Baby Quilts are such fun

 Oh how I love sewing baby quilts.  They are small and with some fun fabrics they can be fast and easy but still adorable.  Yesterday I spent all day in the studio sewing these baby items.  The pattern for this one came from an old American Patchwork and Quilting magazine and is made primarily from the Frolic line of fabric by Wendy Slotbloom for In the Beginning Fabrics.  I spotted this adorable line of fabrics a few years ago, but with no baby needs didn't buy any and just kept admiring it in the store. So when my LQS put it in their sale room (40% off) I scooped up several yards for "sometime".  I added a few other pieces of fabric from my stash and am very pleased with it.  I find it so much harder to make something adorable and boyish cause I do love flowers etc. but this one fits the bill and with the few tiny flowers amongst the animals it would be so easy to add something to make it read more girly should that be required.

 From the same line of fabric I made this little bassinet sheet and bumper.  Seeing the bassinet really takes me back as it was made for my youngest son (now 22) when he was born, by a dear friend. 

And from the leftovers of the bigger quilt I whipped up this tiny one for the bassinet.  No pattern, just cut some leftovers into 2 in squares and used a little piece of fun fabric framed in the center.  I had intended to make it a bit bigger but ran out of squares and decided it was fine.  I have actually got it quilted now and am ready to hand stitch the binding tonight.  A happy and productive weekend.

Oh, and why is baby on my mind?  My DS and DDIL are trying to adopt a baby.  Though we don't know when it will happen I know I will be ready to welcome a baby with much love and of course, quilts.

Embellishments completed

 Another full day stitching, yay, and I have completed the embellishments for the first Sue Spargo BOM block. I took this close up so you could see all the little bullion knots and bullion loops.  I'm actually not sure that my loops are quite right as they started twisting, but I still think that they are fun.  Each month we practice some new embroidery stitches so I hope to learn a lot through the year.  Being left handed does make learning stitches a little more complicated but I did buy a book for left handed embroiderers and that is helpful.  Anyway I am having fun and should end up with a bright and happy quilt.

I really wish you could see this in person, so much brighter and the texture the embellishments add is great.

And finally a little project for a nursery.  These are little animals that I cut and then simply fused to fun fabric and framed.  The hopeful mommy-to-be and I also made a quilt for this room but I forgot to take a picture before I delivered it.  I will have to check out the room soon and see how everything is coming together! 

Sue Spargo BOM 2012

 Last June I was fortunate enough to take a few workshops with Sue Spargo when she came to our quilt guild.  It was so much fun working with wool and all her fun embellishment techniques that I wanted to do more.  While I love many of her designs I was uncertain about signing up for her 2012 BOM because the one from last year was not in my preferred color palette.  However after seeing a sneak peek of this year's colors, on the Sue Spargo Twee blog, I was smitten and signed up quickly.  Now this is not an inexpensive BOM (though I am not complaining cause you really do get some wonderful, unique materials) so it isn't one I want to linger forever in my "to do" pile.  I am in the week 3 mailing so I have only had the package for about 1 1/2 weeks, but other obligations have not allowed me to work on it until today.  A full day in the studio and the applique is complete and the embellishment can begin. Lots of embroidery on each block and hopefully I can start tomorrow. Oh how I am loving these happy colors!

 This is another wool project that I am trying to embellish using the same idea. The project is from the book
"Pennies from Heaven" but I am adding lots of extra stitching and some applique with silk.

And speaking of silk, a wonderful quilting friend recently gifted me with some wonderful Jim Thompson silk sample pieces. I am so excited that I am trying to plan the perfect project.  Maybe an applique project all in silk.  Makes me happy just imagining how beautiful that could be!

Home at last

After being on the road for almost all of January (over 5000 miles in the car) I am home at last (well at least for a little while) and trying to catch up with the mountains of laundry, grocery shopping and errands.  This little project is what I took on the road with me, some happy hand applique to work on in the car during stressful times.  It is to be a surprise project but if posting spoils the surprise, well so be it cause I really have nothing else to show for my time.

This sweet little project is from the book "Critter Caboodle" by Brandywine designs and has really helped to lift my spirits.  The happy little faces make me smile as does working on a project for a special someone.

I have a few more of these blocks completed so come back soon if you want to see more.  It has been so nice getting back to the sewing room, I had forgotten how much I use my quilting as therapy!

Happy Stitching

More travels

Well, not much sewing going on these days as we have been on the road so much this month.  Thanks for all your concern about my dad.  The cancer is progressing and we hope he can stay comfortable.  We just got home from Florida where my DH had a job interview. Fingers crossed that we get some good news on that.  But all the travel means quilt shop stops, after all you have to stop for food, gas and potty breaks so you might as well plan them around quilt store locations. :-)  Anyway here are the purchases from this week's trip.  I love this new line of fabric by Michael Miller fabrics called Backyard Baby and I purchased some of every fabric in the line.  I'm not usually a fabric line kinda gal but this one spoke to me.  I also picked up some  random pieces of fabric that will blend in and will be adding lots more from my stash.  Now to figure out just what to do with it.

Home for a few days and out again on Sunday for another week on the road.  Better get more hand applique ready.  I hope to show some of that project soon.

I am missing my time in blog land but catching up when I can.  Unfortunately this new Android tablet often won't allow me to comment on blogs but I wIll keep trying to figure it out and if any of you know what I might be doing wrong please let me know.

Happy stitching!

Busy days ahead

It has been quite a while since I have posted with any regularity and I am afraid that is going to continue for the next few months. Lots of stuff happening in my personal life that requires time and travel so there really isn't much time for doing much posting.  I tried posting on my new tablet but the pictures are somewhat grainy and I'm still not feeling real comfortable with typing on it but I will keep trying.

Anyway, I did get a chance to finish the quilt for my son's friend.  He and I are happy with how it turned out and hopefully he will get a chance to give it to her this week and she will like it.  The colors are so much prettier in person and we agreed that it was not too "little girlish" for a college age girl.  Having 3 boys I really don't have much opportunity to sew fun "girly" stuff so this was extra fun for me.  Gave me a chance to use colors that I love without wondering "what am I going to do with it".

In the close up I tried showing the overall quilting pattern.  It is a sorta paisley pattern that I use in lots of quilts.  I love the movement that it brings and the modern look that it has.  And done as a small background filler on applique it is wonderful. 

Not much else to show for now.  I am working on getting some hand applique ready for our road trip to Canada to visit my Dad who has cancer.  I really hope that we can avoid any snow and I am just dreading the cold weather.  I haven't lived in the north for a few years and probably don't even fit into any winter clothes right now!  I will just have to keep a quilt nearby to snuggle in.

The apple of my eye

I've spoken before of my son who was in a near fatal car accident.  Well he is the youngest of 3 sons and we now laugh that he is now spoiled and the favorite.  Here is a photo of the little pincushion that he made me for Christmas.  He is a very talented sewer, and is actually studying costume design and construction and whipped this thing up without a pattern.  I guess you could say he is the apple of my eye, but in truth all my sons are!