Finishing Up

 Finishing Up

I have lofty plans today ... I'm going to work on finishing a few things up. One of those things is my Crescent Quilts. One is for me and one is a gift.

Over the last few years I have been making the quilts that I have always been interested in making. Over the years I have collected quilt patterns, purchased panels and fabrics, but never seemed to have the time to actually make the quilts. Somehow I ended up with two of the panels needed to make the Crescent quilt ... so I made two of them. One of them is going to be a gift but the one pictured here is for me.

The panel came with the motifs for the quilt top but it also had wonderful small motifs printed as quilt labels. I fussy cut those cute little motifs and made them the centers of the small starts needed for the quilt top. 

I also ended up with an extra owl and unicorn motif that I trimmed down and used instead of making two of the large stars needed for the quilt.

For the large stars I used some wonky stars that I had already made ... which made this quilt a lot less fussy and fiddly. Which was a huge plus for me. And, since the quilt is for me I felt I had the freedom to tweak the pattern to fit my likes.

These little stars with the fuzzy cut motifs make me so happy!

I am really happy with this quilt. I've really enjoyed making the quilt patterns that have caught my eye over the years. 

I love the machine quilting pattern too! The big fluffy flowers just make this quilt for me.

My baby boy kitty approves of this quilt. So today is the day that I'm going to get the binding on this quilt and get if finished up. There is nothing better than getting the binding on a quilt and finishing a quilt project. 

Oh Happy Day!

Weekend Vibes

 Weekend Vibes

The last couple of weekends have been a bust in my sewing room. I made a pillow from the test block I made before starting my scrappy HEARTS quilt.

I made a zipper pouch and a snack bag ... just fiddling around.

Instagram is a bad thing when I watch reels with easy recipes for sweets!

Lemon Bars .... Oh my word ... DELICIOUS!

Sock knitting ... I still haven't finished these socks!

UGH!!!!

Shelby's 2022 Easter Basket - Llamas and Cacti

 Shelby's 2022 Easter Basket

Llamas and Cacti

I came up with the theme of llamas and cacti from a quilt I finished earlier in the year. The front of the quilt has cactus, lots and lots of cactus blocks. The backing I chose that cute little llamas and cacti.

I ordered a pattern on Etsy for this little llama pillow but it was so poorly written that I ended up re-writing the pattern to work. 

I also added the floral yoke and the blanket on the llama.

The basket is just my typical basket pattern that I use each year. This year I did scallop the top edge of the basket and I attached the handle on the inside of the basket.

The cactus was a free pattern and equally as poorly written. I really struggled with the patterns I chose this year. Maybe it was just me ... but honestly I've never had such a difficult time reading and completing crochet patterns.

So as far as the cactus go ... I loosely followed the pattern but ended up working the cactus out on my own. I also added the floral buttons.

Anyway, it is safe to say that I really struggled with this years Easter basket.

This year I added this cute little wooden button. This is the first Easter basket that I have "signed" or "labeled". I ordered these personalized little wooden buttons on Etsy.

Quilt Backings ... Are A Thing ...

Quilt Backings ... Are A Thing ...

Quilt backings have always been a "thing" for me. Part of the quilting process that I often don't think about until of course I need one. Some folks purchase the backing fabric for their quilts when they buy their fabrics to make a quilt. Which makes perfect sense and I'm sure why I don't do the same. Especially when I am making a quilt from a pattern and the pattern gives the yardage needed for the backing. But here's the deal ... sometimes even when I am working with a pattern, I feel like the quilt needs a little something more ... like an extra border, for instance. There are also patterns that I start and ended up not finishing per the pattern. An example of this is "The Mugs" Sew A Long that I started and got bored with. I ended up piecing the mugs I had completed into a quilt top that was a bit larger than the pattern called for. Also ... I have been sewing my stash (for years now) and making scrap quilts. I'm on Sewing My Stash Scrap Quilt # 18 (batiks) as we speak. I never know what size these scrap quilts will end up being. So it is safe to say that getting the backings pieced for 4 completed quilt tops over the weekend was very satisfying!

Our local Joann's is moving locations and is presently in the process of liquidating there present store. I purchased 108 inch backing fabric for this quilt over the weekend for 30% off. Which means I got one continuous piece of backing fabric that did not need to be pieced for my Historic Redwork quilt. I will be hand-quilting this quilt top.

