Quilt as you go

My mother and I have been discussing the "quilt as you go" technique in quilt making because she was contemplating making a quilt with this method. So I thought I would share my quilt that I made using this technique.  This was my very first quilting class at Smith Owen Sewing! Of course I quickly signed up for "Learning to Quilt" after realizing I had a lot to learn!!

 What is even more amazing is that this project did (eventually) get finished!! 

I have to tell you a funny story about this quilt.  The instructor, Nancy, was using my blocks to demonstrate something in class then she was drawing a diagram on a piece of paper over my block and her ink pen went through the paper marking my nice cream background!  Now I know she just felt awful! But I was not worried in the least! It's fun to laugh about now. It just took a little laundry detergent with an old toothbrush and to this day I could not tell you which block it was that the mark was on!

Spring

Well I thought I'd share some pretty spring things.....

My two little nieces!

My favorite yellow crocuses! 

 

A Battenburg lace butterfly I made.

and a little Battenburg lace cross I made for my sister-in-law!

Erica's Baby Shower

Yesterday I was in Battle Creek for a baby shower.  It is for Erica, my first cousin once removed.  I thought I'd share the fun things I made for her.

 I embroidered the baby's name on a couple bibs and embroidered my burp rags! Its a tradition now I guess. I made the first one for my sister's first baby shower.  I put the baby's name followed by "Burped Here"! I know I'm just too clever for words! 
Then I put this little duck on a onesie. Its not fun trying to fit these little things in an embroidery hoop, but they are so cute I have to do it!

Charity Auction Donations

I have been busy making some items to donate to a charity auction.  A friend of my Aunt lost her grandbaby, she was only 3 or 6 months old...never left the hospital...very sad. They are having an auction to raise money to help with the funeral cost and maybe some of the hospital bills, I'm not sure.  I think having to live at or by the hospital for all those months could not have been cheap either.

I made this heart shaped basket out of a variety of pink fabrics. It's actually the left over "pinks" from a heart shaped basket I made for my aunt!! 

 I ran across this bowl pattern when I was cleaning out a drawer, and I thought it would be fun to give it a try and donate it too. I used my scrap fruit and veggie fabric and since I have so much I made two sets.  The sides are just butted up against each other and sewn together, so you have to make sure you choose a stitch that will give it support. One of my choices was a little weak but I think it should be fine.

 The second set of bowls I thought I would give to an acquaintance of mine, Alex.  She is a librarian that works at my branch down the road.  She is always excited about my book selections on homesteading, gardening, chickens, etc. She says some day she too wants to leave the city and enjoy the country life and raise some animals and garden. So I thought it would be lovely to give her a set of these.  Won't she be thrilled.  Or she might just think "That strange older gentleman in giving me gifts now...Creepy!!"

Yarn Caddy

My knitting friend, Elizabeth, asked me to make her some kind of zipper bag that she could put her yarn securely in and pull it out through a eyelet.  Well I had an idea in mind but just didn't want to make a plain old bag for it...well that next day I got an email about some new embroideries from Embroidery Library and they had two perfect "knitting" ones!! 

I was so very happy with the finished product.  I even broke out the Serger on this one!  I had to dust it off but at least it got a good cleaning and it got used for a minute.  It went together pretty quick, the embroidery of course was the longest part.  But oh so dang stinkin' cute!