Weekend Sewing

It’s only fitting that I’m posting this now.  With three more days to go until Thanksgiving, this weekend I was reminded of why I love quilting.  This year has been … crazy.  I took on a new role at work, which I love, but every day is different and I haven’t figured out how to manage everything and take time to create.  Well, this weekend I just did it.  And it felt great.

I am so thankful for quilting.  It is good for the soul.

Before I head home I have a few projects that I want to finish.  First up was a pillow for my mom.  She made the pillow top this summer.  This improv project was the first things she’s sewn on her new machine and first project she’s worked on in 30+ years.  Hey, I had to get it from somewhere, right?

I decided to quilt it with gridwork.   In my opinion it needed something super structured juxtaposed with the craziness of the quilt work.  I.love.it.

I know it won’t be seen, but she’ll know this fabric is there.  She loves lady bugs, so lady bugs she’ll get 🙂

And here we have a finished pillow:

I hope she remembers our summer together every time she sees it.  Spending time quilting with my mom is a priceless memory that I’ll love forever.  And, luckily, it’s one I’ll get to repeat again!  (Thank you, teacher schedule!)

Then… drumroll please… I finished up my Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilts quilt top.  Holy goodness.  This thing started as a wee baby center star.  Then, Renee turned it up a notch with her amazing borders (they stop at the pluses).  Laura, got crazy creative with the Social Climber border (so needed) and the beautiful diamond border.  Then, Jess finished it off with a beautiful border that I love!  It’s my favorite border from the Avatrix Quilt so I was so happy to see it.  Plus, those Xs!  We were going to collaborate on a orange peel border, but no matter what I tried I just couldn’t make it work.  So… another project is coming with those. This weekend I had to finish this up.  I.LOVE.IT.  This quilt means so much because these ladies were my original cheerleaders.  The first people I connected with in the blogosphere.  Ah, I can’t believe I get to keep it!

Now it’s time to send it off for quilting!  Yes, my first time sending a quilt off to a long armer 🙂  It had to be done.  I love this quilt too much to quilt it, plus it’s huge – 86 x 86.  No way my back can handle that.  LOVE.  I can’t get over how much I love this quilt.

Then, I pulled out a quilt and started quilting this weekend.  WHAT?  I know, it was crazy this weekend.  More to come, more to come!  Hopefully I can knock it out by Wednesday…

So very thankful for this crazy hobby that has brought each of you into my life.  Here’s to making more time for it…

Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilts

I have so loved being a part of this group of quilters over the past year.  Two weeks ago I received Renee’s quilt, after it had made it’s rounds through Laura and Jess!  When I pulled the quilt out, my husband said that it was the coolest quilt yet, and that I shouldn’t Eff it up.  Nothing like that vote of confidence to get me started!

I’ve had weddings and lots of work stuff going on, so I finally got started last night!  I am loving where this is going.  I’ve been wanting to make this Arkansas Traveler Block for a while, and it’s perfect.  Now I need to make a whole quilt!  Yes, this is paper piecing, but it’s rather simple for paper piecing.

I love how this frames the quilt, and I can’t wait to do the math and figure out how much Kona Pepper needs to go between the edges…

I must LOVE Renee, but I had just enough of this Cuzco fabric for the 12 diamonds that I needed.

This fabric was just screaming to join this quilt.  Luckily, I have some scraps left.  I hope to finish this up next weekend.  I don’t know what else to add after this border.  I felt like it needed a calm anchor border, but then I’m lost.

What do you think?

Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilts

Y’all.  IT’S HERE.  I’m going to try to put into words how much I love this quilt, but it’s going to be hard!  Doing this Round Robin style bee with Renee, Laura, and Jess has been the most freeing experience ever.  It’s taught me that not controlling projects can be beautiful, and it’s shown me just how wonderful they are as friends.  (Which I knew, but seeing how much they “get me” has been such a fun experience.)  (To see Jess’ finished quilt top, go here.)

 Yesterday I got to meet up with Jess so she could hand it over in person.

We enjoyed catching up and talking about our other bee mates.  We truly wished we all could have been together yesterday!  I was like a little kid in the candy shop seeing my package.  There has been so much love and thought put into this quilt.  Unfortunately it was incredibly windy yesterday so we didn’t get any shots of us looking at it outside like crazy quilt ladies, but the second I got home I was laying out the quilt and looking at the next border that Jess and I collaborated on!

HELLO!

Up next is a border or orange peels.  I will be making the other two sides and then putting it all together.  I might be adding a thin border in between these two borders, but that will come as soon as I make all of the orange peels!  I’ve pulled out the mustard yellows and low volume fabrics I plan to use from my stash (hence my link up to Sunday Stash!) and now I just need to print off the template.  Ahhhhh.  It’s so close to being done!

