Instagram newbie

So I came over to the dark side (or is it the light side) and got an iPhone and iPad at Christmastime. I immediately started downloading all these cool apps…

fastforward to today and I finally got my instagram account set up…I am sooo L.A.M.E. sometimes. Still trying to figure it out and get pics posted more frequently. Oh yeah…and somehow get those photos posted here on the blog and maybe print some of them out (I really need help!).

Speaking of photos…holy goodness I feel like I haven’t taken any photos this year. I was actually starting to get quite worried that I hadn’t documented ANY of this year. Then I realized…the majority are on my iPhone. WHEW! Praise Jesus! I always have my phone with me. And they are so easy to just upload quick to facebook and message to family. Two clicks and they are off…shared with everyone. Now to work on getting them off my phone and onto the hard drive.

The wedgewood blue quilt

Another baby, another quilt…and its so much fun!!! I love that family and friends are having babies left and right. It gives me the opportunity to make quilts for a special little someone. The nursery is Wedgwood blue with dark brown furniture. I had the perfect blue fabric in my stash. It’s a simple quilt, but I really liked the color combo.

Front

Simple straight-line quilting across the diagonal of the blocks and then a few rings around the borders to complete it.

Back

A pieced back to use up the scraps.

Such a great color combo!

So many things…

have been going on…

I’m 27 weeks pregnant with baby #3…surprise! After the miscarriage last year, we wanted to keep it a secret until things got a little farther along. Most everyone in our circle knows (since I can’t hide it at all anymore). We are super excited about it and can’t wait for the little guy to get here in late June.

We’re moving. Yes, impeccable timing! At least we are staying in the same state, so it’s not too crazy…but I might still be in denial about how much work it will be…denial is probably a good place to be right now.

I started a photography etsy shop. Yeah…surprise! I’ve always been interested in photography and decided to take a chance and put some of it out there for people to purchase. No sales yet, but lots of people looking and liking. Even if none of it sells, I gave it a shot. If so inclined, you can check it out at Blue Penny Photography.

Otherwise, we’ve been chugging along. Lots of changes coming and hopefully a lot more sharing on this blog. I’ve missed my sewing and sharing and hope to keep at it. I have been up to a little sewing and will be sharing that soon.

And now…maybe a nap…

Xavi’s Quilt

One of our dear friends had Baby Xavi a few months ago. Unfortunately they had to move to a new state shortly after Xavi made his entrance. We will miss them. Here is the quilt I made for the little man.

Front fo Quilt for Xavi

I was inspired by a few patterns I’ve seen floating around blogland right now. And of course, I finished up the back with the leftover scraps.

Back of Quilt for Xavi

All nice and crinkly…ready for a snuggle.

The New Orleans Quilt

I wanted to create a quilt that had a New Orleans/Mardi Gras feel without being too literal…i.e. green, purple, gold and beads. I ran to my favorite local quilt shop, Strawberry Patches, and begged the assistance of the owner, Suzanne, to help me find the perfect fabrics for my vision. I think she wanted to call the police and have me admitted…but she persevered and hooked me up with the perfect fabrics. I wanted that purple and gold feel with some brown, green and blue undertones. A little mystery and a little gritty-ness…

New Orleans Quilt front

We selected four fabrics for the background: 3 batik fabrics and one quilting weight cotton. The Fleur-de-lis is made with two gold fabrics: one quilting weight cotton and one batik. The darker Gold is used as the binding. The back shows off all the main fabrics in larger scale.

New Orleans Quilt Back

Some detail shots:

Detail of New Orleans Quilt Front

All quilting was completed on my Bernina 440 with my trusty walking foot. Applique is raw-edged to give it an aged feel.

Quilting Detail of New Orleans Quilt Back

This one is headed off to a friend living in New Orleans. As soon as I can get my tush to the post office.

Front Detail

Ashlyn’s Quilt

Babies, babies, babies. They just keep coming :)

My dear friend had Baby Ashlyn in January. (see…I’m way behind). They decorated the nursery in soft pretty pinks and light greens. Her favorite print was damask. I was actually able to pull this quilt together from my stash, including a green damask print. Here’s the front:

Ashlyn's Quilt Front

The solid-looking green is actually a tiny polka dot print. And the White has a floral design on it. Very dainty and pretty. For the back I used mostly the white print, with a few strips added.

