Thoughts of Red and Aqua Running Through my Head

I have so many projects piling up in my head and no time to sew. Work has been consuming my evenings and weekends, and what I haven't spent working I have spent organizing and cleaning. I can't seem to get red and aqua triangles out of my mind...

Or how I am going to put my love pinwheel blocks together. I have been going back and forth about what color I want to use for the sashing and I think I've finally figured out a solution! I was really hoping to tie more pink into my quilt so it would coordinate better with my girly guest bedroom bedding. I put a fat quarter of Kona Petal up on my design wall and love how it is just slightly lighter than the pink in my bedding but I think overall it's too much color. I thought about it some more and came up with a plan that still brings in the pink but leaves most of the sashing white:

What do you think? A little pop of pink, color variation throughout, and mellowed by the white sashing. I can see it working really well but that means I have a lot more sewing and cutting to do...

I'd really like to make myself some clothes that can transition into fall like this Museum Tunic from Anna Maria Horner's website or the Anna tunic by Amy Butler! It would be so nice to have all the time in the world for these projects but alas, I have to make money to pay for them...back to work for me!

Happy Quilting!

Batting Scrap Challenge - Project 2

A few weeks ago I started a challenge project to use batting scraps as inspiration for a project or two. I thought it would be creatively inspiring to think outside of the box and turn trash into treasure. So far no one has decided to join my challenge that I am aware of. If I am wrong let me know! Leave a comment on any batting scrap challenge post and let me know what you're up to.

I mentioned in the original post that there would be perks involved for those who decide to participate. I've decided to give away at least one of my batting scrap challenge projects to a lucky winner. To win, you must join in the challenge fun! Each project you complete with batting scraps will earn you a chance at winning one of mine. Go to the Batting Scrap Challenge page and leave a comment saying you're going to join in the fun and follow the challenge instructions.

My first project was a nifty book cover perfect for mass market paperback books:

Tonight I made another book cover from scraps of fabric and batting. The fabrics on the front of the cover are leftovers from Matt's I Do quilt and the batting and solid fabric on the inside of the cover are from one of the wedding attendant quilts (ignore the lint lol):

I also made a new pin cushion from Amy Butler Love selvages leftover from my Love Pinwheels quilt:

I was trying to make something with piping like this pincushion:

By Cindy at aroundtheblockdesigns.blogspot.com

But....I had to cut the piping off....it was bad. I had a lot of fun working with selvages though! I find it fascinating that something I've always thought should be thrown away can look so cool.

The pincushion and second book cover will also be up for grabs for a lucky winner of the Batting Scrap Challenge so get started on your own projects for your chance to win. Every project you share will be a chance to win any of my projects!

Happy Quilting!

Love Pinwheels - Part 4

Last night I worked on creating some additional pinwheels for my Love Pinwheels quilt and I feel like I made a lot of progress!

I had some yardage left over from the Love fat quarter set I bought at Fabric.com with a coupon I found on RetailMeNot.com and some Bella Solid charms in white leftover from my purchase at the Missouri Star Quilt Company. The yardage I had leftover from each fat quarter was just enough to cut a 5" strip which I used to cut 4 5x5 charms and 2 2.5" strips leaving me a 2.5-3" strip and a little selvage piece. I think I am going to make myself a selvage pincushion with some of those scraps and save the larger pieces for an accent pillow in my guest bedroom

I've been using the Missouri Star Quilt Company tutorial on pinwheels for this project.. I got a lot of compliments on my pinwheels when I took a few in to my local quilt shop to get some additional yardage in white for the sashing.

Here are a couple of pictures of my latest:

Next I will add the borders in a coordinating Love print.

Happy Quilting!

Love Pinwheels - Part 3

I drew a picture of what my Love Pinwheels quilt is starting to look like but here are some photos of the real thing:

So here are my thoughts....

• I think it needs to be bigger! I think I like it so much that I want it to go on my guest bedroom bed so it needs to be big enough for a full mattress
• I like the way the white looks between the blocks so I am glad I went ahead and bought some kona solid white for the sashing
• I think it might need a pinwheel boarder incorporated somehow
• I think I am going to incorporate that long strip you see into the back of the quilt. I haven't done that for a back yet but I like the idea of making the quilt 2 sided

I am taking a little break on Saturday to use the spa gift certificate Matt gave me for my birthday but other than that I'll be sewing until I drop!

