Photo Swap

We had a family photos taken this week...cannot wait to see the results!

In the meantime, Mama made this quilt

as a trade for Chelsea who was up for the challenge of making us look presentable.

She sent a link of the quilt that inspired this creation,

and I think the one I created is pretty similar. 

Chelsea really liked the TP print on the back and luckily I was able to snag some on Etsy.

Although this isn't really anything I would ever pick on my own

(not crazy or busy enough for this wild gal)

I found myself falling for the bold contrast and great boy print

...and now I want one too!

Stitches for a Mama

How can you thank a mother?  Especially the one that cared for your husband all his youth...

Who molded and shaped him into the wonderful man you wanted...needed...longed to marry....

how do you return all those un-logged hours of dish detail and laundry and housekeeping and loving and hugging...

all the nightly bedtime stories and tuck-in-to-beds and life lessons and morals woven into the fabric of life... 

well, as the commercials say, these things are priceless.

But, how about a warm quilt crafted with love to wrap up in...would that repay a smidgen? 

Happy Mother's Day and thank you Michelle for all the wonderful unnoticed acts you did behind the scenes to make my husband the man his is today; you are a fantastic Mama to my Eric who will forever by your little man.

A Faux Chenille Blanket for Baby Thomas

Baby blankets are something I love love LOVE to make!

I really like the thought of a little one wrapped up in the warmth of my creation.  I came across this tutorial several years ago and it's the second time I've made a faux chenille blanket (the first was gifted to my Bigelow mama friend upon the birth of her third lovely girl).   It's a way to use a fabric that you just can't stand the thought of cutting up.  When this Michael Miller came in the mail,

I knew it would be just perfect for this project.

(I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I already had all three flannels on-hand to use for the backer!) 

Luckily they matched well and saved me a trip to the store....I did however run out of matching thread...thank you Sarah for saving me! Once all stacked up and basted, I sewed row and rows of straight lines at a 45degree angle.  

Doesn't this look like a beautiful field of corn or beans from and areal view midsummer? 

Keep up this labor of love until all the fabric is a field of lovely lines. 

A walking foot really comes in handy for this part of the project;

it can certainly be completed with a regular machine foot, but the walking foot helps feet the fabric from above which is so great when sewing multiple layers.

Now...are you ready?  It's time to use a wonderful new tool that I'm hooked on...look out in-tact fabric because you are about to become chenille! 

This specialty rotary cutter has a bottom 'shield'-the elongated portion- that you slip above the 'featured fabric' and it cuts through the layers of flannel but protects that fun cotton!

What a brilliant idea! 

This is another thing that could be done without gadgetry, but....for me the tools of the trade are half the fun.  Keep slicing between all of your rows until you have something that looks a little like this:

Isn't that wonderful too? 

With each new step I hesitate to proceed to the next step, but once completed I fall in love with this project a little more! So...on to the next step...BINDING! 

I found yet another wonderful gadget to help with this phase. 

After sewing the perimeter of the blanket with binding, these little clips hold down the edge to be hand-sewn without a single pin-stick (and I know that makes ME want to cheer!) 

Now with the hands-on portion of the blanket complete, time to pop into the washer.  Then, you'll get to see this....

the finished product-faux chenille! 

Oh sewing, how rewarding you can be!

the LOVE quilt

The Love Quilt

Every year for St. Valentine's Day I like to do something homemade for the one I love most.  (Because we all know handcrafted gifts are the best ;)

Not any old project would do for my Eric; I needed to really make it shine and show him how much all his hard work and dedication really mean to me.  

I scoured my overwhelmingly girly stash for some manly fabric...this is what I came up with:

 

Lots of lovely blue from my nautical loving husband and little pops of orange and yellow to spice things up a bit. Some green for the growing we've done and have yet to do.

I chose this HUGE Ana Marie Horner print for the back of the quilt and bordered that with some Amy Butler honeycomb print...it' hard to decide which side I like better.

 This quilt was my first attempt at a meandering stitch with a free motion foot.  That really took some getting used to, but the more I use it, the more I love it! 

I am pleased as punch with the end result!  Like my Eric this quilt gives comfort.  I'm so blessed to be married to a man I love deeply and truly enjoy being with.  He is my rock in the hard times and a soft spot to fall on when life gets too hard; a quilt will never due justice to what he is and means to me, but this one comes close.

Maybe.

 Myka the dog likes him a lot too!

Beach Quilt

Beach Quilt for Becky

 So...my dear friend Becky turned 30 (last year)....I decided that should be celebrated with a quilt. 

 And not just ANY quilt; this quilt needed to be WONDERFUL! 

 I couldn't resist this Picnic Throw by Joel Dewberry (that man has talent!)

The size is just perfect and I had so much fun choosing fabrics.

I mixed and matched Amy Butler and Heather Bailey (two of my very favorites) and added a pinch of this color and a dash of that color and I couldn't be happier with the results!

 

For the backing I used a springy green sheet to highlight all that fancy topstitching!

 

I'm so blessed to have a friend that has seen my through my ups and downs for two many years to count.

 

She really deserves the very best.

 

To my now 31 year old beach-loving, never have too much of a good thing, full of life and love and happiness friend Becky...and the fantastic friendship that continues.