Catchin' Up!

Gosh...I don't even know where to start! 
First of all, if you are reading this I just want to say "Thank you!" for not giving up on me.

Things have changed so much since I started this blog a year ago.  I'm not terribly comfortable going into all the details, but I will say we are currently living with my parents due to recent struggles.  My sewing space is a little sewing cabinate tucked in a corner.  I guess I should be happy I have any space at all.  It's just harder when I can't just go sit down and start sewing or just walk over my cutting table to cut something.  I don't know how you kitchen table sewers do it!

But anyway, I have been doing some sewing and quite a bit of handstitching.  I'm taking Handstitching Class and I'm plugging away at my Ruby Bird Baby Quilt.  I really need to get this quilt finished since this little cutie...

...was born just a few days ago and we leave for Colorado in less then 3 weeks! 

This quilt is for her, B, and I can't wait to finish it and get to meet my little brother's first baby!  I didn't expect to be so emotional about this, but I have been.  This is the first baby in the family that I haven't been able to meet with in hours of their birth and it has been really hard.  She will be a whole 3 1/2 weeks old be for I get to hold her!  It's killing me!

January

March

April

May

I'm currently working on the July block and should be finished tonight or tomorrow.  When I focus on working on them I can knock them out pretty quick.  Now that B is here I'm really feeling the pressure to get this quilt finished up which equals a lot of hand stitching!

Probably not the best time to take a handstitching class then, right?  Well I did anyway!  I'm gonna have quite a bit of catching up to do and I can't wait to do it!  I'm taking Rachel's Handstitched Class and I can't wait to finish the quilt that goes along with it.  It includes reverse applique, embroidery, english paper piecing, applique and hand quilting.  Now obviously I've done a couple of these, but learning the ones I haven't and having step by step instructions to make the Modern Medalion Quilt are so worth it!

So far I've done the center medalion which was done with reverse applique.

And I have it prepped to start the embroidery.  I'm having a hard time putting this aside.  I wanted to start on it right away and was plannin to, but I really need to get B's quilt done so this will have to wait.  The perk is that I will have plenty to keep me busy on the 17 hour trip out to Colorado and then another 17 hours home!  Just need to make sure I take some Dramamine...

I'm loving my choice to use Aunt Edna by Denyse Schmidt.  I've been picking up fat quarters and yardage evrey chance I get.  I LOVE this line and plan on using it for all of my Handstitched Class projects.

So there ya have it.  That's most of what I have been working on lately.  I have been keeping my Flickr up to date and post quite a bit on Instagram (christink35) so add me to your contacts or follow me if you would like.

Christine

Baby Quilts

I managed to get four baby quilts done for my craft show a couple weeks ago and I'm just now getting around to sharing them with you all.  Two boy-ish and two girl-ish.  They were quick and easy, just what I needed to get them done for the show!

For this one I used Kona cottons and these cute truck prints form Pooches and Pickups.  I just did some simple straight line quilting and bound it in Kona cotton.

This one is made with Kona cotton in white and a Hello Luscious charm pack with Hello Luscious yardage for the back.  This one is also straight line quilted and bound with Kona Cotton.  I made this one from start to finish the day before the show!

This was the first one I pieced.  It's made with more Kona Cotton (pretty much the only solid I work with) and selected prints from Get Together.  I chose to stipple this one and I was pretty happy with how the quilting turned out.

Then there's this little pretty thing!  I love this quilt.  It is probably just the colors, but I want a throw sized one for myself.  I used Kona Cotton in Ash, a Vintage Modern charm pack and Sherbet Dot from Ruby for the back.  For the quilting I gave wavy lines a try and love the look.  I bound it with a dot fabric from my stash.  I just love the whole thing!

And then there is this little guy, he was my shadow while I was photographing these quilts.  Isn't he just soooo cute?!  This is Drummer, my little long haired chihuahua weighing in at six whole pounds.  He is my constant shadow.  Whether I'm sitting at my sewing desk or sitting on the couch, cooking dinner or brushing my teeth he is always at my feet.  In fact, in this very picture he is sitting at my feet!  Oh I just love him so much!

