Weekend Progress

I am ahead on the Shush I'm Quilting ABC BOW. Here is my F Block. I am actually working on the P is for Puppy block now. I decided to work ahead and start the girl blocks once I am done with the boy versions.

I finally broke down and started working on piecing this quilt. My embroideries were already completed. I wanted to make my version a little more scrappy than the design shows. Here it is in progress.

I embroidered it with a Valdani variegated perle cotton in rusts and browns  instead of the black that the pattern recommended.

I am using some oranges and rusts especially for some of the spacer blocks and for the leaves that will be appliqued on, but also lots of browns and golds from my scraps.

I found a gorgeous leaves print for my border in my stash, I think it may have been inherited from my sister.

Hopefully, I will get this completely pieced today. Then I can applique it, later in the week. I have parent/teacher conferences this week, so most of my evenings will be shot. But, I will have Friday off, so a three day weekend to look forward to...I need to trace the leaves for appliqueing and iron them. Then I find, they peel off better if I let them sit over night. I also hope to get started on this month's Schnibbles pattern, Clover, maybe I can at least get that cut this afternoon. Thank you for stopping by!

Welcome to the Jungle Finish

I made one of these last year for a friend from work. She had painted the nursery with jungle animals. She requested these colors and jungle prints. I was pretty horrified by the jungle prints, but in the end I thought it was one of the cutest baby quilts I have ever made. I had lots of fabrics left over and decided to make another one since I forgot to take pictures of the first one and all that extra fabric needed to be put to use!

The blue animal prints (above the lion and below to the right side) were VIP fabric left overs that have been in my stash for years. They are perfect and I wish I had some more of them!

The animal embroideries were designed by Jo Ann Mullaly for her "Animal Crackers" design. I enlarged them and changed the middle to say "Welcome to the Jungle." I used a lime green perle cotton #8 for both the embroideries and the quilting.

I quilted it by hand just outlining the squares and rectangles.

The center square.

I used some of one of the VIP prints as a strip with the pieced back. I had to use some of the zebra print for the binding!

I do not have a particular baby in mind for this, I will just put it in my stash of already made baby quilts until I find the right baby for it! At least this time around, I have taken lots of pictures!

ABC Baby Quilt

My hubby told me Friday he needed a baby quilt for one of his friends. I have been asking for months if they were having a boy or girl and he has not bothered to find out...They are expecting a baby girl, but there have been some complications, so they have had to go over to Denver for the baby's delivery and a surgery after she is delivered. Fingers crossed that all will go well! If I had known it was a girl months ago like I asked, I would be doing the girl embroideries for the Shush I'm Quilting BOW quilt along.

I dug through my stash of pre-made quilts and found this one. The letters are a panel and this is the second one like this I have made. One of our local quilt shops designed it several years ago, they have since gone out of business. :( Some of the fabrics are 30's prints. I was not able to get any more of the red to use as a binding like I used in my first version. I hope the cheery fabrics will be a hit.

This was one of my first attempts at long arm machine quilting. I used the shell groovy board. Since then I am much more comfortable with free motion quilting.

I picked a 30's back with daisies. You can't get much happier than that! I cheated and did the binding by machine.

The quilting just kind of blends in with the busy patterns.



Sunday Sewing

Here is my ABC BOW "F is for Fort" for the quilt along at Shush I'm Quilting. I have actually managed to get ahead on these blocks...I plan on starting the girl version soon! I just need to photocopy from the book for tracing.

I traced the rest of the alphabet and am looking forward to making this into a top. It is hard to see, but the puppy is ultra cute!

This UFO door banner I inherited from my sister. I finished machine blanket stitching around the leaves, the vine, the acorn, and the bird. There is a little embroidery that needs to be added, the veins on the leaves and "be thankful." I have not decided if I will keep it for myself or give it back to her. I sent her the two seasonal embroidery BOM quilts I had also inherited. I inherited the kits and I already had made the same ones for myself last year. I sent her fall and winter, but still need to start spring and summer. It is a long winter in Western Colorado and I usually get a lot of handwork done, so I should get to them soon.

This is the October BOM 6 inch for the Country Threads Free Sampler Pattern. I am making it entirely from scraps and my stash. I refuse to buy anything for it!

This is the 12 inch block for the Country Threads Sampler. We have been making a 6 inch and a 12 inch block each month since January.

I also spent a hunk of the day doing laundry, my favorite chore:), and making 2 kinds of shepherd's pie and a pumpkin spice chocolate chip bundt cake. I am hosting my book club tomorrow night. It is much easier to make the meal ahead of time and enjoy my friends instead of slaving in the kitchen. Fall has definitely arrived here, so I tried to make my menu seasonal. We will also have a spring greens, pear, feta, and walnut salad. We are discussing Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt. I liked it and I am curious to hear what everyone else thinks.

I have a few baby quilt finishes that I will post as soon as I can get outside and get some decent pictures.

ABC BOW Block E

I really like this block. The whole science theme is perfect for a little boy's quilt.  I am anxious to get more blocks done since they are so adorable. It was a rough week at work, I hope to find some peace with my quilting and embroidery. We have Monday off and I sure need it! Thanks for checking in.

Schnibbles Mercerie

I used some scraps that are Tanya Whelan's Dolce. They were part of my fabric inheritance from my sister. I was trying to challenge my tastes with this fabric and go for something a little more modern...I probably should have used a different light fabric in the middle of the blocks as was shown in the pattern pictures. I am not in love with it, but I don't hate it either...Just rather indifferent with it!

ABC BOW C & D Blocks

These are so quick! I don't know how I let myself get behind. I took them with me to Vail and did not touch them. I did mange to take a luxurious bubble bath, finish up a book, and go out to an amazing dinner on both nights! No sewing, but definitely relaxing.

Seeing everyone else's girl blocks is getting me thinking that I should being doing some of those too!