Frecklemama

Three Reasons

2012-01-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

I am thrilled to start a new year. There are lots of wonderful things to look forward to. The most important ones are these:

Lately some people have been giving bloggers a hard time about including their "personal" lives on their blogs. To that I give a big middle finger. I feel like I have an extended family of friends all over the world because of the intimacy of online friendships. If people didn't include personal bits in their online story, I would instead feel like I had an extended professional community around the world. The difference between professional relationships and true friendships is the personal information we share: vulnerability, failures in addition to successes, and the most personal reasons why we do the things we do.

These are my Three Reasons.

Final 2011 Finishes! Feast your eyes on these.

2011-12-15T14:50:00.001-05:00

Even though I've been slack at blogging, I have been completing lots of other things. Here is the Post-Summit Swap mini-quilt for Heather:

The Bumble Mug Rug for Maria in the Scrappy Mug Rug Holiday Swap:

The Joy Mug Rug also for Maria:

Trip to Callaway Gardens to see the lights:

Here's a quick break to show The Husbeast:

Husbeast's true personality:

Bee Tweet Blocks:

Baby Doll Bedding set for little girl gift:

Sewing Summit Name tag:

Quilt for my mom for Christmas:

Strawberry Fields Quilt for my In-Laws:

Whew! I'm sure there's more, including several scarves since I've learned how to knit! However, I want to go ahead and get this published so I can move on to 2012 :-)

Happy New Year everyone!

The Sewing Summit

2011-10-28T10:32:00.000-04:00

I can hardly express how amazing The Sewing Summit was! 200 quilty sewisty people gathered together in a lovely hotel in the wide open city of Salt Lake.

I have spent two weeks trying to write a blog post to describe this event but I keep deleting it and starting again. Words and iPhone pictures don't do it justice!

So for now I'm going to just say this: GO. In 2012, GO TO SEWING SUMMIT. You won't regret it. I tweeted during that weekend that it was like the "Woodstock" of sewing bloggers. It's true! Love, chatter, late nights, and lots of laughs.

Thank you to Erin and Amy who gave us the gift of togetherness. And thank you to the bloggers that did a better job at describing it. And a better job at photgraphing the weekend. Meanwhile, here are a few of the pictures that I did get.

The snowy mountain view from my room:

The bus for the Shop Hop:

Amanda and Amy right before Amanda's class on Mini Quilts:

Erin and Amy opening their surprise quilts (quilted by me!):

Nine.

2011-10-28T10:17:00.002-04:00

My firstborn turned nine years old yesterday. He is smart, serious, organized, bossy and opinionated. He is loving and kind, helpful, and a very healthy eater. He loves to read and competes with his friends to earn AR (Advanced Reader) points at school. He prefers playing defense or goalie in soccer and is very good at it.

This year he wanted a road bike so he can join Daddy riding on some serious bike rides. We got him a youth road bike last weekend and he loves it! He can already ride over 9 miles on it.

I wanted to buy him a couple of other items to unwrap on his actual birthday so we got him a CD compliation of top 40 pop music, a compilation of well-known Christmas songs, a red hoodie sweatshirt, and a kids Sonicare toothbrush. Oh yes I did. He loves it. That's the kind of kid he is. The only one of the three of them who actuallly brushes his teeth without being cattle prodded.

Luckily he has people like my mom who gave him a nerf-like bow and arrow set, my sister who gave him Star Wars Legos and his friends who are giving him Target gift cards and cash. He loves to shop.

I can't express how much I love this human. He is so interesting! I put on Facebook yesterday that I was so lucky to have him in my life, and one of the first people who commented was his teacher saying how wonderful he is in her class :-)

I wish for him an easy life, full of laughs, happiness, adventure, and loving people surrounding him. I am so thankful that he came into my life on that dark and rainy morning in High Wycombe, England. He made me a mother and challenged me to become an even better one each year. He is now becoming a friend as well. Happy Birthday baby boy!

Crickets

2011-09-25T11:18:00.000-04:00

*tap, tap, tap* ... this thing on?

Here is what's new at our house:

4 year old with broken leg.

But this summer included some wonderful things such as:

The Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild Retreat:

Family Reunion with 33 Crazy People (whom I adore!):

A lot of stealing mom's iphone:

Visiting my hometown (Greenville, SC):

And Napping:

The number one most exciting thing I'm looking forward to right now is The Sewing Summit! It takes place in less than two weeks in Salt Lake City. This is the LAST WEEK TO REGISTER. If you are considering joining this incredible group of online sewing friends, register now before it's too late. I can't tell you how much work Amy and Erin have put into this weekend. In addition to these two leaders, several participants have already come forward to lead small groups including dinners, swaps, tutorials, etc. The involvement and excitement by the participants stuns me. Please consider joining us if you're at all able.

I have also been longarm quilting as much as possible. I got backed up this summer way more than I expected so I've been trying my hardest to catch up now that the kids are back in school!

Happy fall everyone. Stay tuned for more updates including some finished Bee Tweet blocks, detailed longarm quilting pictures, and my first attempt at hexies.

Chris

Fig Tree Polka Dots & Summer Dress

2011-06-24T12:41:00.000-04:00

As a Fig Tree Fanatic, I couldn't help but swoon over the Polka Dots & Summer dress pattern found here.

I used my Spring Street fabric by Carolyn Gavin which is so fun to look at. I also love the fresh colors.

I am not a garment sewer by any stretch of the imagination. I'm too much of a "just wing it" type sewer. I'm going to switch now from saying sewer (which reads like a poo processing plant) to sewist (which sounds very posh). So, as I was saying, my goal when putting together anything other than a quilt is to just do my best to follow the pattern and forgive the mistakes. I wouldn't say I cut corners but I don't do my best to get it just right. Instead I do my best to get it just done.

This turned out way less than perfect but way more than cute.

This last photo is to show you the vast discrepancy between the front length and the back length. Completely my own fault for not reading the directions all the way through before beginning. That's not usually like me! I actually love reading directions.

She's wearing a tiny pair of white bike shorts underneath it so I don't need to worry about accidental flashing.

Just a note to those of you with monitors large enough to notice her red splotched feet: her brothers lovingly shared some of their Sharpie marker love with her last night. On a completely related note, SoftScrub actually took Sharpie off my wooden breakfast table! Maybe I caught it soon enough but I was very pleasantly surprised (ie, desperately thanking the tiny baby Jesus).

Hope your summer is as fun as mine so far :-) If you're within driving distance of the Atlanta area, please check out the Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild Summer Retreat! You do not need to be a member to attend and it is just a one day event. Let me know if you have any questions.

Chris

T-Shirt Quilt

2011-06-16T10:22:00.000-04:00

I've been working for a while on a t-shirt quilt job for a neighbor friend. I finally finished it and was able to deliver it to her on Sunday. It turned out great and is the softest thing ever. The flannel on the back was a lucky find at Tiny Stitches in Marietta. It is softer than you can imagine.

T-shirt and sports jerseys are not easy to work with. They stretch like you wouldn't believe. I used interfacing but still had to struggle to keep them in line. Obviously these pics are taken after a nice trip through the washer and dryer.

One of my favorite blocks is his old Woody costume. The polyester makes it sort of slippery like the nice silk edge of a baby blanket. His Hulk t-shirt has preschool paint stains on it which just melted my heart every time I looked at them. The Flash shirt in the upper right-hand corner was made by his grandmother I think and the spider t-shirt was made from his handprints. Could you not just die at how sweet all of these memories are?! His class t-shirts from elementary school, his football t-shirt from when his dad coached.

If you are interested in having a t-shirt quilt made, please let me know. I am partnering with Rachel Locke (my Tupelo, MS quilting homie) to be able to get your t-shirt quilts completed more quickly. Rachel is a piecing machine and I am a quilting machine. Together, we can put together a t-shirt or memory quilt for you that will be snuggled and loved for many years to come. Let me know if you'd like more information!

Happy Thursday!

Chris

Four.

2011-06-08T10:46:00.000-04:00

Now you are Four.

Holy crap. I know that's not the most eloquent way to say it, but all of you moms know what I'm talking about.

This delicious newborn turned four years old last weekend. She freaking rocks my world. I can count on one hand how many times she's been in trouble in her lifetime. Is it because she's that good? Probably not. Is it because she is a spoiled princess and can do no wrong in my eyes? Probably.

Audrey is four. She won't wear shorts or pants because she is THAT girly. We have to call leggings "tights" to get her to put them on. We've even used that trick with pants. Just yesterday I had to tell her that the shorts were her "special soccer clothes" to get her to not wear a skirt to her first soccer lesson. She twirls, she dances, she sings, she talks our ears off. She loves Barbie and Polly Pocket. She jumps on the trampoline with the boys and holds her own in a physical fight with them.

She loves the pool and floats around independently with a swim ring (fairy-themed, of course).

She thinks nuts are called "coconuts" and often asks for coconuts for a snack. I can't bring myself to correct her. Honey, I'll give you coconuts all day long because you're so darned cute.

She wants her hair long like Rapunzel's and she thinks the blow dryer actually helps make her hair longer.

She asks to see this "Daisy" picture on my phone several times a week (down from several times a day). It was taken last September during her first visit to Disney World. She thinks she met God that day:

She still has trouble pronouncing her "r's" so she sometimes says things wong like asking for wife cereal or fwosted-fwakes. Her favorite meal is chicken nuggets or spaghetti with red sauce (which she calls "me sauce" for some reason).

She has picked up bad habits from her brothers like saying "what the?!", "whatEVER", and "fart". She has picked up bad habits from me like saying "freakin" and "oh GAWD".

When I tell someone how stinkin' cute she is she always says indignantly "I NOT STINKIN'".

Anyway, you get the idea. I love her so much I want to put heavy chains on her that are locked to me 24/7. I have contemplated surgically inserting a Lowjack or GPS chip in her body somewhere.

In August she begins Georgia Pre-K which runs the same full school day hours as regular school. It's like a tiny pre-step towards empty-nesting for me. That sounds silly but this is my last baby. I will no longer have a baby, a toddler, a pre-schooler. I will have a full time pre-k, a 2nd grader and a 3rd grader. Wait, wasn't I just in those early day baby-trenches?

So I celebrate the four-year-old milestone. She is healthy, smart, funny and loving. And I mourn the day too. Because she is one year closer to the snotty teen-age years. Oh GAWD.

With all of my love and hopes and dreams, I wish for you joy and happiness and health.

Spring Quilt-Along and New Adorable Bag (Bag-Along?)

2011-05-21T09:35:00.000-04:00

If you haven't already, please head on over to Melanie's blog at http://www.aboveallfabric.com/. I hosted the Spring Quilt-Along and the bag project was published this week. It turned out so cute!

In other news, I have been very busy on the longarm machine this week! Don't forget that there are only 10 days left to take advantage of the low May Promotion prices. Some quilts are as low as forty bucks! Visit http://www.cottonpig.com/ for more information.

Last week of school coming up. Lord help us :-)

New Quilt Pattern Tutorial! Portrait Gallery

2011-05-08T10:51:00.000-04:00

Head on over to http://www.modabakeshop.com/ to check out my newest quilt pattern and tutorial called Portrait Gallery. I used Sherbet Pips to make this double-bed sized quilt.

I also used Sherbet Pips to make this Doll Quilt:

I wanted to show you how great the Pips look with gray framing instead of black. Love it!

Let me know if you have any questions or encounter any challenges with the pattern. Meanwhile, please be sure to check out the Quilt-Along that I'm hosting over at http://www.aboveallfabric.com/! Up next we will be making the bag that carries the quilt and all of your picnic goodies.

Finally, if you haven't already checked out my new quilting business, Cotton Pig, please do. I am running a great kick-off sale on longarm quilting services for only the next couple of weeks. Spaces are filling up fast!

Thanks to everyone who has already said wonderful things about these projects. Without such a supportive quilting community, none of this would be possible!

Tutorial: Joining Batting Scraps to Use in a Quilt

2011-04-29T06:00:00.001-04:00

I know other people have done something similar to this. If you're like me, though, you can never get enough pictures or descriptions of new techniques! I love seeing how different quilters do the same tasks because everyone does it a little differently. Or maybe it just takes reading different descriptions before you finally decide to tackle something new.

One of the skills that I had been putting off trying was making good use of my large batting scraps. I got tired of wasting so much batting and opening a new package every time I needed to baste a quilt. I had long narrow pieces that would work, if I could only magically put them together! I put off trying it because I was afraid of producing something with lumps or gaps that would be visible or obvious when feeling the quilt.

Finally I tried it and discovered that it wasn't as hard as I thought! I took pics to share with you.

