I'm a Winner!

While there are several people in my life who would agree with this statement, I sometimes need validation from outside sources. 

For instance, these comment-and-win giveaways.  I've never won one until this week!  Bernie over at Needle and Foot hosted a charitable giveaway, where she made a donation to the charity of the winner's choice.  I don't enter a lot of giveaways, but I thought this was definitely worth a shot.  What do you know?  I won! 

The beneficiary?  Pregnancy Solutions in Venice, Florida. 

I'm proud to have supported this organization in the past, and am super excited that I won this donation for them!  Please check them out, and check out Bernie's website while you're at it, too! 
As for the quilting--I have a few makes ready to show off, now to find some time to blog about them...until then, God Bless!

Blocks on the Go, for Quilts on the Grow: April Blocks Complete!

So I've been plugging away at this quilt along all year, and I've done a not-so-bad job of keeping up.  If you haven't seen them yet, here are my blocks for January, February, and March. 

I find hand sewing to be my favorite method of "making," and EPP is highly addictive, so thanks, Katja, for such fun projects!

Without further ado, here are my April blocks:

Block 14: Willa, who also happens to be my entry into the Modern Quilt Guild fabric challenge:



Sashing Stash by Riley Blake with coordinating solids.

Echo quilting in the center, FMQ in sashing.

 Block 17: Lorna

Michael Miller stripes, MM Cotton Couture solids

Straight line quilting inside, FMQ in sashing

Block 16: Louise

Fabric from my stash with MM Cotton Couture solids

Spiral walking foot quilting inside, FMQ in sashing.

 Block 15: Lorna

Michael Miller Glitz with MM Cotton Couture Solids

Straight line quilting inside, FMQ in sashing.

All four April blocks playing together!

 This is my favorite part: showing the quilting on the back.  It is miles from perfect, but I'm getting better every day.  When this project is complete, it'll resemble a wholecloth quilt from the back!  But I'm getting ahead of myself--I'm only a third of the way done!

Lots of walking foot love this month!

Well, it feels good to have another month's worth of blocks under my belt.  I've already gotten May's blocks pieced, so I've got some quilting to do!

The stack is growing!

 

This time, I'm linking up to Linky Tuesday and Let's Bee Social for the very first time, so hopefully I'll make some new quilty friends!  Until next time, God Bless!

 

Sewing for #babyschep: Personalized Baseball Mat

So I really, really needed to make something for my son, who, at the time of writing this, is almost six months old. The vision for this project popped in my head while I was still on maternity leave.  My family has an obsession with baseball, so I had to make a baseball themed gift for their only grandson:

 

 

Yes, he's wearing a baseball cap!

I found a baseball themed font online and installed it on my computer.  Just do a quick Google search, and you'll find plenty of them, along with instructions on how to install them.  I used the font to type my son's name, and traced the image onto freezer paper in reverse.  After ironing the freezer paper to a piece of blue felt, I cut it out and now had an applique that won't fray:

I used an X-acto knife and scissors to cut out the "holes" inside the letters.

 

After experimenting with minky fabric for the first time on my niece's quilt, I decided to give it another go-'round on this project. 



In hindsight, I would have used ordinary plush fleece rather than the dimpled minky fleece, because it kinda looks like a golf ball, don't you think? 

Anyhow, I didn't bother using any adhesives or finishing any of the edges--I simply pinned the name and the "seams" to the fleece and topstitched them down with matching thread.



For the inside, I used 1" foam--the type you find in the upholstery section.  This is easy enough to find--I sourced mine from my local Wal-Mart.  It wasn't wide enough, so I hot glued two pieces together, then cut out my circle.  I left a large opening to slip the foam inside the "ball" and slipstitched the opening closed.  All in all, a super-fun and super-fast project.  Now for some BabySchep eye candy:

Linking up to Finish it Up Friday and TGIFF!  Until next time, God Bless!

Blocks on the Go, for Quilts on the Grow: March Blocks Complete!

I realize that it's May, but I only recently finished the quilting on my March blocks for the Blocks on the Go for Quilts on the Grow quilt along.  Ironically enough, I opted to machine quilt my quiltlets so that they'd go faster, not slower!  Without further ado:

Block 10: Kelly
MM Glitz and MM Cotton Couture

Block 12: Brandi
Stash fabrics

Block 13: Judy
Stash fabrics

Block 9: Doris
Dear Stella stripes

Block 11: Susan
stash fabrics

Now for the finished quiltlets:

Machine quilted straight lines inside, FMQ in the sashing.

FMQ throughout.

FMQ throughout.

FMQ throughout.

FMQ throughout.

All 5 of March's blocks together.

A view from the back.

That's what three months of quiltlets looks like!  (With a sneak peek of April's fabric in the background)

Hope y'all are enjoying this quilt along as much as I am!  Until next time, God Bless!

The New Hexagon Millefiore Quilt Along--Rosette 8 Complete!

I've had this guy finished for a little while now, but have just now gotten around to taking pictures:

Here's Rosette 8 on The New Hexagon Millefiore Quilt-Along:

 

 

I skipped ahead to Rosette 8 for several reasons, the main being that I wanted to be able to join my rosettes as I went along. 

 

Here are photos of the rosette in progress:

Just the center.

With Round 1 attached

Now for the "in situ" photos:

Photographing this beast requires standing on our patio sitting wall!

I'll have to find a place to hang it in order to get a straight-on shot.

Fabrics used: Color Theory by V&Co. for Moda, with matching Moda Bella solids.  At this rate, this'll be a five year project, but I guess that's okay with me!

Until next time, God Bless.

Ahoy, baby!

Well, something happens when you hit a certain age--you're suddenly surrounded by babies!  So far, babies have been the most compelling reason for me to quilt.  I can put down everything else to crank out a baby quilt. 

 

 

 

If you know me personally, then you already know that my husband and I led a young adult bible study for quite a few years.  Now, (not counting BabySchep) the first baby from that group is coming soon:

Well, of course Baby Anthony is getting a quilt!  I was short on time, so I needed something relatively easy.  I remembered how much fun I had making the Big Top quilt for a friend almost two years ago, so I pulled out my 10 degree wedge ruler again. 

 

I constructed this quilt top in the same manner as the Big Top quilt, but with navy and off-white, as Baby Anthony has a nautical theme going on in his nursery:

It's making me dizzy!

Like before, I appliqued a circle over the gap in the center.  This time, I embellished the circle with an anchor made of felt. 

 

Almost done basting!

I machine quilted the sandwich on my 9960 using a walking foot and Aurifil 50wt thread.  That, plus a brand new needle made for smooth sailing. 

 

I attached navy bias binding, and started on the label.  I tried out Sulky's Sticky FabriSolvy for the first time, and it was a hit!  I typed up the label on my computer, and printed it directly on the sheet on my laser printer.  It simply peels and sticks, and you're ready to sew!

I used three strands of embroidery floss with a simple backstitch to cover up the printed text.  Even with the white stabilizer, the white floss stood out just fine. 

When I was done, I simply submerged the label in water, and the stabilizer disappeared!  Amazing.  I will be using this stuff a lot.

 

Well, here's the finished product:

 

 

Love that Happy Home print!

Label turned out pretty nicely!

BabySchep, at 5 months old, modeling the quilt for the camera.

I think this photo belongs in a catalog!

I made a matching drawstring bag with the extra backing fabric.  Here it is amongst the other goodies at the shower:

 

So what do y'all think?  I'm pretty pleased with the outcome.  Love the fabric?  You can pick up the Happy Home collection in my shop.  (My husband and I own the company!)  Want to recreate this quilt?  Get what you need here. 

 

Until next time, God Bless!