these two.
Things are so different this year! Who knew last year that this year I’d have this little one!
She’s changed so much already. It feels like she was just born yesterday but she’ll be a month on Sunday!
So much to be thankful for this year! Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!
She’s here!!
Baby Emma was born on October 27th. She was a whopping 8 lbs 6 ounces and 22 inches long. Everything went well besides the 25 hours of labor in the hospital.
Emma is a little over two weeks old now so I snapped a few pictures of her on the latest quilt I completed.
This is a cheater quilt that I started at a guild sewing night. I saw the fabric print on someone’s blog (can’t remember who) and knew I needed to make this for the baby! It’s perfect for tummy time. I quilted it using an all over stipple and backed it with a Kona cotton solid. I saved the binding until I was “too” pregnant to feel like doing any other sewing so I finished it just days before Emma’s late arrival.
We’re all adjusting to being sleep-deprived and I almost feel like sewing again!
So my first and only bee is wrapping up. I have to say it worked out perfectly. We’re finishing up 2 months early as we had 2 participants drop out…who just happened to have the months of November and December. Perfect for me since who knows how much time I’ll have to sew with a newborn…who’s arrival is late!
For August. our bee mama asked for a block to make Mona W’s European Stories Quilt. A very easy block to make…I was really hoping to send Corley an appliqued block but nothing came out quite right so I fussy cut a MoMo print. I dove into the scrap basket for the border and love the scrappy outcome.
I was slightly confused about September’s block…Christine requested a Scrappy Depression Block, basically sewing a bunch of half square triangles together any way we wanted. I might have taken it a bit too literally, because my block looks nothing like anyone else’s….
Pam requested a monochromatic, crazy, scrappy block using Aneela Hoey's tutorial. We each picked a different color to send and although my pink scraps/stash far out weigh any other color I chose red to challenge myself. I like how it came out but I don’t think I could make more than 2 of these blocks ever. It’s good to try new things though.
I’m currently on maternity leave from work…baby girl is a little late arriving….5 days past so far! Here’s my 34 week belly at my last Phil’s game of the season!
Here’s hoping she comes soon!!
For most of my pregnancy, I’ve been pretty quiet. But recently, I’ve hit a milestone and I want to celebrate.
28 weeks!!! { the point at which baby’s chance of survival outside the womb is 90%. Now obviously I want her to stay put for another 10-12 weeks but each milestone makes me breathe a little easier.}
28 week belly….{Edited: Currently ~31 weeks…just really behind in blogging}
At this point, I’m feeling incredibly unprepared. Baby’s room is in shambles…electrician isn’t coming until next week…and we haven’t really bought much yet. With the electrician coming, buying anything else has been on hold since we already have huge crib and changing table boxes taking up space; not to mention the glider and ottoman in the middle of my living room since there isn’t anywhere else to put it.
This baby girl is active…all day long. I love feeling her little kicks and punches, but sometimes I feel like she is going to burst out of my stomach.
Since I can’t get her room ready, I’ve been knitting and sewing. My knitting skills are limited…but I’m pretty proud that I could make cute little baby hats. I’ve definitely picked up the knitting bug and am trying to teach myself how to knit all sorts of crazy patterns.
This is one of the hats I made…my first project using double pointed needles. I’m finishing up the last few row using the same hat pattern but in pink. Not sure what my next knitting project will be…surely something baby related!
I’ve had more energy lately….and I think I might be starting to nest. lol! I’ve been obsessed with cleaning, knitting little baby hats, and sewing for baby. Cooking and food shopping have not been high on my list of priorities but one’s husband can only starve for too long before going to the market, right?!
Since I’m not up for basting large quilts on the floor quite right now, I decided to get a jump on July’s bee block. This block is for Susan in the Scrap Bee. Susan requested a “square in a square” block using aqua, orange, and green.
Fabric for Susan’s block came from the scrap basket, except the orange. I picked some up recently because I have very little orange in the stash. Using orange scares me….I love the orange tulip print above, but when it comes to using orange I hesitate to put it into a quilt.
Am I the only one with an orange (or other color) phobia?
My block for the Scrap Bee was May. My plan was to make a few extra blocks for my quilt so it would be a little larger for the baby.