First, determine the size batting you need for your project. Second, I would choose to create that size with the fewest scrap pieces as possible. That means using your larger pieces first. The super-small pieces aren't worth the trouble. Save them for use in placemats, mug rugs (or as I like to call them, Quilt Dads), or pincushions.

Take your two large pieces and figure out how they need to be joined to reach the necessary size batt you need. Batting has two different sides. One is nubby and the other is smoother. Make sure both scrap pieces have the same side facing up as you place them together on your machine.

This is a bulky job. And, uh, by the way, don't wear black pants. I'm just sayin'...

So now you've lined up your two scraps side-by-side (not overlapping at all) on the bed of your machine. Start about 6-8" down from the top. It's too hard to start at the top because the weight is pulling it wonky.

Set your machine for a zig-zag stitch and needle-down position if your machine has it.

I used a simple, clear presser foot so I could see what was happening. As you feed the batting into the presser foot, Make sure the edges are butting-up against each other but not overlapping. Stop every once in a while or go slowly to make sure you don't start overlapping.

When you get to the end of your seam, clip your threads and go back to the beginning of your seam. Turn the batting around so you can join those 6-8" to finish it off. Now admire your handy-work:

Go ahead and chuck it in your quilt. No one will ever know!

FYI - The quilt being basted in the pics is now finished and will be featured on Moda Bake Shop on May 8th. If I can use this technique on a quilt that will be shown publicly, I know you can try it on yours ;-)

Good luck and let me know how it goes!

PS - Don't forget about the Longarm Quilting discount I'm offering on quilts I receive by May 31st! For more info click on the pig.

Wordless Wednesday - CottonPig.com Edition

2011-04-27T15:17:00.000-04:00

LONGARM QUILTING BUSINESS IS OPEN! SPECIAL PRICES :-)

2011-04-23T21:32:00.000-04:00

I am thrilled to announce the opening of my new quilting business: Cotton Pig. I create custom quilts, t-shirt quilts, and memory quilts along with providing longarm quilting services. I have been working on opening the business since the first of the year but have had too many projects keeping me busy so far to announce it!

I quilt on a Handi-Quilter Avante machine with a 12' frame. This means that I can accomodate any size quilt up to an over-sized king. I have taken several hours of classes on my machine as well as quilted several quilts on it so far. I wanted to make sure I could do a good job for my clients before offering my services.

In order to get started with a bang, I am offering basic meandering (stipple) or simple pantograph all-over patterns for just a penny a square inch. That means a double-bed size quilt that is 80"x80" would equal ONLY $64. This is a great chance to pull out those forgotten tops from your UFO stash and get them done once and for all. This price is good for quilts sent to me by May 31, 2011.

I can also do custom quilting patterns, so just contact me to discuss what you have in mind.

I offer Warm & White batting for an extra charge. I can also attach your binding to the front and back for an additional charge if you want your quilt completely finished when it arrives back home.

Please contact me for additional information. For examples of my quilting, check out my Flickr stream. I quilted the AboveAllFabric.com Quilt-Along Quilt on the longarm and used a few different quilting patterns on it.

If you are already happy with your longarm quilter, please stay with him or her. I don't want to take away anyone's business out there. If you have never tried a longarm quilter and are interested in sending a quilt to a longarm quilter to get it done quickly and affordably, I would love the opportunity to help you!

Stumped. And Three Finished Quilts.

2011-04-07T10:51:00.000-04:00

I have just finally finished a huge project that has taken me a lot of long nights and ripped stitches. More about that later. In the meantime, I'm stumped about what to tackle next. I'm on vacation all next week so part of me doesn't want to start something and leave it partially undone while I'm gone, trying to relax.

I have finished three project quilts this week! Wooohoooo! In case you're wondering why you haven't heard from me on Twitter, I've been either wrangling three kids on Spring Break, driving to and from tennis lessons, playing my own tennis matches, or binding and photographing quilts.

One finished project is my DQS10 (Doll Quilt Swap) quilt for my partner:

I used Aneela Hoey's Sherbet Pips fabric and Elizabeth Hartman's Kitchen Windows technique. This is the third concept I tried but the only one that came together well.

The second project I finished is the AboveAllFabric.com Spring Quilt Along Quilt. Come join us to see more!

The third project I finished is an upcoming ModaBakeShop recipe. Stay tuned for more info.

Finally, if any of you have recommendations for what to see/do/eat in Turks & Caicos, please let me know. Hub and I are off on Monday for almost a week alone scuba diving, etc. We've never been there before and would love advice, especially which dive shop to use. Our ten year wedding anniversary was last September and we are finally able to celebrate it properly :-) If you don't hear from me next week, you'll know what I'll be up to (and get your minds out of the gutter, there will be lots of BOOK READING AND NAPPING).

Cheers!

Chris

Want to Quilt-Along? (psst, there are prizes...)

2011-04-04T14:24:00.000-04:00

Melanie at AboveAllFabric.com has asked me to guest-host a Spring Quilt-Along over on her blog. This is the quilt we are making and it is A-DORABLE. And super-duper easy. We will begin our project on April 11. That gives you one more week to gather your supplies. Check here for details.

Did I mention there are prizes? Yes! Melanie is giving away goodies for those of you who finish the quilt or even just finish the top! This is a quick quilt, and I was able to cut and piece it in one evening. I promise you can do the same.

Hope you can join us!

It hurts to twirl.

2011-03-29T08:45:00.000-04:00

Conversation from this morning with my 3 year old daughter:

ME: You have school today.
HER: Uh, my froat hurts.
ME: Ha! No it doesn't.
HER: My hand hurts.
ME: No it doesn't.
HER: My elbow hurts!
ME: No it doesn't.
HER: Yes it does, IT HURTS TO TWIRL!
ME: Then don't twirl.
HER: {looks at me like I'm crazy}

Join me for a Spring Quilt-Along!

2011-03-23T23:06:00.000-04:00

Melanie at AboveAllFabric.com has graciously asked me to host a Spring Quilt-Along over on her blog. I will be using a Hullabaloo Charm Pack from Moda to make this quick and simple project.

The Quilt-Along begins on April 11th which should give you plenty of time to gather your fabric selection together. Head on over to Above All Fabric and see what inspires you!

Disaster Relief Goals out the ROOF!

2011-03-20T10:47:00.000-04:00

For Japan With Love set out to raise $5500 for disaster relief. As of right now, the total amount donated is almost TEN TIMES that amount! $52,038. OMG, what a generous community of bloggers and readers! Thank you to all of you who have donated. I first learned about Shelterbox from my sister Carrie. To learn more about Shelterbox please click here.

Imagine if you were involved in one of the disasters we've heard so much about on the news and you were able to receive one of their big green bins full of a large tent, blankets, water purification, tools, cooking implements, etc. Even just having a tough, waterproof place to store what little belongings you saved from disaster would be a gift.

Stay tuned for an exciting Quilt-Along coming soon in over at Above All Fabric! Melanie and I are working together on a simple, springy quilt perfect for a quick pick-me-up gift, a summer picnic, or just a reason to use those gorgeous Hullabaloo charm packs you've had your eye on :-)

Bloggers Day of Silence - For Japan With Love

2011-03-18T13:37:00.000-04:00

WIN THIS GORGEOUS QUILT.

2011-03-16T14:49:00.001-04:00

Elizabeth at Oh Fransson! is generously giving away her famous Tokyo Subway Quilt to help raise funds for Japan.

All you need to do is click here for more information. Donate to Red Cross and enter the last 7 digits of your tracking number on the comments section of her blog post for a chance to win.

Thank you Elizabeth, and everyone else who is so generously giving their time and money to help disaster victims all over the world. Thank you also to all of the selfless volunteers who are helping people every day, even if it means putting themselves in harm's way.

I am currently finishing a quilt that I hope to put up for a similar giveaway soon. Stay tuned for more details!

WINNER!

2011-03-12T21:43:00.000-05:00

I used Random.org to pick the winner of the Connecting Threads FQ bundle. It chose number 93:

Jacqueline said... 93

WIPs.... Well. I have a quilt top for my MIL almost done, strips sewn together for a postage stamp quilt hanging on the wall, various blocks in various stages to become placemats or mug rugs, a couple hand bags... And I want a gym bag for me! =)
March 9, 2011 1:35 PM

Congratulations Jacqueline! I sent you an email. Please send me your shipping address.

Thank you to all of you who entered. I will have another giveaway soon as well as a great tutorial coming up on Moda Bake Shop! Please make sure you're a follower so you'll be ready :-)

Chris

Wordless Wednesday (see post below for GIVEAWAY!)

2011-03-09T22:23:00.001-05:00

Finished Owl Pincushion
Originally uploaded by Frecklemama

100th Post and a Fat Quarter Bundle Giveaway!

2011-03-04T17:05:00.002-05:00

I started a post today to show you my finished Fig Tree quilt when I noticed it would be my 100th post. Well, that deserves a party doesn't it?! So, I've decided to put one of my lovely but neglected FAT QUARTER BUNDLES up for adoption! I have too many current and future WIPs that won't allow me time to get to this great fabric soon enough.

One lucky winner will receive 19 FQs (did I get 20 and one of them escaped? I have no idea.) of the fabric line Riviera by Connecting Threads. This is not a sponsored post, I just like them :-) This fabric feels very nice and has wonderful modern colors in it. Many of you have mentioned wanting to try Connecting Threads so here is your chance! They also make popular quilting thread at very good prices and I can tell you from personal experience they have great customer service.

Here is the fabric porn you're looking for:

oooo, ahhhh, yummmm.

Now, what were we talking about? Oh, yeah, the giveaway. It's a jump-through-hoops one because I could use some more love around here :-)

1) One entry for a comment about your current WIP (work in progress) or a dream WIP.

2) One entry for becoming a Follower/Subscriber here at Frecklemama.com.

3) One entry for becoming a Follower on Twitter (@frecklemama).

For each entry, please leave a separate comment. If you're already a follower or a friend just let me know. I will leave the giveaway open for a week and draw a winner next Friday, 3/11.

In the meantime, I'll get my Fig Tree quilt pictures ready and post them soon. Talk about eye-candy...

*** NOTE: Wonder why you seem to never win blog giveaways? You may be a No-Reply blogger without realizing it! To find out more about this please go HERE.

Wordless Wednesday.

2011-03-02T20:48:00.001-05:00

Good etiquette for the modern blogger week

2011-02-20T22:39:00.001-05:00

Good etiquette for the modern blogger week
Originally uploaded by Flutter from.Kat (Mummastimetocreate)

Kat has put together a great series of posts about etiquette for the Modern Blogger. Go check it out at www.mummastimetocreate.blogspot.com!

I spend much time living in fear of accidentally annoying/copying/offending my fellow craft bloggers. These posts help illustrate that we are all regular people who mostly want to contribute to a positive, active craft community online. I am so thankful for this community! Thankful as well to Kat for putting this together.

Go check it out!
Chris

Shhhh... Sherbet Pips is my HomeGirl

2011-02-18T14:28:00.001-05:00

Ok, I'll come clean. One of the reasons I haven't been making great progress on my February Finish projects is this:

Ok, ok, wipe up the drool. Don't embarass yourself like that. A little dignity please!

I'm cookin' up a little (BIG) recipe for you folks. I have a few exciting things in the works right now so stay tuned!

(Don't forget to sign up as a Follower) ---->

Have a great weekend!

Chris

Lying Down On The Job

2011-02-14T21:10:00.001-05:00

Lying Down On The Job
Originally uploaded by Frecklemama

I did NOT make my Week #2 deadline in my February Finish Challenge.

I did finish the Michael Miller top and basted the 3 Sisters Glace' quilt. I also started quilting the Glace' quilt and made a Sherbet Pips zipper pouch.

I also spent a good chunk of time on Sunday getting to know the Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild. Yay!!

Chris

Mug Rug Sent!

2011-02-14T10:41:00.001-05:00

Mug Rug Swap Package being sent!
Originally uploaded by Frecklemama

I am so excited to send this out today in my first Flickr Swap ever. I loved making this for my partner. I also wanted to share some of my favorite scraps including a Sherbet Pip puppy and some of that great Alexander Henry rooster fabric from my Market Bag project.

Of course, I had to throw in some Valentine candy and a little chocolate picked up at Ikea on Saturday.

I have two of these Wonky Star blocks left over so I am thinking about making them into Pincushions. Oh, and I've joined the Pincushion Swap on Flickr Too. Can't wait to start on my ideas for that!

Hope you all have a great Valentine's day filled with love.

Tutorial: How To Make Quilting Practice Squares

2011-02-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

After I quilt and attach binding to the front of the quilt, I trim off my excess batting and backing. This usually leaves a 4-inch column of "waste" that I hate to waste. Any large piece of backing fabric will be folded and returned to my stash, but some of the smaller sections get trimmed and made into practice quilting squares. I thought I'd show this process to you in case you want to do the same.

