A Quilt for a Boy I Don't Know

I am a strong believer that quilts have the ability to bring comfort to the troubled and hope where there is little to none and I love to give them as gifts to people who seem like they need a little extra something in their life. But I have also struggled with the line between giving a quilt because I want to and feeling obligated to gift a quilt to someone because I feel like I should and that there is an expectation of some sort to give one. I will probably always wrestle with this, because I want to make and give one to everyone I meet (seriously, I'm crazy like that!), but have limited time and resources to make that happen. So, whenever I make a quilt to gift to someone, that must mean they are super-special indeed!

A friend of mine recently got her license to become a foster parent and I told her that whenever she got her first placements, to let me know and I would make a quilt for each of them. I felt a calling to do this, especially after reading this blog post from Pretty Little Quilts. Our Project Linus chapter seems to have plenty volunteers ready with quilts and I wanted to get involved in a way that seemed more personal. My friend quickly ended up with a nine year old boy and his six month old sister and I got right to work to make them something special.

I still had this quilt (the yellow and gray one) which seemed perfect for a baby girl to grow into, so I set that aside for her. The problem I had was that I didn't know what fabrics to use for an older boy (mine are still pretty young) and I fretted and moaned about it for a while, until I found this awesome line by Moda called "Boathouse" by Sweetwater & Co. Perfect!

I used two Jolly Bars and the pattern that was included in the Jolly Bar, but made it bigger than the original pattern by using the second Jolly Bar.

It was quilted in a meander pattern, which was quick and added a nice texture to the quilt. The backing is a Dear Stella print with blue and white striped beach-chairs and the binding is a red stripe from the Boathouse line.

I had the honor of giving them their quilts and I am nothing if not awkward around kids, but the boy seemed to like his and was happy to carry it around, while his baby sister got tucked in with it in the stroller.

They were gifted their quilts in the beginning of August and have since gone to live with family in a different part of the state. The bittersweet part is that I will probably never see them again or hear any updates about how their lives are going, but I sincerely wish the best for them.

Until next time,
Michelle

Puttin' on the Ritz...Baby Quilt Style

If you're blue and you don't know where to go, 

Why don't you go where fashion sits,

Puttin' on the ritz.

This adorable little baby quilt was made with a charm pack of "Puttin' on the Ritz" by Bunny Hill Designs. And every time I heard the name of the fabric line, this song was going through my head...over and over and over again :)

Look at that gorgeous texture!

The pattern for this quilt uses a charm pack and a yard of fabric for the borders - my kind of quilt! This charm pack has been in my stash from when I first started quilting - a baby quilter :) - and when I picked it up, I had no idea what I was going to use it for...

Cue the random purchase of some solid gray...

And voila! A baby quilt fit for a princess! This quilt has already been wrapped up and given away to someone who is celebrating a new girl grandchild.

I tried a new quilting technique seen here in this video: Lava Paisley. Mine is a little different then hers, but you get the idea :) It was the first time I have tried this and it went better than I thought it would, but used up a ton of thread! I must have refilled my bobbin four times on for this baby quilt! I want to do a bed quilt with this texture, but all that bobbin-filling...

The backing is a cute flannel I got on sale at JoAnn's. For some reason I thought I needed 5 yards of it, so you will probably be seeing this fabric again...and again...and again... :)

Here is a sneak peak of what I have been working on...

Linking up with , , and

Until next time,
Michelle

Playful Pinwheels

Whenever I'm working on a quilt, there is always a point when I'm just done with it. Done looking at the fabric, done working out the little kinks that always pop up (I haven't done one yet where I haven't had to use the seam ripper), and done knowing that I still have to bind it....



  



But this quilt, this happy, cheerful little confection I have named "Playful Pinwheels" made me smile the whole time it was being created! I loved it from the beginning and I loved it even when I was sewing the binding on. I loved it so much, I even hand-sewed the binding on because this quilt deserved the highest accolade of a hand-sewn binding :)



 


Here is the post where I went into detail on the specifics of the pattern and the fabric.

I picked up the backing fabric at a local quilt show and don't know who the designer of it is, but it sure is cute! I had originally planned for a red floral backing, but was surprised at how much I like the blue instead.




      

It is just the right size to snuggle under and I am so happy that I decided to make it bigger than the original pattern.      





     

  I have decided that I will be keeping this one for myself, instead of giving it away to someone else like I usually do :)

Linking up with , and

Until next time,
Michelle

Fort Worth Fabric Studio Mug Rug Swap

I haven't ever participated in a swap of any kind before, but I noticed that one of my favorite fabric shops, Fort Worth Fabric Studio, was hosting a mug rug swap on their blog, so on a whim, I signed up for it!

It was a lot of fun waiting for a surprise to come in the mail box! This is what I received from my partner in Saskatchewan:

a nice and happy mug rug just right for Spring! Thank you very much for brightening my day!


This is what I sent to my partner:

Lorna, at Sew Fresh Quilts, is hosting a super-cute Elephant Parade, so I followed her tutorial for the large elephant. It was a little big for a mug rug...but that means more room for cookies, right?

I had a lot of fun making it and I hope my partner likes it!

Until later,
Michelle

Swooning Valentine

"Oh, my valentine," she swooned, "I have never seen one quite like you..." So begins my romance novel career :)

I actually had this project done before Valentine's Day...but finding the time to photograph this little delight was another story...

I hated Valentine's Day when I was growing up...maybe because I didn't get as many cellophane wrapped Hershey's kisses that look like roses as I would have liked...I didn't really start liking the holiday until later, but now, I put up a few decorations here and there, and thought a wall-hanging would be just the thing :)

This little project was born when I had a stack of fabric just purchased at a local quilt shop sitting next to a few different gray fabrics, a newly purchase mini-Swoon pattern that was burning a hole in my pattern book, and some free time to just cut and sew.

And the rest, they say, is history.

Piecing the little blocks was actually enjoyable. The points aren't perfect, but neither am I.

Red, white, and gray...possibly one of my favorite color combos ever!

And here is a sneak peek of what I have been working on....

I hope you have a great day!

~Michelle