I’ve made two blocks so far using scraps from other projects.
My favorite print is that zebra one. Isn’t it fantastic! It came in a scrap pack I bought online so I only have a small piece.
The first block seemed really time consuming to make….these blocks go really smoothly if you have your scraps cut into strips and pressed. The second block went a lot quicker once I organized my scraps. Not sure how many more I’ll end up making, but if your scrap bin is overflowing I highly recommend these blocks using this tutorial.
I’m so happy to be able to show this Frenchy Bag (pattern by Amy Butler) on the blog because it’s finally finished. I bought the fabric for this bag back in December and it’s been sitting in my “WIP” pile for what feels like forever.
Here she is!
Fabric is Modern Meadow by Joel Dewberry. This fabric line is awesome! I might’ve picked up enough of it to make another bag….
This is a long over due gift for my brother’s girlfriend. I hope she likes it!
Other things I’m working on….
I received this little bundle of fabric at the PMQG June Meeting. Jay McCarroll was our guest speaker and brought lots of goodies to show us. You can check out a full recap over on Andrew’s blog.
Jay launched the Modern Quilt Guild’s Habitat Challenge at our meeting. Each guild member was given a fabric pack to make an original block to submit for Jay to pick a winner. I brainstormed for a bit and came up with something I like. All of the blocks made will eventually go into charity quilts to send to Japan.
A couple of weeks ago, I went for an anatomy ultrasound. I was on the fence the whole pregnancy about looking vs. not looking. I wanted the baby’s gender to be a surprise, while Hubby wanted to know what we were having.
Well, we looked! We were so shocked to find out that we are going to have a little girl! I was so sure it was a boy, I even bought fabric for a little boy quilt. I have to say there is something really special about knowing that I’m carrying a little girl, as opposed to a baby. It makes the bond that much stronger…just my opinion (from someone who didn’t want to find out, so no hating please!).
Sewing for a baby girl has been so much fun already! Awhile ago I picked up Handmade Beginnings by Anna Maria Horner. There were so many projects in it I wanted to make, but never had the time nor motivation until recently.
The first project I picked was the quick change trousers. They are so cute! I made the smallest size (0-3 months) and plan on making bigger sizes after the baby arrives. The pattern provides sizes for up to 24 months. The only con, if you can even call it a con, is that you have to copy each pattern piece since there are multiple pattern pieces printed on top of each other on one page.
The pattern itself was really easy and the pants are completely reversible! The only trouble I had was sewing the hem on the legs, because of the teeny tiny opening. This was done relatively easily by just sewing a little slower than normal.
I’ve made one pair so far and have 2 more in the works….including a pair in this cute Parisville shell fabric. I might have to snag some more of this fabric before it’s hard to find!
Next, I’m going to try the pretty as a picture dress from Handmade Beginnings in this Amy Butler fabric. I think it’s going to be adorable!
Happy Summer Solstice!!!
I can’t believe it’s officially summer…we’ve had hot & humid weather for the past few weeks. I’m sure it’s a sign of what we’re in for the rest of the summer.
June is Jenniffier’s month for the Scrap Bee on Flickr. She requested blocks using this modified bento box tutorial in aqua and tangerine. I used my Central Park scraps (the only orange in my stash!) & a little Bliss fabric. Block size ~ 16 inches.
I can’t wait to see Jenniffier’s quilt all put together. It’s the perfect summer quilt!
Also, I’ve received the majority of my spiderweb blocks for May in the Scrap Bee. Sneak peek of the progress on that coming soon!
For the Philly Modern Quilt Guild’s May meeting, we were issued a challenge. Take one charm pack of Robert Kaufman Kona solids (the Brights variety) and make something adding only prints.
I knew right away what the perfect project was for this – Off The Rail by Jaybirdqults. I even happened to have some of my fav fabric “It’s a Hoot” from Miss Julie herself all cut and ready to go.
Julie’s pattern uses partial seams ::::gasp!::::: Super scary, right?! Wrong! Easy as pie, really!!!
These blocks went together super quick and before I knew it, I had a quilt top.
For the back, I ran to JoAnn’s and picked up some Kona cotton in Coal(?) and pieced in my left over charm squares (plus a few extra) to make a pretty rainbow. I LOVE the back.
