a geranium or two

Ever since Nora was born, I have wanted to dip my feet back into clothing sewing and make a few dresses for her, but always hesitated and just worked on another baby quilt instead, you know, something a little more in my comfort zone.  My dear bloggy friend Ann is not only an amazing quilter, but sews oodles of dresses and clothes for her little girl, and sent me a great list of starter patterns and tutorials, and gave me just the necessary nudge to pick a pattern and just dive right in.  

I decided I get my baby clothing toes wet with the Geranium dress by Made by Rae and could not be more pleased with how it came together!  I actually stitched up two Geranium dresses, one with a basic neckline and a pleated skirt, and one with a notched neckline and gathered skirt.  I also added piping where to bodice and skirt meet using this tutorial, and am equally smitten with how both dresses turned out.  I'd have to say by that smile, Nora's pretty happy with her handmade dresses too!






For the first dress I used a print from the Croquet line by DS Quilts at Joanns.  From the moment I saw this purple plaid print, I knew I wanted to make some sort of clothing out of it for Nora, and the Geranium pattern was just the ticket!  I made the 6-12 month size, and while it fits to wear now, there is definitely room to grow, so it will get lots of wear this summer.  The pattern came together incredibly easy,  I think it took me just as long to trace and cut out the pattern pieces as it did to sew the dress together.  Very doable in one sewing session after Nora went to sleep.  I even got to try out the automatic button hole maker on my sewing machine for the first time!  Success!!



I also made a matching diaper cover using this tutorial by Made and it is sort of the cutest little thing.  I'm a little bummed I forgot to snap a picture of it!



For the second dress, I used an aqua Cloud 9 print also found at Joann's and paired it with a grey polyester blend suiting material I happened across while waiting at the cutting counter.  I love this version with ruched skirt and different print bodice and skirt, and with the skirt fabric being a polyester blend, it will definitely help keep wrinkles to a minimum!  While I love the purple plaid version, I'm not a fan of ironing my own clothes, let alone clothes for my 6 month old.  I definitely see more Geranium dresses in wrinkle resistant fabrics in Nora's future!!

I'm definitely planning much more baby clothes sewing, every thing is so itty-bitty, it certainly takes the intimidation factor away!  I'd love to hear your favorite baby/kids clothes sewing patterns and tutorials, what should I make next??

large and in charge man quilt

I have finally finished up the largest quilt myself and Bertha (my machine) have ever quilted, and my arms have lived to tell the tale!  Prior to this quilt, my Swoon quilt had taken the cake as the largest quilt I'd worked on (measuring 90" square), however the Man Quilt has topped the list, weighing in at a hefty 90" x 102".  

I think Bertha was dying for the attention, because she quilted like a champ.  No skipped stitches, no tension issues and no broken needles.  I think she was afraid I'd leave her neglected for another month if she gave me any issues!  Whatever the reason, quilting this behemoth went incredibly smoothly, and gave my shoulders and upper back a workout in the meantime.  

Having completed this generous queen size quilt, I'm actually toying with the idea of tackling a king size quilt for our own bed.  Now that we have broken the dogs (for the most part) of calling our bed their bed, I can rest easy knowing that it wouldn't be destroyed by the fur children.  I can't quite picture what sort of pattern I'd like, I'm thinking something geometric, chevrons of some sort perhaps?  Anyways, I digress, back to the quilt at hand.



I mentioned in my post about the quilt top that I had tried a new method of basting, and I'd report back once I saw how things turned out.  I gave table basting a try and have to say I'm pretty impressed with the results.  I'm a hard core basting-on-the-floor gal and have always preferred basting spray to pins, so this idea of basting on a table, and with pins took me way outside of my comfort zone.  I had read multiple positive reviews on this method so I decided to give it a shot.  The main appeal for me, was knowing that I likely wouldn't be able to baste this giant all in one session, and I really don't have the space in my house to leave a quilt this large just laying around for days on end without it getting trampled on, and the dogs making it their new personal queen size pet bed.

