Scrappy quilt

In the middle of the summer my middle daughter decided she wanted to start quilting.  Actually, I had started to sew a few strips together and she kind of took the project over.  Her quilt is still in process and I quite look forward to seeing the end result.

While she occupied my sewing machine for hours at end I was left to twiddle my thumbs.  At a loss of things to do in my sewing room I began to organize scraps.  What a great idea you say!  Well, yes and no!

I wasn't really prepared for how long that venture would take.  You see, my daughters have been playing with my scraps since they were in diapers.  Considering one of them becomes a teenager in April, that is a considerable amount of time!  Other than a few ziploc bags of leftover cut materials, the summation of my scrap collection was stuffed into an old milk crock.  Which had been emptied over my sewing room floor and stuffed back on too many occasions to count.

At the start of the process, most fabric needed to be pressed as the pile was a wrinkled and disheveled mess.  After that I started to cut strips at nausea.  I wasn't sure I would ever stop cutting.  Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into a month.  I forced and bribed myself to cut strips.  Each day I would go in, grab a handful and complete it.   I found myself mostly cutting 2 1/2" strips.

As I cut I came up with a plan.  Thinking of how to use all those 2 1/2" strips.  I tossed aside all the dark colours and kept pulling anything bright.  My strategy was to sew 4 strips together and then cut them into another 2 1/2" strip.  I calculated that I needed 224 strips.  I then sewed those into 16 patch blocks.  Using 4 strips of 4 squares.  In the end I landed up with 56 blocks and sewed them together 7 blocks wide x 8 blocks high.

The quilt was with 896 squares!  28 squares x 32 squares.  Quite a feat when they were all cut from random scraps at random lengths.  I had it machine quilted and used up the last bit of a scrap for the binding.  Couldn't be happier!

The result was a quilt that I was thrilled with and landed up being a belated grad gift for my niece.

Finishing off 1.0

So, a fellow blogger posted a little while ago about "just start".  The idea of tackling those things that you seem to lack motivation for.

That one little post inspired me, to tackle a few "undone" projects around the house.

My problem usually isn't starting a project.  I tend to be excited, inspired, motivated by a new project, or two or, ahem, three.  Oh, the fabric, the yarn, the potential!  However, my attention and enthusiam can wane during the process.

I could be the Queen of WIPs.......but not today!

home ec 101

Only Papaya and I were at home this afternoon. Two of her sisters had a play date and her Dad was off doing some things as well.

Over Christmas she got a Karito doll named Pita. She has been mentioning that she would like a doll quilt for her. I had told her that she would have to learn how to make one.Today seemed like the perfect day. Contrary to the complaints in the southern states, we were too warm today to do much of anything outside. The snow was melting, everything was slushy. So sledding, skiing and skating were pretty much out of the question.

Plus we had a lovely basket of scraps, compliments of a friend (thank you S!) that she had been eyeing for a while.
So we got her comfortable, which meant propping up the electronic foot so she could reach it.
Then we started reviewing the basics. She had sewed a skirt in the summer. But she hadn't done anything since then. At first she felt like things were going really slow. That changed really fast though as she started to get the handle of things.
After she knew what she was doing, I really resisted the urge to take over. Okay, if you must know, I kind of "sat on my hands" for a while. Reminding myself it was the process, not how fast it got done. Hadn't I kind of just said that to her? So I decided to get a book and a chair and read. When she had a question, I answered it. When she needed help, I guided instead of doing it myself.
By the "end-ish" of the quilt I went downstairs to help her sister make supper. Doesn't that sound nice? One sewing, one cooking! I was kind of startled by the transitions that are slowly happening in our home.

She did call me upstairs when the thread came out of the needle and she couldn't get it back in. But she was quite content to go it alone. When she said "I can do it Mom", I realized she really wanted and needed to.

Here she is with her finished doll quilt top. Completed in one lazy, for me maybe, Sunday afternoon.

So proud of her!

P.S. After posting, I realized she held the quilt top with the wrong side to me for the photo. How funny that neither of us realized!

a doll quilt

I had a little bit of leftover fabric and whipped together a little doll quilt for my youngest. This project was really fast and came together well. All my girls still love playing dolls and what better than a little bit of love to wrap them in.