First, trim your excess off:

Next, clean off any stray threads and straighten your column. Fold over sections about 6" long. Note: this will produce double batting. In my case, I've been experimenting with double batting quilts. If you'd rather practice with single batting, trim out the batting so that your squares only have one layer of batting in them.

Zip your rotary cutter across, fold another section, and repeat. This doesn't have to be precise at all! Just let 'er rip!

Repeat until the column is cut up into sections. You probably don't want to do this with ALL sides of your quilt trimmings. I usually just use one side and stash the rest of my trimmings (or throw away if they're tiny).

Take your stack of folded pieces to your machine and chain stitch them across the open ends. We're not going to stitch down the sides, just the ends. This is a quickie thing. No worries about accurate seam allowances or anything.

For those of you unfamiliar with "chain stitching", it means sewing one section after another without stopping, cutting thread, restarting, etc. Here is a easy way to see what I'm talking about:

Voila! You now have a nice little stack of practice squares for quilting. Whenever I start quilting a project, I always start on a practice square to test my tension, get used to free-motion movement again, and remind my machine what it's supposed to be doing :-)

Once you have a healthy stack of practice quilting squares, you can venture into some quilting experiments. For inspiration, check out Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting project at http://www.daystyledesigns.com/. She has hundreds of quilting patterns and video demos of how she tries new things.

Happy Quilting!

Chris

Basting Bastard

2011-02-11T09:32:00.000-05:00

First off, let me update my February Finish Challenge for Week #2.

I finished the Michael Miller Funky Christmas top (otherwise known as the Old Red Barn Co Quilt-Along quilt). Don't you love my quilt names? Do you stand in awe at the creativity? Gah!

I selected this quilt for my Week #2 finish because it is one of the oldest WIPs in my stack. Once I finished the top, however, I realized I didn't have enough backing fabric. For some reason I only purchased 2 yards when I needed 4. So I'm off to the fabric store today to figure something out. Am thinking about backing it with flannel. Mmmmm...

Meanwhile, in an effort not to lose momentum, I basted another quilt top. This one is my Glace' quilt. It is kind of small but I love it. These fabrics feel incredible. I love, love love Moda's 3 Sisters fabrics.

The top was already finished and the backing was already pieced together (wahoo!) so I just needed to do the super-fun part of spending time on my hands and knees on a wooden floor poking myself with the pins. Luckily I had my usual ever-helpful basting assistant:

You would think that quilt fabric had cat nip in it! There is something about a basting-in-progress that gets Jax very excited. He wants to stretch out on it. Roll around on the fuzzy batting. Eat the pins! Or at least pick them out of the box and toy with them. So I spend as much time managing him as I do actually pinning the quilt sandwich together. High-maintenance but very sweet.

So the Glace quilt is now basted and ready to be quilted. The Michael Miller top is done and ready to be backed and basted.

And my Joann coupons are next to my car keys and ready to be used. You know you're in trouble when you have to make an actual shopping list for Joann's! Green ric rac, cream and white zippers, hot pink embroidery thread, 4 yds backing fabric, Dresden Plate template if cheap enough, skinny pins to replace bent ones, etc etc. Living out in the boonies means I have to save up my list until it's worth the 40 minute drive.

Happy Friday everyone!
Chris

February Finish - Week #1 DONE!

2011-02-07T08:49:00.001-05:00

I finished this about 5 minutes before midnight last night. Just made it under the wire!

I am going to wash and dry this today before taking some better pictures. I will post them as soon as I get them snapped and uploaded.

I stitched the last of the binding during the Super Bowl. Of course, I had to look up when the commercials were on ;-)

This quilt was made with two layers of batting so it is very substantial and heavy. I love it so far and can't wait to see how it comes out of the dryer!

I am working on a big Moda Bake Shop project that is going to take a bit of my time in the next couple of weeks so my next February Finish week is going to be challenging! I think I'm going to tackle the Michael Miller Christmas Quilt next. It needs sashing, basting, quilting, binding. So there is quite a bit of work left in it! Right now it looks like this:

This quilt is part of the original Old Red Barn Co Quilt Along. Why, yes, I do mean the one that started in 2009! It's one of the most simple patterns too (Rail Fence) but when you make anything in holiday fabric, it becomes very difficult to work on when that holiday is nowhere near. I need to get this WIP monkey off my back asap. So that's what's coming up this week. Stay tuned for updates!

Love X3 - My Three Reasons

2011-02-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

I have a personalized plate on my minivan. Sexy, I know. If you're wondering what life is like with three kids and a minivan, I suggest you watch this: Mom My Ride.

When I just had the two boys, my plate said MY BOYS. I daydreamed about the day I would have a girl and need to change it. Well, my dreams came true and I had to change it. So I changed it to LOVE X3. Love times three. My heart is overflowing with love for these three characters. They are funny, smart, unruly, cuddly, creative, athletic and just plain lovely. I could go on and on.

I just wanted to record some snapshots of where they are in their lives right now. At 8, 6 and 3.5, they are loud, funny, active and demanding. Yet they are all becoming more independant, curious, kind and engaged with the world around them.

I am thankful every day for these three wonderful creatures. They fill my house with ~~screams~~ laughter, ~~farts~~ joy, and ~~fights~~ love.

It is true what they say: time flies when you're having fun. :-)

Basting and Quilting Fig Tree Fresh Cottons Quilt

2011-02-04T15:00:00.002-05:00

My first target of the February Finish challenge is my Fig Tree Cherry Delight Quilt made with the Fresh Cottons line. I bought this as a kit. I love anything Fig Tree and putting this quilt together has been a breeze. Instead of adding cherries to the center block, I added circles and a flower. So it's more of a Fresh Cottons quilt than a Cherry Delight Quilt in my case. Or maybe a Flowers Delight.

In this case, the top and back were already pieced and ready to go. I needed to start this week by basting it. Ugh, I hate basting. Luckily, I have a nice, big area of bare hardwood floor in my foyer that works very well for basting. It's well lit by natural light, there is no furniture to move, and I can easily move around all four sides. Also, we don't use the front door that much so it isn't an area of heavy traffic.

First I use painter's tape to tape down the backing:

Please notice that I blatantly break the quilt police rule of trimming off the selvage edge when piecing the backing. I don't do it. And so far in making, washing and using qulits, I haven't noticed a difference. Please feel free to chime in here and give me some good reasons to change my routine. I'm open to criticism.

I guess one reason would be to have all of that lovely selvage to make selvage projects with!

For this quilt I decided to try double layers of batting. I'm not entirely pleased with how thin my quilts are. I use Warm & White cotton batting. I like it and it's very easy to use. I just wish the quilts were a little more substantial. Heavier and thicker but not poofy like with a high-loft polyester batting. I would love any input about how to achieve these results. I've looked around online and someone recommended just doubling up the batting. So here goes. After carefully laying and smoothing out the two layers of Warm & White, I add the quilt top:

Yes, the sides are a bit wobbly. I'm ok with that. I can always square it off before binding.

Next I take it to the machine for quilting. Because I want this quilt DONE, I choose a very simple quilting plan of quilting down the center of each strip. This will form concentric squares on the quilt back which will mimic the design on the front.

I just eyeball the center and let er rip. I'm using the walking foot and my machine's needle down feature. When I get to the point of needing to make my 90 degree turn, I just stop, pivot, and continue. Easy peasy. I'm using a Shmetz quilting needle and Connecting Threads thread in a nice light peach color. I really like the way this thread looks in the finished quilting stitch. It looks cottony, if that makes sense. And it doesn't end up looking too thin like piecing thread or embroidery thread.

After an evening of finishing up the quilting, I unfurl the quilt to admire my work and see at little mistake. See post below for that story. Next steps, binding, washing and photographing finished quilt. Only two days left to get this one finished for the February Finish Challenge!

Late Night Quilting Fail

2011-02-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

Many of you secretly enjoy seeing the dirty underbelly of real life quilting. Yes, it's nice to see those blogs where everything is pristine and perfect, but then there is real life.

Late last night I was quilting away on my Fig Tree quilt (this week's February Finish WIP). Easy, straight line quilting with the walking foot. So easy, I could just watch a little American Idol while I'm doing it. Man, that Steven Tyler sure is a pleasant surprise this season isn't he? Ooooh, that girl can sing. Gee, that weirdo sure is weird. You get the idea. One part quilting, ten parts watching TV.

After I finished, I unfurled the quilt to admire my nice symmetrical quilting lines on the quilt back and found this:

Wait, what? What the heck is that?

That is the sample Cathedral Windows block I made in my Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild class on Sunday. (Because I know you're wondering, the fabric in the window is Dena Designs Tea Garden.) It must have gotten underneath my quilt while I was quilting. It waves to me snidely like a little Fail Flag.

So I went to bed. I know better than to pick up the seam ripper in anger. I didn't want to have to write a post about Seam Ripper Fail too...

My Mom

2011-02-01T16:58:00.000-05:00

This picture was taken Christmas morning. I may have already shared it when I was posting pictures of the quilt I made for her.

In this picture my mom is comforting my daughter. I don't know why the Princess has a sad face. Maybe she was overwhelmed. With six kids and all of that Santa loot, it was quite a scene!

I came across this picture in my computer folders this afternoon and was struck by the emotion in it and the emotion it evokes in me.

My mother lost her husband, my step-father Doug, only three days before this picture was taken. She was exhausted and sad, bittersweet at having all of her children and grandchildren for Christmas but so overwhelmed with family and emotion, decisions and planning.

When Doug was in the hospital, we took off his wedding ring before the medicines caused his fingers to swell. Mom slipped his ring on her own finger and has kept it on. You can see it here on her middle finger next to her own wedding band.

When I see this picture, I see the sweet, timeless moment of inhaling a child's hair. I spend many of these moments with this small girl every single day. I can't get enough of her. Seeing my mother enjoy the same thing is satisfying and comforting. I see the thick gold band of Doug's ring and think of the fifteen years that he was in our lives. The meals he cooked, the jokes he told, the trips he went on with us. The love he gave my mother and the attitude he gave her in the last couple of years when he began feeling so bad. The casual conversations he had with the people at the grocery store and the way he had of making you feel like you were the only person in the room.

I see the place that a handmade quilt takes in our homes and in our lives. It comforts and covers.  I raced to complete this quilt for my mother so that I could leave her something to wrap around herself when I was unable to. It was a gift of my love to her, crafted in soft cotton, peaceful colors, and a simple pattern. There is part of me that wants to speak in the language of quilts.

The first quilt I made was for my first unborn child. He is sitting next to me right now at the healthy age of 8. The second quilt I made was for my adored older sister. It lives in the frozen Twin Cities and is a symbol of my gift of warmth and love to her so far away.  I lose count but I made a quilt for my younger sister and she uses it to cover her lap when she's writing her novels. I get to be there in spirit while she creates those stories and follows her dreams!

So I speak in the language of quilts. I give you a quilt as a way of saying I love you THIS MUCH.

Extra Quilt Love for you quilters: Angela at Fussy Cut   blogged about this similar notion and it really touched something with me. Thanks Angela! If you haven't checked out her blog yet, go for it. It's gorgeous.

February FINISH Challenge

2011-01-31T08:51:00.001-05:00

Monday Confession Time. I have a serious WIP problem happening here. I have started a gazillion projects in the last few months and need to get some good solid finishes behind me. Or as my husband would say, I need to get these monkeys off my back.

Here is a list of the quilt tops or partial quilt tops:
1) Glace' Squares Quilt (top is done, still need to make backing)
2) Fig Tree Cherry Delight Quilt (top is done and backing made)
3) Old Red Barn Co Quilt Along Quilt or as I call it The Christmas Quilt (needs sashing and backing)

Here are quilts that are cut and in various stages of piecing:
4) Luna Notte Nesting Circles Quilt
5) Mill House Inn HST Table Topper
6) Oh Fransson Mod Quilt Along Quilt
7) Wee Play Merry Go Round Hexagon Quilt

Yes, people. It is THAT bad. The only quilt that I'm not still excited about is the Oh Fransson one only because it uses super-traditional fabric that I don't love. I originally picked it out thinking it was perfect for my mom but she has since told me she's "meh" about it. Meanwhile, she purchased all different fabric for me to use in a quilt for her but I can't even bear to add that to the list. It's not even a WIP yet!

All of the other quilts on this list are actual quilts that I am still excited about. That's the good news :-)

So my challenge to myself is to finish a quilt per week for the month of February. By the end of the month I should have at least half of my list knocked out. My challenge is to also NOT START A NEW QUILT for the month of February. I have stacks of gorgeous fabric staring me down begging to be made into something. I need to ignore their Siren Songs for now.

