A Christmas Gift Quilt Finish! {Sisters Are a Plus}

I made a quilt this year for my Sister-in-love for Christmas.  It was so much fun to dream up and make since she mostly likes what I like.  And can you believe that I put this together from cutting to binding in just under one and a half weeks?  Insane.  I know.  And now you know why I was quiet on the blogging front during that time.

I can't promise that I will be putting any quilts together that fast anytime soon.  In fact, I also have to admit that I haven't touched my sewing machine since Christmas.  I know... nearly four whole days... how am I surviving?

With that, here is the making of the quilt I am calling "Sisters Are A Plus" from beginning to end.  I don't seem to have a picture of the stack of fabric I started with, but here are the rows in progress.

It's made mostly from a fat quarter stack of Lizzy House's Outfoxed fabrics.  They are so bright and colorful and covered in the cutest foxes, hedgehogs, and bunnies!  I also added in some Alexander Henry pieces and others that I had been saving for something special.

The quilt was well tested along the way by the best Quality Inspector in training.  Every time I'd have the quilt on the floor for one reason or another Sammy would dashed onto it like lightening and make herself comfortable.

Don't worry, Katie was not to be left out.  After all she is the one training little Sammy in the ways of quilty Quality Assurance. 

I did something different with the binding than I normally do.  This time around I tried out making a continuous bias binding.  And really like the whole process.  I followed the instructions I found here and here.

I found this method quicker than strip piecing and really enjoyed only having to iron one long strip of binding in half at the end.  This orange binding is so pretty... I just wanted to pet it!

And here she is.  Sisters Are A Plus!!  I used a modified version of the the Plus quilt pattern from In Color Order.  My changes added a few rows and columns to make the quilt bigger and square; finishing at about 75 x 75 inches.

And yes, if you noticed this isn't my normal grassy photo spot.  Because of the quickness of this quilt's making... it was in the washer/dryer late on Christmas eve and I found myself taking pictures of it (in a panic) Christmas morning before my Sis showed up.

All that aside.  Isn't she beautiful?  I nearly pulled the "puppy ate your quilt card" and kept this one for myself.

A closer look at the pluses and quilting.  I did the quilting in a bright orange thread and outlined each of the pieced lines 1/4 from the edge.  It's a lot of lines, but the straight quilting went quick.

You can see the result of the quilting a bit better on the back where all the resulting squares give this quilt a ton of texture!! 

I made the back from 1 yard each of five different solids which more or less coordinate with the fabrics on the front.  I put them in rainbow order... and in hindsight I might have mixed them up instead.

All in all this comes ridiculously close to my favorite quilt made of all time.

But, I am also so happy that this quilt will be adored in it's new home as much as it would have been with me.  And hey.. I can always go over for a dinner party and wisk it home with me, right? 

Ha, not happening.  You'd understand if you knew my Sister in love.



My quilt using advice to my Sis was:

• use the quilt often -- snuggling with a quilt can be like the biggest longest hug ever
• don't be nervous washing the quilt -- and hey, dirty happens
• over time, your quilt will only get softer! 

Her answer to me?  She said... yes, I know.. you make your quilts to be used. 

I have trained her well!!  Such a happy moment as another quilt leaves the nest!

I only hope that you had as much fun and success making and giving homemade gifts this year! 

It's an amazing feeling isn't it?  To give someone you adore something that you created from nothing but a stack of fabric and string.  A wonderful feeling!

Updated to mention I will be sharing this Fabric Tuesday over at Quilt Story!

Happy Moment #20: Sun Chaser!

A Friday ritual with Soulemama.  A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.  A simple, special, extraordinary, happy moment.  A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments too!

“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.”

~Omar Khayyam

Love in the Sky!

This amazing sky greeted me this morning!

Hope you are having an amazing day so far!  Happy Valentines Day too!

I am still working through several things I would like to share with you and this week promises to be another jam packet week full of goodness!!

Can't wait!

A Little Monkey Business

Ok, promise you won't laugh too hard, but honest this counts as playing with fabric!

There once was a puppy....

... who had a large stuffed orange monkey...

This puppy just adored playing with this monkey.  The love showed...

...in the form of holes where monkey stuffing started to come out.  (and slobber and drool in the fur too!)

Luckily, there was also this loud orange fabric...

The flowers and stripes had made this very hard to use previously.  But, alas, the perfect reason to whip this fabric out and use it to it's full potential!

The puppy waited patiently for the monkey to come out of 'surgery.' 

An nice flowery neck brace was all this overly loved monkey needed to get back to playing with the adorable happy puppy.

It was quickly cut to size, pinned in place, and then stitched all the way around top and bottom using doubled up thread for extra strength. 

Once the monkey was done he felt renewed!

And even a little bit more stylish!

Puppy and monkey were reunited in a burst of excitement.

The morale of the story?  Don't ever throw that scrap of fabric out ... even if you don't totally love it any more, because you never know when you might need to patch up your own 'monkey.'