Have a wonderful evening!

Christine

Just Wing It Baby Quilt

 



Even though I was unhappy with how the quilting went, I am pretty happy with how it came out of the dryer.  It's nice and crinkly and most of the quilting imperfections aren't very noticeable.



As stated in my last post I'm thrilled with the binding!  I can't wait until I bind my next quilt.
 

As we speak this quilt is on it's way to California where it will wait to snuggle the newest baby in the family who will be here by the end of the week.
 

I love making baby quilts, but they make me want to have another baby so I can make one to keep!  Someday...

I am linking up with {Sew} Modern Monday for the first time!

Thanks for reading!

Christine

Snow Day



I guess winter is finally here for those of us here in the Midwest, two snow storms within a week of each other would probably say so.  It's been snowing all day and it is really piling up out there.  Riley has been talking nonstop about making a snow man so maybe tomorrow if it's a bit warmer than today we will tackle that project!  I can't remember the last time I made a snow man.

I have my Just Wing It baby quilt basted and about halfway quilted.  I have to say I am terribly disappointed with how the quilting is going.  I think it as to do with how I basted it, but I am getting a lot of puckering on the top!  I don't think I had the top as taught as the backing so once I started quilting the side to side lines (after already doing the top to bottom lines) there is more fabric on the top than on the back and it is folding over the perpendicular lines that have already been quilted. 

I hate to say it, but I am far too lazy to go back and unpick all the the quilting I have already done.  The puckers are pretty small and I think they wont be so bad after a wash and dry...I hope!  I should have it in the wash tonight so I guess we will see...


Christine

Progress

My motivation from the other day only lasted through one Swoon block before my head cold got the best of me.  Since then I have managed to get all of the HST and flying geese marked and pinned for two more blocks.  Once I get them sewn and trimmed up I should fly through the piecing of two more blocks.

Ever since I stared this quilt and knew I would be making it king sized I have been considering my quilting options.  I would love to have it custom quilted, but I have a couple reservations: 1) Cost, it really isn't an affordable option for me and 2) I could no longer call it 100% my work.  Some day I would love to send a quilt to a long arm quilter just to have a beautifully quilted quilt, but that's probably years down the road.

Since I really don't want to try to wrestle a king size quilt through my machine I have been considering the quilt as you go method.  There are quite a few out there and a lot of them involve hand sewing which I really don't want to do.  Then a disscusion was started in the Swoon-Along Fickr group and this great tutorial was posted.  Yay, a QAYG method that doesn't involve hand sewing!

Problem solved.  Now I just need to finish all the blocks...

 

On another note, my mother-in-law asked me to make a quilt for her newest great niece, I've just been waiting for the fabric to arrive.  I'm using the pink, purple and green colorways from MoMo's Just Wing It.  I have all of the blocks done and sashed (not pictured) and the binding all ready to go.  I just need to piece the boarder and attach it and I will be ready to quilt it...once I find/pick a backing fabric.

Well, I'm off to do some sewing...

Christine

A Quilt in a Day?!

I started and finished a quilt in one day, actually in less than 10 hours and that's started and finished a single quilt!  The fabric arrived in the mail around 1PM and I was throwing it in the washing machine around 10:30PM.  Now its just a baby quilt, measures about 33 X 40, but still, I'm pretty impressed with myself.

I cut all of the fabric and arranged the layout of the rows.

I chain pieced the rows and then added the sashing.

Pieced the backing and basted it all together.  Then, for the very first time, stippled the whole thing!  I love stippling, but haven't had the guts to try it out on a quilt so I just decided to dive in and do it.  I am so glad I did.  I think I did pretty good for my first time!




Sorry for the shadows, I was in a bit of a hurry and didn't even notice!

And voila!  A baby quilt for my nephew for Christmas!

This is one of Amy's quilt patterns over at Oh, Fransson!, it's this one.  Super easy and came together in a flash! ;)  Made from 38 charm squares and 5/8 of a yard of fabric for the sashing!

Thanks for stopping by!