Now, lest you think me a complete non-finisher, I have completed quite a few projects in the last six weeks. These are: my Mom's Verna Quilt, my own Verna Quilt, my Scrappy Mug Rug, the Memory Quilt and the Jane Market Bag. All of these projects can be seen on my Flickr page.

I have also been working on changing my domain name and Thomas from WayCoolKid is helping me with the design. His talent as a designer is obvious and his help has been invaluable. He is an exciting new talent in the fabric design industry. Check him out if you haven't already!

So, are you ready to take the February Finish Challenge? Do you have some WIPs that need a good kick in the pants to get them completed? Please join me!

Embroidery: Take One

2011-01-26T21:49:00.000-05:00

In an attempt to make a Babushka doll for my DQS10 partner, I tried my hand at embroidering for the first time. Here she is in all her monk-hairdo glory:

I like her. But I'm still not sure of the total quilt plan. I tried putting a second one next to her or even a set of three. Nah, didn't look right. Some of it is fear of clashing fabrics. Funny problem for a quilter to have. I need to stretch out of my color comfort zone!

So of course, in true WIP schizophrenia mode, I started a completely different one. This one is a quilt I've been wanting to start for a while. A doll quilt with an applique scene. A tree, a house, and a clothesline. Yes, it's been done before. But I LOVE IT. So we'll see. I'll show you that when I make more progress on it.

In other news, I've become a Twitterholic. Like, my iPhone gets more action than any teenage boy under the bleachers. It's a sickness really. I'm going to need an intervention (no, Mom, that doesn't mean I actually want an intervention. You can pry this phone from my cold, dead hands.)

Speaking of cold, dead hands, I have been hired on to be an official assistant to The Carrie Ryan. You know how we all wish we had minions? (John/QuiltDad, I'm talkin to you) Well, I just became one. Apparently when you become a New York Times Bestselling Author, you get to put a The in front of your name and have People. So now Their People can call Her People and Her People is me. This cracks me up to no end. I figure my first and foremost job will always be staking my claim as her big sister which means giving her a hard time whenever possible ;-)

Wonky Rainbow Mug Rug

2011-01-25T08:41:00.000-05:00

I made a colorful Mug Rug for a swap partner and am pleased with how it turned out:

My 8 year old made an interesting observation about the purple Tufted Tweets fabric. He said you can look at it two ways, one way is the bird sitting on a chair and the other way is the bird sitting on a stool in front of the window. I never saw it that way!

The color goodness is 100% credited to Fabricworm.com for putting together their "Prism Bundle". I LOVE this rainbow selection but never would have put it together myself. It also has the green Quilter's Linen by Robert Kaufman (not used in Mug Rug) which I adore. Must get some more of that!

Color!

2011-01-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

I have been playing with the most vibrant, delicious pile of fabrics from Fabricworm.com. Check out the colory goodness:

Don't you just LOVE THEM? Don't they just make you smile?

Memory Quilt

2011-01-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

A friend hired me to make a memory quilt for his wife using the baby clothes from their three boys. He gave it to her this week so I can share the pics now with you all! I love how it turned out and I had a ball making it.

The clothes they had saved included monogrammed baby blankets, sleepers, burp cloths, gorgeous smocked jumpers, etc. What a treat to work with!
I couldn't find the source for the border fabric but it's a small white flower on blue background. The backing is a light pink ticking stripe from Joann's and the binding is a gray Ta Dot by Michael Miller.

If you or anyone you know would like a memory quilt like this one, please don't hesitate to contact me for a quote. I loved working on it and making it unique.

In other exciting news, I lucked into a great deal on a Singer Futura embroidering sewing machine. Drool...

Wordless Wednesday: Bovine Gangsta Edition

2011-01-19T10:28:00.000-05:00

I'm IN! I'm IN! DQS10!

2011-01-13T10:55:00.000-05:00

I was lucky enough to get a spot in the Doll Quilt Swap 10! I'm so excited! For more information check out the Flickr Group.

I am also participating in the Scrappy Mug Rug Swap. Since I've never participated in a swap before, I'm trying really hard not to get overwhelmed.

So far I have ideas for both but the DQS ideas will have to wait until I find out who my partner is. Meanwhile, I am finishing a commissioned quilt before I can get started on either swap qulit. Whew!

Oh, BTW, Day FOUR of being snowed in with three kids, husband, cat, dog, etc. Can we say CALGON?

Fig Tree Flowers

2011-01-04T06:00:00.001-05:00

Fig Tree Fresh Cottons

Cherry Delight Kit

Project Update

I took a little detour from the applique cherries on the original Cherry Delight pattern. I cut some circles and did raw edge applique of flowers in the enter block. I prepared the backing and now I need to baste it all together. Am waiting for kids to return to school before tackling that job!

I love you but...

2011-01-03T06:00:00.003-05:00

I'm ready for school to begin again.

(no, he doesn't have a head injury, he takes eye drops for vision improvement)

I hope you have had a wonderful vacation like we have. If you're anything like me though, you're silently chanting "school, school, School, SCHOOL!!!!" Only one more day left before my world goes back to it's nice routine. I have loved all of the laughs, cuddles, new movies and toys, and time spent with sisters, cousins, parents. I haven't loved the MINE, HE HIT ME, and FART that have been flowing willynilly around the house. May your new year be happy, bright and fart free. That's a special wish from me to you ;-)

Coming Soon - Nesting Circles Quilt

2011-01-01T06:00:00.011-05:00

Just a quick snapshot of a new WIP to tease you. Yes, that is my beloved Accuquilt Go cutter using the circles die. The fabric line is Luna Notte by 3 Sisters for Moda. Stay tuned for a tutorial of this quilt coming soon!

Spoonflower Love

2010-12-31T06:00:00.002-05:00

Earlier this month Spoonflower ran an amazing special on Fat Quarters. I took the plunge and bought six of them. It was hard to pick which ones to get! I wanted some fabrics that were quirky, colorful or different. If I was going to go out of my way to get this special fabric, I wanted it to add some character to my projects.

When the fabrics arrived, the first thing I noticed was that they were as great as I imagined. Also, Spoonflower's "business card" included in the order is made out of fabric. That makes complete sense. Since then, I have discovered that Julie of Jaybird Quilts uses Spoonflower to make her fabric quilt labels. Brilliant! Totally stealing that idea someday (when I miraculously learn to design a label).

Without further ado, here are the fabrics I chose:

Hope you enjoyed the fabric porn. If you're like me, you're not even reading this anymore because you've already clicked over to Spoonflower...

Also, just a note that I don't have any relationship to Spoonflower nor am I receiving anything in exchange for a glowing review. Besides my one order, they don't even know who I am. I just sincerely love the concept of fabriholics being able to design their own fabric and have it printed relatively affordably and in a jiffy! Go check it out and let me know what you think.

Mom's Quilt

2010-12-30T06:00:00.001-05:00

I finished a quick Verna Charm Square quilt for my mother this Christmas. She has been begging for a quilt and has even purchased fabric for me to make one for her. The muse hasn't told me how to make a quilt with her particular fabric yet but I ALWAYS know how to make a Verna quilt and a Charm Square quilt! So I patched these babies together and sewed my little heart out in order to give it to her on Christmas Day.

This is the first pieced back I've made. I just had to use those pink owls out of my stash since they have been hooting at me for a year now from the shelf! I tried to quilt it with light pink thread but the thread kept breaking. Due to my rush, I switched to white to get it done.

My favorite part is the binding. The fabric is an Alexander Henry stripe. Delish!

Scenes from Christmas

2010-12-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Many of you know that I lost my stepfather, Doug, three days before Christmas. He had late stage cancer and severe COPD but it was still awful and "sudden". We had to make some terrible decisions the week before Christmas and say goodbye to a gentle and loving soul. He passed away on the 22nd and his service was on the 27th. This brought all of us together for Christmas. My two sisters and their husbands along with my two stepbrothers and their wives. And all the kids. Doug would have loved it!

We gathered at my mom's house in Greenville, SC. More shocking than anything was the heavy snow that arrived on Christmas day. My sisters' families and I actually stayed at my dad's house since my mom's house was full of other family. My dad's house is on a mountain which made for an even more gorgeous snowfall.

My three kids are in red and green pjs. The other three boys are my sister's. They live in Minnesota so they were not impressed with our "blizzard". You can only imagine how magical Christmas morning was with six children between the ages of 3 and 8!
Chris

Placemats and Potholders

2010-12-28T10:38:00.001-05:00

Here is a better picture
For the potholders, I added a small hanging loop when I attached the binding. Here is a close-up of how I had to figure that process out by trial and error:

Many of you commented that you like to see both the good and bad side of quilting. So I decided to let this "bad" loop stand. I wanted to show you that it's not that big of a deal. It's a handmade item and it's ok for it to look like a handmade item. Now I've learned a better way of doing the loop (the one on the right) so I'll know for the future.

Basically, the first loop I did, I tried to sew the binding behind the loop. The second one, I sewed the binding onto the loop itself. In both cases, I machine sewed the loop onto the raw corner of the quilt sandwich first. I'm sorry I didn't take pics of this process at the time. I was racing to get it done and sent out to the winner.

I have lots more pictures to share on the blog since I bought a new camera for Christmas! Stay tuned for updates including the quick Verna quilt I made for my mom for Christmas, the completed Verna quilt I made for myself, and more progress pictures of the Michael Miller Christmas quilt I'm still working on for the Old Red Barn Co quilt-along.

Have a wonderful day!

Edited to add:
A post on Twitter helped me to realize that this placemat project is very similar to a Rachel Griffith Moda Bake Shop tutorial for a table runner. This was completely unintentional and I have removed the placemat instructions in an effort not to offend anyone! I am a huge fan of both the Moda Bake Shop and Rachel Griffith of ps I quilt. I came up with these placemats when Sew, Mama, Sew announced their giveaway. At the time I was working on my Michael Miller Christmas quilt and had some leftover jelly roll strips but not alot of time. My sister had recommended giving away placemats as a tie-in with my first Moda Bake Shop placemat recipe that same week. Great! I'll just sew these strips together quick and easy. It never occurred to me that someone had created and posted a design putting strips together as a placemat. So if I stepped on anyone's toes, please accept my heartfelt apology! As you can see from my blog archives, I try always to give credit to fabric, pattern, and tutorial designers whenever I make something with them. Thanks!

Overheard

2010-12-28T10:21:00.000-05:00

This morning I overheard my 3 yr old yelling at the Christmas tree:
"MAKE MORE PRESENTS.... NOW!"

WINNER!

2010-12-18T18:36:00.000-05:00

Random.org generated the winning number for the placemats and pot holders. I have emailed the winner but wanted to share her comment here. It looks like you guys love TUTORIALS and pictures! So stay tuned for more of both. I got a new fancy camera for Christmas and I can't wait to share some nice pictures with you. Now, on to the winner...

Number 62 is BESS from james and bess!

james and bess said... :

these are so cute! in a sewing/quilting blog, i love tutorials and fresh sewing project ideas. :)

bess

Thank you to all 268 of you who stopped by to enter. Thanks also to all of you who checked out my first Moda Bake Shop tutorial. Stay tuned for more in the new year :-)

Chris

Giveaway Update

2010-12-18T00:10:00.000-05:00

I have closed the comments on the Giveaway post and will announce the winner this weekend. Thank you SO much to all who entered! Your feedback was tremendous and very much appreciated. Good luck on this and all of the other giveaways you participated in!

MODA BAKE SHOP!!!!

2010-12-16T00:15:00.002-05:00

What an honor to be selected to present a project over at Moda Bake Shop! Today you can click on over there to see my first Moda Bake Shop Recipe which is a set of 6 personalized holiday placemats. I used charm packs of Kate Spain's 12 Days of Christmas fabric but this project is adaptable to any fabrics or themes. Um, just in case you didn't know it, I'm Kate Spain's dedicated ~~stalker~~ fan. I LOVE her designs and can't get enough of them! And as for charm packs, don't get me started. They are so easy, it's a little bit like cheating don't you think? I love Moda pre-cuts. Every time I pick up my rotary cutter I feel a bit like I'm playing Russian Roulette. Either a three-year-old pops up underneath my arm or a cat tail swipes nearby just as I'm releasing the safety switch. I'm sweating just thinking about it. Should we repeat? I LOVE MODA PRE-CUTS.

If you like what you see, don't forget to become a follower of my blog here at Frecklemama, follow Frecklemama on Twitter, or subscribe to feeds. I would love some feedback!

