Finished Bindings

I have been "almost finishing" many many projects, but could never get around to finishing the binding. But here they are, thanks to Amy's Challenge. I have finished all the bindings. I will show more pictures later, a couple are intended for gifts, so those need to stay mostly secret for now.

Yay for Taggies!

Fun Taggies! I actually made these months ago, and am only now getting around to taking pictures. I am getting to be a pro at these! They are so fun to make, and backed in flannel. I have a accumulated a very large supply of ribbon. Previous Taggies can be found here and here. I am told they are perfect for babies, as they like to have the different textures of things to grab, touch and pull. No babies here, but they a fun project that I can start and finish in a day!



I used these as an excuse to try out all the fancy schmancy stitches on the new machine! I was very excited to get a machine with an alphabet (three to be exact). This one says "Mommy Loves Me" and there are some other fun baby words to be found!

Bloggers Quilt Festival



Front



This is my first year participating, and I am so happy to do it with my neptune quilt! Its not totally finished just a little more binding to go! I love this fabric, and since the husband is a submariner, the hidden submarines in the fabric make it all the more special.



I actually started this project last year, but I wanted it to be perfect, and since I didn't have much experience when I started, I kept putting it away for other projects, learning new and better techniques and finally have come through all the stages!









Back

I am super in love with the back. When cutting the strips, you actually end up with enough for twelve extra blocks, and I think it works perfectly with the gray!  

Blogger Quilt Festival Link!

Pinwheels...still in Progress

These are yet to be assembled from the Pinwheel Quilt along. It is more fantastic neptune. I I am still deciding if I want to make a few more to make it a little bigger....there are so many fantastic other blocks in the FlickR group. It is very tempting. I am also thinking of making two more blocks, and then making two smaller baby sized gifts.....so many options....any opinions?

Authentic Projects

So I did not finish all these projects in the past three days, but the past month, it has been my goal to finish all the unfinished things that have been lurking around my house. Like many crafters its too often tempting to just start a new project when I see something exciting to try, but this is terribly daunting when I have too many projects in various stages of finish. Now truly these aren't quite finished either, but at least they are no longer hanging around the sewing room in mutiple pieces!

I started with four charm packs for this project. I like the way it turned out, it still needs borders...those are still in the closet though... This will before the couch, when it is finally finished!




I used the remainer of the charm packs and one additional for this little runner. The tutorial can be found at the Moda Bake Shop. This came together so quickly, I finished the top and back in one afternoon. I am realizing that I didn't take a picture but it has charms pieced together for the back. The edges look funny because the binding is sewen to the front, and not to the back yet, but its present spot will be its finished spot when the binding is finished.

Whirlygigs in Fig and Plum

This is a Thimbleblossoms pattern made with Fig and Plum. Still needing quilting, this was a fun project to work on!

Neptune Jewels

The infamous neptune fabric. I was afraid to use it, because it will only last so long. This started out as a Jelly Roll, and as it took a while for the husband and I to find a submarine. I think the one that ended up in a strip ended up being cut in half, but it is there! This project left a few extra blocks after everything was cut, and I think I might make them up into a pillow eventually!



PS. I am using a link from Flickr to post, but the small is "too small" and medium doesn't fit? Any suggestions?

CGQC

I am very excited, my sewing room furniture is set up! And this month, my Charming Girls Quilt Club goals are as follows:

1. Rachel's pinwheel blocks #1, and #2

2. Jelly Roll Quilt along block from Moose on the Porch Quilts

3. Any Schnibbles, I am so far behind due to delpoyment, and then the move, I have all the kits, and I just need to start knocking them out!

Becoming a better photographer

While I know my sewing adventures are still learning opportunities at every turn, something tells me they would look a little better if I was able to photograph them properly. While I have read some material on the subject, I would love for some personal words of wisdom that could help me with my learning curve...

Anybody? Thanks!

Scruffily Quilt Finished

 This one came together very quickly, and I love the frayed edges. I used some of the leftover jelly roll strips for the binding. I have alot of jelly roll strips left, so I think I might try a little bag...hmm. I promised Drew only little projects this month, so hopefull I can start and finish everything to minimize the confusion after we move.

I wasn't really counting, and I ended up with six extra layer cake squares. (I guess this means the Simple Abundance Layer cake has 42 squares.)

The green layer cake square in the middle has my fantastic little sweetwater label. I managed to use all my 2009 labels. I plan to get more 2010 labels, but probably after the move.

Framed, Quilted and Bound

The husband calls this one the "scissors one" because of the backing fabric. I am happy to finally have it finished!

New Sewing Machine Accessory!