I completely forgot to snap pictures as I went with this method, but I basically used a mash up of these two tutorials found here and here.  I  set up my quilt layers like the second post described and held them taut using clamps, as I couldn't fit the entire quilt top on my table all at once.  Once all three layers (backing, batting and quilt top) were nice and smooth and secured to the table with the clamps, I went to town pin basting, like the first post describes. Once I had pin basted the area that was smooth on the table top, I unclamped the quilt layers, and shifted the entire quilt to repeat the process with an unbasted section. I repeated this until the entire quilt was basted.



I can happily report that this method was a success!  I had zero puckers on the quilt back and was able to spend 10 minutes here and there working on basting the quilt when I had a few spare moments, AND I didn't have to spend hours on my hands and knees basting a quilt this size.  

I still would have to say I prefer my spray basting method, and will use that method whenever I can, but for a larger quilt that I can't/don't want to baste all in one session, this table basting method will be my go to.  I will say the main downside was spending all that extra time removing the pins, although this is just a downside (in my opinion) to pin basting itself, whether on floor or on a table.



I gifted this quilt to my brother on Easter, and am happy to report that he loves it!  The above picture is one he snapped on his phone of the quilt already living on his bed.  I'm glad to have this quilt finished and off to its new home.  I'm in the middle of stitching together a sweet and simply strip quilt for a baby boy, and am envisioning the quilting to feel like a walk in the park in comparison to this big guy!



  

long lost baby quilt

I think this is a first, I was looking back through my pictures on Flickr, and I found I quilt I hadn't shared here on the blog!  No, it wasn't a super secret project or anything fun like that, according to the date stamp on the pictures I finished this quilt and photographed it a mere 3 days before giving birth to Nora!  Apparently this quilt got lost in the early newborn hazy days, but it certainly isn't because this quilt is tucked away not being used, its a favorite in our house and can often be found spread out in the middle of the living room floor covered in rattles, stuffed animals and toys that talk and sing.  And when Nora isn't using it to roll around on, the dogs find it a nice place to take a nap :-)

This quilt came to be when at the 11th hour I realized that of all the quilts I made for Nora, I didn't have one that actually matched the nursery!  So of course that situation needed remedied.  I dug through my stash and pulled out my favorite yellow and grey fabrics, and threw in a few pops of hot pink just for some added color.  I used a precious charm square I'd been hoarding of  the yellow puppy dogs print by Heather Ross and also a charm square of Heather Ross Mendocino mermaids.  I love this quilt anyways, but those two little additions made it pretty much perfect in my book.



I remember my husband looking at me a little crazily when I told him Nora needed one more quilt, he thought 3 quilts was plenty.  I disagreed and told him there was no such thing as too many quilts, and I have to say I was right!  In addition to the plethora of quilts we have strewn about the house, Nora has 4 that are her very own, and they are all in regular rotation, getting ample amounts of baby love.



I used my ultimate favorite quilt back, the numbers Ikea print (which I heard is being discontinued...whaaaaat??).  So I'm trying  to find time to squeeze in an Ikea trip soon to buy yards and yards and yards of this print to have on hand for many baby quilts to come.



These pictures have me crazy excited for spring and the good weather that is to come!  The past few days have been beautiful and we've gotten outside for a few walks around the neighborhood, Nora squints at the sun like she doesn't know what it is (and in her defense, she really hasn't seen much of it!)  Can't wait for warm summer days and dragging those quilts outside for play time, come on sunshine!

And just because its been a while since I've shared a Nora pic, I'll leave you with this one:



Check out those baby blues, this girl was made to wear aqua!

quilting guy style

I'm in the midst of tackling something that in my 4 years of quilting I've never attempted...no its not some super complicated technique or pattern...its quilting for a man.  In looking back, I feel like a bad wife or something, I've made a quilt for just about every female family member (and many friends) I can think of, yet never thought to make the hubby is own personal man quilt!  Rest assured I'm not breaking trend now, the "man quilt" I'm working on now is for my brother, hopefully the hubs won't be jealous.  

So in conversation one day, my brother happened to mention getting a new duvet cover for his bed.  After getting over the shock that my brother A. knew what a duvet even was and B. had not one, but now a second cover for it, I tuned back into the conversation of him commenting that it was very warm, and while nice in the winter, he was thinking he'd need something more lightweight for the summer months.

I am still slightly astounded that these thoughts even run through his head, because somewhere in my mind he will always be my little brother doing little brother things  like being annoying and immature, yet I am brought back to the present and reminded that he is now a 29 year old grown man with a good job, living on his own, and thinking about things like duvet covers.

Anyways, when he mentioned needing a lighter weight comforter option for summer, I immediately offered my quilting services and said I'd happily make a quilt for him.  Which I am more than happy to do, of course.  Usually after a day or two of racking my brain for quilt ideas, I quickly settle on a design and fabric selections...only this time I couldn't.  I knew my brother would likely spare my feelings and say he liked whatever I made, but I wanted something that he would be happy to display on his bed day after day, and not just feel obligated to use it because I made it for him.



I knew I wanted a simple, clean design and "manly" fabrics. That weren't hunter green and deep red that belonged in a hunting lodge.  Easier said than done.  I scoured all my favorite blogs and of course Pinterest too and just couldn't decide.  I happened upon Kati's Modern Meadow quilt she made for her bed way back when, and my mind started churning.  I checked out the tutorial she used by Oh Fransson!  And liked where it was headed.  I wanted something with more symmetry than the original, and started to play with the design in EQ7 until I was happy with what I saw.  



I really like the nice clean feel it has with lots of negative space and a very "non complicated" piecing style.  I had been racking my brain for fabric selections, and kept coming up with nothing.  I happened to stop in a new LQS on my way home from work one day, and stumbled upon Simply Style and Simply Color by V and Co. which had lots of navy, grey and deep lime prints, and thought "hey, this could work!" I started digging further and found the entire line of Pearl Bracelets and picked out the Navy, Verbena and Mustard-y yellow colors, and finished off my fabric pull with a random green comma print, and this quilt top was born!  I knew I wanted the grey Timeless Treasures sketch print as the main background fabric, which they didn't carry, so I ordered a whole bunch and got to cutting and piecing!  I have to say this was probably the easiest quilt top I've ever pieced, and the largest also, measuring 90" x 102"!



I tried out a new (to me) basting method, which I'm crossing all my crossables that it works out and I don't regret it when it comes time for quilting!  I'm hoping to get this big guy quilted soon, as the weather is finally getting nicer, and I want my brother to be able to use it!  I'll report back on how the basting method works out when the quilt is completed!

5 months with Nora

I cannot believe our little love bug is 5 months old already!  Some days it feels like she was born just yesterday and others it feels like that was eons ago, but either way I almost can't remember life before she entered this world.  

I remember just days after Nora was born, in the deep sleep deprived haze where everything and nothing at all made me cry, someone saying to me "Oh, I just bet you can't even remember life before Nora!"  Of course at that time with Nora being just days old, I most certainly could remember all the perks of being married with no kids.  A time when I could sleep in more than 2 hour spurts or a time when I thought breastfeeding would be just the easiest and most natural thing in the world (newsflash: its not).  Of course this made me burst into tears (but really, what didn't make me burst into tears) and feel like the worst mother in the world, because I thought I should be in this blissful state of mommy-dom, and not bleary eyed, afraid I was doing everything wrong and on the brink of tears at all hours of the day.  

I'm happy to say that those feelings did pass and I now can say in all honesty that it feels like little miss Nora has been part of our world for as long as I can remember.  I'm sure this feeling only grows stronger as she gets older, but we love her, and her newly developing personality to pieces.  She is becoming quite the squirmy worm- so I'll share a few outtakes of our little photoshoot, where you can see that she is much more interested in the blocks/her toes and tutu way more than mom's camera.