Also, just a reminder that my Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway is open through Friday. Please be sure to comment on the Giveaway post for a chance to win your very own Holiday Placemat set!

My First GIVEAWAY!!

2010-12-13T00:46:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Frecklemama! Thanks for stopping by. This week is Sew, Mama, Sew's Giveaway week. In celebration of Giveaway week and an exciting announcement coming to my blog on Thursday, I am giving away a set of four Michael Miller Christmas placemats with two matching pot holders.

Here is a photo of one of the placemats. My camera is broken so I will update the post when I get some better pictures!

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment about what you look for in a sewing or quilting blog. What makes you follow one blog over another and what kinds of content do you like to find when you visit your favorite blogs? I will select a winner using the Random Number Generator. One entry per person please, and make sure there is a way for me to contact you if you're the winner!

Please be sure to visit Sew, Mama, Sew to find many more bloggers offering fantastic giveaways this week! The comments will be open until the end of the day Friday. Once I select a winner, I will try to ship the package out as quickly as I can. This giveaway is open to both domestic and international participants.

Subscribe to feeds or follow me on Twitter for new blog post updates. Thanks for visiting Frecklemama!

Sew,Mama,Sew Giveaway Day Coming Up!!!

2010-12-06T16:27:00.000-05:00

Sew, Mama, Sew is hosting their fantastic Giveaway Day on Monday, December 13th! I am thrilled to announce that I will be participating in the Giveaway.

Stay tuned for more information and be sure to check out the master list of participants when it's published at Sew, Mama, Sew!

Layout of Old Red Barn Co Quilt Along Quilt

2010-12-05T20:09:00.001-05:00

Layout of Old Red Barn Co Quilt Along
Originally uploaded by Frecklemama

Yes, I know this is years in the making. It's a little tedious working on a seasonal quilt when it's not the right season. Now that it's Christmas again, I am happily working towards a finish. I am currently adding white sashing between blocks to make it a little crisper and larger.

Cherry Delight Fig Tree Fresh Cottons

2010-12-05T20:06:00.001-05:00

Cherry Delight Fig Tree Fresh Cottons
Originally uploaded by Frecklemama

Progress on Fig Tree Fresh Cottons Cherry Delight kit.

No, you're not lost!

2010-11-30T18:12:00.003-05:00

I have adopted a new look for the blog just to spice things up a bit. It's still your same old Frecklemama, just with a new fancy dress on ;-)

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

Stay tuned for some exciting news!

Chris

Far Far Away II Bolster Pillow

2010-11-30T11:17:00.005-05:00

I ordered a yard of Heather Ross' gorgeous Far Far Away II Rapunzel fabric. I didn't have a plan for it other than making something for my daughter. And so it sat on my quilting table for a couple of weeks.

I realized last night, stupidly, that she has an uncovered bolster pillow on her bed that keeps her from falling between the bed and the wall. Voila! I'll make a cover for her bolster!

So here it is:

Yes, my pictures are terrible! It is cold and rainy outside so the indoor dim pic is all I could get.

Here is a closeup:

It's a little too long but I was more concerned with quick than perfect. I made a tube then turned the end hems in to make a tie channel. I made a length of bias tape (although straight, not on the bias) out of the fabric scrap and then sewn into a tie. I fed the bias tie through each channel to make a tie for each end.

It took less than an hour from start to finish.

We went to see Tangled in the theater on Sunday so the timing of this is perfect! Should I hide it until Christmas or just give it to her now?...

Chris

Toe Attack via Fig Tree Fresh Cottons

2010-10-25T08:36:00.001-04:00

Toe Attack
Originally uploaded by Frecklemama

I am making the Cherry Delight quilt by Fig Tree Quilts using her Fresh Cottons line. I am a Fig Tree Fan to almost groupie proportions! Something about Joanna Figueroa's colors and style really connects with me.

I made a twin sized quilt using her Whimsy fabric earlier this summer as a graduation gift for our favorite babysitter. I'll share that soon. For some reasons the pictures I took aren't that great.

Anyway, while pressing the quilt top, I leave it hanging from my pressing table. When I step up to pin on the next row, my feet are often attacked by the Fresh Cottons Monster.

Glace' Quilt Top

2010-10-25T08:31:00.001-04:00

Glace' Quilt Top
Originally uploaded by Frecklemama

I can't remember if I've posted pictures of this quilt top yet or not. This is a simple squares pattern using Three Sisters' Glace' Fabric. This fabric is delicious! It feels so good and has been a pleasure to work with.

This quilt top is awaiting basting, quilting and binding. Story of my life, right?

Chris

Laptop sleeve

2010-10-25T08:29:00.001-04:00

Laptop sleeve
Originally uploaded by Frecklemama

Beware! Now that I've discovered how to blog directly from Flickr, you're in for a treat :-) No more fussy moving the photos around in Blogger.

Ok, here is a photo of a Laptop Sleeve I made this summer using OhFransson's tutorial by Elizabeth Hartman.

I used a couple of random fat quarters, velcro, fusible fleece. Easy peasy!

Verna Quilt Basting

2010-10-25T08:18:00.001-04:00

Verna Quilt Basting
Originally uploaded by Frecklemama

Here is an update on my beloved Verna quilt. This is a picture of the basting (which is my most dreaded step in the quilt-making process!). The quilt is quilted and I am now stitching the binding to the back. I do my binding stitching in front of the TV in the family room, so even though it's not quite finished, we're already using it as our sofa quilt LOL!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this quilt and have already received a ton of compliments on it.

Chris

Khaki Quilt, Flag Quilt, Verna Quilt - Updates!

2010-05-17T08:44:00.008-04:00

I have lots of quilting goodies to catch up on. I've been lazy about taking pics, and really who wants to read a blog post with no pics?

First of all, I'm almost done with the Khaki quilt (can we think of a more boring name please?). Just have to hand-sew binding to the back:

Many quilt bloggers seem to have a problem with cats on their quilts while taking pictures. I've always thought that was kind of funny. Like the cats have nothing else better to do than get in the way of a photo shoot. Well, apparently it's true:

Also, while my machine was in for service, I used a friend's machine to make a simple flag wall hanging. I haven't quilted it yet, but I'll go ahead and share a picture of it. The stars are hand appliqued using an easy technique. Put cheap muslin and your feature fabric right sides together. Sew them together in your shape (ie, complete star), cut it out leaving a small seam allowance. Cut slit into the muslin (CAREFUL not to cut your feature fabric!). Turn inside out and press. Now you can applique the shape on without fiddling with that pesky turn-under seam allowance.

Here is a close-up of one star:

Next I have been working on a Verna quilt. For those of you who haven't heard me shout it from the rooftops yet, "I LOVE KATE SPAIN'S VERNA FABRIC!!!!" So I went to her blog to tell her that. Just my luck, I encountered yet another blog giveaway that I was not going to win. I entered it anyway, because, c'mon, it's KATE SPAIN's VERNA! And... I WON! I received the Layer Cake and knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. I wanted to showcase the fabrics with a simple patch quilt design but then add a new technique to it by trying prairie points for the first time. I had been inspired by this Moda Bake Shop quilt.

So far I have sewn together the layer cake squares:

And pressed some of the points:

And as if that isn't enough, I have also cut the fabric for a quilt I'm making for our beloved babysitter. She is graduating from high school on Saturday! Obviously it won't be done in time, so thank goodness she lives across the street :-) I will post pics of that when I make more progress on it.

Whew! So, you see there? I have been quilting and fabric-loving since you heard from me last. I've just been lazy about posting it. To be honest, I enjoy reading everyone else's blogs more than updating my own!

If you're a quilter and/or fabric-lover like me, hop on over to Sew,Mama,Sew to check out their huge Giveaway Day.

Have a great week everyone!

Trucker Quilters in Wall Street Journal

2010-03-29T11:31:00.002-04:00

For all of you quilt lovers out there, check out this great Wall Street Journal article featuring truck drivers who quilt in their spare time. It's a great testament to the soothing, creative head-spinning nature of our hobby!

Link:
http://tinyurl.com/yd5z9be

Thanks to my dad for sending it to me this morning.

FYI, my machine is still in for service. It's actually ready but I haven't made the 30 minute trip to pick it up yet. Hopefully tomorrow.

Sick machine.

2010-03-09T09:36:00.003-05:00

I have a Viking Sapphire 870 sewing machine. I've had it for a year and it's time for a service. Not to mention that it's breaking needles and skipping stitches while I'm trying to free-motion quilt. Frustrating! So being without my sewing machine is a complete drag. I feel like I'm in time-out.

For those of you who also have a Sapphire machine, check out the Yahoo Group for Sapphire users. I've gotten wonderful advice and ideas from that group!

Just to keep you entertained on this fair Tuesday, here is a pic:

This is my mom with her grandkids. It was taken last summer at the beach and is one of my favorite pictures. I wanted to add it to the blog to give it a permanent home.

Also, in case you haven't heard me brag about my sister enough, her NEW BOOK The Dead-Tossed Waves hits the bookstores today!!!

Carrie's first book hit the NY Times bestseller list (March 14th edition) and we are SO PROUD of her!!!

Jenny's Quilt

2010-02-14T09:55:00.005-05:00

One of the first quilts I made (2001 or 2002) was this Snowball Quilt for my older sister Jenny. This is machine pieced but entirely HAND QUILTED. That's right, I'm proud. Can you see me strutting my stuff? Ahhh, those were the days before children...

I LOVE this quilt. I love the colors, the design, and the fact that it was lovingly stitched for someone so important to me. I love knowing that this quilt has been on her children's beds, thrown over the sofa, and smushed under toys. I love that this quilt is being used the way it was meant to be.

When Jenny moved from our South Carolina hometown to blustery Minnesota, we thought she would surely freeze to death. I love that this quilt is symbolic of keeping her warm while she's so far away from me.

The snowball blocks are quilted with a snowflake design:

Jenny's three boys (Alex 6, Corey 5 TODAY!, and Robbie 3) are the ones posing with the quilt. On this Valentine's Day I hope that they know just how much I love them!

I am a dummie.

2010-02-13T13:20:00.004-05:00

Several bloggers have mentioned recently their inability to contact some of their followers. They have thoughtfully instructed their readers on how to correct this in their Blogger settings by selecting "show email address". I kept thinking "ah, there must be a bunch of newbie dummies out there who haven't caught on to this whole internet thing". Hahahaha.

And then I realized that I'm one of them.

...palm to forehead...

Friday

2010-02-12T14:13:00.002-05:00

Talking to a two-and-a-half year old never gets boring.

Audrey: it’s snowy.
Me: yeah, it’s pretty isn’t it?
Audrey: where’s James?
Me: he’s at school.
Audrey: where’s Rhine?
Me: he’s at school too.
Audrey: oh.
Me: who do you like better?
Audrey: uhhhhhhhh… me.

Quilt Top Finishes!

2010-02-04T09:33:00.009-05:00

Yes, I am one of those slow bloggers with lots of excuses. The main one is intimidation. I spend time everyday savoring all of the wonderful blogs out there about parenting, quilting, etc and am amazed at people's creativity and prolific productivity! I can't keep that pace so I feel like I rarely have new things to share.

In November and December I added a part-time retail job to my full-time mom-of-three job so the quilting projects went on major hold. Now that I'm done with the job, my machine is seeing action again. I've finished two quilt tops and several blocks for others.

First of all, here is a quilt I am making for MYSELF:

A closer look at a block:

This is a basic log-cabin using Moda Glace' by Three Sisters. I LOVE this fabric. The colors are lovely but the feel or "hand" is scrumptious!

Next we have a quilt kit I ordered after seeing in the Summer 2009 "Quilts and More" magazine:

You'll have to excuse the bad pics and wrinkles! Here is a close-up:

Finally, some pinwheel blocks because I LOVE the Moda Rouenneries line by French General:

So there you have some updates to my progress finally. I have to admit, I spend way more time admiring quilt bloggers' projects than working on my own but it provides wonderful inspiration as well as delicious eye candy!

Seven.

2009-11-02T09:56:00.004-05:00

You are SEVEN. My brandnewbaby. The One. The First One. I cannot believe how quickly time flies between forceps and first grade. You have always been the sassy one. The BackTalker. The opinionated one who doesn't go quietly. When you moved into your Big Boy Bed you threw The Tantrum That Lasted Three Months. We're still talking about it.

Today you are bright, curious, more respectful of yourself and others. You are constantly thinking, asking addition questions and history details, and creating new ways to play. You take chess lessons (even though you are already an expert according to yourself). You love your soccer team and particularly excel in the goalie position.

You are the bravest food-tryer I've ever met. When the school cafeteria serves every kids' favorites, you choose salad. The big salad that the teachers get. You crack us up! Your favorite restaurant is Benihana and you eat it All.