Ashlyn's Quilt Back

Hubbster said he liked this quilt the best of any I’ve made. I’ll take that.

CarolAnn’s Quilt

My wonderful cousin had a sweet baby girl. Which deserves a quilt. She decorated the nursery in ladybugs with accents of black and yellow. I lucked out and found a perfect fabric with ladybugs on yellow. Here’s the front:

CarolAnn's Quilt Front

What’s that? I promised better photography? At least this one is taken indoors. I was rushing to get it out the door since I was several months late delivering this. So my pint-sized little model was trying to lift a quilt as tall as she is.

My Little Helper

You make do with what you have…right?

The Oilers Quilt

Again…finished this one back in May…and I don’t think I ever shared. This was a commissioned quilt by my lovely quilt investor. It is based on of Gretzky’s 1969 Oilers Jersey. A nice Lap Size quilt for snuggling on the couch watching Hockey.

Oilers Front

Yes, these pictures are horrible. They were taken in the parking lot of a bowling alley. Classy with a K people…Klassy.

Here’s a shot of the back:

Oilers Back

I promise the photography gets better.

 

The Montana Quilt

I’m pretty sure I haven’t shared this quilt. Please excuse me if this is a repeat. I finished this quilt back in March. Have you ever seen the flag of Montana? Well, here it is in quilt form:

Montana Front March 2011

It is basically the state seal and the word “montana”. But let me tell you…that seal has a lot on it.

I wanted the quilting to look like rays of sunshine coming off the seal.

Here’s the back:

Montana Back March 2011

A big thank you to the hubby for modeling the quilt for pictures. And also a big thank you to my quilt investor for ordering so many quilts and believing in my dream.

The Long Awaited Waves Quilting Post

whew…

I know you’ve been waiting a long time for this. Remember two (okay three) weeks ago when I teased you with the promise of an in-depth instruction-filled post on my favorite quilting technique. Well, I’m finally delivering. Sorry for the delay.

Yemi's Quilt Front

I give you Yemi’s Quilt Front. This lovely was made for a very special little lady. The squares are actually from a Charm Pack for a fabric line I cannot remember. The Sashing is a Kona color I can’t remember and the border and binding are from my stash.

That was way helpful, right…

As you can see, the quilting creates ripples across the quilt. Here’s the back which gives a better view of the detail.

Yemi's Quilt Back

Can you see the waves? I LOVE this quilting technique. It is super easy to do and very forgiving. Also, did I mention that it is quick? Yes…super quick. Probably harder to do on a large quilt, but I haven’t attempted that yet. There are no crossing seams, so no major puckers. And I also like that it can look different every time.

Wanna try it out for yourself? Here’s a quick little diagram set of instructions to get you started. You will absolutely need a walking foot for your machine. Otherwise, just baste as best you can and then start your engine.

Step One

The first line of stitching should meander in large waves across the middle-ish of the quilt. I would advise you to make large swooping waves instead of short pointy waves. It is a little easier to follow the big swoopy waves in the following steps.

I also find it easier to hold the fabric a little farther away from the needle and a little wider than normal. It allows me to get more perspective on the size of my waves.

Here’s a little illustration of what I mean:

Placement Diagram

Clear as mud…ok, good. Here’s step two:

Step Two

Now you place your walking foot the desired distance away from the first stitching line. Now stitch an echo of your first stitching line using your walking foot as a guide for distance. In this quilt, I believe I used the outside edge of my quilting foot. Its ok if you get a little closer or farther away. You have some wiggle room. Just try to keep your quilting smooth and even.

Continue echo quilting each previous line until you reach the quilt edge. Rotate 180 degrees and start echoing from the original quilting line back in step one. Continue echo quilting each previous line until you reach the quilt edge. Here’s what it should look like all finished up:

End Result of Waves Quilting

Notice how it isn’t perfect. That’s why I like it. It becomes very organic. No harsh edges, just smooth and supple. Almost reminds me of striations in the soil or in a rock.

Close up of Back and Quilting

It adds some great texture to a quilt without overpowering the fabrics.

Yemi's Quilt

The variations are endless. Make your stitching farther apart or closer together. Maybe put an island in the waves and let them roll away. (P.S. I am sure someone has done this type of quilting before, I just wasn’t sure what it is called. I don’t claim to have invented this type of quilting…just sharing my latest quilting adventure…end disclaimer).

Give it a try, and let me know how it goes.