouds are water vapor? We shall have to wait and see.

Remember you can click on any of the pictures to see more details. I highly suggest that you do!

Daddy's quilt

2009-01-14T16:50:00.000-08:00

For the longest time I was planning to make my sailor an ocean waves quilt, so he could sleep under the ocean waves while his boat was under the ocean's waves. This tickled me to no end, but then I thought a star quilt would be better. Sailors and the stars have been such good friends for so long and my sailor doesn't get to see the stars on the submarine, so a star quilt was the best way to send him some stars to bring him safely home from his voyages, even if only in his dreams.

This quilt is long and skinny so it would fit on his rack on the boat. The block is called the Wyoming Star, the quilt pattern is called Stars in the Valley and was in the latest "Quilt" magazine.

finishing up before I move...

2009-01-13T18:56:00.001-08:00

There has been a mad crafting spree around here. While the husband's away the quilter can play...
Really I am trying to get to all the things I had in the "Ideas and kits I have everything I need for" pile taken care of...

This top I actually bought online and I sent it with everything else to my favorite quilter.

I may have posted this one before, but is a throw quilt I made with a panel and other fabrics mostly from the clearance table...

This was a kit, but I added the border with the scraps and a fat quarter from my stash.

The pieced corners were fun! Two are like this..

The other two look like this.

Jimmy asked me with his big blue eyes if he could have a special quilt just for his own to cuddle in in front of the TV... I let him pick out the main fabric and I found a couple of complementary prints and found a pattern that he liked.

This pattern was for an odd shape so I squared the corners and added two borders. I also pieced a couple of the diamonds.

I added just one more kitty to the bottom corner...

I also have finished two wall hangings and another quilt for daddy to have on the submarine, I will have to post that later. I have another quilt kit, a baby quilt to embroider and also the first packet of Dear Jane blocks came the other day, so I have plenty to keep me busy for the next two weeks before the move!

My Christmas Quilt

2008-12-23T19:53:00.000-08:00

I have been calling this quilt the "Kiss Me Quilt" because of the mistletoe print. I still have to decide if I want to embroider "Kiss Me" on one of the squares or just call it done. I still can't believe all those little squares. They finish at 1"!

I used this decorator trim as the edge treatment instead of binding. Boy, it took a long time, but I think it was worth it.

I am excited to start my Baby Jane journey in January and have a few other projects to get finished before the move. I hope I have time to get them done! Wish me luck!

This turned out so cool I can't BEAR it!

2008-12-19T21:16:00.000-08:00

Tying up loose ends

2008-11-26T12:19:00.000-08:00

Hello everybody!
I have a few projects finished in preparation on our move ( we still don't know exactly when or where yet... dontcha love the military!)

I picked up this table cloth for $2 and added a remnant of snowflake fabric as binding. I also used up a 1/2 spool of green variegated thread and several partially full bobbins of random colors.

I had fun using the different decorative stitches on my machine.

I also made another little portable pincushion to go with the cathedral window quilt I am working on.

I picked up some short little applique pins to make working with all the turned over sides easier on my hands.

I've made quite a bit of progress on this one lately. This is only about 1/4 of the row I have almost finished. It finishes about 80" long, I don't know how many of these rows I will make. We'll see!

Here is a finished but un-decorated present for Christmas.

There's a tablecloth, place mats, a table runner and napkins with rings.

I made or altered everything, down to the napkin rings.

I had fun with the napkin rings.

I also had fun with the macro setting on the camera while I had some beads out.

So Pretty!

Christmas Spoiler-palooza!

2008-11-05T10:18:00.000-08:00

I am getting too backlogged with pictures of Christmas gifts and other craftiness, so I decided to post them all with no description, so at least you won't know who the gifts are for...

Here goes!

Upping my average...

2008-10-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

The weather has driven us all inside and I have been very productive this week!

The blanket bee for Project Linus got it off to a good start when I stayed there for a few hours and cranked out 4 quilt tops.

I came home and pieced, tied and bound this baby blanket for one of Jeff's shipmates that night.

I brought a few kits home from the blanket bee and started assembling the next day.
Here is #1.

*meow- where's mine?*

Then I took a break and turned this

into this.

I had to hand sew the pages together into a book, so I went ahead and did some embroidery along the spine, too.

Here is Project Linus kit #2.

And the I made another baby quilt. I actually quilted this one, so it took longer.

All tied up and ready to go.

I remembered I had these tags and thought it would add a nice touch...

Back to the kits... There's #3...

And #4...

Man, 6 quilts and a book... I didn't realize myself that I was so productive... and yes mom, the dishes, laundry and picking up are all done, too.

