Just Bee Cuz

There is something so addicting about quilting blogs. I know my Mom is intrigued by them, so when she stumbled upon this post from "Make it Do," she heartily encouraged me to make the quilt described. Incidentally, we ended up over at the quilt store, where I saw this bumble bee fabric from Timeless Treasures.

Naturally, I had seen it before, but I never had a project in mind for it. My Mom was with me and, since my birthday was coming up, she promised to buy the fabric as my gift. So, there I am staring down those bees, straining my mind (which really hurts by the way), and trying to envision something great with these funny little bugs that are just buzzing to be bought. This is about the time that my Mom suggests using it for the "half squares on point" quilt.

Needless to say, it is entirely out of the norm for me (I usually go for deep, rich colors and more complicated patterns), but I am hopelessly in love with this quilt!

Of course, the back proved to be absolutely adorable too, and I'm now creating a pattern to use the bee block for the front of another quilt.

So...thank you Calli for posting the pattern and the tutorial...thank you Gail Cadden for designing those charming little bumble bees...and most especially, thank you Mom for finding the pattern and providing the fabric!

Homemade or Store Bought?

Check it out! I finally got over to my sister's place to take a picture of the first blanket I EVER quilted!

Isn't it beautiful? It was a jelly roll project, and it looks nothing like my other projects. However, for some bizarre reason I liked it and thought my sister might too. Of course, she didn't realize that I had made it until months after I gifted it. She thought it was store bought! I didn't know whether to be flattered or offended...the optimist in me eventually won out though, and I'm still thoroughly flattered! (If you look carefully at the picture, then you may be able to find the butterfly that finally convinced my sister that I made the quilt.)

Mom's Burgandy/Green Quilt

Last year I found myself being interviewed by a judge to be on a jury. In response to one of the questions, I replied (without thinking), "It seemed like a good idea at the time." Since then, I have realized just how applicable that statement is to so many decisions that I have made!
Take this quilt for example. You see, we never intended for Mom's quilt to be green. It was supposed to be burgandy and rose. Green was supposed to be the accent color. Boy, did we ever accent it! We kept finding ourselves attracted to the floral prints, which naturally had green in them. Anyway, it wasn't until we looked at our collection that we recognized our blunder. It was such a beautiful compilation though that it would be a shame to not make it that way. And, it did seem like a good idea at the time!
Still, it turned out quite beautifully, and Mom was just as pleased with the quilt!
The pattern is one that we found in Colorado. It calls for 1 jelly roll to make a throw quilt, but we wanted specific colors and styles.

Of course, just as other fashion venues have trends, so does the quilting world (For some reason quilters are getting stuck on batiks and civil war fabrics right now). Well, considering the options we had for jelly rolls, we just bought our fabric off the bolt and cut our own 2 1/2 inch strips. Then we enlarged the quilt size to fit the bed. The only dilemma we found with the pattern was the excessive amount of fabric left over. We solved that problem by turning it into a border.

My favorite feature though, is the butterfly! I've appliqued plenty of butterflies, but this time I wanted to try something different. It was a lot more work, but it was worth it! I selected some of the scraps from the quilt, cut the right shapes, and appliqued the entire ensemble together. Isn't she a pretty little butterfly?
The next step was to quilt the masterpiece. Patches has become one of my favorite quilt stores, since I took the Gammill quilting course there. I quilted the Watercourse pantograph in green thread, and the subtle effect is gorgeous! I wanted to set it up on the bed as soon as it was quilted, but, as with all quits, the binding remained to be done. You know, sometimes it feels like quilts never end because there are so many steps! However, after just a few weeks, the quilt was finally completed, and ready to be displayed!
Best of all though was how much Mom loved it!

My "Everything But the Kitchen Sink" Charm Quilt

Sometime last year, I found myself in Mormon Handicraft in Utah. They had these charm packs of RJR's "Everything But the Kitchen Sink" fabric. Now, normally I wouldn't look twice at vintage material, but the 90% off sticker has a way of drawing a person's attention. And...well, the price was too good to resist! The end result was creating, what has become, one of my favorite quilts! It is so completely NOT me! I don't make quilts in the primary colors, or vintage prints! It proved to be really fun though. Perhaps it's because it didn't cost as much, so I didn't fret and worry. I simply enjoyed assembling the charms.

Now, I did add the red that is seen throughout the quilt and border. Plus, the binding and backing. Of course, the backing was a wonderful little bonus! Quilt Emporium happened to have this adorable yellow, vintage nursery rhyme print that is extra wide. It measures over 50 inches wide, so I didn't have to piece the backing!
And who wouldn't love the design that I quilted into it?!

My only dilemma now is that I find myself being drawn to the vintage fabrics! I seem to be gaining an appreciation for too many styles! Oh, who am I kidding? I just LOVE fabric!

Curby's Closet Boots

I feel like such a slacker because I haven't written much this week. Between reading and sewing I find my attention being drawn away from the computer altogether. Why write my mindless thoughts when I can read the powerful insights and research of doctors and inspired men? Even as I type this, I find myself looking longingly at one of my new books. However, I simply must share my latest quilting accomplishments!

My father's cousin's daughter (if that makes any sense!) is pregnant and the baby shower was tonight. So, for the gift, I made my usual soft, cuddly, minkie blanket.
Then, I tried something new. You see, while on the Southern California Quilt Run, we found a pattern for baby boots that was a must since I know so many people that are pregnant! The company is called Curby's Closet, and they are just about the cutest thing that you can put on a baby's feet! The boots are made with quilted fabric, which you can do on your basic sewing machine. You then cut the quilted fabric and sew it all together in boot form.

