Works in Progress

Works in Progress (edited):

1. Baby quilt for a dear friend X
2. Baby quilt for a cousin X
3. Raccoon quilt just because
4. Plus pillow for my new office X
5. Echino bird pillow for my new office
6. Plus quilt
7. Charity quilt blocks for 100 quilts for kids X

Ideas:

1. Berenstein Bears charity quilt for 100 quilts for kids X
2. Far Away quilt for J -- with AMH prints in yellow and lavendar?
3. Kitty quilt for L -- with corals, blues, and pinks

***
I'm not in love with the star baby quilt I've made for my friend's baby boy. I love the Ed Emberley Happy Drawing prints, but I struggle every time I work with them -- the colors are so saturated and bright and missing something... red? The black and white pindot binding I chose seems to help pull it together.

The best ideas come at night, lying in bed with H, waiting for him to drift off. Last night I figured out that I need two borders within a white border for the raccoon quilt. I cut the first border and put it up on the wall and it is perfect. This is a project I've been working on here and there, just because the raccoons, foxes and flowers make me happy.

My new job is giving me more flexibility and time for dreaming about quilty things. This morning I cut the fabric for my two charity quilt blocks and finalized the layout for the plus pillow I'll put in my new office. I love my quiet Friday mornings at home.

Things I love today

1. Long weekends. 

2. Two. Toddler hugs, "mama," waking up to find H in bed with me, the smell of his hair, the softness of his hands, "Mow."

3. Piping.

4. Baby quilts.

5. Novelty prints with cats, raccoons, foxes, bunnies...

6. Michael miller cotton couture solids.

7. Neatly cut squares.

8. Baking cookies with M.

9. New hair cuts.

10. Beck, "Morning Phase"

11. Home with my sweeties.

Progress Report

2013 New Year's Sewing Goals -- Progress Report:

1. Conquer the zipper

2. Finish my Anna Maria Horner quilt -- DONE

3. Sew a baby quilt -- DONE

4. One more quilt -- DONE 

5. Make a garment for myself

6. Tablecloth -- DONE

7. Placemats -- DONE

8. A gift for my sister (another quilt) -- DONE

9. A Christmas tree skirt

10. Pajamas for the boys

It was the year of quilts -- three baby quilts for friends; a baby-ish sized lap quilt for the family; my AMH quilt; and a quilt for my sister.

There were also bibs, baby pants, a crib sheet, and pillow shams. Lots of pillow shams! I'm loving the Christmas pillow I made for M, and the runner I made for the lowboy in our dining room.

I did not conquer the zipper this year. 

I LOVE quilting! Almost as much as I love fabric. As 2013 wraps up, I have four more quilts started and another baby quilt to start on this winter. 

I am still impatient for the finish and accepting of imperfect. Maybe in time that will change.

2014 goals:

1. Sew myself something to wear. I'm determined to do it this year, and I spent a good part of 2013 looking for the easiest nice-looking pattern to try. I think I found it in the new Liesel + Co. Everyday Skirt.

2. Sew from what I have. I managed to acquire a lot of fabric in 2013. Time to sew it.

3. Take a lesson. Maybe I will conquer the zipper in 2014.

4. Sew what I love. 

Ed Emberley love

Catching Up

2013. It really crept up on me! It seems like just yesterday it was October and I was so proud of myself for starting my holiday sewing. I had ambitious plans and did a fairly good job at achieving them but... Here is my dirty secret: I failed to get some of them to their intendeds. Sad! The baby blanket for my cousin who turns 1 in April? Finished in October but still sitting on my table. The Holiday table runners and pillow for her grandmother, parents and aunt and uncle? Also on the table. Now there's a good reason not to buy holiday prints! Whoops. Well, they are family. They will appreciate the gifts whenever they receive them. Right?

I did manage to finish M's quilt and wrap it for Christmas. That makes two completed quilts in 2012 plus the cheater and the baby blanket. Go me!

Now, about 2013. I set ambitious goals for myself. Exercise sometimes. Floss more often. Finally see an allergist. But the goals I am really excited about are these:
1. Conquer the zipper
2. Finish my Anna Maria Horner quilt
3. Sew a baby quilt
4. One more quilt
5. Make a garment for myself
6. Tablecloth
7. Placemats
8. A gift for my sister
9. A Christmas tree skirt
10. Pajamas for the boys

Whew! I set these goals on January 2 and already I have made some progress:
Tablecloth? Done!
Placemats? Done!
AMH quilt? Ready to be basted!
Baby quilt? Well I picked the pattern and the fabric and wow, I am so excited to start cutting!

Happy New Year!

Squirrels!

quilt for the boy (M)

Cheater for Baby Girl

A quilt, copied from a great tutorial on Prudent Baby, for a friend's new baby girl. I was lured in by the ease of a cheater print. But the piecing is the part of quilting I like best. Not the binding... oh, the binding. Do people really love binding quilts? The only good thing about the binding is that it means the quilt is almost done. 

Did I mention that this quilt is super soft and I am so completely in love with the coral print on the back? Hope baby girl likes it.