You love bossing your little brother around at anything you play. The Wii, Club Penguin, Playmobil, Nerf wars, etc. You set up elaborate battalions of soldiers to recreate scenarios from your knowledge of World War II and the Civil War. When other kids are playing Bakugan, you are asking for books about wars, ancient Egypt, and the next Magic Treehouse.

You astonish us with your courage to try new things and your joy at learning. Your vocabulary has always been huge but you still pronounce animal like "aminal" and hamburger like "hang-a-ber". Sometimes I forget you are still so young. Sometimes you seem like my partner in crime.

You are always negotiating, trying to explain, or "helping" your siblings understand better. You will make a great diplomat. You will make a great anything!

You never balk at having to wear the patch on your eye. You haven't complained about your glasses since the day we got them two years ago.

Without you, our family would be an awful shade of gray and so, way, too much quiet. Thank God for you! I thank my lucky stars every day I look at you. You are a miracle and add joy to my life in ways you won't know until you become a parent. I wish you all the joy and fulfilment that life can offer you. I wish you peace and exploration. I wish you all the learning your heart desires. I love you!

Pinwheels for Dummies?

2009-09-01T13:46:00.005-04:00

Ok, I need help from you seasoned pinwheel makers out there. I posted this problem on Sew Mama Sew too.

I just assumed pinwheel blocks were simple. I'm making a quilt inspired by this one at the Moda Bake Shop. So I made two blocks last night and discovered that maybe pinwheel making is more complicated than it seems:Anyone see anything wrong? One is going "clockwise" and the other is going "counter clockwise". I am desperate for any tips to keep these straight and heading in the same direction while constructing my blocks! I am using the half-square triangle method where you put two 5" squares right-sides together, sew 1/4 inch on either side of a diagonal line and then cut apart.

Please, please make any suggestions that might help me keep things straight while making my blocks! I feel like I'm constantly checking and double checking to make sure my solids are all marching in the right direction now.

Completed Quilt!

2009-08-19T18:51:00.004-04:00

Ok, well, it's not exactly 100% completed but the lap quilt I made for my mom's Breast Cancer Fundraiser is all done except for tacking the binding to the back. I went ahead and took pics of it since the sun was streaming in through the windows so nicely. I usually finish a project late at night when there is no good light to use for photos.

So this is a simple charm pack quilt made with April Cornell fabrics. I quilted it with free-motion loop-de-loop quilting which wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. It was very quick which caused me to make more mistakes than I'd like. I think I actually prefer stippling to the looping. We'll see.

Audrey is helping model the quilt like a good little helper. The backing is the same natural solid as the sashing. Probably from Joann's but I'm not sure of the exact color name. Not bright white, more of a cream.

It feels wonderful to post an actual quilt accomplishment on my quilting blog LOL. Now that we are into our third week of school, I actually feel like I can get some things completed again!

Feeds Available Now! And a little Jen Lancaster worship...

2009-08-16T10:24:00.003-04:00

I am a new blogger and still trying to figure everything out. I finally got my site feed working (I think...) so please add me to your list.

The two-year-old starts her pre-school program this week which will give me two mornings to myself. Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things and share some finished products with you!

My mom has requested a quilt donation to a Breast Cancer Fundraiser Auction. I have a charm pack lap quilt that is already basted so I have decided to try and quilt it quickly so I can donate it to her auction. My mother herself is a breast cancer survivor so this is obviously personally worthwhile for me. Stay tuned for pictures of that this coming week.

On a side note, please check out Jen Lancaster's books if you are looking for a fabulous read and some pants-wetting laughter. I started out of order with her third book "Such A Pretty Fat" and laughed so loud and so often that I started to think that maybe I had a problem. Could this book really be THAT funny or am I having a breakdown? I had to read many passages outloud to Andrew so that I could have someone to share their fabulousness with. She is so adept at speaking the truth about life's challenges. I then went back to her first "Bitter is the New Black" which is timely for us since we're unemployed right now. This book is about going from the dotcom boom where our generation thought we were wealthy successful GODS to the shock of 9/11 when reality started tumbling down. Fabulous insight into a shared reality and growth experience of our generation.

I am currently reading the second "Bright Lights, Big Ass" which is worth the purchase price even if you only read the bit about trying to keep 2 dogs, 4 cats and her crazy self quiet during Fletch's conference call. I have lived that scenario many times myself and can't help but read that part out loud to anyone who will listen. PLEASE go buy these books and give yourself the gift of side-splitting laughter.

Have a great Sunday and tune in later this week for updates!

Goodbye Baby.

2009-08-03T07:28:00.003-04:00

The big yellow bus just came and took my baby away. Jamie's fifth birthday isn't for three more weeks so he's one of the rare kids who starts elementary school as a four-year-old. He was so nervous and quiet this morning. I have never been more thankful that he has an older brother to show him the ropes and hold his hand.

Pure Joy

2009-07-30T21:21:00.003-04:00

My friend Kerrianne took this fabulous picture of Andrew throwing Jamie in the pool this week. This photo is the very definition of this summer for us and I am thrilled to have it preserved in such a great way. Jamie met his Kindergarten teacher today and gets on the big yellow school bus for the first day of school on MONDAY, yes Monday! While it's not the end of summer here in Georgia, it is the end of summer vacation in our county.

With Andrew off of work, he has spent many hours throwing our kids and all kinds of neighbor kids in the pool. My kids don't even realize how lucky they are to have dad around so much. I hope the boys are both old enough to remember the summer of Six Flags, Whitewater, Edisto Beach with my family, Hilton Head Beach with Andrew's family, tons of fun at the pool, and lots of time with their dad.

I secretly look forward to a return to the school schedule, structure, progress, and time all to myself to sew...

Scrap Nine Patch Completed!

2009-07-21T10:00:00.000-04:00

I finally finished the Scrap Nine Patch for my sister Carrie (I am in pink shirt, Carrie is in blue). It wasn't really made from scraps. I used April Cornell's Poetry fabrics for the 9-patches and a light green fabric for the sashing. The backing fabric is another selection of the Poetry line and the binding is the cream polka dot from the same family. I really don't love the green sashing but I'm still in love with the backing and binding!

This is the first quilt that I have completed with free-motion quilting. I used a stipple pattern and it turned out much better than I expected! My hands still want to do a loop-de-loop pattern instead of the stipple so I might try that on my next one.

I wanted to share with you an easy way of managing your binding during the process of making it and attaching it. While I ironed it in half, I began rolling it around one of my small rulers:

Then when it was time to pin it to the quilt before sewing, I just unrolled it along the sides of my quilt. It kept it very well organized and pressed. In the past my binding has been in a pile at my feet as I'm working with it and it ends up getting creased and wrinkled, not to mention rolled over by my chair! This solution was simple, free, and quick.

I'd like to give a cyberThanks to Amanda Jean of Crazy Mom Quilts for putting together the quilt-along that finally spurred me into completing this quilt. I am very happy with it and can't wait to complete one for myself!

Home again!

2009-07-18T21:26:00.002-04:00

I have been gone two long weeks and am happy to finally be back home and back online! I was at the beach, first with my family at Edisto Beach in South Carolina and then with Andrew's family at Hilton Head. Both were good visits with everyone and filled with lots of salt, sand and shrimp!

While I was gone our main computer gave up the ghost after six years of dedicated service. I am a little out of sorts without my photo files, bookmarks, etc.; so please be patient while I regroup and get back on the blog wagon.

In exciting news, I finished and gifted my Scrap 9 Patch quilt for my sister Carrie. It turned out so well that I was inspired to pick up the quilting pace now that I'm home! I promise to complete my post about this quilt as soon as I can get the last picture uploaded. Thanks for your patience!

I'm in Quick Quilts Magazine!

2009-06-26T19:37:00.004-04:00

OMG, I just received my September issue of Quick Quilts magazine only to turn the page and find my own picture staring back at me! A few months ago I submitted a picture to their "Quick Pics" section on their website showing me with my very first quilt. It was a pattern from their March 2001 issue so I figured they'd like to see a completed quilt from one of their old issues. Since it was my very first quilt, it is an especially sentimental moment for me.

At the top of this post is the cover of the magazine so you'll recognize it on newstands. I was drooling over the Joel Dewberry quilt called Moderne Meadow before I got to the Quick Pics section and started screaming ;-) Go check out the magazine to see this great king-size pattern in those gorgeous fabrics! And, ahem, if you insist on checking out "my" page then turn to page 30:I wonder if I really get the free batting they mentioned. I love the Warm Company! I've never won anything in all the quilting blog giveaways I've entered so I feel like I've finally hit the jackpot. Thanks for letting me brag tonight!

In quilting news, I've been adding sashing rows (Zzzzz... sorry, I just fell asleep there for a minute...) to my sister Carrie's quilt. Since this is a Scrap 9 Patch, I am including it in Amandajean's Quilt-Along over at CrazyMomQuilts. Sashing is a lonely sport and requires lots of reruns of Bones on the Tivo to keep me going. Is there anyone out there who enjoys sashing? Post a comment and let me know your thoughts on how to break the monotony.

I will also admit to a little fabric shopping yesterday which I will post about later (or when the internet becomes invisible to my husband...). Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Summer Lovin' Happened So Fast

2009-06-19T13:34:00.002-04:00

Ryan is the only one who looked semi-natural in the wig Audrey got for her birthday. I love this picture because he hasn't reached the stage of being too cool to pose for a picture with a wig on.

Audrey's second birthday was a low-key affair with family and some out-of-town friends up from Orlando for a visit. They brought her a "Hair Salon" kit which was the cutest thing ever. Every famiy should have a wig!

The Sunday after the birthday my friend invited Audrey and me on an unexpected beach trip which was such an amazing indulgence! I loved every minute of it and even enjoyed the lack of cell and email reception at the beach house. It was a quiet, relaxing trip that gave me the gift of time to catch up and grow closer to a very good friend. I am thankful to Andrew for watching the boys and allowing me the chance to take off.

When I returned my sister was in town for a great but short visit. We got to stop off at several bookstores for her to sign her book which made me feel famous by association.

This week I hosted a few friends over for a lesson on making a handbag. It was fun but I neglected to get pictures to share with you all. Oh well, next time.

Today I am off to a Girls' Weekend in the mountains. Yes, I am a spoiled princess. No, I don't mind if you call me that out loud. Now you know why you aren't seeing great updates of sewing projects here! Summer vacation has arrived with a whoosh-bang and I am loving every minute of it.

You are TWO.

2009-06-05T10:51:00.003-04:00

I know this is the most overused expression in parenting but that it because it is so true: THEY GROW UP SO FAST. This is my precious newborn baby. The girl I dreamed of for 33 years. How can it possibly be that she is two already? I cannot shop in the "baby" section of stores anymore. There is a big girl bed in her room now waiting for the crib to become a thing of the past in our house. It was only yesterday that my mom helped me pick out that crib for my 6.5 yr old when he was a new baby. Passing out of the "baby" stage of mothering is bittersweet.

This feisty girl is spoiled rotten. She is a mama's girl and I find it very hard to say no to her. She climbs up on the counter and says "see-all" which means she wants cereal. She gets a measuring cup out of the drawer and brings it to me wherever I am in the house as her way of saying "feed me". She eats all day long but is still the tiniest of my babies. She loves to say "stop", "wait", "peetz-zah", "belly", and "goosie" which is for our dog named Lucy. She calls her drink cup "Jew" whether it's juice or milk. She wakes up happy and goes to sleep talking to her baby dolls. She has a favorite blankie with a silky edge she likes to rub. She is a cuddler and will snuggle into even a stranger's neck.

She loves to swing and dance. She loves to try anything her brothers do including shooting Star Wars guns and waving around swords. She takes on a gruff deep voice when playing guns or cars which cracks us up. She is a wonder. She is a hoot. And she will always be "Baby Audrey" in our family. She is my dream come true and I am thrilled to celebrate her life today with utter thanks to the universe for sending her to complete our family.

I'm a SEWING FOOL!

2009-06-04T19:57:00.004-04:00

Ok, this post is about the pink and green handbag, but check out the two posts below for updates on my two quilt-along quilts.

My friend Julie told me about a project making a handbag out of placemats. With that in mind, I came across the most adorable placemats at Target a couple of months ago and picked them up. After googling "Placemat Purse" I found simple directions and got started. Less than an hour later and VOILA!

Yes, this was really just a placemat at Target!

Sorry the pics are always less than great, but if I took better pictures this would be a blog about photography instead of quilting and sewing!

Anyway, enjoy the eye candy. :-)

Flag Day Farm Blocks

2009-06-04T19:55:00.002-04:00

These are some of the blocks I've started for Oh Fransson's Mod Sampler Quilt in Flag Day Farm fabrics.