Looking forward:
I have 1 more kit, this month's TIF challenge piece (which I already have an idea about), 4 Christmas gifts (one is mostly done) and then I'm getting back to my cathedral windows and chicken scratch! I miss my hand work!

September TIF and other craftiness

2008-09-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

I finished this month's Take It Further Challenge yesterday and am very happy with it.
The theme for the month was "Lists" and I don't remember what the color scheme was.

I have to admit that I am a listmaker deep down. They make me feel secure that I have a handle on things and allow me to reason through things and double (and triple) -check that I haven't missed anything.
I have lists for everything! Projects, packing, books to read, addresses, on and on and on.
The one list I use on a daily basis is the grocery list. I have fond memories of reading and puzzling over my mom's shorthand on her list when I was a child. It took me a little while to figure out t.p. and p-nut butr.
Things like this regularly appear on my list now, as well.

The first idea for this piece was going to be a CQ square centered around a grocery list with these fabrics in a rainbow arrangement on either side, but when I laid them out, I liked the color wheel appearance much better.
I chose a Days Of The Week image off of Needlecrafter's index and hand drew it onto the white part.

So here is the bag. I stitched the whole thing to a canvas tote and found some trim that resembled the embroidery I was planning on doing and saved myself several hours of work!

I enjoyed how nicely the points came together in the center. I had a button stranding by - just in case- but I ended up not needing it! The white tucked down much nicer than it looks here when it was all stitched down.

Here you can see the drawing of the girlie going to market and the trim I chose.

Then I started having fun with the color accent feature on my camera...
Reds and oranges..

Yellows.

Greens

Blues

Brownish-es...

Remember you can click on any of the pictures for a larger image!

In other craftiness...
I whipped out this baby quilt from this cheater panel and an applique. So cute and very soft, and on clearance at Jo-ann's. I went back and grabbed another one for the next baby that comes along because they werte so cute!

It wasn't quite girlie enough so I chose a very flowerey flannel for the back.

And I had to take pictures quickly before the squatter showed up.

I also made this purse for Dodo from the pattern in the most recent "Handmade" mag.
It is my first attempt at something like this, but then it turned out pretty well, IMHO!

I also made a mini-purse for Dodo Barbie. It was a lot harder to futz that lining int such a small purse... I don't think I will be doing that again in the near future...

That is all for now. I am making good progress on Keith's quilt and will be spending the day at a blanket bee for Project Linus...

Happy Stitching!

Quilts, interrupted

2008-09-22T16:38:00.001-07:00

The Mariner's Compass quilt is done and on our bed! Hooray!
I am finding that having a quilt on the bed is excellent motivation to make the bed every morning! I can't remember the last time I've been so willing to straighten up as soon as I get out of bed. I even make Jimmy's bed everyday as well, so I can look at his quilt also!

I finished cutting everything for Keith's quilt and have started assembly, but had to put it aside because a couple of baby quilts came up, as baby quilts tend to do...

I might have one or two other interruptions to my sewing.

I also picked up a "Handmade" magazine and it has gotten a fire lit under my butt to create a few new things... after the baby blankets, and the TIF project which still needs to be assembled!

not too much today...

2008-09-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

The Mariner's Compass quilt has returned from quilting... finally...
I have the binding on but it needs one more touch before I will call it finished.

In the mean time, I have started cutting and bundling up the parts for Keith's Christmas present. This is going to be a new pattern for me, but since I am so new to quilting, they're all new to me, right... Anyway, a couple of new techniques will be involved...

We draw names for Christmas on the one side of my family to keep the chaos to a minimum. It is a great scheme. This year we added that part of the one gift you give has to be homemade! Guess what I already had decided to make whoever I got... I have to say I was flattered that they all wanted me for their Kringle. (according to my Mom)

Finished!

2008-09-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

Jimmy's quilt is finished. He asked for a white binding instead of the green one I picked out...
It is quilted in this pattern I have seen called both orange peel and wine glasses.

Here you can see the stripey stripey back!

It is just the right size for Jimmy's bed.

Check!

On to the next one!

August Take It Further Challenge

2008-08-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

The theme for this month's challenge was "balance".

I was inspired to make this pillow from a few of the quilts I saw at a recent quilt show that sported labyrinth designs.

I know that the labyrinth is sometimes designed and implemented with meditative purposes, and that meditation can be used in the pursuit of balance. I balanced the two sides of the pillow by reversing the colors and tufting it with the same button on each side.

Stitching this was very calming and I enjoy tracing my finger through the design.

Enjoy!
You can click on the pictures for a larger version.

Holy Crap! August is OVER?!?

