FMQ Friday and May NewFO's - Edited on Sat. for Erin!

I missed the deadline for the Baby Shower, but thanks to QuiltBloggerLand technology, I can share up to date progress with my niece, Erin. Here is the quilt inspired by her baby shower invitation.

I am making this update Saturday morning, and since this post covers many of my projects this month, I am also linking up to Lily's Quilts for her Fresh Sewing Day Party!

 

 

Quilting Madeleine's baby quilt has been one of my favorite projects, it is really making me smile, but I stopped for a pause to link with FMQFriday.

I have only the background circles and border lines to complete today:-)

I first completed a little pillow sham to sample the techniques:

I stuffed the cherries trapunto style. I wish I had done this on Madeleine's quilt.

 

 

And I tried a raw edge binding. I actually like it and may use it for pillows, but decided against it for the baby quilt.

 

And more new projects (so I can also link up with Cat Patches!):

 

The first quilt top I whipped up for Baby Madeleine. I have decided to use this as a center for a full size quilt with large applique work that I have yet to draw...   More like a New UFO...

And another New UFO that was started and set aside this month, we did twisters in guild and I made a bunch of them without a plan as to how I will put them together. They may end up being pillows...

And I started and finished this quilt in a jiffy this month, thanks to the Vroom Vroom cheater fabric:

 

 

Flower Shower for Madeleine

Baby Madeleine is not expected til July, but the shower is Saturday so I was hoping to have a quilt in the mail by now. But on Monday I was so inspired by the Shower invitation, I started in on a whole new quilt for her. MAYBE I can still have it in the mail in time to make the party!

 

I really had fun with this top and can't wait to see how it comes out! Just need to baste and quilt. Here is the invitation that inspired me, and the cute backing fabric...

 And my two tester panels. I will quilt these first to make sure all is stitching well. I think they will make cute pillows..

Linking up to share with Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday! 

Baby Girl Quilt

I got busy finally on a new quilt for my nephew's baby girl, expected the first week of July. The shower is next weekend, and although I cannot attend, I thought it would be nice to have a quilt mailed in time. She likes French style, and I have been looking at my stash with this in mind for some time now, but have not really a notion of what that French style might be. There is no color theme, and I noticed her Pinterest board has very muted neutral tones for baby decor. I finally chose to cut into some Amy Butler fabric I have been hoarding. Although the style may be floralish than mom's, I thought it's somewhat monochromaticedness  and traditional pattern may help keep it toned down. It is still pretty busy though, and now I wish it were a bit more babyish ...

Maybe if I'd made the patchwork a bit smaller. I started with 6.5" squares (so I could use my template), then cute the bands 2" wide, (an inch on each side of the center line. This made cutting and piecing a breeze, and the blocks are 5.25 finished. But as I so often do, I am feeling stuck in the process now, and my border options aren't coming together well either...

I'm starting to picture this as the center panel of a large quilt. Maybe with some large applique work around it... 

So, of course I have stopped production altogether to explore a whole new idea. Inspired by the Shower invitation, I pulled some solid brights, and think I may be able to do this little quilt idea in the next couple days with raw edge applique (we'll see). I love the little sheep fabric for the backing,

Yesterday I completed the top of Terry's quilt. I will baste it at Guild on Tuesday. Still deciding on the quilting...

 

And I completed Hello Moon, May BOM. Too cute:-)

Linking up with What a Hoot BOM !

OP Fabric Score!

I have always been a budget quilter, and love Make-Do quilting. My fabric collection is borderline excessive, and since I have been out of work I have done a bit of de-stashing, but it seems I just can't stop adding as well. I often have good intentions of re-sale when I score great fabric, then trouble parting with them once I get them home and washed. I spent $28 yesterday, and I am not sure I can let go of any of my finds, but maybe I will be hungrier next week (!)

 



 2yds each of Glacier Peak by Benartex, 2yds Ricky Tims, 4+ yds of Art by the Yard, and 1yd each of Moda dots. + 1.5yds home dec from Ikea.

 

 

 

I found this great quilt of vintage fabrics (pic is folded in half). I love that it is unlined and lightweight, & knew right away I would keep it since it is perfect for desert weather. It had never been washed, very simply tied and with no binding. It is so kinda ugly that I absolutely love it.

I think the same quilter made these next two baby quilts:

 Yesterday I completed the Vroom Vroom quilt for my good friend's good friend's toddler.

It finished 39" x 53".

 I had intended to machine bind, but as is usually the case for me, I just couldn't do it, and stitched it up while watching movies with my hubby.

 

Today's Work in Progress is Terry's Quilt (my father-in law). I completed the blocks yesterday and chose a solid tan fabric for sashing to make today. My mother in-law requested a soft quilt to replace Terry's current quilt which is badly tattered.