O Tannenbaum

2009-06-04T19:53:00.001-04:00

I've finished my first set of rows for the Old Red Barn Co Quilt-Along.

Old Red Barn Co Quilt-Along Update

2009-06-03T23:19:00.007-04:00

Ok, I got my fabric all cut and now I'm wondering if it's going to be too GREEN! This is Michael Miller's Funky Christmas line. I love the patterns and color combos in this.

I also spent some time sewing Oh Fransson Mod Sampler blocks from my Flag Day Farm fabric. Too many projects and not enough time!

I am hosting a Girls' Night bag-making party next Thursday to help spread the bag-making love. Now that I've finished putting the handles on my Meadow bag, I'm in LOVE. I will post finished pics of that tomorrow.

A friend of mine asked how I have time for all of this along with my three children being home from school for summer break. I told her the truth: I don't clean, do laundry, cook, etc. I let my children run wild while I hide in my sewing room and chant "la-la-la-la-I-can't-hear-you-la-la-la-la". And sew. And then beloved bedtime comes when I get to put the kids to bed and I return to my sewing room and continue.

Just kidding. Kind of.

Edited to add: for some reason Blogger doesn't want to include my paragraph breaks. Excuse the bad formatting. As an English Lit snob, I can't stand for you to think it was just me writing in a completely unorganized manner!

ANOTHER New Project for me? Oh Fransson!

2009-06-02T08:09:00.006-04:00

Yes, yes, I know I have a big quilt already in progress. Yes, I know I have another quilt-along (Old Red Barn Co) that I'm going to start this week. But I couldn't resist starting Elizabeth's (Oh Fransson) Mod Sampler Quilt-Along! I had a stack of fabulous Flag Day Farm fat quarters that have been begging to be turned into a quilt, like Right Now.

And even though these fabrics were all set in my mind in a Sawtooth Star pattern, I still couldn't resist changing the plans after seeing all of the wonderful Mod Samplers on Flickr.

It has taken me a couple of evenings of cutting to get everything prepped the way Elizabeth has it outlined. Talk about organized! Here is my first fabric pair organized on its card:

I added an additional pair of FQ's to her recommended 6 for a total of 14 different of fabrics. While getting all of the perfectly organized cards in a stack I had a fear that my two year old "helper" would get her "helpful" hands on them and rearrange the pairs and all of the cuts. So off to Target we went to get a box with a latching top to keep projects like this together and away from helpful hands. Not three hours after placing the perfectly organized stack into its new box did my child rip into it somehow and chuck all of the cuts from the top three cards onto the ground in a pile. ARGH.

After getting all of the cuts back in order I was short one piece. Huh? I FINALLY found it in my scrap drawer. Now you all know why I gave up quilting for 6 years when I was having three babies! It's all I can do to keep her out of the pins, scissors, hot iron and machine needle. She also threw all of my bobbins out of the bobbin case and into the little plastic water jug I use to refill my iron. Helpful. Very helpful.

I promised the Middle Child that I would paint his bedroom walls green. He loves green and has been asking for months. This is the child who pretty much does what we say. He's sweet, quiet, funny, and doesn't ask for much. So I will put my beloved sewing projects on the back burner (or try really hard to...) and take time this week to get the green paint on his walls. I mean, how can you resist a Clone Trooper's command?

Mother of a Quilt-Along GIVEAWAY!

2009-05-27T15:05:00.003-04:00

For those of you in the quilting blogsphere who don't know that this is a massive giveaway week, WAKE UP! There are unbelievable goodies being given away by the most generous bloggers out there. Check out the blogs on my list in the right-hand corner or go to the master list at Sew Mama Sew. What a great way to learn about the different bloggers out there!

While racing around and shamelessly participating in my favorite bloggers' giveaways, I came across a fabulous Quilt-Along that also includes amazing giveaways each week. Check out Old Red Barn Co. The quilt design is both gorgeous and do-able for beginners. If you are a newbie (ahem, my little beginner quiltlings... I'm talking to you!), this is a great way to jump in and get a new project underway. I'm going to do it because it looks quick, easy and fun!

So please visit as many bloggers as you can in the next few days to find out what is out there and who knows, you may just come away a winner!

Although I was too chicken to participate this year as I am a new, baby blogger, I am working on my first giveaway and will announce it as soon as the item is ready.

Happy blog-hopping!

It's in the BAG!

2009-05-26T23:16:00.007-04:00

Massive pats on the back to myself for tackling a new skill. I finished my tote as you can see here:

Here is a close-up of the quilting and the red pindot lining fabric:Biggest lesson learned: Pay close attention to measurements of lining vs. measurements of bag... I ended up with about four yards (or so it seems) of extra fabric in the liner. It's all baggy and wrinkley but goodness, it's mine! Unfortunately what was meant to be a beach bag has turned very quickly into a diaper bag-looking thing. Oh well. I think I'll hang it from a knob in my sewing room to add color. Afterall, it is a historic part of my quilt-making as it is both my first bag and my first attempts at free-motion quilting.

On to bigger and better bags! While at the big Sewing and Quilting Expo in Atlanta a couple of months ago, I purchased a bag pattern that caught my eye. This is another Melly & Me pattern. You may recall the adorable plush elephant Ellie that I made for a friend's new baby. That was made from a Melly & Me pattern. There must be something about their designs that draw me in! Here is their Meadow bag pattern and I could not be more thrilled with how easy it was:

You may have noticed that it is lacking the handles. I ran out of fusible fleece so I have to wait until I can get more tomorrow. As it is 11:30pm here, it's not happening today. The only question I have for you more experienced bag makers is this: the fusible fleece has gotten a bit wrinkley on the main bottom fabric of the bag. Is there a fix for this?

And you'll be happy to note that I have learned from my lining mistake and the liner on this looks much better:

So there we are. Well, only 3 more days of school for my big boy kindergartner. In the meantime his siblings are loving their summer fun without him:

Up, Up and Away!

2009-05-25T19:26:00.003-04:00

Well, I am here to announce some news on the quilting front! I have FINALLY ATTEMPTED FREEMOTION QUILTING! Yahoo! I have some adorable kite fabric in my stash that is begging to come out of my closet for summer. When I ran across Amandajean's Bag Tutorial at Moda Bake Shop I couldn't resist how easy she made it look.

Amandajean has always been one of the most inspirational quilt bloggers for me, especially in regards to her free motion quilting. She is a whiz at stippling and makes it look way, way easy. In honor of her inspiration, I am using her bag tutorial as my experimental project. Just look how well it's turned out so far!

Ok, so you can't see the detail very well but I chose a loop-de-loop quilting pattern to add to the whimsy of the fabric. In addition, I am also outline quilting each kite to make it appear puffed out in the air. I have selected a red pindot fabric for the inside liner but I'm open to suggestions if that's too crazy. Any ideas are always welcomed here!

I will post pics when I get it finished. Now I'm off to put the rascals to bed...

Trekkie By Marriage

2009-05-12T16:13:00.002-04:00

Yes, we will continue our non-quiting posts for another day. I am contemplating participating in Sew Mama Sew's big Giveaway Day May 27, what do you think? Ready for my first giveaway?

Last night Andrew and I had a babysitter so we could go see the new Star Trek movie. It was amazing! I loved every minute of it. I have seen enough bits and pieces of Star Trek episodes on TV as well as some full length S.T. movies since meeting my husband that the movie was appreciated on a deeper level than a non-Star Trek person would appreciate it. That is not to say you wouldn't like it if you had no S.T. history. You would. It's a good movie in its own right.

However, having seen Star Trek episodes, especially the early ones, you can apprciate so many more details! This story would be considered Star Trek Zero. It happens before the original TV series starts (in Star Trek time). So you get to see some of what came first. Early Spock and how Captain Kirk becomes Captain. Have a beaming problem? Meet a young Scotsman with an attitude. Every scene is a combination of knitting the new, young Star Trek team in with your memory of the older, original one. I truly loved it. Chris Pine who plays Captain Kirk is easy on the eyes despite the fact that I spent the entire movie thinking he was the new "bad" member of The Unit on tv. He's not, by the way.

So there is your movie review for the day. Star Trek is fabulous, action-packed, comedic at times, and so very babysitter-worthy.

In non-Trekkie news, my sister has announced the news on her blog that her novel, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, is being MADE INTO A MOVIE! WAHOOOOO!!!

A Woman Sandwich

2009-05-10T10:07:00.002-04:00

Today I am in heaven. My mother is here this weekend to celebrate Mother's Day. My daughter, who is extremely mommy-addicted, is even more "Nana" addicted. She flings herself at my mother upon arrival even before she has a chance to exit the car in the driveway and doesn't give her up until we scrape her off of my mom at the end of the visit. Does she see the same thing in my mom that I do? Even though I am 35 years old I still sometimes wish I could fling myself at my mom upon arrival and not let her go until my husband drags me away from her at the end of the visit!

What a gift to have both my mother and my own daughter surrounding me today. I feel like the middle of a generational sandwich of women. I never really imagined a day when I could hang out with my mom and my own daughter together. Amazing. For those of you who don't already know this, I have always wanted a daughter. I have two sisters. My mom has three sisters and one brother. We are a family who knows sisters. I always assumed I would give birth to girls and watch my daughters experience sisters. Then I had a boy. And another boy. What? Then I spent two years studying how to have a girl and finally got my girl. After a few years as a Mother Of Boys it was strange to actually give birth to a daughter. Audrey is almost two now and it's still strange. Being with my mom and Audrey today makes me daydream about one day being with my mom, my daughter and her daughter. There is something special about mothers and daughters.

Having said that, there is something VERY special about mothers and sons. I woke up this morning to my 6 year old son and the sweet persona that he trots out a few times a year for special occasions. He has been all sweetness and light today, offering me breakfast in bed, a trip to the bookstore, and whatever else my heart desires ("we can play whatever you want to play today mom!").

Yesterday the three kids were on the swingset and Ryan (6) mentioned that for mother's day Audrey was going to keep me company. I asked where he was going to be on mother's day since it sounded like he wasn't going to hang out with me too. He said "For Mother's Day, I'm going to give you Five Minute's Peace!" Out of the mouths of babes.

So I came downstairs to open (I mean, let them open) their school-made gifts to me and discovered that Ryan had drawn the most wonderful picture of me pushing all three kids on our swingset, something we have done alot of lately. He also wrote about how much he liked my pink shirt and how good I was at helping him find websites. Then Jamie (4) gave me a standard pre-school handprint picture. I flashed forward to his future huge man hands and thought about the day when these handprints will look tiny. The time goes so fast.

After opening my gifts, I settled on the sofa to prolong my pajama time and Audrey came over with one of the boys' Nerf guns. She pulled back the slide, pointed it at me and with her chubby baby fingers, pulled the trigger. Ahhh, my princess. The result of the best of both worlds. The unexpected gift of two bright, funny, loving sons and the much anticipated but different-than-I-imagined gift of a daughter. A family full of loud, messy, chaotic love. The best gift on Mother's Day.

The Brothers

2009-05-01T19:41:00.004-04:00

I keep posting about The Princess on here because she is with me all day everyday while the boys are in school. More opportunities to get pics and witness her antics. However, just to prove that she does indeed have two older brothers, voila:

I guess Jamie is trying to be some kind of fierce Superman as opposed to a friendly, easy going one which is the type of Super Hero he would actually be in real life. Ryan on the other hand is looking all sweet and innocent when in reality he has had any number of privileges revoked already today after using his sassy mouth against his parents (ahem) and his kindgertarten fists against his brother. Hence the need for the padded costume on Jamie's part...

And here is an example of why I have so few pictures of all three of my children TOGETHER:

On a quilting note, I have been working on sashing more blocks for the nine patch quilt. BORING. Does anyone else lose interest in quilting when the weather gets nice?

Because I can't resist.

2009-04-29T10:59:00.002-04:00

The effects of older brothers on a small girl.

Scrap 9 Patch Quilt Along

2009-04-27T12:56:00.007-04:00

The quilt I've been making for my sister Carrie was inspired by a quilt I saw (and drooled over) on Flickr. Now my very favorite quilting blogger has decided to use that very same quilt as the inspiration for her Quilt Along! Check out crazymomquilts.blogspot.com to see her intro.

I have begun the sashing on the quilt and surprised myself by choosing a light green print rather than a white or cream solid for the sashing. Here is a picture of part of the first sashed row:

Here is a picture of the quilt backing (pink paisley) and the green sashing together:

Sorry the light isn't quite right. I think it will look good when it all comes together. Right now it's looking a little weird. Here is a pic of the blocks arranged on my design wall (minus the bottom row which is sashed already):

So I am thrilled to have company during this process to help me move it along. I especially need some guidance when it comes time to choose the quilting pattern. I'm not sure if I want to go with the straight gridded pattern the original quilt has. You can see that quilt here.