I pieced a cute 100% cotton delicate blue and white floral fabric for this backing.

I purchased a cute 100% cotton flannel fabric and Joann's months ago that I was actually going to use for another quilt backing but once I got it home I decided it would be the perfect backing for my Pumpkin Patch quilt top. 

I purchased a 100% cotton flannel of red maple leaves on white, on sale for $5 a yard from www.fabric.com

I'm always on the lookout for sales on yardage that I can use for quilt backings. I was able to purchase 9 yards which was enough to make the backing for my Red/White Orphan block quilt top (pictured above) and for my Red/White Double Dip quilt top (pictured below).

It feels great to get these 5 quilts backed and ready for quilting.

I'm ticking away at getting all of the quilt tops on my completed quilt top list quilted, bound, and FINISHED!!!

 

A Tale of Two Quilts

 A Tale of Two Quilts

On Sunday I picked up these two beautiful quilts from my friend and long arm machine quilter, Sharon. I love love how these quilts turned out.

My fur baby, Booker, loves to inspect all of the quilts that I make. The minute one hits the floor to be trimmed ... he is on it!  

Some how I ended up with two of the pre-printed panels with all of the motifs for this quilt. The one above I also had all of the fabric collection need to make the stars and so on.

The pre-printed panel also had cute little quilt labels printed on it. These little labels has the cutest small motifs. On the second quilt I made I used solid black fabric that I had on hand. I made wonky stars for the larger stars called for in the original pattern. And for the small stars I used the motifs from the pre-printed panels quilt labels. I also had an extra owl and unicorn that I trimmed down and used in the second quilt top. I'm very happy with the results of both quilts.

UGH!!!!

 UGH!!!!

I am ashamed of how fat I have become. I diet and I exercise and I still can't drop any weight. I'm totally at a lost and very frustrated. All I seem to have accomplished is not gaining anymore weight but I can't seem to lose any of the weight ...

After seeing this picture of me on our hike this past weekend that my daughter took ... I'm absolutely mortified at how fat I have become.

I've tried everything, I eat healthy, I drink water, I exercise ... honestly I don't know what else to do. I need help!

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park

 The Great Smoky Mountains National Park

On the Tennessee side of the park.

On Saturday morning me and my girl took out first hike. It was part of a class given by the University of Tennessee. We hiked a little over 5 miles, the trail was called, The Old Sugarland Trail. 

It was a great day and a beautiful hike.

I hope to have many more hikes in the future.

My Girl's 2022 Easter Basket

My Girl's 2022 Easter Basket

Llama's and Cacti (plural for cactus)

This year's Easter Basket has been slow and sluggish ... Normally, once I decide on a theme, I usually have the Easter Basket completed in a couple of weeks. I decided on a theme and started working on this year's basket back in January. I finished crocheting the basket and handle day one and started on the little llama ... ugh ...

I've made several baskets over the years and I have my own basic pattern for crocheting the basket. Not to mention there are a ton of free patterns and tutorials online for crocheting them.

I purchased a pattern for a crocheted llama pillow. I am not going to share the specifics on where you can find this pattern because it was very hard to follow. I ended up just looking at the picture and crocheting it until it sort of looked like it. I read the pattern and followed the instructions and it made a mess ... 

I scrapped my first attempted ... then read the pattern from start to finish. I made little notes and basically re-wrote the pattern to work into a llama ... shape ...

I'm not unhappy with the results. I've read many crochet patterns and I honestly can't tell you why this pattern just did not work. Maybe a part of the pattern is missing? I'm just not sure but that is the reason I'm not sharing the pattern. 

The blanket is my own creation as well.

The flowers around the llama's neck are also my own creation.

There will be a pom pom tail in the llama and some flower buttons around her ears.

I have a pattern for the cactus as well. I will be making the cactus a bit larger than the instructions call for. 

Now that I'm over the hurdle of crocheting the llama and figuring out the llama pattern this year's Easter Basket should be completed in no time. 

Thankfully ... and well before Easter!!

 

Wash Your Paws Quilt Kit - 63 x 63

 Wash Your Paws Quilt Kit

63 x 63 Inches

#quiltsinthewild

Chilly morning ... cheery quilt!

I finished piecing the Wash Your Paws quilt top ... I love this sunny quilt!