I’m leaning towards doing just oneeeee moreeee border, but we shall see.  Last night I had so much fun going through all of the fabrics in the quilt and looking at the details.  They truly turned this quilt into something extremely beautiful.  I can’t get over how much thought they put into each border, and I love how they colors play together.  These three ladies were the three bloggers that I commented on first when I started this crazy adventure 1.5 years ago, and I couldn’t be happier that we’ve done this bee together.  I love having a piece of each of them in my house.  This quilt is going to be a family heirloom forevaaaaaaa.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Renee, Laura and Jess.  I love you ladies more than Chicopee.

Disclaimer: Ignore any threads on my rug.  A quilter lives here.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilts

Well, if this wasn’t one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life, I don’t know what is.  Joining this fabulous group of ladies has already proven to be so much fun – and I can’t wait to see what we come up with next.  You can read more about each member at their blogs,and I highly recommend book marking all of these blogs as they are some of my absolute favorites. 

Stephanie of www.spolgarquilts.wordpress.com

Ashley of www.wasntquiltinaday.wordpress.com

Laura of www.littleandlots.wordpress.com

Jess of www.quiltyhabit.blogspot.com

Renee of www.quiltsofafeather.com

This month I got to work on Jess’ quilt.  I’ve shared about Jess before – but I just love her.  She recently made me a beautiful wall hanging  It took me a while to focus in on what I wanted to add to her started.  This quilt was difficult for me: partially because her color scheme includes all of my favorite colors, and partially because her directions were open to any blocks.  Well, eventually I narrowed in on Churn Dash blocks – and THEN she wrote a post about how they were her favorite blocks.  Welllllll, hey, I can read your mind, Jess!

I decided to narrow down the colors I contributed to hot pinks and purples (her favorite!)

Plus, I know she loves AMH just as much as me 🙂

Then I chain pieced away forever.

And finished three blocks:

Tonight I’ll be putting these little pieces into mini 3 inch churn dash blocks:

I hope she loves these churn dash blocks!

There’s something incredibly fun and inspiring about contributing to a round robin style quilt.  I love seeing the inspiration quilters start with and trying to add cohesive parts.

NOW.  Here’s some amazing stuff for your eyes.  I’ve talked about Renee over at Quilts of a Feather before.  She was definitely the first quilty friend that I made, and she has been so generous, loving, and supportive of me.  She is truly a wonderful friend, and I have been so inspired by her quilts.  Like, you should have already clicked on her link by now to be inspired. (No, really.  Do it!)  She’s sent me a beautiful wall hanging that inspired me to try FMQing, and randomly surprises me with awesome fabric – which now resides as pillows in my house!   Well, this month she had my quilt starter. 

Y’ALL.  I thought I loved my quilt starter…

Here it is on Renee’s wall… pretty, right?

Wait for it.

Is she a genius, or is she a genius?!

She posted snapshots of her work as she went on Instagram so I thought I was prepared to see what she created.  Not even close.  When I saw the final product of her work this month, my mouth literally dropped.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone over to her blog to look at this picture, but I will say that she has completely made my month with this beautiful work.  This is beyond anything I could have ever imagined, and I love where she took this quilt.  I love everything about this, from the fussy cuts, to the fabrics, to the low-volume fabrics she used.   You can read about her process here.

So, tell me.  Are you inspired to join a round robin quilt bee now? 

As for me, I better go back to work on Jess’ because Renee’s work has inspired me even more…

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Quilts

Get ready for this next adventure!  Along with four of my favorite quilty ladies, I’ve joined a Round Robin Quilt Bee started by Stephanie of SpolgarQuilts!  I have no idea what I’m doing, and this will be a challenge that is very different from what I’ve done in the past, but I cannot wait to see what we create!  Plus, my house definitely needs another quilt!

Here’s the lineup of The Sisters:

Stephanie of www.spolgarquilts.wordpress.com

Ashley of www.wasntquiltinaday.wordpress.com

Laura of www.littleandlots.wordpress.com

Jess of www.quiltyhabit.blogspot.com

Kim of www.robotmomsews.blogspot.com

The best part of the traveling bee will most definitely be creating something that the original designer will love.  I feel like I know these ladies pretty well, so I can’t wait to get in their heads, surprise them a bit, and make beautiful quilts!

Next month I’ll be making my center medallion, before sending it along to Kim.  The other night I had inspiration (and until I get Big Bertha back, it will stay in my head).  I’m thinking low volume and jewel tones.  I like the idea of contrasting my favorites against what I normally stay away from.  Over the past few months, I’ve had so much fun with ScrapBeeLicious, and the Block Party that I joined with the NJMQG.  I’m excited to see what this brings over the next few months – we all love quilty packages afterall!