Finished baby quilt

Finished!  I have to say, second to picking my fabrics, the actual quilting is my favorite favorite part of the quilting process, but this really gave me a run for my money!  Lately I've been using my thread that I use for embroidery to do my free motion quilt (I know its polyester, but I like the look, with just the little shine it makes it stand out a little against the fabrics).  I was trying to use this pale green, and my machine was not having it!  It kept skipping stitches and making a mess of things.  At my wits end, and after trying everthing I could possibly think of I just tried switching spools to a different color, and voila, it worked like a charm!  No skipped stitches, so I'm not sure what that was all about.

I just can't get enough of those whales!  I know I mentioned prevously, but they are from the Ann Kelle line Urban Zoologie, along with some prints from her Remix line.  The dots are Robert Kauffman (along with the binding) and the solid brown is Kona chocolate. 

The finished quilt measures 40 inches x 40 inches and is from Oh Fransson's Simple Modern Baby Quilt pattern. 

I did a pieced back, that I couldn't be more pleased with!

 

Unfortunately I used up most of the yard of my uber cute whale fabric by using it on the back, but I love it.  It's definitly on my list to order more of with my next fabric purchase!  When I was piecing my blocks I made a few extras knowing that I wanted to piece some of them into the back, they are sashed with Kona Snow. 

I get to hang onto this one a little longer, my coworker requested that I embroider the baby's name on it once he's born, but this quilt will certainly be hard to part with!  (Oh, Dolly, my machine is the Brother SE 350, you had asked a while back and I just remembered I never answered you!  Its the entry level embroidery machine, does a wonderful job, but the downside is you can only embroider 10cm at a time and then have to rehoop or reposition the larger loop for additional space.)

I've decided that I'm keeping the hexagon quilt.  I just can't part with it :)  This means I need to start a quilt that I actually will be giving my mother in law for Christmas...I'm leaning towards starting a Value quilt using the tutorial by Katie at sewkatiedid.  1. I've built up a good bit of a fabric stash that I think have enough different fabrics to make this work, 2. I love working with half square triangles and 3. This quilt looks beatiful!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jessica

Quilt top

I think this came out even better than I had hoped!

And quickly too!  It was almost like this quilt top put itself together...everything lined up, no headaches, and voila!

I know I said this yesterday, but I just cannot get over the cuteness of those whales...so adoreable.  Im glad I have extras of all the fabric for this quilt, because I will be tempted to make this exact same quilt again sometime in the future!

The top measures 40 inches x 40 inches and was made from Oh Fransson's simply modern baby quilt pattern, I highly recommend it, so simple but there are so may choices for the fabric combos.  I actually think she has updated the pattern since I've purchased it to include a few different quilt top layouts. 

Now I need to come up with an equally adoreable quilt back for this cuteness!

Jessica

beginnings of a baby quilt

This morning was spent cutting fabric for the next quilt which is a baby quilt for a coworker.  Her requirements were that it was boyish and also told me that the baby's nursery was going to be mostly greens and browns.  So I started fabric shopping (my ultimate favorite part of the quilting process, I think!)

This is what I came up with...

*squeal* I think this may be my favorite color combination for a quilt yet!  My focus fabric is the blue/yellow/green whales from the Urban Zoology line by Ann Kelle.  I absolutely love it, and am definitly glad I bought extra to add to my stash!  The yellow and green dots are Robert Kaufman and the argyle and the blue/green/brownish dots is from the Remix line from Ann Kelle.

Here's a sneak peak of what I have put together so far...

Shouldn't be much longer until I have a quilt top assembled...Check back soon!

Jessica

Finished Hexagon Quilt

Swoon.  I kind of love this quilt.  Definite two thumbs up and highly recommend jaybird quilts Hexagon Quilt-a-long

I wish I would have made this just a little big bigger, it measures appx 56" x 48" so it does make a good size lap quilt.

As for the quilting I used old faithful, a nice stippling.  Always a winner.

