Work In Progress...Packing!

I've been packing everything away for the big move this Friday.  My BF decided it was best to take the sewing machine away, since I'd get more packing done, and alas, he was right!  Before he could pack it up though, I did manage to finish the last blocks for my next quilt top.  I'm using a Hunky Dory Jelly Roll to make the Bubblegum quilt in Two From One Jelly Roll Quilts by Pam and Nicky Lintott.  I just love their line of books!  I was at the quilt store determined to get Moda Muslin Mates Chirp in white, but they only had natural and let me tell you, it did not go with my grand scheme!  Instead of spending $10+/yd online when you figure in shipping, I just bought something that caught my eye at the shop.  It's a small yellow tile with blue and red dots in it called Daydream in Daisy by Cyndi Walker.  I think it's going to be just fabulous!  Sorry about the terrible pictures from my flashless iPhone :(  

Central Park Cracker Box Quilt

I've been quilting my Central Park Cracker Box Quilt this week and think it's my favorite quilt so far!  I love the bright, cheerful colors in the line.  I decided to do some echo quilting in the empty spaces and outline the solid rectangles.  It's a lot of stop & go work, but it's turning out great!  I'm about 2/3 finished.  I pieced the back, and you'll get to see that later on.  I reallyreallyreally want to get this quilt finished by the end of the week because I'm moving next Friday!!  I can't believe how fast time flies (esp when you need to pack a bazillion boxes).

Work In Progress Wednesday!

Life's been hectic for the past couple of weeks.  I thought I found a job, then decided to turn it down, and found a new job all in 3 days' time...  That's enough to make you go crazy!  Add a few trips in the mix and you don't have much time to blog.


But now I do :D  Here's my WIP Zig Zag quilt using Crazy Mom Quilt's guest post at Bee Square Blog.  The fabric is DS Quilts for JoAnn mixing some of the Fairgrounds and Picnic lines together.  I didn't want to have a (boring) white or cream zig zag, plus I wanted more contrast, so I chose the bright blue solid for the in betweens.  I think it looks pretty neat in person!  The photos don't really do it justice.  I have the large green and blue plaid for the backing.  This will probably be put on hold for awhile because I'm moving next month, but at least all the top pieces are sewn together!

My current list of projects:


Completed tops:
Central Park Cracker Box
Central Park Charmed Stars - or maybe I'm taking it apart to change it??
Verna Friendship Braid
Vintage sheets simple blocks


Tops in pieces:
Cherish Nature Circle in Squares
Hunky Dory Bubblegum
Hunky Dory Pandora's Box


Until next time!

I'm such a copy cat!

You may have already realized this.  I really can't take credit for a lot of my better projects because I find inspiration on my endless hours of web surfing and copy great stuff.  I usually modify things a bit to be more suitable for my sewing skill level slash laziness :D 


I came across this great mug rug at Froth and Bubble the other day when signing up for a billion Sew Mama Sew giveaways and immediately thought of my BFF from OD school.  She's from South Dakota, and apparently they don't have cardinals (yes, the birds).  She would get so excited anytime she saw one in Chicago or when she came to visit my house in central Illinois.  So I changed the titmice to cardinals and I can't wait to send her this mug rug!  Best part?  I only used scraps!  I'm planning on making one for myself too.  Oh and my grandma - she loves cardinals as well.  Does this look slightly Christmas-y to anyone else?  Oh well - Christmas in July is coming up!

Auntie Grace's Mod Sampler Quilt

Let me introduce you to my favorite completed quilt to date.  Meet Auntie Grace's Mod Sampler quilt.  This is actually the first quilt I've made all by myself!  I'm so proud of it :D

Carlton looks kind of creepy, no?

Last summer, my grandma and I went to the local quilt store together and browsed around.  It was getting close to my birthday and she asked what I wanted while I was there.  Now honestly, she comes up with some kooky gifts for me, so I just pointed to a fat quarter bundle and said, "I'd like something like that."  She said great and bought it!  So that's how I ended up with some of the fabric for the top.  They are all reproduction 1930's fabrics (Aunt Grace, etc).  That was about the time I started perusing quilting blogs and came across Oh!Fransson's site.  She had just started the Mod Sampler quilt along so I jumped in and finished up the blocks in no time.  

The furball loves him some fabric and aluminum foil

When I finally had all the right sashing, binding, and backing fabrics, I put it all together and daringly stippled it myself.  Practice?  Who needs practice?  I'll practice on the real deal :)  It turned out really great even if I did have to rip out the stitches in one place where I didn't pin baste enough.  Another lesson learned, right?

When I went to visit my grandma at Easter, I brought the quilt with me.  Of course she loves it!  She even told me I could leave it with her when I went home if I wanted.  We took it and showed it to all her friends too.  It's a great memory I'll share with my grandma from now on!

An Experiment with Fabric

I had a Moda Botany charm pack that's been sitting in my drawer since December when I bought it at Burgundy Buttons on super sale.  After much debate, I decided to use it in a stacked coin-type quilt and chose the Moda Bake Shop version.  


Problem - it needed 2 charm packs and I only had 1.  What's a girl to do?  I'd been hearing a lot about Connecting Threads from the ladies in my quilt group and decided to give them a try.  I bought some basic white Essential Thread (boring I know) and a couple of their solids charm packs to mix in with the Botany.  The colors are very nice and I was happy to find enough matching to make it work.  The fabric itself is a little more stiff and less soft than Moda (but honestly what isn't?).  Everything sewed up very well and I'm pleased with how it's turning out.  The thread works really well in my machine too.  

I'm piecing the backing with some of the Connecting Threads yardage too, so we'll see how it all comes together and is quilted, washed, and crinkly!  

Finally, an April quilt is finished!

I feel like a slacker this month since the only quilted project I finished was a table runner :(  Oh well, my Michael Miller Antiquity slash Send in the Crowns blue glittery table runner is finished in all it's fabulousness!  I stitched in the ditch using the Bernina #10 foot, which I was told over & over was amazing.  Eh, whatever.  It's done!  I may go back in the future and do some free motion to make areas really pop.  I think this is going on the wall somewhere so I can admire it :D

See the tiny crowns?  Oops, they're upside down...