I went back and forth debating how to quilt it. In the end, I went with straight line quilting vertically. I really like the way the back looks with the vertical lines.
And scrappy binding made from left over jellyroll strips from another It’s a Hoot quilt.
It’s a decent sized quilt….approximately 54x54”. It will be living with me and is the first of many quilts I’ll be making for our new baby …coming October 2011. Officially halfway there and so excited!
I love this quilt…I seriously can’t stop staring at it. Isn’t she gorgeous?
The pattern is Jaybirdquilt’s Quarter Log Cabin as published on the Fon's and Porter website. The blocks came together super easy. I loved Julie’s original version of the quilt (especially after seeing it in person) that I knew I had to make it. It took a little work to track down the Martinique (Moda) fabric but it was totally worth it. This quilt is currently waiting for the rows to be sewn together and then it’s on to the borders.
Do you like my design floor? I never know where to lay out my quilts, especially for basting. Usually I’m dealing with 2 dogs and 2 cats. I’ve even tried laying out quilts on my design…..grass??? (on a very windy day when the lawn was overdue for mowing!).
Jaybirdquilt’s Off the Rail pattern in It’s a Hoot by Momo for Moda. Quilt is done and should be posted very shortly!
And no I would not baste a quilt on the grass…I’m not that silly!
So I guess it’s not surprising my bee block for March was late too…after the whole Doll Quilt swap debacle. I really have done zero sewing over the past few months…up until recently that is.
For March, Kristy asked for wonky stars. I have such a tough time with all things wonky, but I gave it my best shot. I used Just Wing It by Momo and I think I like it.
Sarah’s bee block for the Scrap Bee for April. Sarah asked for string blocks….pretty easy, except I made the wrong size. Thankfully bigger so I trimmed it down and off it went. I dug into my scrap basket for this one (some Momo, Amy Butler, and Tula Pink among others).
I’ve really enjoyed the bee so far. I’ve made 4 blocks that I’ve never made before….I definitely like making string blocks and am going to add a string quilt to my to do list.
May is my month in the bee! I’m pretty sure I’m going to ask for spiderweb blocks. Can’t wait!
Round 10 of the Doll Quilt Swap on flickr is winding down. Here is the quilt I sent to my partner. It was sent a week late, but she should receive it any day now if she hasn’t already. I was able to finish it thanks to the latest Philly Modern Quilt Guild sewing day. It was just the motivation I needed to get it together.
Quilt made using Central Park by Kate Spain for Moda.
Pieced quilt back.
Close up of the quilt detail.
I received a beautiful quilt from Leah. She made me a string quilt in my favorite color!
Isn’t it gorgeous?!?
Leah added cute pink buttons.
And she sent me a really fantastic package. Everything was wrapped so beautifully! Thanks Leah!
I finally made some progress on my doll quilt for DQS 10. I really wanted to try something out of my comfort zone for the swap so I chose applique.
I cut the tree shape a few weeks ago using my Cricut and finished cutting the leaves this weekend. The Cricut worked well for cutting through the fabric…any issues I had were purely due to operator error!
I have lots of leaves left over so I’m debating adding more. What do you think?
For right now I’m going to leave it as is, and add the borders – green patchwork along the bottom and blue patchwork around the sides and top. I plan on mostly using Central Park by Kate Spain for Moda but might supplement in some additional fabric as I go.
I love this quilt! I love the fabric….I love the stars….I love the size…..and the straight line quilting. I just love it! What I don’t love are these pictures…..too cold and windy outside for outdoor pictures.
I tried out the embroidery functions on my machine a little more. Very convenient for labels….and of all the quilts I’ve made this is the first one with a label (bad Tricia!).
The date is significant…it marks my mom’s 50th birthday. Happy 50th Mom! Sorry it took a few weeks extra to get the binding on this.
Quilt pattern: Charming Stars from the Moda Bake Shop
Pieced and Quilted by me.
Fabric: Central Park by Kate Spain for Moda (LOVE!)
Size: 68” square
Started on January 12th and finished on February 20th
This month our guild challenge was to make a mug rug for a swap while trying a new technique.
