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!

Binding...

Today I have been working on binding a quilt.  I love hand stitching the binding on the back.  I guess I like it because it's (usually) the only part of the quilt that I sew by hand and it feels more personal somehow.  And I love making so that the stitches are invisible.  And nicely mitered corners make me smile every time. Just look:

Machine sewn on the front...

...and hand stitched on the back :)

This is a quilt I am making for some very good friends of mine who are getting married at the end of the month.  Size wise, it's somewhere between queen and a king.  It should be done in a few days and I am so excited to give it to them.  Not that I think that they will be checking out my blog, but I won't be posting pictures until after I give it to them.  Back to binding, tata for now!

Here we go!

Hello blogging world :)  I read a lot of sewing and quilting blogs and I have decided to start one myself.  I started quilting in November of 2009, and I am now totally addicted!  I started quilting because I couldn't find a bedspread that I liked.  I ventured to Joann Fabrics and bought WAY too little fabric, looked up a log cabin tutorial online and started cutting (by hand, with scissors...) the pieces I thought I would need to make a queen sized quilt.  There were many bumps and mishaps along the way, but I learn best by doing, and I learned so very much in this first attempt.  It took me around 8 months to finish the quilt that got me started, and I love snuggling up underneath it each night.

The finished product, so proud :)

The colors are a little distorted, the lighting is better here:

Always makes me smile :)

While I was working on that quilt, I completed  a few other projects.  I'll post pictures of my other early attempts soon.  I like blogs with lots of pictures and few words, I'll try to be one of those!  Ready to get to know me a little?  Well ready or not, blogging world, here I come!