While I was away

I have been away from the blog for a while, so I thought I should share what I've been working on.

This is my first mini quilt swap from the Swap til You Drop group on Flickr. What fun it was! You can really experiment and try things out when the maximum size is 15" square. The green scrappy quilt was made for me for the swap. It's really exciting to receive a box in the mail with a mini quilt in it that was made just for me! And everyone includes little goodies too. I got some ric rac, a batik, a magnetic snap, a coordinating fabric button, scraps from the quilt (for those non-quilter out there, quilters love scraps of fabric!), colorful lace, a wooden thread spool and paper scalloped circles for making cards or scrapbooking. Sweet, huh?

I was asked to make something with aqua and red for my swapping partner. The quilter I made it for likes vintage,modern and shabby chic.....basically the vast array of styles that I like as well. She is redecorating her craft room in red and aqua, so I started there. I think I managed to fit all those things in, don't you?

I used the Applique Quilt Revival book by Nancy Mahoney. I bought the book a while back specifically for the birds, but there are several other really cute patterns in it in addition to the birds.

I quilted flowers in the corners and branches all around the birds. I totally love the ric rac and buttons. I'm not big into embellishments on quilts, but I think they are totally cute. My coworker Laura sewed the buttons on for me since I don't think I've ever sewn a button on in my life!

This is the corner of the Feb swap I made. I can't show all of it until it's received on the other end. I want it to be a surpriseThe theme for March is Japanese quilts and I'm really excited about it. I absolutely adore the Japanese Block book that I got for it. I had wanted it for some time but resisted, but it was meant to be when the topic was chosen and the next day I got a 40% off coupon from Borders! I think I have it all planned out now and can't wait to get started.

I also made a baby quilt for display out at Tammy Tadd's that is just too cute to post. (that is code for I didn't take a photo of it before bringing it in.) Take my word for it though, the bunnies on this quilt are so freaking cute that they should be illegal. It's just ridiculous how cute these bunnies are! The fabric is designed by Lisa McCue. She did adorable dogs before that I couldn't resist either.I made the small quilt from the free pattern on the Wilmington website. And miracle of miracles, the directions were actually spot on!!! Most of those free patterns have glaring mistakes in them. The best part of all is that it literally only took me 2 evenings start to finish!

Ok, here's a picture of the fabric I used. I just couldn't deprive anyone of this much cuteness.Seriously, could they be any cuter? I think not.

Have a Hoppy Day!

Vicki

My first original applique!

Now this is exciting! I developed more of my really old film and found photos of my first applique and originally designed quilt! I made this before I really had any clue what I was doing. It's pretty cute for having no clue, don't you think?
I made this for Anna's first birthday. She turns 7 this coming January. Time sure does fly. Her room was painted in an under the ocean theme with these darling sea critters all around. I had found them for Donna on of all things, wrapping paper from Target.

To make the appliques, I enlarged the critters on the copier, then traced them onto the paperbacked fusible web, cut them out and ironed them down to the quilt top. I used a large zig zag to secure them to the quilt, but after I made my quilt sandwich. In the empty bolcks, I quilted a coral pattern that I found on a set of Martha Stewart's sheets on her old Martha-by-mail website. I really miss her store. I also enlarged the coral, traced it onto cardboard and used that as a template. I don't recall what I type of quilt marking tool used to transfer the pattern to the quilt top.

I distinctly remember being up really late the night before her party working on it, as well as getting up early to finish it! I don't think I finished it entirely though, because these photos are at my house, not Donna's.

Some lessons learned:
aFusible web is your friend. And the answer to almost every problem that plagues you.
aIt always takes you longer then you think it will.
aIt's easier to sew down your appliques on individual blocks as opposed to the whole quilt when it's already put together.
aAngled tweezers are your friend for holding down unruly pieces while you iron.
aMartha comes through for me everytime.
aInspiration is every where, you just have to keep your mind and eyes open.
aYou really shouldn't wait 6-7 years to develop your photos, but if you do, Photoshop is your friend.