2008-08-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

Man oh man I cannot believe how fast August flew by!
I had better get my ducks in a row. Let's start with the eggs...

Here is the set of pillowcases I made to go with Camas' quilt. I put prairie points along the edge. She loved it!

Jeff needed a flag. The Cat approved of my work.

I went to Quiltfest! It was a blast. I took a class from Shar Jorgenson.
All about the Apple Core and all those curved seams. This is what I made in class.

And this is how I am using it, but more on this later.

There were a ton of quilts I loved at the quilt show, but it was hard to get good pictures of them with all the people walking in front of me...
Here are some of my favorites. Credits below each quilt...

These parakeets looked so real! I could almost hear them chirping!

This one was great, too. If you looked closely, you would see that Granny was wearing fishnet stockings ( quilted on...)!

One of the two crazy quilts in the show.

I loved this one! I already asked for my Dad's ties so I can copy the idea!

At home I am preparing for our move in December and the reality that I won't have my sewing machine for 4-6 weeks while it is in transit...
I am clearing out as many UFO's (unfinished objects) as possible, starting with a stack represented by this small group of lavender sachets.

I made a rosette for an upcoming costume...

My color study round robin square came back, now I have to decide what I want to do with it...

I saw this idea in one of my magazines recently, and put this orphan slipper to good use. It made me a little sad that it is way too small for either of the boys' feet now...

Cute all the same, though!

I pieced a bunch of crazy quilt squares to pack into a kit to take with me on the move, so I won't be without some calming stitching to get me through the foolishness and mayhem of it all. Also I will have something to do in the evenings after the boys go to bed since we won't have a TV, either... (it'll be good for us!)

***Total Spoiler Alert!!! These are for you CAMAS! ***

These blocks are all naked, and I won't show them again until I have already mailed them to Camas, but thought you all would like a peek at them anyway. The figures are a pattern from Wee Wonderfuls. The initial is freehand. Some of the seams still need to be stitched down by hand, so pardon the pins and peeking corners.
You can click on any of the pictures to see them bigger.

I am working on Jimmy's quilt, as seen above. Jimmy picked out all the different greens.

I also pieced a couple of ocean wave -ish squares a couple of weeks apart.
Here is the recent one.

And the first one. I tried to make a diamond secondary pattern but messed it up in one quarter so I turned the rest of them so you couldn't tell...

I also forgot to check if the needle was centered when I stared the second block (it wasn't) so the second one is smaller than the first one with a hair larger seam allowance... I think I will put a narrow border around it and keep it separate from the other blocks...

Now I have to decide which way I want to make the rest of the blocks; to clump in quarters like the second one, try to do the secondary pattern of the first one, or say hell with it and go for scrappy...hmmmm.

I am also stitching away on this month's TIF Challenge... I ran out of the floss I was using and need to pick up more.

Also I am working on a costume for Jeff and Keith's Christmas present. I want to get it done super early since I don't know when in December we will be moving...
check back in a few days to see the challenge piece...

Projects!

2008-07-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

I have finally finished the project I bought the sewing machine for in the first place!

I made Jimmy some custom pajama pants!
I thought making clothes would be hard, but this pattern was super simple!

Jimmy picked out this super bright 80's-ish crayon fabric all by himself.

Pneumonia got a matching pair of pants, including a tail hole.

Then I whipped out train flannel pj's ...

and plaid like dad pj's. Jimmy really likes his new pants and often wants to wear them all day!

I finished up the Prairie Girl quilt. I have been dragging my feet on this one because I thought the prairie points were going to be hard, but they weren't at all.

Cute jumbo prairie points...

This American Hero quilt is also finished and will be delivered this weekend.

It was also quilted in the loop and star pattern.

I am waiting for the compass quilt to come back from quilting (due this week sometime, hopefully) and I will have some embellishing and the binding to do on it and I will have another quilt done! Yea!
So now I am back to working on some embroidery and then I have a couple of tops to finish assembling, and keep chipping away at the wisp (work in slow progress) pile!
Happy stitching!

July Take It Further.

2008-07-25T17:30:00.000-07:00

I have finished the TIF challenge for this month! Yea!
I picked up the thread that matched the color scheme and found this FQ that just happens to have the same colors, too. It shaped the course of the project.

The theme was the words half way mark. When I think of half way through the year, as we are right now, I can't help think of summer. And Lemonade.

I drew up this sketch after a couple of tries...

I decided to try carbon paper to transfer the design instead of the iron on pencil. It worked fairly easily, and was easier to see. (don't mind the baby hand trying to snatch the fabric...)

Here is the finished piece all stitched up and bordered with the lemon fabric.

"Lemonade Days"