Graduation Quilt

The second great accomplishment of the summer!

My brother graduated from high school this past June and I am so happy to finally give him the gift he wanted: a quilt in his school colors.

I started this queen-sized quilt last June. I knew I wanted a scrappy, strip block, but the layout went through many incarnations before I settled on these giant criss-cross blocks. I never get tired of them - this is one of my favorite blocks. And I love them even more when they are HUGE.

These long-suffering gentleman were so patient with the wind, and all my directions to hold this corner higher, etc. Thanks to Mr Awesome (hand at top left!) and our kind neighbor for their quilt holding services! They're going to start to run the other way when they see me coming.

I pieced the backing "blind," putting together any and all scraps I had on hand without looking at the final layout until it was done. Then I folded the backing over the top in a self-binding method.

Mr Awesome acquired this piece of fabric during a trip to the Pacific Islands years ago. (Little did he know he was picking up material for his quilt-obsessed future wife!) It was the perfect thing to complete the backing.

Cool stuff like this happened spontaneously.

My amazing long-arm quilter friend, Kristin, designed and executed the quilting. As with Mumu, I gave her totally free reign, and the final result is as lovely to look at as it is to feel that quilty texture. I love how she chose a Polynesian-inspired pattern.

Top and bottom border

All wrapped up and ready to go off to college...here's hoping it survives :o)

In baby sewing progress...
I've been way more tired lately (as in, take a shower, then lie down to recover from over-exertion), so I'm logging a lot of couch time. This is not always awesome for my sanity, but it's been really good for the little ball on my to-do list. Thank God for hand-sewing. I'm surprised at how quickly it's coming together.

Sorry, no pic. There was about an hour of sun today and I was too tired to find the camera.

I'm striving to be very zen about quieting my inner self so I can channel my limited energy where it is most needed, but some days are much harder than others. I like to be doing things, making plans, crossing items off lists. As my ability to do stuff diminishes, I get more controlling about the tasks I can do. This is why I haven't started the cloth book yet. In my mind, a 6-page book meant to be chewed on has morphed into a visual-tactile encyclopedia for infants. I want it to be PERFECT, to have text pages and picture pages and textural pages, and to be just the right colors, and and and.

A working title: As I Lay Planning, by Your Mother, Crazypants.

Back in real life, the clock is ticking on this pregnancy, so I'm going to finish the book by next week. At 34 weeks, both babies are head down again (yay!) and everything is looking good. The docs tell me they can safely be born at any time (what the what?!) - I'm hoping for at least 4 more weeks though.

Other projects I haven't started yet:
1. Gobbi mobile (this is super quick, no sewing involved)

I've let go of the idea of making another quilt/play mat. Nesting aside, I have to know my limits. I'm a little sad about it, but it is possible to sew once you have kids, right? Right??

Enjoy more stories about progress at Lee's:

Sunshine and Moonbeam

My BEST FRIEND in the WHOLE WORLD had a birthday in July, so naturally I put a little something together for her two weeks late. Now that she's received her giftie, I can share it with you, too.

When we were kids, my friend's dad nick-named our inseparable duo "Sunshine and Moonbeam." She was super outgoing, with a shiny mane of blonde hair; I was bookish, in dark braids. This wonderful woman has certainly brought a lot of light, fun, and love into my life. I picked out one of my improv blocks to make into a wall-hanging for her. I hope she likes it!

Ever since trying it out on the receiving blankets, I'm all over these rounded corners. I just use a dinner plate to cut around. The puzzle here was number of spokes quilted out of the little O. I was going for texture, but didn't want to over-do. I like the final result. This quilt finished at about 26x30". I added a hanging sleeve in the back in case she wants to put it up on a wall.

And another finish this week! All this progress is so unlike me!

I made this improv block a while ago, but recently quilted it to hang in the nursery.

In trying to step out of my comfort zone, I did some non-linear free-motion quilting. I drew the clouds on first with a water-soluble fabric pen (love those) and did my best to stay on track with the needle. I committed to not ripping out any stitches - "que sew-ra, sera," and all that. I also branched out by using colored thread.

Whenever improv quilting, the hardest part is knowing when it's done. For example, I love the texture of The Silly Boodilly's quilts. Nearly every inch of the fabric is covered in stitches. They appear layered; there is a depth and weight to them (they beg to be touched), yet I never feel that the piecing is "covered." What makes her quilting and piecing are so harmonious?

