Perfect day

So far today is just one of those days that is perfectly enjoyable--and I haven't even left the house. My daughter, who is almost two, has a lot to do with it. We pretended we were animals, read books, she watched just enough Sesame Street so I could finish piecing the back for my Halloween quilt, we ate a fun but yummy lunch of waffles topped with blackberry jam and vanilla yogurt, and she just went down easily for a nap. Later, we'll drop off the quilt to the longarmer Deb and make a stop at a park.

Quilt top is ready to go and kitty approved. :)

The Halloween quilt is going to be so cute! I'm not sure how to tackle the ric rac so that it doesn't pucker the fabric though. I followed the pattern directions to just sew down the center but felt it wasn't finished looking. I then sewed down all the edges using my free-motion foot. It went pretty quickly and overall looks better. I hope the quilter can give it a little tension on her frame to straighten it out. I'll use cotton batting to make it all shrink and crinkle. Hopefully that effect will mask the slight pucker it gave the fabric and the ric rac is poly (but feels like cotton) so it won't shrink. On the previous quilt I made with ric rac, it was sewn on after the quilting and was only on a small baby-sized quilt so I didn't sew it all down.

Any tips on quilting with ric rac?

Sharing the love

After seeing this post at Sew, Mama, Sew about Iraqi Bundles of Love, I immediately knew I wanted to participate. I've got supplies ready for two packages to send over. I just need to get to the store and buy two new packages of needles and a pair of scissors to throw in each one. One is geared for baby fabrics with some panels and flannels in blue and yellow. The other is sort of a dark colored mix. I added buttons, elastic and other misc to each. I hope that it brings someone joy and above all that they can put it to good use. It feels good to share my stash, especially since I'm beginning to feel like I've been selfish in buying so darn much fabric.

Links if you want to participate too:
What to send
How to build a bundle and send it
Deadline: must be in the mail by Oct. 1

Moravian beauty

Halloween quilt indecision and decision

I had bought two Moda Chic or Treat layer cakes last year. (Not sure what I was thinking with two but they were a good deal.)

When I saw this quilt from Camille of Thimble Blossoms, I knew I wanted to make a Halloween version. I actually want to make it over and over since it is so simple and cute and I love the ric rac. I skipped the applique circles and will either applique spiders or skip it all together. The colors on this quilt are so loud that I don't think it needs the detail and I'm in a "get it done" mood.

the winning combination

I had some indecision on which way to go with the ric rac color (green or black) and which fabric to use for the top and bottom border (orange dots or purple multi dots). I've decided on the black ric rac and orange dots. It helped to photograph it to confirm what I was leaning towards anyway.

the contrast is all wrong with this combo

cute, but the black ric rac just has more pop

this top border fabric just is too busy and overwhelms the rest

Boy Oh Boy

Maple Star Chain

Another quilt finish! I'm on a roll, 3 quilts finished in less than 30 days. This quilt goes to Czech Republic also, to be given to my nephew. It's really late because he's almost a year and a half but, in my defense, it is hard to get quilts over there as I don't trust the post office and we also had a daughter a few months before they did so was very busy.

I just love the fabric! The pattern is fun too with alternating Maple Star and Star Chain blocks, with no need for sashing. I like the way the two blocks complement each other and create movement in the quilt. I fussy cut the fabric for the center of the Star Chain blocks so there were different dots in each one. It works as an I Spy quilt too.

Maple Star block

Star Chain block

The quilting is simple as I'm still not comfortable with my free motion quilting skills. The binding was double fold bias tape so I just sewed it on with a zig zag. In hind sight, the variegated thread makes the binding look lumpy. Oh well, it's still cute.

The Boy Oh Boy Oh Boy fabric is so cute!

Backing fabric

Size: ~40"x40"

Pattern: Maple Star Chain from Time-Crunch Quilts by Nancy J. Martin (minus the outside border)

Fabric: Lakehouse Boy Oh Boy line, Moda Marbles, Moda Tiddleywinks, green from Andover, and a couple misc. prints. The binding was some bias tape by the yard I had picked up ages ago.  

Thread: King Tut variegated

Quilt for my in-laws

Variation of Star Cakes

Professionally quilted with a stipple design

Backed with wide fabric from Moda, shown on left

This quilt will be heading to Czech Republic with me at the end of the month. My in-laws live there and it is a joint gift for my hubby's mother's 60th and father's 65th birthday. The quilt is a huge queen size. Here are the details on the pattern and fabric if you're interested.

I'm so glad to have it finished. It's even washed and dried so I can give it to them all crinkly. I love crinkly quilts!

Colorado toile

Image from http://greatamericanquilt.blogspot.com/

Image from http://greatamericanquilt.blogspot.com/

I just got a yard and a half of this year's Rocky Mountain Shop Hop fabric, a Colorado-themed toile. The images are actually quite big. I don't know how I'm going to use it yet, but that will hopefully be enough for something nice. The store I got it from was almost out by 2pm Friday. I hope everyone who wants some gets to the shops quickly!