The end.

Check out other sew-o-holics and their projects at the Quilt Stories Fabric Tuesday!

Looking for Guinevere

I have gotten so used to looking things up on my blog now that I nearly have two years of content.  I love how easy it is to find old projects, see progress on things, and find archived Katie photos.  So, when I went to look for my pink and orange girly quilt and didn't find it I was puzzled. 

I think it was a timing issue.  I started this blog in February 2009 and finished the quilt in March 2009 -- so I can see how it was maybe left off.

Why am I on this tangent?  I am planning a new quilting project and was looking back on my previous projects for inspiration.  That's when it hit me that I hadn't properly shown you this quilt yet. 

Let's fix this... introducing "Looking for Guinevere." 

The name is inspiration from my dog Katie who's original name was to be Guinevere.  You see the breeder gave all their pups royal names -- funny right?  And making this quilt was like the adventure we took for Katie to join our family... bits of this, a little bit random and lucky, not quite perfect, but we couldn't be happier to have her with us!  And the same goes for this quilt!

Here are a few of the blocks in progress.  So fun to see them come to life in the colors and fabrics I picked out.

I remember when I was working on this quilt.  It was cold.  And I enjoyed just dedicating myself to running into my command center (office) every night and working on this until my eyelids were too droopy to stay open. 

I just couldn't get enough.  So, when I saw the top sewn together for the first time I knew I was in love.  This is my first quilt.  My first large fabric piece.  The spark that ignited the intense love of all things soft and fabric!

At the time the largest space I had to work on was a small card table that I set up in my office.  I'm not sure I remember what was under the quilt at the time to cause that bulge, but I am guessing it was heaps of fabric, scissors, and books.

I originally did a quilting pattern only on the outer two most rows.  At the time it was all I could fit in before an art show that I entered this piece into.

Now, nearly 1.5 years later I have this hanging on my wall in my first house... and I realize just how much I love it! 


Here are some fresh outdoor pictures taken in the cold November air. 

And there it is.  My first fabric love. 

I have since started a queen-king size quilt for our bed and am ready to pick that project up again.  I am also working on a lap size quilt this week for a special person in my life who could stand to be a little bit warmer... a little bit more cuddled.

Quilting certainly sparked and re-sparked my love affair with fabrics and the comforting hum of the sewing machine!

Winter colors

I don't know about you.. but when I think of winter color I shriek in terror.

Winter doesn't have amazing, inspiring, vivid colors?  It a dullsville palette of white, gray, brown, mud, and did I mention gray?

Well, I am trying to push past this thinking... open my eyes and see if that really holds true. 
Have you noticed that on a sunny winter day the sky tends to have the most amazing saturated blues?

Mr. Happy took Katie and I on a mini hike over the weekend and I was amazed at how much color I found.  The color all seemed so intense, so powerful, so energized. 

Just look at this delishious emerald moss!!

How about the orange peel colored fungi on the tree? Intense!

The other side of the fallen branch had a minty pastel fungi.  Delicate!

I couldn't get over the textures on this branch.  Looks a lot like a coral garden that you would find in a warm carribean sea!  Spongy and golden interlocked those beautiful cream tables.

Here you can see the creme tables even have a splash of lime on them!

I'm not sure what it is about colors right now.  Maybe I am feeling so color deprived that even the tiniest bit of color is coming across so intensly.  I feel like I am trying to suck up every color memory I can right now as I dream of spring flowers and leaves.

It also may be that I am about to create new art work for the next art show and I am simply looking for inspiration. 

Either way... look around and really take notice of the beautiful winter colors that surround you!

Finding intense gorgeous colors in the sea of winter gray's = happiness!

Texas.. up close and personal

I had the privilege, in 2006, to see the Horns at practice.  It was an amazing experience in a million different ways.  Really emotional.  Really hard to put in words.  Best way I can say it was.. that it was electric!!

Let me share a bit of Austin and the Longhorns with you:

Here's the Capital of Texas.  Gorgeous!

Can you tell I'm excited?  Here are a few snaps from the practice.  Took these before I realized I wasn't supposed to.  I felt bad, but at the same time.. how cool that I got pictures of Colt McCoy before he was the real thing (he's the QB if you didn't know)!!  And now here he is ... 4 years later .... leading Texas in a fight for the National Championship!  I feel like I've been able to be a real part of it!

I'm just going to let the snaps flow now.  The game will start soon... GO HORNS!!  No matter what... I LOVE YA!!    Hook 'em  \m/  WHOOT WHOOT!!!!

Yes, that's Colt with his helmet off!  Yes, that's the UT Tower lite up in burnt orange!  Yes, that's me.  Yes, I have goosebumps.

For me... Cheering my head off for Texas = happiness!!

AND.. I have a nice little surprise for you when Texas wins!  Bet you can't guess what it is ;)