So Many Ideas, So Little Time!

First off, I have to say I am quite bummed that my playdate was cancelled. :(  I guess I'll live...

Anyway, I am beginning to think I like the creative process of quilt making more than the actual act.  I love planning out a new quilt: choosing the fabrics, finding and picking a pattern, adapting a pattern, coming up with something of my own after being inspired by another quilt...  I just love it!

I usually find my inspiration from Flickr and the blogs I follow, sometimes searches of certain patterns and most recently Pinterest.  I love that when I find something that inspires me or just a quilt I love I can pin it to my Quilt Love board and it is all right there in one place for me to enjoy!  I have everything from single blocks to full quilts and everything in between.  It's pure quilt love!

Some of my current favorites:

Source: flickr.com via Christine on Pinterest

Source: quilt-it.blogspot.com via Christine on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Christine on Pinterest

Source: fromthebluechair.com via Christine on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Christine on Pinterest

Source: fussycut.blogspot.com via Christine on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Christine on Pinterest

I could keep going...  There's just so much loveliness!

Well, I am going to hopefully finish up a little project I started last night and then, maybe...just maybe, force myself to work on Katie's quilt.  Send "you can do it" thoughts my way if you have a minute! :)

Christine

Excited!

I'm the only one in my family that currently sews.  My mom used to sew back when I was little, but hasn't touched her sewing machine since we moved out of town when I was 8.  So when I met my friend, B, I was thrilled to learn that she sewed.  Finally I had someone to chat sewing with!

Our sons are only two months apart and like playing together so we've talked about getting together to sew while the kiddos play.  Well, you know how that goes.  If you only talk about it and never actually make plans it just doesn't happen.

So this morning I called B to chat and we made plans to get together in the morning!

Maybe it is just me, but I love the idea of doing something you love while chatting with a friend!  What could be more fun?!

I think this is why I love this sewing/craft blogging community.  I feel like I have all of these friends who tell me what they have been up to and in turn my blog is my way of telling you.  It's like one giant on going conversation!

I'm so excited about our sewing palydate tomorrow!  My son and I are going to her house so I am only taking Katie's quilt so I am forced to work on it and only it!  I wont have a choice!  So hopefully I can at least finish the quilting...

Christine

******Edit: scratch that...she had to cancel :( ******

Little Sewing Going On...

There hasn't been a whole lot of sewing going on around her lately, but I finished a couple more blocks from my Wonky Rainbow Starflower quilt.

I pieced all of the triangles for three more blocks, but they are all still attached to the sewing machine waiting to have their seams pressed.

I've also worked a bit on my EPP Star quilt, but haven't made too much progress.

Christine

New and Old...

Why is it so impossible to not start a new project?!  I just can't resist.

These are the fabrics from the first quilt I started for my niece. They're already cut into triangles and they aren't cut incredibly accurate so it's a bit difficult to get things to line up, but I'm not terribly worried about it.  I'm just glad to find a way to use up all this fabric I've had packed away.  This is the tutorial I used for this block.

I also thought I would share attempt #2 of my niece's quilt.  Keep in mind that she is 16 years old, LOVES bright colors (her favorite being orange) and she almost equally loves zebra print.  So be warned, it's a bit bright and wild!

So without further ado...

The back is solid orange with the exception of the strip of zebra print and I am thinking I am going to bind it in the same print.  I really like the contrast between the bright colors and the black and white.

She loved the look of a rag quilt, but I didn't want to do a true rag quilt so I put my own twist on it.  The further I get into it the clearer it became that I was doing things backwards.  I pieced each block wrong sides together and attached the blocks right sides together, which was my intention.  The entire time I was trying to figure out how I would quilt it.  I now realise that it would have been much easier to piece the blocks right sides together and then attach the blocks blocks rag style.  Live and learn right?  Regardless, I think it is turning out just fine. 

I think the quilting works and I like the look of it.  I decided to do circles to compliment all of the dots and circles in he fabrics.

Another sign I might be crazy...deciding to free motion quilt my very first quilt, which measures 54 x 72!  I had originally planned on making it twin size!  Talk about diving in head first.

Oh well...  It's been worth it.  I've learned so much since starting this whole process and my sewing skills have improved immensely!  I have about three rows left to quilt...and I keep putting it off.  It's a pain in the butt and takes forever.  Not to mention since I nicked my strike plate the thread has broke a few times.  That alone makes me want to pull my hair out!  I just need to suck it up and finish...

Christine

P.S.  I found it amusing that as soon as I threw this quilt up on my cutting table in front of our giant living room window a humming bird was right there and hovered for a few seconds before flying away.  It sure got it's attention!

Mug Rug Love

Inspired by the Rainbow Charm Swap and this tutorial, I made this colorful mug rug! 

