Quilting

It's been awhile!

Here's the back of the baby quilt I'm making for Jamie and Andrew. Hopefully I'll see them at Christmas and I'll be able to give it to them!

Another Top Down!

Looky at what I finished today at Saturday Sewing Circle!

I set the blocks on point, so it ultimately looks quite different than Mom's. One of my favorite parts of having it on point is that the whole quilt is surrounded by color instead of white. I'm not planning on doing any borders, but it mimics that feel, anyway.

I was super disappointed tonight to notice that I have a huge error in this quilt:

I managed to piece together the whole left side all wrong! So I will be doing some unsewing. I am glad I noticed now, though, and not after I'd gotten it basted or quilted! I think I'm going to quilt it by outlining the jungle animals in the fabric for the back! I hope it turns out well. 

Getting There!

Well, I didn't get it done for the baby shower this weekend, but I'm making progress!

It is busier than I had anticipated - maybe I should have used fewer colors. Hopefully it will feel harmonious once complete.

Long-arm Quilting

I worked on Jason's quilt today. All of the fleur de lis nonsense is complete - partially because I have to take off a row of the quilt because the back isn't long enough because I hadn't planned to do this on the long-arm because I didn't have one. So, boo to that. 😩 However, did you hear that I have all the fleur de lis done? Woot!!!!

I ultimately used the stitch regulator on the fleur de lis because I couldn't see what it looked like (I was just guiding the LED along my hand-drawn pattern). The ones with the stitch regulator do look considerably better. They're very hard to see.

I'm filling in near the fleur de lis with pebbles, then broadening to shapes that look like over-easy eggs, then throwing in some whirls in preparation for the edge. I hate using the stitch-regulator for FMQ. I will have to show what I've done to Mom and see if she comments that things aren't regular enough....

With the loss of the last row, the carefully-centered fleur de lis will now be less centered. It's a good thing this is just a throw for Jason and not meant to be centered on a bed!

Jungle Bow Tie Progress

Work is progressing, albeit slowly. I didn't quilt at all while the Olympics were going on! I had to lay this out and see it to feel come gratification. These are some really little pieces!

I really like it, especially on the brown background, which totally changes the way the quilt looks!

Row by Row - Oklahoma

My last stop this trip! Look at the cute row at Cotton Pickin' Quilts in North Miami:

I also found backing to go with the paper-pieced baby quilt I'm still working on! 

Block:

Back:

And I couldn't pass up this hilarious pattern:

I thought maybe my mom and I could work on it together with batik scraps from Jason's quilt!

Row by Row - Missouri

My row from Missouri has come from Sew Simple Quilt Shoppe in Ozark:

I like the bird houses. They had it framed right by their door; it looked really bite. They also had the prettiest quilt on the wall! It was Missouri stars with wonky points and made with really big blocks. Like, layer-cake-sized. It was striking. I didn't take my phone in so silly me didn't  get a picture! Duh.

Row by Row - Springfield area

Today Jason and I bailed on my parents and children in the morning to get rows in Jacksonville, Rochester, and Springfield.  Have I mentioned how great Jason has been, driving me around to these shops?

The Jacksonville store was deceptively large.  I didn't get much, but they seemed to have it all! Cute row:

The Rochester store was peace and Applique - another vertical block.

In Springfield was the row with a profile of Lincoln's face, surrounded by log cabin blocks.  I thought that was just the funniest thing.  Again, I was disappointed that the face wasn't laser cut, but maybe I'll find a cool fabric to use with it.

As I was getting the pattern, Jason noticed this quilt hanging on the wall:

So I got the pattern.  I'd seen this on Facebook in creams and purples and thought it was so pretty, so I'll give it a try.

We're heading home tomorrow.  I'm going to try and hit two shops on the way, one in Missouri and one in Oklahoma.  We'll see how it goes!

Row by Row - Bloomington area

We made it to three stores while in the Bloomington, IL area.

First was A Quilting Bee in Mahomet.  OMG, was this ever a nice store!  Tons of fabric, lots of rulers, gadgets, and gizmos.  :-)  Here is their block:

I also got these fantastic prints to try and make one of those card table tent things that Lyla and I saw in Chicago.

Next we went to Boline's Quilt Fabric Warehouse.  We were in a bit of a hurry because we were supposed to meet my kids and parents for lunch, so I didn't shop around (plus, I had just spent a bundle in Mahomet!).  As I was chatting with the woman who gave me the pattern to their block:

she mentioned that all of their fabric, nice, quilt-shop grade fabric, was sold at $6.99 instead of the $11.99 we're used to!  Darnit.  Ooh, and they did their row two ways, one like above and one just like it but a snowy landscape. I thought that was tres cool.