My plan was to try applique…at the last minute. I had the design in my head for days, so it was just a matter of execution really. As it turns out, I have no idea how to do applique, so I winged it!
Luckily I have the best husband who let me make my rug on Valentine’s day….while he made me a fancy dinner of steak and lobster. It was delicious! After dinner, we cleaned up and I sewed a little more. Couldn’t ask for a better Valentine’s day (except I could have done without the cat knocking an entire vase of water onto the floor at 9pm!).
Here it is…..I kinda really like it. Any guesses to what the animal is?
Other new things I tried on the mug rug…decorative stitches on my machine. There are soo many and I’ve never used them. Also, I tried expanding my free motion quilting to include swirls. That did not go so well, but it’s something I’d like to try again.
Thank you Angie for inspiring us to try something new!
And here’s my new mug rug I received in the swap from Cindy! Thanks, I love it!
It’s been a little quiet over here, huh? Don’t worry! I’ve been so busy…working on secret projects (which will be revealed very soon). I haven’t even been able to keep up with my Sunday stash reports because I’m having trouble keeping track of my fabric out. Crazy, I know!
Last night I managed to whip out this bee block for the Scrap Bee on Flickr. It’s Jennifer’s month and she requested a square in a square block. I had a slight math error at the end…but managed to work it out and come up with a 12.5x12.5” square.
Tonight’s goal….mug rug for the Philly Modern Quilt guild swap.
Two more clutches made using Noodlehead’s gathered clutch tutorial. No straps added to either of these…because I sort of forgot and realized it once they were sewn together. The brown one is for my mom and the red one is for a friend. The red one is exactly the same as the first one I made…I just really liked the color combination.
Fabrics are Bliss by Bonnie and Camille for Moda. I even shortened the zipper on the red one…it may sound silly but my experience with zippers is so limited. Shortening the zipper was super easy!
I think this might be the last time I use this tutorial though. I might refer to it time to time for construction tips but I think I might make a patchwork clutch or something “non-gathered”. I’m still confused about the zipper tabs and what exactly I’m supposed to do with them when sewing around the clutch in the final step, but I think I managed to fudge it properly.
I had a record sewing weekend {for me}, but on Monday I just felt blah. A complete lack of motivation for sewing, blogging, and all things crafty at the worst time possible…my mom’s birthday gift sat unfinished.
I finished her quilt top last week and ordered backing one day too late to receive it in time to finish her quilt over this past weekend…so I finished another {secret} quilt instead and burned myself out. Unfortunately, this is a very special birthday for my mom so I feel a little guilty. I’ll finish it this weekend, but I’m a little disappointed in my complete lack of energy. I think she’ll like it…when I saw the Central Park fabric, I knew I had to make a quilt for her with it.
Pattern is Charming Stars via Moda Bake Shop.
Other things in progress:
A few weekends ago, I spent Saturday afternoon with my mother-in-law, while Hubby was out with father-in-law at a sporting event. MIL brought along some crocheting and we spent the day on the couch watching my favorite movie ever (Zombieland), her crocheting and me knitting. I mostly taught myself to knit from a book I picked up at Joann’s a few years ago.
Well, I’ve caught the knitting bug again. I’d never actually finished anything until now.
Scarf made from some random purple yarn I thought would look really cool knitting with huge needles…I was right :)
My first scarf is done…and I’ve started on a second. I even found a pattern online that involves slightly more than just the single knit stitch….it looks awesome! I unfortunately caught the flu last week so knitting kept me busy while I was recovering on the couch.
Week 4 of 2011 and I’m only getting around to my first Sunday Stash post. I’m expecting my stash reports to be pretty boring with the fabric diet, but we’ll see.
Recent additions to the stash are 8 yards of Tula Pink Parisville.
And a fat eighth bundle (5 yards) of Central Park by Kate Spain (which I’ve already cut up).
Fabric out this week: 1 yard Robert Kauffman Kona cotton in white and 2.5 yards of Central Park by Kate Spain for a quilt top using a Moda Bake Shop tutorial ~ more on that later. One block down (above) – 15 to go.
Fabric Used this YTD: 3.5 yards
Fabric Added YTD: 13 yards
You can check out how everyone else is doing here.