If anyone wants to join us in the process of creating a great scrappy nine-patch quilt, visit Crazy Mom and chime in to her comment section! I will say that I have used the strip-piecing short-cut method on my nine-patch blocks whereas the Quilt Along will be using the method of sewing all nine cut squares together. My way makes many blocks that use the same two fabrics whereas her method is for a true scrap quilt. My method is quicker and easier but her method is authentic and creates more varied colors/patterns in the nine-patches. If you want help learning the shortcut just let me know!

Thanks Crazy Mom!

Mother-In-Law

2009-04-20T08:41:00.003-04:00

I am writing with the full knowledge that my MIL is reading this. I have been blessed by the In-Law Fairy. It is hard to believe that I lucked into such wonderful, smart, funny, involved and loving in-laws. They are better than I could have ever imagined. My MIL and I have a very close relationship and my in-laws come over about once a week to play games or share a meal.

Having said that, my mother-in-law is also prone to giving me some doozie stereotypical in-law comments. Every once in a while she'll make a comment that just begs to be shared with someone in a story that begins "You'll never believe what my mother-in-law said to me..." Here is one such story that I'm still laughing about today.

Last night they came over for dinner and cards. Upon arrival my MIL looked right at me and said "I really don't like your hair." It may have even been the first thing she said to me. I was speechless, which is a rare thing. Knowing that she loves me despite my hair, I laughed. And, really, she's right. It's awful hair. But still, how great is it to be able to tell people that my mother-in-law looked right at me and, out of the blue, just said "That's really bad hair."

She also took a look around our house and commented on how clean it was. A great compliment to a family that usually lives just shy of squalor in the dirt and mess department. Just as I was feeling a swell of pride that she'd noticed the effort we'd put into it, she said "You must have gotten your house cleaners back!" Because surely, you two couldn't have pulled this off yourselves... And for the record, no we haven't gotten our housecleaners back. Andrew was laid off and while we can be stupid with money, we're not THAT stupid!

I am grateful to her for being outspoken. I love to laugh at her comments but I also love to laugh with her. If she weren't so outspoken and truthful, we wouldn't have such a close relationship. I'm sure I've given her many "You'll never believe what my daughter-in-law said" stories as well.

In addition to the material she gives to me as my mother-in-law, she has also contributed a great many hilarious stories to her family history. The "Get Away From That Wall Of Death!" story and the spraypaint on the bedroom walls stories are my two favorites ;-)

When my husband was growing up, she was a big force in his life and had a big part in creating the person he is today. The stories he tells about growing up in their house are so rich with detail that I almost feel like I was there too.

He had a very stereotypical American upbringing. His dad went to work every day for 40 years to the same company with the same bologna sandwich in his lunch box. They lived in the same house from the time he was a newborn until a few years ago. His mom stayed at home and made meatloaf, "dry chicken", and frozen pizzas. Their harvest gold Maytag washer and dryer set had replaced the pink ones that they had gotten as hand-me-downs before that. They had a parade of stray pets through their house and they shot hoops in the driveway. In hearing about it, I get the benefit of this nice, steady experience even though my own included divorce, back and forth parent visits, 8 homes over 18 years, etc. Don't get me wrong, I loved my childhood and wouldn't change it. But I love hearing about an experience different than mine.

Despite the traditional childhood they gave my husband, my in-laws are anything but traditional. They travel the world in search of adventure. They study world religion, relationships, and spirituality. They reach for new knowledge, new people and new experiences. They moved into a neighborhood so full of activity that we have to fit our visits into their busy schedules now. They are loving their lives and filling them to the brim.

I have learned so much from my in-laws since meeting them ten years ago. I am thankful for their influence on my children, my husband and myself. Their personalities and life experience compliment my own parents' in a way that makes me feel like I have the best of both worlds. If ever I need advice, a shoulder to cry on, or just great company, I have so many wonderful parents to choose from. Each offering me something different but something very much needed and treasured.

Side-Seam or Seam-Free Bloomers?

2009-04-14T14:49:00.004-04:00

I would like to make some bloomers to embroider or applique things on the backside but don't like the Butterick bloomer pattern I've been using. As you can see from the pic in my previous post, there is a nice big seam up the wazoo. Any suggestions on patterns that avoid this?

Also, I'm looking for simple shorts patterns for all three kids (2T girl, 4 boy, 6 boy). Any suggestions?

Spring is finally springing here in Georgia and in between torrential downpours we can see glimpses of nicer weather beginning. On that note, I am not able to hide behind my Jacques Penne' sweatsuits any longer (JC Penny for you domestic folk). I am going to have to reveal the white dough-girl beneath now that the 70 degree days will be here to stay. Argh. So begins the new diet regime. I am using SparkPeople.com to track my calories and exercise. Anyone else have experience or feedback about Sparkpeople? Share what you're doing to take off the holiday damage after the old Halloween-Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Years-Valentines-Easter indulgences!

Wee Play Hexagon Quilt

2009-04-13T23:53:00.008-04:00

I consider this to be my fifty buck copy of a quilting magazine. It is the October 2008 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting. In an effort to sell me a massive subscription commitment a sales rep at the quilt show offered this back issue to me as a free gift. I took one look at that cover quilt and had to have it. The minimum subscription was $50 which got me two full years of two different quilting magazines plus all kinds of freebies. It was worth every penny (in fact, I was thrilled to see my first issue actually show up today!).

Now, once I caught sight of this cover quilt I had to go out and immediately buy up the fabric before it disappeared from shops FOREVER! Two jelly rolls and some yardage later, I am officially in love with the "Wee Play" fabric line. I had been trying to find this particular fabric for a while and it turns out to be a part of this line:

I have seen it everywhere and am in love with it!

I sewed all the jelly strips together a few weeks ago, pressed them yesterday and made my first block last night. Viola:

I know, I know, don't faint from the glare of perfection my friends. Some fabrics are just meant to be drooled on. They ought to come with a wax coating.

Now, for those of you experienced quilters (and please, could you come out of hiding just for me?) how in the heck do I manage that crazy zig-zag binding? The pattern doesn't specify other than bias binding. How do you make those turns? Any ideas?

Bloomers and Skunks

2009-04-13T16:45:00.006-04:00

I just finished the bloomers that go with that kittycat dress.

Since they will be under the dress I didn't spend much time on them making sure patterns matched up etc. They'll do the job.

For those of you who make clothes for your kids, do you do the whole "eyeball how big they are" thing? When it comes time to cut the elastic for the leg openings and waist, I kind of wing it. I'm a slacker shortcutter by nature but didn't know if this was a usual practice among other moms or not. Anyway, I'd have The Princess model them but we all know how that would go...

In other kid news, Ryan was an adorable skunk in the school play and can be found on YouTube. It will be available for public viewing until I get the skeevie vibes or read a news story about online kid predators. In the mean time, enjoy the black and white furry kindergartner cuteness!

Finally, an updated pic of my design wall and Carrie's Scrap 9 Patch quilt progress. It's slow-going since I keep stopping to do other things but here it is. I just need to buy a better sashing color before I can move on to the next step. The color I got is too light.

So what's next? Oh, only my own favorite quilt project just for me! I am making (Carrie, block your ears, what I mean to say is I'm working tirelessly on Just.Your.Quilt.) a wonderful "Wee Play" quilt from the cover of American Patchwork and Quilting magazine. I'll do a seperate post about that tomorrow as I'm off to finish the tacos for dinner...

Another dress finished!

2009-03-30T19:49:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Amandajean at Crazy Mom Quilts I have found the easiest sundress pattern in the world. I whipped this one out during a Tivoed episode of NCIS this afternoon. As always, The Princess hated it but Andrew helped me force it on her and distract her. This is a moment of her intense loathing in the backyard. If you look closely enough you can see the steam coming from her ears and the fire shooting forth from her eyeballs. Cover your ears though because the NO-AH is at top volume. Don't you love the kitty-cat fabric? The dress is a little big but it should fit better in the hot part of the summer.

Go on over to Crazy Mom Quilts to find out how to make this and many other wonderful things!

NOAH

2009-03-30T08:30:00.002-04:00

I always think I'll remember the funny things my kids say but then I quickly forget. Right now The Princess is into her emphatic "NO!". The funny thing is that in order to emphasize it properly she has added an "AH" at the end. NO-AH! She goes around the house yelling at us for the slightest infractions. "NO-AH!" "NOOOO-WAH!"

So we have started calling her Noah and now Andrew asks her about the ark all the time.

The other funny thing that came out of the mouth of a babe this week was Ryan (6) asking me to put Jello in his hair. He came home Friday from the school bus crying about wanting to go to the faculty fundraiser basketball game. For the first time in his life he insisted on taking a shower ("I stink of sweat!") and then asked me to put Jello in his hair. I told him that I didn't have any Jello and ohbytheway I don't have any hair gel either. Where is he getting this from in Kindergarten? He's gotten hair gel once in his life at Fantastic Sams. Is there a cool kid manual at school that he read telling him to shower and gel himself into presentableness for the big Friday night game? Was there some cute six year old girl there waiting behind the bleachers I'm unaware of? Geesh.

Flash forward with these two kids and you'll see me in ten years. Ryan is shaving, dabbing on cologne and taking the car to pick up his girlfriend on a Friday night (excuse me, I just threw up a little in my mouth). Audrey is throwing a fit at not being able to go to the mall to meet her friends because we had a little mother/daughter run-in like this: "I told you to clean your room." and she says "NO-AH!" and flounces off. Meanwhile the Middle Child Jamie just sits and laughs at it all. He is my beloved Go Along, Get Along child. Happy, obedient, funny and sweet. One out of three ain't bad.

Frecklemama

Three Reasons

Final 2011 Finishes! Feast your eyes on these.

The Sewing Summit

Nine.

*Crickets*

Fig Tree Polka Dots & Summer Dress

T-Shirt Quilt

Four.

Spring Quilt-Along and New Adorable Bag (Bag-Along?)

New Quilt Pattern Tutorial! Portrait Gallery

Tutorial: Joining Batting Scraps to Use in a Quilt

Wordless Wednesday - CottonPig.com Edition

LONGARM QUILTING BUSINESS IS OPEN! SPECIAL PRICES :-)

Stumped. And Three Finished Quilts.

Want to Quilt-Along? (psst, there are prizes...)

It hurts to twirl.

Join me for a Spring Quilt-Along!

Disaster Relief Goals out the ROOF!

Bloggers Day of Silence - For Japan With Love

WIN THIS GORGEOUS QUILT.

WINNER!

Wordless Wednesday (see post below for GIVEAWAY!)

100th Post and a Fat Quarter Bundle Giveaway!

Wordless Wednesday.

Good etiquette for the modern blogger week

Shhhh... Sherbet Pips is my HomeGirl

Lying Down On The Job

Mug Rug Sent!

Tutorial: How To Make Quilting Practice Squares

Basting Bastard

February Finish - Week #1 DONE!

Love X3 - My Three Reasons

Basting and Quilting Fig Tree Fresh Cottons Quilt

Late Night Quilting Fail

My Mom

February FINISH Challenge

Embroidery: Take One

Wonky Rainbow Mug Rug

Color!

Memory Quilt

Wordless Wednesday: Bovine Gangsta Edition

I'm IN! I'm IN! DQS10!

Fig Tree Flowers

I love you but...

Coming Soon - Nesting Circles Quilt

Spoonflower Love

Mom's Quilt

Scenes from Christmas

Placemats and Potholders

Overheard

WINNER!

Giveaway Update

MODA BAKE SHOP!!!!

My First GIVEAWAY!!

Sew,Mama,Sew Giveaway Day Coming Up!!!

Layout of Old Red Barn Co Quilt Along Quilt

Cherry Delight Fig Tree Fresh Cottons

No, you're not lost!

Far Far Away II Bolster Pillow

Toe Attack via Fig Tree Fresh Cottons

Glace' Quilt Top

Laptop sleeve

Verna Quilt Basting

Khaki Quilt, Flag Quilt, Verna Quilt - Updates!

Trucker Quilters in Wall Street Journal

Sick machine.

Jenny's Quilt

I am a dummie.

Friday

Quilt Top Finishes!

Seven.

Pinwheels for Dummies?

Completed Quilt!

Feeds Available Now! And a little Jen Lancaster worship...

Goodbye Baby.

Pure Joy

Scrap Nine Patch Completed!

Home again!

I'm in Quick Quilts Magazine!

Crickets