I'd love your thoughts on my thoughts, to hear any other ideas you might have, or hear about what you're working on right now!

Happy Quilting!

Projects and Love Pinwheel Quilt - Part 2

I now have PLENTY of fabric to make some of the projects I've had in mind and then some. Enough fabric to last me a long, long, lonnnnnnng time. What's on my list you ask?

• Make myself a skirt or two
• Re-fashion some t-shirts with ruffles, rosettes, applique, etc so they are a little more exciting
• Make baby quilts for my nephews and nieces
• New cover button jewelry for my Etsy shop Lovie and Boo
• A quilt for myself (you should too!)
• Coordinating outfits for my nieces
• Coordinating outfits for my brother's girlfriend's nieces
• Burp cloths
• Decorate my sewing room
• Wrist rest and mouse pad for my computer
• Throw pillows for my family room sofa and love seat
• Euro shams and a throw pillow to match the quilt Ann made me for graduation for our boyish guest room
• Euro shams, throw pillows, and a quilt to go in my girly guest room
• Throw pillows for my rec room sofa
• Make wall art for the girly guest room
• More blocks for Rainbow Around the Block

Since this a quilting blog I will share with you all some brainstorming ideas I have been tossing around in my head for my pinwheel quilt. I used an Amy Butler Love charm pack and a Bella Solid charm pack in Snow to make the pinwheels and then bordered each pinwheel square with 2.5" strips of Amy Butler Love. I used every fabric in the line (the quilting fabric weight) once in the pinwheel and once around the pinwheel. Each square is a little different. I had 2 boxes left over and some scraps from my strips which I combined in one long strip to put on the back of the quilt.

I originally set out to make a lap quilt because I can do the basting and the quilting myself very easily at that size. The problem is, I think it's going to be too busy unless I do some sort of intervention. Here's the idea of what it's going to look like now:

I am thinking that if I add some sashing between those squares in 1 color (like the snow color I used in the pinwheel) that it would tie the quilt together better and it wouldn't look as busy. What do you think? Any other ideas

Gracyn is Going to be a Big Sister!

We just found out my brother and sister-in-law are having another little girl in November! My niece Gracyn turns 2 this December. I am not sure if she knows what is going on but she's very interested in taking care of her baby dolls right now so I think she will be a great Big Sister when the time comes. I am so excited because this gives me an excuse to make some cute baby stuff! Here is Gracyn playing in a dress I made her from Amy Butler Lotus fabrics:

And a picture of her in a pinafore I made from IKEA kid fabric

Happy Sewing and Quilting!

Love Pinwheels - Part 1

I thought I would share a few pictures of what I have been up to tonight! I got my order from the Missouri Star Quilt Company which included an Amy Butler Love charm pack and Bella Solid white charm pack which I am going to use to make a pinwheel quilt. I know, I know...this is the same combination of fabrics used in the Missouri Star demo of the pinwheel technique but I llllooovvvvveeeeeddddd it sooooooo much and I am a sucker for Amy Butler fabrics anyways. I feel a bit unoriginal but I know I am going to love it when it's done and it will look beautiful in my girly guest room.

So here are some pictures but pay no attention to the fact that my threads don't match, that there's all sorts of junk under my extension table, or that there's a Chinese takeout menu under there...

Starting to sew the squares with the "right" sides together:

I sewed until I got a 1/4" from the edge, left my needle down, and turned the corner:

A couple of pictures of one of my squares sewn on all 4 sides. I probably didn't need to back stitch but it's habit:

I just realized that I didn't take any pictures while cutting but that's probably for the best because I am very accident prone. Here are my triangles:

I ironed all of the seams the same direction:

Here are my squares ready to be made into pinwheels:

I brought them to my sewing area and chain stitched them top to bottom:

The look a bit like flags when they are chained stitched like this:

I cut all of the now rectangles:

Finally, I stacked my rectangles so I can continue tomorrow. I will press them and get them ready to be sewn into pinwheel squares:

One last picture...My little "helper" was at it again. She kept trying to get under my table to lay down and I kept having to send her away because she was in the way of my pedal. She looks so pitiful!!

I've decided that I am going to take off the pink and purple border so I can add the second black border. I know it's a waste of thread and will be time consuming but I also know that I will love it that much more when it's all done.