Vacation Shopping

We managed to find two fabric stores yesterday, a little more than a week into our vacation. I picked up these bundles, which I'm hoping to turn into a Kauai Polaroids quilt when we get home in a couple of days.

7 Down - 5 To Go - WiP Wednesday

This post is somewhat rushed, as we are getting ready to go on vacation tomorrow. This is the first Christmas ever that we have not spent with extended family, but we decided to try something new. The weeks approaching the winter solstice are pretty dreary wet ones in Portland. Although I grew up here and have spent very little time anywhere but the Pacific Northwest, it seems each winter is a little longer and a little less bearable. So, we are going somewhere sunny and warm!

I finished these blocks this past week as part of the jellyroll sampler.

Block 5 - Rolling Pinwheel

Block 6- Union Square (I really like this one)

Block 7 - Spiral

I'm linking up to WiP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.  Happy Holidays and see you in 2013!

Salt Water by Tula Pink - On Sale!

Salt Water by Tula Pink is in the store, and it is 25% off MRSP for a limited time!  Salt Water comes in three color groupings: aqua, coral, and seaweed.   Just lovely.

TGIFF - Streak O' Lightning Baby Blanket

I had so much fun making this blanket, that I wish I knew more people having babies so I could make more!  This is an easy, beginner-friendly top,which is a perfect distraction if you're coming off something challenging.


The block is pretty ubiquitous, but I found that it has an actual name.  In The Quilter's Bible by Linda Clements, the block is called "streak o' lightning" or "endless stair."   The variation in colors to this block are endless, and depending upon how ambitious you are, each stair step can be a different color.  I was not very ambitious and wanted to keep it simple.  As you can see from the picture below, the block is composed of two rectangles of different colors, which are arranged in a staggered pattern.


I was a little iffy about the quilting pattern at first, as I was not sure whether it would compliment the quilt blocks, but it has since grown on me. The pattern is an all-over motif called Modern Squares and is composed of interconnecting round-cornered rectangles and ovals, with little stars scattered about.


Much as I love the front of the quilt, I'm completely enamored of the pieced back.  Denyse Schmidt designed these fabric bundles for JoAnn's called Quilt Quarters.  Basically, it is four fat quarters printed onto one yard of fabric, which you then cut apart.  I had two of these Quilt Quarters (for a total of 1/2 yard each of four different prints), which was enough for the entire quilt, including the backing.  I added one yard of the solid (Kona bone).

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Last but not least, I bound the quilt with an additional 1/3 yard of solid for the binding (Kona ash).  I used the go-to method for attaching the binding entirely by machine.  I was thinking about writing up a tutorial for this quilt, as it would be a great quick quilt as a baby gift, or part of 100 Quilts for Kids.  The quilt ends up measuring 36" x 44", using 2 1/2" strips.



I'm linking up to TGIFF at Quilt Matters, Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts, and Can I Get A Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.  Let's see who else had a finish this week!

Stash Bee - December 2012

These blocks are for Jackie, a fellow Oregonian, and December's Queen Bee.  When I saw Jackie's post about her tutorial for these blocks, my reaction was "Phew, back in familiar territory."  The last two months the Stash Bee blocks called for paper piecing and applique, respectively, which were completely unfamiliar territory for me.

The block is called Arkansas Crossroads and were delightful to make. The funnest part was picking out the fabrics.  Jackie wanted the blocks to be completely scrappy, so there are no fabric repeats.

Now I'm off to cruise WiP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced!

Burp [Cloths]

I made these burp cloths for #2's teacher, who is just a couple of weeks away from her due date.  I had seen some (over priced ones) at the store, with the same owl print, and thought, "I can make that."  Yup, it took  me about 10 minutes to make all four of these.



The fabric are remnants that have been in my stash for a looong time.  I simply cut a 5-inch strip across the width of fabric, then sub-cut the strip into 5" x 21"rectangles -- each WOF strip was just enough to make two burp cloths.  I then folded all the raw edges in 1/2 inch, ironed, and then top-stitched onto the pre-made diaper.  The owl print is by Alexander Henry and the red print is by Darlene Zimmerman/Robert Kaufman.  The diapers are Gerber brand from JoAnn's. 

The kids had the baby shower this afternoon, just right before school got out for the weekend.  There is one week of school left before Winter Break, but I'm not so sure the expectant mom is going to be able to hold out for that long!

Sashed, Quilted...WIP Wednesday

Needs trimming and binding, which I'm hoping to tackle this week. But we've got birthdays and holiday stuff going on, so who knows. I'm off to see the other WIPS at Freshly Pieced!