I didn't use a paper piecing method for either of these wall-hangings. Instead, I practiced my favorite method of sewing first and cutting later. I find cutting out paper, having to rip it off later, and even working with an outcome in mind are unnecessary for me and make the process less enjoyable. Of course, the downside is doing more math as I go.

Progress on Projects for the Babies:
1. Wall-hanging Finished! I'm so glad to hang this up in my little guys' room.
2. Ball - I finally started sewing some of the pieces together! Yay!

Not Started:
3. Books

New Schemes:
4. Gobbi Mobile
5. Montessori fabric balls (2)


The babies will be here in 3-7 weeks. Approximately. Yikes!! Baby B (the one on top) is perfecting his gymnastics skills by flipping every which way. While Baby A remains head down, B has turned breech - which means he has now been caught in every possible configuration. Transverse, oblique, vertex, breech...this guy can't make up his mind.

My latest panic (besides the stretch marks...oh, the many stretch marks...) is that I only made one play mat for the babies to share, and now it's not working in the space we had planned for it. I know we don't need two of EVERYTHING, but...only one quilt? I might need to whip up another tout suite - but how different should they be? Do I have time for all this??

Thanks for visiting, quilt friends! See more progress at Lee's:

Mumu

Get your parade caps ready, everyone! I finished a queen-sized quilt!!

Thanks to Mr Awesome (left) and our wonderful neighbor for holding up the quilt on a very windy day.

I started Mumu in October of last year. This quilt has been a joy from start to finish, really.

It was so windy, as usual. Check out the chair blown over in the background.

Back - thanks again, guys!

It was all smooth sailing until I got to the binding and realized 3 things. I didn't make the backing large enough to fold over on one side; I cut a sizable gash in the exact place the binding edge folds while trimming the batting; I pulled on the voile from the backing to make it fit and ended up shredding the fabric slightly.

What can I tell you. I'm 32 weeks pregnant, 50 pounds heavier (read: hungry), and the WIP list is a mile long. Without the luxury of time, corners are - sometimes literally - being cut. I hate to admit it, but that is the truth. Maybe I am overcoming my perfectionism at last - thanks, babies!

I managed to mend the gash by making a patch. The too-small backing was solved with an add-on piece that you wouldn't notice unless you were looking (and I'm not going to show you, ha!). I think I salvaged the voile with some clever folding and zigzag stitching. In summation: who cares. It's warm, it's quilty, and I love love love it. Oh yeah, and it's DONE!

Now, let's oohh and aaww over the quilting, shall we?

There was no way this monster was fitting into my little Bernina (her knees were quaking at the very idea). Luckily, a friend and quilty angel, Kristin, offered her services on a long-arm. She asked what pattern I wanted, and quilt friends, I was at such a loss. I usually keep it very simple. All-over meander? Echo around each criss-cross?

Sensing the boring-ness of my ideas, Kristin kindly asked if she could have free reign. I gave her the green light, and I am so glad I did. Her work enhances the blocks, compliment the fabrics, and helps fill in the space without overwhelming the pattern. And the texture is divine!

Border on top and bottom

This is one area in which I want to become more adventuresome. I wonder if any quilters plan a top with the quilting already in mind? I usually just choose a pattern after piecing that won't obscure the look of the blocks. Kristin's example is inspiring me to step out of that comfort zone.

Look how the quilting shows off my "perfect" piecing (smug pat on own back).

From the back

You can see here how using the same fabric from different dye lots can look quite different (on the binding vs the quilt top). Both are Kona Snow, but one piece is much brighter.

Mumu finds a home at last!

 

Baby Sewing Progress:
Finished:
1. Receiving blankets! Finally! Our kids only have about 10,000 blankets now.

In Progress:
2. Ball
3. Wall-hanging

Not Started:
4. Books

New Schemes:
5. Gobbi Mobile
6. Montessori fabric balls (2)

I also washed the little play mat. It came out so nice and soft! (My belly somehow found its way into the photo...it has a way of turning up in unexpected places at 32 weeks along.)

