In progress.

52 1/8 yard pieces of fabric.

I have been wanting to make the color wheel quilt from the book Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts (which is on sale at Amazon right now for $10.50 btw, A-MAZING).  It's getting close to finished, but I've had to stop and work on this book instead.  I hate you GRE.  I will defeat you Monday...I hope.  Back to re-learning algebra now...

Pink and blue

Remember these fabric piles?

Well they have become baby blankets over the last few weeks.  Here is some eye candy:

Strips waiting to be cut on my new ironing board, LOVE!

All pinned.

And finished!

Terry hand embroidered the label for me, thanks T!

All lined up and ready sew :)

Dakota helped me pin it.  Thanks, Dakota.

Pinned nice and neat, ready for quilting!

I'm not sure how to flip my photo on here :(  But again, hand embroidered by Terry :)

Not a great picture, but it's the best I had of the completed quilt as I didn't finish the binding until we drove into the driveway for the baby shower, and the label didn't get put on until after the mommy-to-be opened the gift.  Oh well, she loved it anyways!  You ever work down to the very last minute (and sometimes beyond)???

I love making something as a gift, it just means so much more.  I always feel extra loved when I get a homemade gift.  I hope you treasure your homemade gifts as much as I do.  

PS.  This post was written about a week ago, I was just waiting on a picture.  I decided that I shouldn't wait any longer or I would never get around to posting it.  I'll try to post more frequently, there are a few other projects I'm working on and ready to show you!

Oh how I love the long arm.

So I re-learned how to use a long arm and I think I like it even better now than I did the first time around.  Such a fast and fun way to quilt.  You must understand, the quilting is always my least favorite part.  It can make or break a quilt and I always agonize over how to finish the quilts that I have put so much time into.  I don't think I'll dread the process any longer, the machine that I used at the Sew and Quilt Shop in Bunnell, FL was wonderfully easy and fun.  Plus reasonably priced and the women that work there are so friendly, can't beat it!  Anyways, here is what I accomplished:

Ta-da!  I give you the couch quilt.

The strip was supposed to end up slightly less central, but oh well, I'm happy with the overall appearance :)

So very impressed with myself...I know that there are errors, but this is a first attempt people!

The color is bad, but check out those quilting lines!!!

It is now being happily used on my couch while it awaits a label.

Farmer's Wife quilt-a-long

I have been wanting to join the Farmer's Wife quilt-a-long that has taking the sewing blogging world by storm since week one.  I finally got around to it last Friday...it was a semi-success.  I decided to build them in the order they are listed in the back of the book.  My square came out to be ~6.25 inches square, and then I cut it down to 6 inches square (because the book said they were 6 inch finished squares).  After I finished the 2nd block, I realized that I couldn't cut it down and I shouldn't have cut down the first one...oops.  So I have one that is way too small, and another that is slightly too small.  Hopefully it will get better as I go!

Have to redo this one...

I really like the fussy cutting on this one, so even though it is slightly smaller than it should be, I'm keeping it.

I've also been working on my chain linked quilt.  It only took 4 hours to learn how to use the long arm machine and quilt my quilt.  I'm still working on the binding, slowly but surely!!!

Dakota is helping as usual :)

I'm also getting ready to start working on 2 baby quilts, right now they are both a pile of fabric full of potential:

Girly Quilt

Pure Boy

Time to iron all that fabric and start cutting!!!  I love having a project.

A fun week

We had a blast on the cruise!!  I didn't get much sewing done, but I did manage a few small stitches on one afternoon:

Making hexies while sunbathing and listening to a book on tape.

I love these people!!!

Tomorrow I am headed to one of the local quilt shops to learn (once again) how to use a long arm sewing machine, should be fun!!

Going to the Bahamas

In just 2 days, I will be on a cruise ship headed to the Bahamas!!!  So excited, especially about the food.  I love food, can't help it, and I love being able to order as many dishes as I want.  I'm a little indecisive, so I like that I can try a little of whatever strikes my fancy.  But it is important to note that I don't like to waste food, so my tummy better be ready to digest!  I am going to bring my hand sewing along with me incase I get a chance to relax on deck with a needle and thread, hopefully some progress will be made :)

In other news, I just finished a quilt top:

It's a pattern called "Chain Linked" by Amy Smart and the pattern can be purchased here.

Doesn't it look pretty up against my window?

When I get back from my cruise, I will be headed to the local quilt shop and learning to use a long-arm machine.  I've used them before and enjoyed how quickly a quilt can be quilted, can't wait to learn a new machine and get back to long-arm quilting!  Looking forward to cruising and then getting home to quilt, what an exciting week I have ahead of me!  Hope yours is good too :)

A crazy month

This month has been a crazy and fun one!  I am a nursing student, and I have the summer off this year, YAY!!!  Since summer started, I've ben camping twice, watched my little sister graduate from college, and watched one of my very best friends marry the love of her life.  So there has been a lot of traveling involved.  Back in January, I decided that I needed a hand sewing project to do in the car and on trips.  I decided on an English-paper piecing hexagon quilt after reading a blog called texas freckles.  She is having a piece-along, and I couldn't resist.  They had so many ideas and beautiful hexies, so I picked up some jelly rolls I had lying around, started cutting....and became obsessed!!!

 This is my original fabric (whatever I had lying around the house!)

At some point, I realized that I needed a plan, so here it is: all the yellows will be the same, each set of green/blue will be different, the whites will be white and the orange will be composed of the left over colored hexies in a random pattern :)

This is the last picture that I have of the "finished hexies" back when I had only 425 done, all my ducks in a row!

Since then, I have finished all of my colored hexagons and most of my white hexies.  I have also begun to whipstitch the flowers together...I only have 3 and half done, they are taking a lot longer than I thought they would!!!  Here they are:

I LOVE them!!!

So while I have been working on these gems, I was also doing all of those other important/exciting things I mentioned earlier.  Forgive me, but I must brag on my little sis for a moment:  Gabrielle graduated from Elon University with honors and a double major as a magna cum laude.  She has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship, and will be headed to Taiwan for a year in August.  I'm so proud of/happy for her!

I'm a proud Elon sister :)

I'm going to be making her a "graduation quilt" as her present, but I wanted her to be able to help me choose what she wants, so no plans yet.  She is on a graduation cruise right now, but when she gets back, there will be LOTS of sister time and planning.  There is so much more to share, but I think this post is long enough already.  So until another day, tata!