I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with this quilt, when I started it, I was planning on giving it to my mother in law for Christmas, but I'm not sure.  I may hang on to it...I just picture this quilt as a little play quilt for a baby girl.  So now I need someone I know to have a little girl! 

Next up is a commissioned baby quilt (my favorite to make!) for a co-worker, Stay tuned for progress pics!

Jessica

New obsession

These are totally inspired by Andrea at Lush Stuff and her post on Friday about her patchwork clutches she makes, after seeing her pics of her latest clutches, I needed to find out how to make them! 

 I was able to track down this tuturial from u-handbag.typepad.com that showed how to use a purse frame, and voila! 

Three little mini clutches, perfect as a small makeup carrier or little pouch for random things!  Once I started making them, I couldn't stop...

It's definitly a work in progress, working to get the pattern just right, but I think each one turned out better than the one previous

Once I got the hang of it, I was whipping these things up in no time!  Now to find somewhere to buy these purse frames in bulk!

My sewing machine got quite the work out today...I also started the quilting on my hexagon quilt-a-long quilt top

Just a sneak peak!  Now I'm a little stumped about how to do the binding on this, since its not a square, but the edges aren't scalloped or anything...I'm assuming I'll need to do a bias cut binding, but I'm also assuming I won't be able to a standard mitred corner like on a rectangular quilt. 

Hmmm, any suggestions on what my best bet would be??  I guess I'll consult my friend Google, I'm sure he'll be able to find an answer for me, if all else fails :)

Jessica

Little projects...

While I was in limbo between getting backing fabric to finish the hexagon quilt-a-long quilt top, and starting the commissioned baby quilt thats up next (fabric is ordered, but yet to arrive at my doorstep!) I figured I'd put together the two tote bags a coworker had asked me to make for two little girls.  

I love these colors together!  It reminds me of juicy summer fruit or something citrus-y...watermelons, oranges and lemons...The bees are just perfect and fun, and of course embroidered in hot pink.

For Breanna's bag, I just had to use the little birdie fabric I had purchased for my stash a few months ago, and forgot about haven't found the right project for (my husband is always on my case for buying fabric, he's always saying "you probably dont even know what you have in all those stacks of fabric!") apparently he was right in this case, I think this means I just need a better storeage system...I'll add it to the "to do" list, for another day

I just love those little birdies, so fun and a little funky and the color is a really great blue/aqua.  I think it would be great for an apron/pot holder combo, but it also just seemed right for this little bag.

Hopefully Breanna and Betheny like their bags!

On an aside, as I was working on this little project, I noticed my machine was making an odd sound and the thread kept catching...after threading and rethreading everything I could think of, I realized that since I got my machine (for Christmas last year) I have never tried to take the plate off and clean out the bobbin case, etc.  Soooo....

When I opened it up, this is what I found!  I'm almost embarassed to show it, and I think this picture actually makes it look about 10 times better than it was!  After thinking about it, I think I've quilted about 8 or so quilts on it plus all kinds of odds and ends projects...needless to say it was more than overdue for a cleaning. 

So I pulled out the shop vac with the narrow nozzle attachment, and the little cleaning brush and went to town!

Ahhh, thats much better, almost like new!  I think I actually heard my machine say "thank you"!  After reassembling everything, and rethreading, magically the strange noise was gone and it was sewing like a dream!  Shocking, I know. 

So lesson learned, keep your machine happy and it will keep you happy in return!

On a second aside, our solids bee is filled and will be beginning in September, can't wait!

Jessica

Quilting Bee PSA

If anyone is interested in joining a quilting bee, I have found one that is looking for members to begin in September!

http://www.flickr.com/groups/solidbeeblock/

I believe there are still 9 spots open, and the focus will be on solid fabrics, any block design, shades of one solid or lots of different colors of solids, but solids are the key!  Each person takes a month, sends out fabrics at the beginning of their month to all members and in return receives 11 different blocks from each member to create a quilt.

I'm excited and can't wait to start, check it out if your interested!!

Jess