I imagine these little photoshoots will only get more hilarious as she gets older, I'll definitely have to up my speed and brush up on diversion tactics!

Happy 5 months sweet girl!

Completed Quilt: Blueberry Pluses

I can't believe it is March and I am just getting around to posting my first finished quilt of 2014!  In all fairness, I have actually had this one finished up for a few weeks now and was just waiting for good weather and a free moment to snap some pictures.



A moment was about all I had, because it seems our dear Nora has this uncanny ability to be completely passed out in her crib snoozing away until the moment I decide to start something, and then she is wide awake and done with her nap.  Of course the first few times it happened I chalked it up to coincidence, but I am now convinced since its happened about a bajillion-ty times (yes that's an actual amount) that it is her secret power.  I'm sure one day this power will come in handy for her, but at least now, for me, it means that nothing gets done to completion.



This quilt has since been given to its new home, and hopefully is getting lots of baby boy snuggles.  It was incredibly difficult to part with this quilt, because I love just about everything about it.  From the colors- what's not to love about all that pretty aqua, to the fun prints- every baby boy needs a quilt with fun green chairs on it, to the geometric yet subtle  design, and of course my favorite quilt back of all time, my mom may have had to pry this one from my hands.



I went with my favorite "fancy" straight line quilting using the decorative serpentine stitch on my machine for a quick and simple quilting session.  I held my breath a little when quilting this, as when I did find some time to baste this quilt together, I realized I had just run out of my trusty basting spray!  I dug out my basting pins and got to work, holding my breath the entire time, as I always end up with ugly wrinkles on the back when I pin baste.  Luckily everything worked out fine and the quilt back is wrinkle/pucker free!

And with that, my first quilt of 2014 is in the books!  Hopefully it won't take me another 3 months to finish the next!!

Quilt Stats

Quilt Name:  Baby Boy Blueberry Pluses

Quilt Size: 50" x 50"

Quilt Pattern:  Plus quilt design using my tutorial

Fabrics Used:  Assorted aqua, lime and grey prints from my stash

Backing:  Ikea number fabric

Binding:  Aneela Hooey Little Apples Sweater Check print

Starburst Cross Quilt Pattern and Block Tutorial

Oh this post is only a year later than I had planned on this being ready, but better late than never!  I'm not sure what the hold up was, this quilt was finished and gifted to my mom for her birthday last February but for some reason getting the tutorial together was not on my radar.  For the past year.  

I had originally come up with this pattern for a quilt that was on display at Quilt Market in the spring of 2012.  Which was almost 2 years ago.  And that is just crazy talk.  Seriously two years ago. Sorry...still trying to wrap my head around that, because it most definitely does not seem that long ago!



Anyways, the original Starburst Cross-Quilt Market edition was then featured in Quilt Magazine, and after all that madness was over, and I was able to sit back and look at the pattern, I found an easier way for piecing the blocks, and so this Tula Pink Salt Water version was born.  Whew, that's quite the quilty tale.

This Salt Water version was gifted to my mom for her birthday, as the beach is just about her favorite thing ever.  Aside from Nora :-)  She and my dad are currently soaking up the sun in the Caribbean, so I'll try not to be extremely jealous, as it is just barely in the 50's in these parts (which feels like a heatwave compared to the cold cold temps lately), but I'll take hot beach weather any day of the week.  But I digress...



Anyways, back to the point here...I finally have the revamped Starburst Cross block tutorial and free quilt pattern available to be downloaded!  The Starburst Cross Block Tutorial can be found here and also downloaded in PDF form here, and the Starburst Cross Quilt Pattern can be downloaded in PDF form for free here!

It feels great getting things off my to do list that have been there for far too long.  I'm giving my closet of WIPs the evil eye and just getting a little tingling to start turning some of them into completed quilts!  We'll see how far I get before losing steam, but for now enjoy the tutorials!