I went completely unconventional and threw on a bright border. The blue is actually in the quilt in a few places. It seemed a little more fun than more orange or yellow.

One more handmade done for Christmas. Speaking of which, since all my kids are asleep, I have one more to finish. It's starting to feel a little last minute!

the catch all

This bag will be under the tree this Christmas for our oldest daughter. I hope it will be the bag she grabs as she goes out the door. Maybe to throw in her snack, water bottle and vest for skating. Maybe to throw in her tap and jazz shoes on a Saturday morning.

The bag is quite roomy. The finished dimensions are 13x12x10" (without the straps). At first it doesn't sound big but it should easily hold the things she will need it for.

The polka dot fabric actually has blue dots on it. For some reason they seem really white to me in the pictures.

I found the pattern called "Daisy Dazzler" in the Quilts and More Fall 2009 magazine. You can find a link to the pattern online.

Graduation quilt

I am quite excited that this quilt is done!
I completely winged it on the pattern (ie. I didn`t have one). I have seen other people make similar quilts and really liked the simplicity of it, especially the way the white sets of the colours of the squares. The fabric for the top and binding is all scraps/stash and the all the white (1.4 m) was donated by a friend for $5. How can you go wrong with that.
As i was trying to get a picture, Jesse decided he would check out the quilt and get in the picture.

I absolutely love the way it turned out. I`m happy because I am usually a follow the pattern girl and surprised myself by `winging it`! You can only see four of the five rows in this picture but get a good idea of what it looks like.

Doesn`t it look comfy enough to cuddle up in. It isn`t quite a twin size, more like a large lap. I really like the size and weight, perfect for snuggling up in.

Since I was taking pictures Papaya thought she needed to get into the limelight too!

And here is our wonderful friend, violin teacher, babysitter that has been such a positive influence on my girls lives. At first we thought she was going away to school next year. Now though she is going to stay at home and work for a year. So we will still see her and possibly have her as a violin teacher for one last year!

This project is my first completed in the project lineup!

Aside: my question mark key isn`t giving me a question mark but this É, why would that beÉ

off the presses

Last night I finished the last seam of my quilt top that I was working on here
Today I got the backing and batting! Soon I hope to sandwich it all together and start quilting!
Here's a sneak peek. All the fabrics are scraps and the off white is from a friend.
I love re-using fabric! So fun to give it another purpose!

project line-up

My daughter told me today that she couldn't vacuum my sewing room

because it was too crowded (she meant cluttered) and I am afraid that I am guilty as charged!