The last stop was peace and Applique Too.  I love their block:

I didn't find much in the store, but look at their excellent selection of wools!

I bought some of those - a green for the tree from Boline's block and a dark, mottled brown for the eagle (I was rather disappointed that the eagle wasn't laser cut, but now I can use the wool, so that's cool enough).

Row by Row - Lincoln

Today we are spending the day in Lincoln, so of course I had to stop by the local shop, Make it Sew. I had never been there.

I got the kit.

Row by Row - Washington and Pekin, IL

The store in Washington, IL is so nice. They had a completed Row by Row there; it was really cool to see everything put together (and nice to get a peek at some of the area rows!).

Here is their row:

And here's the completed quilt that someone had brought in:

They print free patterns on the backs of their receipts.  Isn't that a cool idea?

They had sale fabric in a room, and I couldn't pass up this pretty Christmas print.  I don't know what I'm going to do with it, but I got it anyway.  I think it might work as the back to one of my snowball snowmen quilts (plus I got some batik fatties for eyeballs).

The other store I made it to in the Peoria area was Nonnie's Attic Fabric Shop in Pekin. I thought their row was simple but really pretty:

I also couldn't pass up this Christmas fabric - not for use together, I just liked them both!

Row by Row - Chicago

Oh, how I wanted to make it to two shops in Chicago! But it just wasn't in the cards. I did make it to Quilter's Quest in Woodridge:

Isn't the Ferris wheel amazing? I love it. My mom says the part on the left looks like the Chicago flag. I didn't know Chicago had a flag!

Lyla went in there with me and they had one of those cool card table forts up. She loved it. I think that's something I could figure out how to do. Maybe with lots of help from Mom.

This was a really nice store.  If I'd had more time, I'm sure I could have founds lots to buy. 

Here is the row from the other store I wanted to hit but couldn't fit in, quiltfabric.com in Westmont:

Row By Row - Iowa

Well, I really wanted to make it to the shop in Jesup, but I just didn't have time. I was, after all, bailing on Jason's family reunion to make the trip. 😜

I did make it to Quilter's Quarters in Independence, IA:

I also bought fabric for a dress for Lyla that my mom offered to make. She will love it:

Pink and purple! It doesn't get better than that to Lyla!

I really want the row from LeClaire, but we'll be driving through on a Sunday and they're closed. 😢 Grumble.

Jesup row, at Merry's Stitchins:

LeClaire row, at Expressions in Threads:

Row By Row - Kansas

I wasn't going to participate in Row By Row because I am less-than-proud of my appliqué skills, but it was just too cool if an opportunity to pass up! So while we're traveling to Jason's family reunion and to see my various friends and family and back again, I decided to do it. I'm trying to get from every state we pass through. Jason is so fantastically supportive of my habit. :-/

First stop:  Quilter's Haven in Olathe, KS

I didn't get the kit because I thought it was kind of expensive at $20. I think I can recreate it okay! I found the perfect fabric for the back of the baby quilt I'm working on, too. I ended up using solids for the quilt. I couldn't find a jungle pattern to use - but I found the best jungle flannel for the back!

Isn't it so cute?!?

Naptime

😍

Apple Stars

My mom and I went to our quarterly paper piecing class at The Cotton Cupboard today!!

We're working from Amy Garro's Paper Pieced Modern. I haven't even finished the one I started at the first class - in freaking January! :-/ And I didn't do the second quilt, just helped Mom with hers.

However, I love the Apple Stars pattern. I'm actually making the quilt for myself!

Go Big or Go Home

Finally starting to quilt Jason's quilt on my new long arm. New long arm? Oh yes, you read that right!!! Woot!!

The fleur di lis are tricky. I'm following a pattern with the LEDon the marine. 

This is the third fleur di lis. They're definitely improving.

Horn of Plenty

Mom and I took a class called Horn of Plenty at Honeybee. I sewed circles, y'all! Isn't it pretty? Batiks make pretty much anything pretty....

Staggered Blocks Progress

Yesterday was just heavenly. I had taken the day off to go to Seth's field trip to the zoo, but it was rained out, so I had the day to myself! I got up at 6:20 to help get the kids ready. They were out the door by 6:50 and then - sewing! Quilting, really. Mostly, anyway! And here's my progress:

You can see better the patterns I'm making here:

Grandma's Garden

My friend received a completed Grandma's Garden quilt top, which her grandma had made, fittingly enough! The box she received also contained some pieces of an unfinished quilt. She asked me to work on them, which I agreed to do, with the stipulation that it might take me some years to get them both done! I have been working a little on those pieces, but wanted to surprise her with the Grandma's Garden for her birthday! I finished sewing on the binding this morning and got it all washed. And we're meeting for dinner on Sunday!

What should you find in Grandma's Garden besides a kitty?

Here you can see the back.