 Terry lives in the foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range, in Washington State, so when I found this print yesterday (yes, included in my $28 purchase!) I thought is was perfect for the backing. It is soft & kinda flannelish in texture. I am not sure there will be enough however. I will play with piecing options after I wash it today.
It is slightly more tan than the pic and will go well, so my heart is set on it - I hope it works!

 

Hearts and Flowers BOM

Much as I am enjoying all this time off work, it looks as though I have landed a full-time job (still not an easy task in Las Vegas!). Since it is salaried, and on the busy Strip, I do not anticipate a lot of free time this summer. So, I have been really trying to wrap some things up around the house. Rather than finish painting the house, or even cleaning the house, I have been lining up some of my in-progress quilting projects.

This morning I completed the last Hearts and Flowers Block. Since I do not have a recipient in mind for this quilt, I may or may not finish the top in the next couple weeks.

All 12 blocks are pictured here

 

 And I have almost knocked out the blocks for Terry's quilt. A man quilt was requested, and I was inspired by a masculine quilt I pinned a while ago (originally at  Keepsake Quilting ). I pulled some vintage fabrics, and have one more row to add to these blocks before joining them. I was considering using this quilt to try my hand at Big-Stitch utility quilting, but time may be an issue...

 

 In the midst of knocking those out a couple days ago, I received a request for a toddler boy quilt for a birthday present by May 25th. Of course, it doesn't really seem like a good time for yet another new project, however this request came from the friend who has basically landed me the new job. I really could not say no, so I picked up my first cheater fabric, Vroom Vroom by Kaufman. It is sooo cute! I pieced the borders around it yesterday, and basted it. Even though I try to avoid FMQ when sleepy, I went to quilt it last night, and noticed that, in my rush to complete it, I had pinned the back panel upside down. I was tired, and actually considered just quilting it anyway, telling my husband it looks cute when the top is folded down (the cars were then right side up). But, of course, I pulled the pins and re-basted it this morning. I will post the completed quilt this week, I think it is going to be so cute:-)

 

 

Linking up to What a Hoot's BOM's Away

Lizzy House by Andover

I have entered a few fabric giveaways this week from the HUGE list found at Sew, Mama, Sew!
My fingers tightly crossed to win the lot of Andover fabrics from the out of print line of Lizzie House, given away this week by My Year of Crafting Dangerously

I was lucky to find this fabric (at a Garage Sale!!)  a couple years ago, in a kit for a quilt called Lizzie's Parade. I had never bought a kit, but after making this quilt for my niece,

I was pleasantly surprised to find I still had enough fabric for a second quilt, for her sister. I did have to add in some prints from my stash, but the quilts are quite similar..

Just yesterday, I broke into my treasured Lizzy-stash-scrap-bag and cut off some 2.5" squares to add to my fun little mini-charm pack of Moda's new Ticklish line. I am not sure yet the design, but this will be a bright and cheery quilt...

 

Oh, how tickled I would be to win this generous giveaway!

 

Fandom in Stitches

 

Most of the time, I find it hard to keep up with the online quilting world. It is so easy to get pulled into quilt blogging bliss, so I try to limit my time reading all the blogs and events. I do follow quite a few though, and inevitably I seem to find out about things a bit late.

 

I read about the Project of Doom Block Drive on Monday and just had to do it. I have been wanting to try foundation piecing, and I got right to work Tuesday selecting fabric scraps and printing the pattern on water soluble paper. Pieced it last night, finished the groups this morning and gave it a soak to remove paper. Too cute!

 

Then I went back to the site for address and noticed these were to be sent no later than April 30th.

I had to think, it is May yes? 

Hopefully Jennifer can accept late block...

Hello Moon!

Quick Post to share yesterday's accomplishments!

 

I finally got to work on the April Mae Designs BOM "Hello Moon" - I have had my eyes on it for a couple weeks now, since  Barbara over at Cat Patches started hers. Just need to stitch these down and I will be caught up for the May block!

 

 

 

 

And I have been doing some hopping with The Quilting Gallery,

 

Monday was the first block tutorial, Mirror Mirror Star, by Marie Bostwick

 

The tutorial suggested blocks could be stitched up up for the Linus Project, so I whipped this up with one of my favorite red-orange colors. Then I followed the Linus link, and was drawn right into all the amazing quilts and volunteering going on. It wasn't exactly clear if these are being gathered or what, and I feel a bit lame just sending the lone block, so I will pick a baby quilt out of my finished stash and send them together.

 

Linking to:

 

Cat Patch's NewFO Challenge

 

What a Hoot BOMs Away