~ Lucy's Baby Quilt ~

Lucy's Baby Quilt was finished on Friday, along with Liv's, just in time for Jenna's baby shower. I hand-sewed the entire binding, which is why I ended up having to use the flash in the dim light of early evening. Using the flash is not my favorite method of photographing quilts because you cannot see the lovely crinkle of the final product once washed and dried as well as when you just use the natural light. Oh well... that is what I get for procrastinating ;). I think this is my favorite quilt yet! All the ladies at the party thought it was pretty cool, too. Best of all, Jenna loved it. Success!

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~ Liv's Baby Quilt ~

I finally finished the last little bit of Liv's binding on Friday! I gave it to my cousin (Liv's mama) and both she and my ex-quilting aunt loved it. My aunt even mentioned that this quilt made her almost want to get back into quilt-making. They made me feel better about my feeling amateur through their lovely compliments. :) By the way, pardon the poor quality in the photos..it was getting later in the day and my clothesline and bedroom had low lighting. Nevertheless, enjoy.

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Early Autumn Colors

It is interesting to watch the subtle changes in the beginning of the fall season that will soon become the very apparent changes of mid to late fall. Pay attention to the colors, the smells, the sounds of flocking birds and the active breeze, the feel of moisture in the air, the approaching chill of winter...... this all, of course, depends upon your climate and its patterns right now, but just take notice of your seasonal change, even if it just turned spring and you are watching as everything becomes more summery on a daily basis. Just be a part of the cycle of change. Be aware and in every moment.........

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Starry Night At Home Quilt ~ Part 3

I have had this wall decor finished for a while now, but I haven't made the time to post the final results. It has not yet been washed either, so that may affect the results of it's final look. I last mentioned digging up some solid black in my stash, but I suprisingly have none. However, I found some solid brown that gave me a mellow, woodsy feel. When all was put together, I handstitched the mini-quilt, which was very enjoyable. Besides, there is nothing like a hand-sewn quilt.

When I created this little quilt, the theme I had in mind was a "night time at the most cozy place on Earth... home", type theme. I thought just today, though, that perhaps I could have at least made a green horizontal strip below each house to give the effect of actually sitting on the ground, but I still quite like it the way that it is. I then finished the quilt with two of the four similar fabrics used in the red door theme. It turned out brighter than expected, but I still like the glow it gives off. The finished piece measures at about 27.5" on each side. I decided to use 3 fabrics I had already used in the quilt on the hanging loops at the top. Bamboo or a wooden dowel would have worked more seamlessly, but I instead grabbed an imperfect stick outside, which I think I might like better. It certainly fits nicely in the boys' room, among the other eclectic Waldorf, thrifted, and handmade wall hangings. 

What a fantastic project to practice handsewing and the implementation of my own designs... you know, taking risks and seeing what the results end up being. What a learning experience. For instance, I now know I haven't the patience for such hand stitching on a full-sized quilt, though I truly admire those who do. I also am now quite aware that I thoroughly enjoy creating familiar images with patchwork, like these houses. To me, it is all about the process, even though final results are a wonderful perk.  :)

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Japanese Quilted Decor For a Special Lady

I was so excited about creating these quilted wall decorations for Daniel's mom as a birthday gift. She has been infatuated with Japanese culture far longer than I have known her, collecting silky kimonos, fanciful obis, gorgeous tansus and other antique furniture, assorted decor, and making kimekomi dolls, among several other additions to bringing the culture into her home. I was pleased to see her appreciation, as she opened her gift.

These ended up measuring about 9.5 x 11" and they are intended to be hung from bamboo, which she has plenty of. I truly know very little about Japanese design, but I kept playing with fabric and different asymmetrical ideas. I came up with this, starting with a piece of large patterned fabric somehow hiding in my stash, and to me, it looks pretty darn Japanese. :) This project was not only interesting because I was learning a bit about design along the way, but I also had fun practicing a couple new free motion quilting patterns.

Jared and Dylan made cards for her using what we have, and I wrapped her gifts in tissue paper and an inside-out paper bag. I finished it off with raffia ribbon, and I made a little attached card with matching fabric. It all turned out so lovely.

Daniel tells me I should make wall hangings similar to these and sell them on Etsy. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with life right now and I feel I am too amateur at this point to feel comfortable selling pieces such as these. For now, I will practice and make gifts.

Have a great remainder of your week!

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