Didn't they turn out sweet?! I suddenly want to make them in every color, theme, and size because I am so excited about them! They are really easy to make, and look really impressive. They especially look nice with the overall gift. Don't you think? It just tops the whole thing off by adding that final touch of perfection.

One Block Wonder

It's finally finished! My first One Block Wonder is sewn, quilted, and bound. I've actually made a few others following this pattern, but this quilt is still my favorite. Then again, this one is in my favorite colors, and it was the very first "one block wonder" that I ever pieced...
The basic premise behind this pattern is to transform one fabric from a repetitive panel into a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork. There are a number of different patterns for this. Some call it a "Stack 'N Whack." Personally, I like Maxine Rosenthal's book. It's great for someone that likes to work independently (something that I appreciate). The instructions are easy to understand, and she covers all the bases including how to choose a fabric. Movement is key to a beautiful One-Block-Wonder. Consequently, I chose a fabric with water, feathers, and floral aspects.
Isn't the quilt just lovely? You should see the original fabric though...

Not nearly as pretty as my interpretation-don't you agree? It's a Kona Bay Fabric from 2006, and I believe that I have greatly improved it.

Now, Rosenthal suggests two different shapes that can be used to create the quilt. You can either use the octagon or the hexagon. I used the hexagon here. It's my preference between the two. As you place the blocks together, you find additional hexagons. It tricks the eye (and makes it very easy to mix the blocks up, so you must be careful when assembling). The octagon is amazing too. However, it requires corner pieces which makes it a square, so it's easier to tell where one block ends and another begins. The hexagon is not as obvious.
The best part of this pattern though (my favorite feature) is that no quilt can ever be duplicated!

A "Garden Path" to Frustration!

Sometimes I think that brilliance borders on insanity. This month's issue of The Quilter Magazine has a pattern for "Garden Path Place mats." Being the imaginative (and somewhat deranged) person that I am, I thought it would be great to use the roses of the pattern in a border around my mystery/"Triple Play" quilt. Sounds like a beautiful touch doesn't it? Now, if only Pam Bono hadn't left a couple of things out of the pattern! For instance, each of the pieces get cut down by 30%! Do you know how painful it is to see so many scraps discarded on the floor? OH THE PAIN! Alright, so maybe I'm being a little dramatic. In all seriousness though, it is a lot of wasted fabric, but I suppose it would be a rather finicky pattern if you cut it any other way.
The other tip, or secret, that Pam doesn't share is how long it takes to piece those roses together! I set a small goal for myself today. I thought, "I'll just put 10 roses together. It should only take a couple of hours...right?" WRONG! There are 21 pieces to the rose. I only made it through 12 of them.
Naturally, I still think that it would really take the mystery quilt to the next level with those roses in a border. Of course, that means I'll have to keep working on them, and hopefully get 25 of them (you know-to really make the border spectacular). I just need to plan more time to make them I guess. It's a good thing that I still have three months until the mystery quilt show and tell.
Now I just need to figure out whether this whole scheme is inspiration or insanity...

Suspense & Mystery

There are those that love suspense and surprises. They thrive on the unknown. They long for that feeling of anticipation and the excitement that accompanies it. There is nothing more exhilarating than those suspended moments of mystery, right? Not to me! I am the type that has to read the last chapter of the novel to know that everything turns out okay. I read the instructions from start to finish so that I know what to expect in each step. From childhood to adolescence I nearly always knew what my birthday gifts would be. However, my mother has honed her skills of secrecy, and I haven't a clue about what I should expect for my birthday this year! Add to that the fact that I still have two weeks until my birthday! Of course, my mother (like so many mothers) knows my character better than I know myself, so, as Jane Austen's Mrs. Bennet would say, "[She] takes delight in vexing me!" For three days now, she has been taunting me with reminders that I will be completely surprised. Then, to add further insult to injury, she informed me (and has repeatedly reminded me) that I actually held her handwritten birthday gift list in my hands! Oh, how I wish that I had known to be nosy last week!

At least, I was able to appease one element of surprise in my life. You see, as a quilter, I thrive on selecting beautiful fabrics. I then take great delight in slicing them up - just to re-piece them into some new pattern. About three months ago, I went to Cotton and Chocolate (one of my favorite local quilt stores). While there, I somehow allowed myself to be manipulated into signing up for the mystery quilt pattern. The premise behind the mystery pattern is that you only receive one step of the quilt's construction per month for six months. This means that when I began the quilt, I had no concept of how the finished product would appear. I selected fabric, which you can see in the attached photo, and stepped out into the unknown! I was so proud of myself for taking such a great leap of faith...which lasted all of 12 hours. I then logged onto the Internet to search out a photo of "Triple Play" by Debbie Caffrey. By the way, I would like to send out a big "THANK YOU" to all those that made this mystery quilt and posted pictures of their completed quilts! I am now completely assured of two things. First, my mystery quilt will be absolutely gorgeous! Second, I can't handle suspense!

Gammill

Miracle of miracles! Get this-it was actually warm at Patches today! Usually I have to dress in multiple layers to stay warm while I quilt on the Gammill machines, but today was really quite nice. I quilted the blanket that was originally supposed to be a stack 'n whack butterfly, but became an octagon one block wonder. Of course, this all makes complete sense, right? Okay, so maybe not for you, but it makes sense to me. Basically, I got to spend the day wishing that the Gammill machine I was using was mine...if only! Not that I really have the space for one. I mean, even the smallest quilting frame requires at least 12 feet (and that's just for the frame and machine), then there is the necessary operating space...oh well, it will just have to sit on my "when I'm filthy stinkin' rich wish list." Until then, I'll borrow Patches'.