I am very excited, the husband is building me a special box for my sewing machine, for the purpose of transportation. The granny machine is a very delicate appliance, and unfortunately she only stands up strait when she sits in her special table due to the pins that stick out the bottom. (These are meant to secure her to her special sewing table.) Our upcoming move put the frightening thought in my mind of how the movers might treat her. I decided long ago that the granny machine would be part of our DITY pack up, but I wasn't so sure how to store her, and properly protect this 58 year old treasure. The husband is going to make a special box so that she sit flat even with the pins attached. This will definately make packing the car easier if we don't have to worry about packing around her delicate knobs and levers! Pictures soon to come!

Neptune Jewels Update!

Scruffily Quilt

I finished this quilt top in a couple of evenings. It is a Moda Bake Shop project. It is so much fun. the edges of the center squares are raw, and will get just a little frayed after I wash it the first time. It will be all nice and fluffy after a few washings. I originally planned to do it with the Patisserie fabric, but I made it with Simple Abundace. It is moda pre-cuts all the way. I used a layer cake, charm pack and jelly roll. There is enough of the jelly roll left for something else, but I have not decided what yet. , and I am excited to receive my backing fabric, so I can finish it up!

Bradley Baby Quilt

This quilt is for the Bradley Baby. I was so excited to hear that Bradley's were cooking a baby! After quizzing Erin on her nursery plans, I found this great pattern, and I think it will go perfectly. I noticed from the nursery pictures that there was no pink to be found, so I tried to stay neutral. No pink at all, :) Hopefully she will snuggle with this for many years, even after she has outgrown her nursery bedding. The back is a snuggle flannel!

The Mack-Noodle is testing for softness! He approves.

Her name is Kiera, she was born on November 12th. She is adorable! I hope Drew and I are able to go visit soon...

Year of Schnibbles October

So here is Schnibbles for October. It is the Cindy Lou Who pattern. I learned an important lesson about busy prints. When you cut busy prints into smaller squares you sometimes lose the larger color. But I love it! I loved the dark green print. I have extra of this, I cannot wait to use it for another project!

I am crossing my fingers that I can win something this month!

The "parade" won't start until November 1st, but this is where you can find the rest of them!

http://pinkpincushion.blogspot.com/

http://aquiltinglife.blogspot.com/

Neptune Jewels Quilt

This is the first project that I have started with the fabulous neptune fabric. I am in love with it, and since my schnibbles is done, I can work on it.

It started with a jelly roll. I think this is the best way to buy fabric. You can get so many prints all wrapped up beautifully in a bow. The granny machine is fixed, and humming like she should. I was very excited to start working on this.

The first step was to pair up my jelly roll strips in to visually pleasing sets. The ultimate goal being have a nice assortment of color pairs. Because there are just so many of the aqua blue strips, there were some color set duplicates, but all the prints are different. After sewing them all together, and then sewing them to their background strips, and then hours of cutting again...I have 220 smaller segments.  Last night I paired the sewn segments.  Each strip set made 11 (plus a bonus) segment. The piles of 11 segments are shown here. They are now in the sets they will be sewn together, and that should be today's task! This is out of my jelly roll quilts book, and I am very excited for the finished product!

Update: This is its current state! Only 96 more blocks to assemble.

Out to Sea Wallhanging

This adorable wallhanging was a gift from Willow, and Willow's creative MIL. Though I don't have much "sub" stuff around the house, I loved it, and am excited to hang it up. I just need to find some great photos to go in the openings!

Schnibbles Nine Patches

I think the greatest part of the schnibbles project is that I am forced to learn new techniques, and expand my knowledge. Last month the project included "flying geese." I have no doubt that I would have put off learning this technique for many moons, if I was not forced by my desire to complete the project. This month's schnibbles lesson is planning and fabric layout. Last month, I did have to plan in order to get the right blocks in the right places, but the plan was mostly based on colors, and the block layout was the same in each of the nine segments.

This month, every single two inch block needs to go in a specific place in order for the greater design to be seen when finally complete. It takes alot of patience, and again most of the projects I have selected up to this point were projects that did not require such careful planning. Next for this schnib are the snow ball blocks that go amongst the nine patches pictured here. Another new type of piecing. Yay! I am about half done with this top. Last month I didn't even have all my pieces by this date! (No thanks to the quilte shoppe....) It shouldn't take much longer at all to finish it up in the next couple days. I will be done well in advance of my deadline.

A special thanks to Lanette, over at Crafting in Tataville, for letting me ask her questions about this month's projcet. I loved her border planning in the last project, and I hope she doesn't mind if I steal her idea...

Year of Schnibbles October Kit Arrival

My October kit arrived today. I am very excited that it is here now. I am excited to get started. Last month, I didn't get all the pieces until around the 21st of the month, so I didn't have much time to get started. You will notice that the charm packs are not present in this picture. I already had the charm packs, so they are just upstairs!