Feeling some kind of way....no more!!!

I was visited by the Birthday fairy over the weekend and was gifted with the Brother sewing machine that I wanted to get! I was so happy and excited to begin sewing!

So on Sunday I started working on the next nieces' quilt....but have realized that I will need to add at least 1 border (these are not sewn together, just laid out).

I asked her mother what her favorite colors are and she provided me with: black, pink, purple, blue, and green. So this is what I came up with. Unfortunately I followed the pattern wrong and sewed 5 strips together instead of just 4....so the quilt isn't very proportionate...but I will figure something out...

And last night I came across a pin on Pinterest for some coasters that I thought was absolutely adorable. I have over 111 different fabrics already cut into 2x2" squares and they were perfect for this. Unfortunately it is hard for me to give credit for the design as I can't locate the website, but it was posted by Teje Karjainen. I didn't have the colors she used, so I decided to go with some other ones.

They were done in a hurry so they are a little sloppy, but I was so excited I just couldn't stop last night and ended up finishing them. Now I want to make more, and maybe some placemats.....but do I have enough fabric to do all of that???

Oh well....I'm back to being a Happy Quilter again!

~~Happy Quilting to all of you!~~

 

 

 

Feeling some kind of way....

So I have been without a working sewing machine for about 2 weeks now and am getting increasingly frustrated. Almost to the point that I want to go out and buy one. The one that I have is an old, borrowed singer from a family friend. I need to at some point get it fixed, but I noticed that when I am finishing my binding that is when it messes up the most. I am thinking it is too thick for that machine. And I feel like if I keep using it even after I get it fixed it will continue to crash and cause problems.

That's how I feel right about now because I really don't have the money to buy a new machine or have hers fixed, but I know I really need to do both.

I know all of you out there in webland can't really help, just felt like I needed to get my dilemma out there. Get it off my chest and see what I can do about it.

IF I do get a new machine I was looking at a Brother SQ9185. There are several reviews, mostly good and a few bad. But we all know that when machines make things not all 100% of the items are in good working condition. Look at all the recalls that are placed on different items. Most notably cars and kids toys. So I would expect to see negative reviews on products.

I saw another one that I REALLY like, but sadly I can't afford another car payment. A Bernina 780. I saw a YouTube video on how to pick your new sewing machine and they were using this one. I happened to like it until I looked up the cost....$10,999....I can barely afford one for $200 I know I can't afford that!

So my dilemma continues....as I search for an inexpensive but good repair shop for my borrowed singer.....

~~Happy Quilting~~

 

Purple-urple has been completed!

Here's another finish for this year. The Purple-urple quilt for me sister's daughter has been completed! I only wish I had used the fabric that I chose for the binding for the backer instead of the binding. But she LOVES purple, so I'm sure she will love this quilt~

 

 

I tried to change the 9 patch up a bit, but I realized that I sewed them all together with the same light purple block in the middle. So they didn't vary much in the design.

 

Hopefully for the next 9 patch that I do I will remember that!

 

Let me know what you think!

 

~~Happy Quilting everyone~~



Need some suggestions.....

Ok guys and gals....a few years ago I was big into making fabric bowls and have all this fabric cut up waiting to be made into bowls. And now I'm into quilting, so I am not sure what to do here...

 

Here is a pic of my favorite bowl that I made. It is the size of a small petrie dish as it was made around it. There are watermelons, strawberries and small blue flowers and I absolutely adore it!

 

When I made my first one it was only 2 layers of fabric so it was VERY flimsy. This one has 4 layers...I think....

 

 

I absolutely loved making these bowls, just didn't follow the directions too well...I don't have a lot of patience. You need:

*modge podge *rubber gloves *1/2" craft paintbrush *protected work surface *and LOTS of 2" fabric squares in your selected color scheme.

 

 

What you do is take a bowl, any bowl, depending on the size you want your finished product to be. Cover it in saran wrap, and spray that with cooking spray. I normally have a working surface of some press and seal over some paper or cardboard so I can move it around...and so the modge podge doesn't stick the fabric to your table....

 

My patience is when you are putting the fabric on the bowl...you start on the bottom of the bowl and work your way down and onto the table to create a design you like and enough of the spikes to your liking. You are 'supposed' to wait 24 hours between layers...that is where I do not wait. I do all the layers in 1 sitting and then let it dry. You need a butter knife to get the fabric bowl off of the base, but if you try enough you will get it off. I then wait another day or 2 for the inside to dry. If you take it off before the outside is dry it may not form like you want. Then I just decorate with puff paint to add some pizzazz to the points.

 

So here is my dilemma....maybe you all can offer some suggestions for turning my bowl squares into quilting projects? I have all of this fabric and am not sure what to do with it...suggestions?

 

 

 

 



The 3rd sister is finally complete!

So I finally finished all 3 of the quilts for my nieces that are sisters. What's funny is the youngest one just turned 13 last weekend and my daughter was at her sleepover. She was telling my daughter that she isn't special because both of her sisters' had received blankets (quilts) from me and she didn't...well that's because her Aunt didn't have it finished. I finished it this past Friday, washed and dried, and was going to take it to her on Saturday. But I woke up with a bit of an upset stomach so I didn't take it. She will definitely get it this weekend though, and I hope she likes it.

 

 

I decided to call it Braid-iful since I think it is a beautiful set of braids. The fabrics that I used on the back are from her sister's quilts. The green is the binding on the middle girl, and the binding on this quilt is the back of the same girls' quilt.

 

I wanted to try and tie the 3 of them together since they are sisters. Unfortunately I didn't get that idea until AFTER I did the quilt for the oldest sister. So hers doesn't have any of her sisters' quilts in it. But I know she still loves it!

 

So now that I can put this trio behind me, I can work on the one niece that only has a brother.

 

If only there was more time in a day and more money to buy fabric!

 

Until next time...happy quilting!

 



My VERY first quilt......well sort of....

So I thought I would share the first 'quilt' I ever made. Although I don't consider it a quilt, some of you out there may.

 

I found the patterns in a book of Winnie the Pooh designs. It was the cover project and I absolutely adored it!

 

Unfortunately the fabric that they used for the blanket I couldn't find so I used some that would make it look cute for a little girl.

 

I started the project before I ever became pregnant, but was trying. I didn't know if it was going to be a girl or boy until the day they took her from my belly. So after she was born and I was home I worked on the center block.

 I think it took me a few years to actually put it all together, but I finished it. Please forgive all the wrinkles that are in it as I don't let me daughter sleep with it. I'm too scared at this point...always have been. It is kept in a canvas bag so it won't get dirty.

 

 

 

I have found some mistakes over the years and that upsets me like you would not believe. But I have learned not to look at the quilt if I don't want to get mad at myself.....but sometimes I can't help to look at it....it's so darn cute!

 

At the time I didn't know how to actually do the quilting to keep the layers together and I wanted to add something more to the quilt. So I bought some cute buttons and tied ribbon through all the layers of the quilt to keep the sandwich together. Some of the ribbons have come undone so I tied them in knots.

 

What's sad is I still have another Piglet and Eeyore block in storage to use for pillows......My daughter just turned 11 so I have had this for over 10 years and have not done anything with them.....shame on me.

 

The back of the quilt is just one big block of the pink fabric that you see in between the blocks.

 

Once I am able to get to storage I will take a picture of how the quilt looks on the book with the fabric that they used. I love and the fabric they used and would have loved to make the quilt with that fabric, but I'm very proud of the quilt.

 

Let me know what you think.....Happy Quilting!