But aw, look:

It's hard to see, because my camera has suddenly lost it's ability to focus on details close up (grr...maybe it needs glasses?), but there is damage to one corner. It got stuck on some velcro in the wash and came out all mangled. It may just be the hormones, but I'm heart-broken. My sweet babies are going to come out all perfect and I have to give them something already a little wrecked. :o(

Since we're already a week into August, here's my updated list of quilting goals to meet before September:
1. Quilt Bee
2. Brother Quilt Finished! Post coming soon!
3. Mumu Finished!
4. Scrappy Mumu Pillows Finished!
5. Scrappy Sampler - Not much progress. Some blocks have been siphoned off into other projects. Not sure what to do with this one.
6. Emma's Trip Around the World - No progress.
7. Paisley Sunrise - Progress is sloooow and steady.
8. New Projects - Most definitely. Details here, here, and here.

Thanks for visiting, quilt friends! See more progress at Lee's:

30 Weeks

An ultrasound yesterday revealed that my most important little works-in-progress are coming along nicely. They are about the same size: A is 3 lbs 5 oz, B is 3 lbs, 6 oz, though A is measuring slightly bigger. Factor in the margin of error, and they are probably right about the same size. A is now head-down (yay!) and B is head-down, but on a diagonal (oblique). I am feeling really good, especially considering I'm the size of a full-term pregnancy and I still have about two months to go.

I was showered with lots of love and generosity on Saturday; my good friend, mom, and husband conspired to throw a wonderful baby shower. We had a great time. I really loved all the homemade gifts, and the thoughtfulness that went into purchasing items for two babies. Seeing the nursery fill up is exciting, but also surreal. Someday our sons will come out and be among us in the world. I still can't believe it.

Since my mom was here for the weekend, we got right to work in the sweatshop sewing area to make things for the babies' room. Most pressing was a set of six curtains. Our lovely nursery is located in the heart of the house, and has not one or two, but three sets of double french doors. If we want the babies to sleep (and WE DO), we have to get curtains up to make it quiet and dark in there.

Obviously still a WIP!

Let's just say we had our work cut out for us with 20 yards of curtain.

We made the curtains double sided, so they are extra thick and also look nice from the other side. I picked the classic Joel Dewberry's Herringbone for the living room and hallway doors, and a cheerful mix of Kona Snow and Take Flight in Cherry for the kitchen. The ties are simply linen.

Living Room

Kitchen

Inside the babies' room, there is one set of yellow elephants, and two sets of a pieced combo of AMH's Bubble Burst, Kona Charcoal, and a teal polka dot.

Choosing this combo was a day's work in itself. Originally, I got the polka dots for the whole length of the door. But a cursory drape pre-sewing was displeasing - polka dots and elephants together sort of look like the circus. Fine for some, but it wasn't working for us. After convening a committee of family members, we came up with this new combo. I like it. It's cheerful and bright, yet boyish.

Since we can't paint the walls, I like having all these warm, colorful fabrics in the room. I would have gone with a full panel of Bubble Burst, if I had it to do over again. I had no idea how difficult it is to choose curtain fabric for such a large area. But, as my wise husband said, the kids will want to change it in a few years anyway.

But the whip-cracking fun didn't end there!

Mom and I made a couple of fabric boxes for the boys' toiletries. There is nothing better for these than a cotton/linen blend. I loved using my best fat quarters for my sons, in a place where I will see and use them every day. And later on, I'm sure they will enjoy storing their own little toys inside. I've been practicing some embroidery stitches so I can put their initials on the boxes.

 Of course I couldn't resist a little treat for myself too. My Bernina has a new pal - a little fabric box from some Far Far Away that I have been hording.

Sweet, sweet organization.

I can finally cross the last of the pillows off my list. It was easy to whip up a pair in ultra soft AMH velveteen - just made a simple envelope closure. (We're knee-deep in pillows over here, and I love it.) Mr Awesome observed that our apartment is slowly turning more 70s with this recurring mustard fabric/potted plant theme...but he's not complaining.

 This cozy spot is quickly becoming one of my favorite places.

What could possibly be left to make for the nursery, you ask? Here is the current list:
1. Fabric books
2. One more receiving blanket
3. A small wall-hanging
4. Cloth ball
5. Tidy up that crazy place.
6. I'm considering making a rag rug for their bedroom floor. Braiding a million yards of cloth - yay. Stitching together said yards - meh.

Manageable! I think it just might happen.

Meanwhile, I have a few non-baby items brewing:
1. A wall-hanging for a friend
2. Paisley Sunrise
3. All I have left to do for Mumu and my brother's quilt is to cut away the binding basting and stitch in my signature. Victory! They'll get their very own blog posts very soon, but I did spread them out to admire them in the eye of the crafting storm nursery.

I can't wait to show them off to you! Check out more great WIPs at Lee's: