A Wombat for Grammy

It's been a very rainy week, and I didn't dare bring this guy outside for pictures. So I setup an  impromptu quilt-backdrop, and squeezed in a photo shoot just before we headed out for Grammy's 50th Birthday Bash.

Like Poppet, this guy is made out of contrasting corduroy fabrics - a paisley print and a solid leaf green, both from Kaufmann's 21 wale corduroy collection. His nose and claws are black wool felt, and he is also stuffed with wool for the best squish.

Oh, and he originally started out with three eyelashes on each eye. I'd blame the toddler, but it was actually me who got overly zealous when stuffing. Whoops!

Blogger's Quilt Festival

I thought it would be a lot of fun to share a quilt for the 2013 Blogger's Quilt Festival! If you're visiting from the festival, welcome! I'm hope you enjoy your visit.

I made this quilt top right after mother-nature dropped an amazing 30" of snow outside my window. I based  my design on the "Strip and Flip" pattern over at Cluck, Cluck, Sew. I used a jelly-roll of Simply Color by V&Co for Moda, and carefully arranged the strips to create a rainbow gradient that transitioned well between darks and lights. Once I had everything laid out the top came together quickly, and the piecing provided some much needed color therapy.

Inspired by the blizzard, I backed this one in the coziest white flannel.  And to keep it perfectly soft I quilted it with a serpentine stitch. It washed up so soft and fluffy, perfect for cuddling under during a monster nor'easter.

As it turns out, this quilt is still with me even though I finished it a few weeks ago. It will be leaving for its new home soon, but I was able to snap a few refreshed photos today. I think it's just as cheery in early spring as it was in late winter. :)

Quilt Stats:
Size: A nice lap quilt, 52" x 75"
Pieced and Quilted by: Me! on my Janome Horizon.
Best Category: ROYGBIV

I hope you enjoy the rest of the Blogger's Quilt Festival and thank you so much for visiting!

Wombat in Progress & Proof that Fifty is Cool

My step-mother is turning FIFTY this weekend. We'll be celebrating in style with an all day party, but I wasn't sure what to do gift-wise. So I asked. And you know what her birthday
request was? A wombat to call her very own. Yep, she's cool.

So, I'm stuffing (and stuffing... and stuffing) this evening. Her head is taking shape nicely.  BabyBee is, of course, helping me. Every teeny-tiny bit of stuffing in the wombat has been subjected to a full on hug-assault. Let it also be known that Baby Bee has strict quality control standards. Wool stuffing might be prone to minor imperfections, but she's made sure to remove any "suspicious" tufts (read, "too curly" or "too yellow"). Only the best for Grammy.

And in between all her helper-duties, BabyBee is hosting a lovely tea party for her friends. 

 Life is definitely good. Very good.

A Perfect Mother's Day

I was spoiled rotten on Mother's Day, as I hope all Moms were! Not only did I receive a new camera, but I was also given the day off to do whatever my heart desired. Naturally, I choose to sew up a strap cover for my new toy. In linen!

I even convinced myself to cut into my Heather Ross stash. I just adore her prints and treated myself to five fussy cuts. The city mouse/country mouse are my favorites here -- A mama mouse with a baby carrier, and little farmer's market treats sprinkled here and there? Come on! 

For the strap's design, I loosely interrupted this camera strap tutorial by Candace @ Saltwater Quilts. The project came together quickly and easily, though as it turns out my camera strap is a lot narrower than the average. So while Candace's tutorial includes an on-board lens cap pocket (how cool is that!?), mine is much too small and narrow for that. Not to worry though, the mini-pocket is still handy for spare SD cards.

And here we are, all set to go! Hopefully one of the last iPhone pictures around here for awhile :)

Boston You're My Home

 

I've spent a lot of time reflecting, but I still don't have the right words to talk about what happened in Boston this April. Marathon Monday has always been a joyous holiday in Boston, and now some part of that has been changed forever. More humbling still is the fact that any other year, or even just a different time of day, and it could have been me or any number of my friends and family standing at the finish line.

My heart breaks for the lives lost and it aches for those whose lives have been changed forever. But for me it's important that I fill the heartache with goodness and love -- and refuse to reward evil with fear and hatred.  In these situations it is especially healing to make and give, and that's what I spent the majority of the day doing. It was cathartic and ever so therapeutic. Appropriately, this is the first block that I designed entirely myself -- this one is straight from the heart.

I am so thankful to the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild and Amy Friend for organizing this lovely tribute. I cannot wait to see the flags hanging proudly at the MFA.

Hipster Baby Quilt

This baby quilt was the perfect re-entry into quilting.  I had a lot of fun planning it, though I'll admit to obsessing over the fabric selections. I wanted something whimsical with a nod to music, but not too girly. After spending hours on etsy I found a few great Japanese linens... shipping from China. I was nervous about the wait time, but they got here just in time. I scattered the little vignettes through out the quilt, and used geometric prints in black, creams and red to balance out the rest.

There are a lot of stash builders in here too, including: Sweetwater's Mama Said Sew, several prints from Zen Chic's Comma, Chicken Wire from Oink A Doodle Moo, Timeless Treasure's Sketch, and American Jane's Pezzy Prints. I'm happy to say that I have leftovers of most :)

I also tried out a scrappy binding for the first time. I really love how it keeps your eye moving around the quilt, and it is extra cute all rolled up:

This one is straight line quilted, and backed in flannel. And it is crib size, 36" x 54".  I gave the parents-to-be the quilt this morning at their baby shower, and they were so appreciative. I wasn't expecting it to be such a hit, but it really made my day!

Patchwork in progress

Just a quick sneak peak of what I'm working on... simple, peaceful patchwork:

I plan to have this one finished up for a baby shower this weekend. More to come!