I love the colors (which may look familiar) and the shapes that were made with the different way I sewed the triangles together.  I sashed it in white to make the 3 and 1/4 inch block stand out.  I know the seams aren't perfect, but I still love it.



This was my first time hand sewing the binding down.  I've been a bit intimidated by it and have never really been happy with machine sewing it so I thought I would give it a try.  I am very happy with the results!

I made this with the intention of giving it away as a small gift of thanks to a specific person, so I really hope she likes it!  It will be a bit hard to give it away.

Christine

EPP Star Quilt Progress

Progress as of June 3rd.

After going back forth about how I wanted to do my layout I have decided on doing these seven star groupings using one star of each color. I plan on "squaring" this off by adding grey diamonds and triangles around the edge to make a hexagon. Then piece the hexies together. I haven't totally planned it out, but I know I will have to make some half hexies for it to all come together.

Rainbow Charm Swap

I am very excited to be participating in Ellison Lane Quilts' Rainbow Charm Swap!  It's my very first swap of any kind and I can't wait to do more!

Each of us that get to participate have to purchase a yard of fabric that we love in our appointed color: yellow, green, blue, purple, red, pink or orange.  Then we have to cut it up into 56 charm squares and send it to Jennifer (of Ellison Lane Quilts) and then she will divide it up and send us our stack of rainbow charms to do with whatever we choose!

I was assigned pink!  And here is a little teaser:

I can't wait to get my stack or charms and show them off!

Christine



Stash and Plans

These beautiful stacks of fabric are some of my recent purchases!  Hi, my name's Christine and I'm a fabricaholic!  I have only recently slipped into this addiction so I don't have a large stash, but it growing quite steadily.

I have no plans for these wonderful Metro Living fat quarters.  I just really love the colors and print and wanted to show them off!

Some more Metro Living and some Kona Cotton.  I didn't have any concrete plans when I picked this out.  I've been wanting to do a black and white quilt for a while now, but I've been falling for grey lately and after browsing through the Metro Living Collection, decided that black, white and grey would be awesome.  So I picked up this lovely stack and after a bit of pondering I think I might do hexagons.  (I might be crazy for planning on doing another hand pieced quilt when I have barley just started my first one!)  We'll see...

I LOVE this stack and it is my first entire collection purchase.  It's Sugar and Spice from The Quilted Fish/Riley Blake Designs in two color ways: aqua and red.  I just love it!  My current plan for it is a pickle dish or double wedding ring quilt.

These are some solids I picked up from Joanne's and some Kona Cotton in Ash.  Originally I picked these up for a double hour glass quilt.

But after deciding to try my hand at English Paper Piecing I cut into it for my diamonds.  However, I think there will be enough to complete both projects...hopefully!

I also have a large stack of fat quarters in every color of the rainbow just waiting for me to start slicing them into strips for a string quilt!  

What's holding me up you ask...Well, the thing that got me into quilting was my niece wanting a quilt and I told her I would try to make her one.  If I only knew what I was getting myself into...  I had always wanted to make a quilt, I just had never done it and now I had a reason. 

My first attempt was pretty pathetic!  I didn't know anything about quilting, didn't know about this wonderful community and it didn't even cross my mind to do any research...I just jumped in.  It was a mess, nothing lined up, no consistent seam allowance...a total mess.  

So I decided to give it another try and just start over.  This time I started searching the internet for every ounce of information I could get and I found Crazy Mom Quilts!  Wow!  The doors opened up to this wonderful world of inspiration and knowledge!  I feel like I have read hundreds of quiting books with all of the information I have gotten from reading all of these blogs and tutorials.  It's just amazing. 

Anyway, the quilt still has a ton of flaws and I would do it completely different if I were to do it again (I will never!), but it is worlds better than the first attempt.  My point to this whole rambling story:  It isn't finished yet and until it is I wont let myself start a new quilt.  I've cheated a bit, but nothing too major (well, except for my EPP star quilt.) 

So that is why all of this beautiful fabric is just sitting and waiting...

Do you buy fabric with or without a plan?

EPP Progress

I just started piecing the stars together by adding the background pieces.  I just love it when a project starts to come together and is no longer a bunch of pieces!

Christine

Diving In!

What better way to announce my blog to the world (or at least to the sewing/quilt blogging community)!  I'm a bit nervous to be doing this, participating in Lily's Quilts Fresh Sewing Day, but what a great way to get my feet wet!

I hope, if any one returns, that you will bear with me as I get acclimated to the water.  It's a little more difficult putting myself out there than I thought it would be.

So anyway...

Thanks for stopping by!  I am very excited to meet you!  Check out the English Paper Piecing I have been working on in my very first post!

Christine