So, I went upstairs this evening for just a little bit to organize and claim some space back again. Here's some of the projects that are on the line up, in no specific order

~~~~~~~~~~

First, here is what is evolving from the pile of yellow and green fabrics I pulled a while back. With all our hot weather, I haven't touched the sewing machine much at all lately. I prefer to grab the sun when I can because it might not last long!

Second, I have some a nice little stash of fat quarters from Kaffe Fassett that I want to do something with but I am not entirely sure what! Any ideas? Purse? (Sorry for the blur)

Third, Busgy wants to turn this, which is actually a nine patch, into a pillow or something for the top of her dresser

Fourth, the girls want to sew skirts (fabric on top that they picked)

to match the t-shirts underneath!

Fifth, I have a few beautiful balls of sock yarn that I would like to make into socks. Thinking that is on the burner for Christmas

P.S. Note to self: This list can change or self-destruct at a moment's notice pending other project interest!

mini-quilts

my girls are constantly raiding my scrap basket

and without any sewing

they make pet shop homes

barbie carpets

doll clothes

really anything their imagination creates

i love watching their creations unfold

the other day they decided to make mini-quilts

i thought they were really quite good

yesterday the scrap basket was transfered to a shoe box and i found them playing with it outside ... my first reaction was to say "no", but i just couldn't when i saw how much fun they were having ... instead i just asked they bring it back in when they were done (which they did) ... after all isn't sharing fabric with friends what it is all about?

latest project

here is the quilt top that was in the box a few weeks ago

i pulled it on a couple of nights ago and decided that i really wanted to finish it

so i started on the last set of borders and got them on that evening

i think it turned out really well

it is a lot brighter than i usually do, so it was a nice change

the quilt was put together by sewing light and dark strips together

then cutting them in opposite light/dark triangles

then four triangles are sewn into squares

the quilt is for our trailer, remember we live in the north

would you use wool batting and flannel

or

cotton batting and minky?

will show more when it is quilted and the binding is on...might be awhile though!?

went a quilting

a few friends got together and went quilting this weekend

we left on friday night and shared appy's

we came home again sunday afternoon

the fabrics below were in my "to go" pile

the polka dot fabric is for a teenager, who has been really involved with my kids

it wouldn't be my typical fabric choice

but that said, i still think it will sew up into something nice

the fabrics below i had previously cut and sewed into triangles

now i want to put them together for a quilt top

i am starting with the batiks

so hopefully soon i will have pictures of what it turns into

touching base

so i feel a little like i dropped off the face of the planet
last week we went to the big city and it was great
other than i had a whooping head cold
i just kept pumping tylenol cold and sinus
if i had been at home i would have been in bed
but i wasn't going to let that slow me down away from home

we ate good food, walked by the ocean, shopped
we also went to an irish pub for supper
where i declined alcohol because of my cold
the waitress nicely offered me blueberry tea
i had no idea! i thought i was getting herbal tea
what i received was MUCH better and definately
had some positive effects on my cold
the connoction is one shot grand marnier, one shot ameretto and stepped black tea
yum...it was so good and so relaxing
highly recommend it!

then on the weekend i went to a quilt weekend

i managed to get the binding on boo-boo's quilt

that matches papaya's

i also got the top started on another quilt

so i felt like i had actually accomplished something

tea anyone?

feel like a spot of tea?

last night the girls set up a tea party for their special friends

before bed i asked them to move the china

so that no one would knock it over in the middle of the night

this morning when i glanced at the "party"

i realized that almost all the elements

were homemade except this pink bunny and the dishes

the pillow below matches papaya's new quilt seen in an earlier post

the dolls (first and third picture) were bought at a garage sale quite a few years ago,

i made new homemade clothes for them and the girls love them

the quilt (below) is papaya's baby quilt

a friend and i made the puppy dogs in mass a few years ago

for our kids, cousins and friends at Christmas time

and the dishes were given to bugsy by a friend of mine

who thought she would really enjoy them

did she ever guess right on that!

i found the tea party again this morning

after I had dropped my kids off for a fun day at the pool with their friends

since i am a homeschooling mom i don't seem to have a lot of time to get to projects around the house, so i came home grabbed my dust cloth and vacuum and went upstairs to clean! yay!

at some point during the morning i did wonder why i felt so satisfied to be cleaning, while my kids played...am i demented?...thoughts for another day!

so when i came to boo boo and papaya's room and found the tea party i was in a dilemna

i had a need to clean and it was spread out on the floor in a 3" x 4" square

hmmm.....what did i do? what would you do?

wordless wednesday

finally done

what can i say?

i am so excited that this quilt is done

it was a Christmas quilt for papaya last year

made it under the tree with no binding

and for many reasons, i haven't found the time to sit down and sew the binding on

this weekend proved the perfect weekend to finish it

we had a glorious Thanksgiving Monday with nothing on the agenda

so i sat in the sun and stitched til it was done

papaya waited eagerly, she has been so patient for it these last 10 months

she was absolutely thrilled when it was done

we had to nail her down to the spot for the picture

then she bounded all the way up to her room and remade her bed

daddy (aka "the big cheese") also hung a shelf above her bed

this shelf has been waiting for longer than the quilt

and is now adorned with her Webkinz (yes they have bought into marketing...ugh!)

this is a close up of the finished quilt

totally different fabric and colours than I usually pick

but the girls really like it

this story is a little bittersweet

see, i made two of these quilts

same pattern, same size, just a slightly different take on fabric

so essentially i have one down and one to go

but what's new? i will always a project, or two or three on the go

life doesn't feel complete without it