Some finishes

I haven't posted in awhile.  Things are crazy here and none of it fun to write about.  So, brushing that all aside I have some finishes to show you.

I have been participating in "Project Quilting" over at Kim's Crafty Apple.  This is such a fun idea.  Challenges are posted at noon on Sunday and the project must be FINISHED by the following Sunday at noon.  Seriously, there are some truly talented quilters out there.  Check out some of the amazing things these folks are getting done.  Include the fact that they are done in a week and it is pretty mind blowing.

The first challenge was Architectural elements.  My first thought was an Arch.  Arches are everywhere and easy recognizable.  Here is my inspiration...

And here is my piece.

I've never done curved piecing before but I think it turned out really nice.  I had intended to add some more elements but I ran out of time.  I literally finished this at like 11:59 on Saturday night. And as I don't sew on the Sabbath I'd say that's pushing it!

 The second challenge was "Making Music", we were to choose a song and create a piece inspired by that song.  I choose "You Are My Sunshine".  

My grandparents loved this song and my grandpa often sang it to his sweetheart.  In their honor I quilted their brand in the lower right hand corner.

I think it turned out really cute and it is so much brighter and fun then these pictures show.  I did better on this weeks challenge, I finished it Saturday afternoon.  Yeah, me!

My monthly UFO challenge for January was #3, "Moda Milk Chocolate Candy Bar".

I decided to make a quilt I found at the Moda Bake Shop.  The pattern is called A Charming Maze.  I made mine using a different technique then the author.  I am putting together a tutorial on how I made my quilt.  I am in love with it.  This is a picture before I had all the blocks together. (Ignore the mess, I was too busy sewing to clean.  I promise it looks much better now!)

 I am calling my quilt "Ah-Mazing"

The patterned called for a large boarder, 9 1/2 inches.  I picked out a fabric that had some of the same colors swirled on a cream back ground.  I added the border and suddenly didn't like my quilt as much as I had 20 minutes earlier.

The border just washes out the quilt.  So... The border is coming off and a smaller, medium toned border will be added.  I will post those pictures when it's done.

So.... does this really count as a finished UFO.  I'm going with YES!  My goal was to complete the top and I did!   Just because I'm going back to fix the border doesn't mean I didn't finish, right?!?!?!?

I'm excited to get this one finished and to the long arm quilter.  I think it is going to be so beautiful!

This months challenge... #8.

Baby Quilt

Our friend Robin had a sweet little boy, Corey Scott, on December 27th.  He is adorable.

I had wanted to make a quilt for the little guy!  I started searching for a simple quilt pattern that would be great for a baby.  I was getting a little frustrated.  I found plenty of simple patterns but they were so plain.  I also wanted to use a flannel fat-quarter pack that I had so it needed to be at least a little scrappy.  

Then I found this great tutorial over at Diary of a Flutter.Kat!   It was exactly what I was looking for.  If you have never been over to her blog you should check it out!

I decided to do a 3 x 3 lay-out.  I think it turned out great!  My kids weren't sure they wanted to give it to the baby.  It is soooo soft.

I took these pictures with my phone and it almost makes the background look like an oatmeal color.
It's not, it's actually a really nice sagey green.

I heard once that the Amish always intentionally make a mistake in their quilts, because only God is perfect.  I have absolutely no idea if this is true or not but I like the idea and use it to explain my quilting screw-ups.  So we'll call this block my Amish block.

(Oopps, It was way to far in the process to fix this when I found it.)

Close up of the froggy pin wheel.  

The back!  Aren't these frogs cute!

Thanks for the Tutorial Kat!  

UFOs - a fail and a new start

As you may know I am participating in a UFO challenge with my quilt group.

The number drawn for November's challenge was #12.  I nearly cried.

Have you ever had a UFO that has been hanging around forever.  The quilt seemed like a good idea at the time, but now it's just kind of an albatross hanging around your quilt stash.  That's how I felt about #12, the denim I-Spy quilt.

Original animation found at hawaiireporter.com

My denim I-spy quilt was born when my kids were little.  They loved to play I-spy so I thought a quilt they could throw on the ground, use for a picnic blanket, get dirty, etc would be great!  So I started collecting denim and novelty fabrics.  I have a ton of denim and tons of novelty scraps.  My friends and family have been helping for years.  I told them if they had any novelty scrap that was at least a 5 inch square to send it my way.  And I had tons of friends giving me old worn out or otherwise unwearable blue jeans.

So what's my problem?  It took me years to get to this point and my kids are no longer little and no longer into playing I-Spy.

I put this UFO on my list in hopes that it would motivate me to finish it.  Then to add even more incentive, our group decided that with Christmas going on it was just too much to choose a UFO for December so the November quilt would get two months to finish.  Great timing right?  Two months to work on my least favorite item on the list.

Well my planned failed!  I didn't even touch the thing!  So here's what I've decided.  I'm not going to finish the denim I-spy quilt.  I've decided to just redo my thinking and make a denim patriotic quilt instead.  I think it is something I can finish without a great deal of time and no more worrying about an I-spy quilt my kids are too old to enjoy now anyway.

I will figure out something to do with the novelty scraps, I'm just not sure what yet!

This month #3 was chosen.  I'm really excited about this one!  I'm not 100% sure what direction it's going to take yet but I have a pretty good idea of what I want.  Wish me luck.