On Point - If You're a Baby

I busted open a couple of Early Bird charm packs over the break and put together a quick baby quilt. 

It was pretty quick overall since you don't have to measure the setting triangles. 

I quilted on my little machine since it was just straight lines along the seams and also because my longarm has a quilt loaded that I don't feel like quilting.   But I'm not taking it off until it's done! 

The backing and binding were already in my stash and happened to also be by the same fabric designer, Kate Spain.   The backing is of course flannel.   Because flannel.     Binding is hand sewn to the back.

I used this tutorial  and it was very easy.  If I do it again, I'll make the original squares bigger and pay more attention to placement because I did end up with same fabrics touching.   And yes, I did take those bits off, reshuffle and sew back together. 

It's currently listed for sell in my Etsy Shop and as always, all proceeds go to charity.

I also finished putting the labels on a bunch of charity quilts -

Charity Sewing Day(s)

2017 : Do Something.   

As many of you know, I don't agree with certain things that are going on these days.   So I'm doing something about it.   Actually lots of little things, which added together, will change the world.   Maybe only my minuscule part of it but I believe that matters.   I believe the good that I can add to the world matters.   So we start.   Or continue.  

This year, once a month, I will open up my sewing studio, the Carriage House, and host a sewing day.  On that day we will sew for a specific charity or two or thirty-seven (good is limitless).   The first of those days was today, January 15th.    I chose two causes and we started.

Seven of my friends showed up, at various times and stayed as long as they could.   Some have been quilting for years, some for months and for some it was their first introduction.   There was some ironing, some cutting, some hand stitching and some piecing.   Everyone did something and worked toward a common good.

The first group we are donating to is the refugee community.   I would like to be very clear that some of the national rhetoric and spewing of hate and otherizing does not reflect America.   It does not reflect me.   It does not reflect many that I know.    So here's a little welcome to some family who might be missing their first home, who might be feeling a little out of place and unsure.   So we say -

You are Welcomed

You are Loved

You are One of Us

We will be donating the quilts later this month after the labels arrive and are added.  I am so very happy to report that we will be donating 15+ quilts after this day.   Some I have been rounding up from previous sewing.

This one was finished today -

The backing for another was finished and quilting has been started on it -

Binding was started and nearly completed thanks to four different people on these two quilts -

And then there is the series that I privately refer to as We've Got Your Back.   I've pulled out the tubs of flannel from quilt backings of past quilts and started cutting them into useful sizes.   8 1/2 squares, 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 rectangles, 3 1/2 squares and 2 1/2 strips.    Blocks for 1 full top and 3 partial tops were completed today.    And a whole lot more squares were cut by someone who had never picked up a rotary blade before today (and might still not know that's what it is called).  

The other community we sewed for is a local LGBTQ project.   The blocks were originally started after the Pulse nightclub tragedy but these quilts will go to our local community.  (tutorial)   I'm talking with some friends who will know the best way to distribute.     It's just a few more blocks to add to the rainbow blocks already done.   Love is love is love.   Even when it might not look like the way you love.

It's hard to explain how putting this event together makes me feel.   Hopeful.   Proud.   Delighted with how many busy people showed up.  Anxious to do more.  

So as you go through your own busy day, look around.   There is someone you can help.  There is someone who has helped you and you can show some gratitude.   A little thank you can encourage even the crankiest to do a little something.   Sew a little colorful block for us to add to a few other colorful blocks.    Plant a pepper.   Lend a hand.

It's for humanity.

Second Quarter Finish Along - #2016FAL

For this year's finish along, I did finish 4 quilts and 1 small project completely in the first quarter and then adopted two giant schnauzers, ages 7 and 8.   AKA 160 pounds of we're really sad and not sure we remember that we're well behaved dogs.   So that's taken quite a bit of sewing time.  



I did get pretty far along on most Q1 projects though so I'm relisting those and adding quite a few.

1. Birthday in Seville


2. Minkee Blue and Green Kid


3. Technicolor


4. Terrain HSTs


5. Cushion from the batting scraps


6. Testing of the Clams


7. Argyle from Turkey


8. Flying Geese Bits


9. Wayward Block Donation


10. Slab Quilt


11. Locket - Baby Size


12. Orange Baby - backing off cuts from Technicolor


13. Wedding Signatures - maybe, the wedding was this decade, I don't want to rush


14. Pouch for HW

I'm not always realistic but I like a good set of goals.   And added bonus, one of the dogs already has bonded and has separation anxiety to the tune of pulling the minkee quilt partially off the frame and chewing a side.   So that's a smaller quilt to finish now.  

I don't have all the pictures on my phone but here's 9 of them.   Will add more as soon as I'm home.



Linking up with Elven Garden Quilts

Rosebuds Baby

I'm on a roll, another quilt finished.   My darling parents got me a couple of groovy boards for Christmas last year and the pattern mom picked was rosebuds.   I didn't have any finished quilt tops that needed rosebuds so came up with a quick 4 patch alternating with white (aka Kona Bone).

All fabrics I had on hand and just seemed to get along well.   The yellow I used previously for handles for an Aeroplane bag a bit ago, And I didn't notice that I had cut long strips off the selvage side so I could have made this a bit quicker.

The back is still the same flannel from my Starburst quilt because it was close at hand and just the right size.   With this and the next baby quilt I'll finish, I used the last of the big batting pieces so yay for that.

Of course, I quilted the word love right in, I'm glad I remembered to go back in there and add it in before it came off the quilting frame.

Here's a good picture of the design.   

And I bound it in the same green swirls from the front squares since that also went well with the back.

Quilting after washing -

It crinkled up really nicely and is a lovely 35 x 40 inch baby quilt.

It's a sweet little quilt and if that's right up your alley, it's listed Etsy shop, Carriage House Quilter .


Groovy Board setup -

Hearts and Bones, My Heart is Full of Love, Etc

I came home from the holidays all sorts of sick.   Thanks plane!   So I was too tired to work on an epic project I'd started in early December, it takes brain power and lots of ups and downs to the ironing station.   So I pulled out a stack of pink 2 1/2 inch squares and grabbed the first piece of flannel I could reach.   It turned out to be about a yard of pink/purple Valori Wells delight.   Since the epic project also involves pixels, I tried a pixelated heart layout.



That seemed doable so I set about to find a background.   Since awhile ago I bought a bolt of Kona Snow, except oops, it was Kona Bone, I decided to use some of that up.   Hence the possible title as a nod to Paul Simon's Hearts and Bones.  







Working a few bits here and there as my energy and coughing levels allowed, I finished up the top, happened to find a perfectly sized batting scrap at the top of the pile and loaded it on Pippi for some quilting.  After another nap, I decided to quilt the word "love" over and over in the heart.   Since I'm super literal and all.   Marking out straight lines for diamonds worked out for the background and then I bound it in more pink, Oval Elements.   Please see this post if you are unclear on why.




Finished at

I really like how it turned out and if you do too, it's now up and listed in my Etsy shop, Carriage House Quilter  - SOLD.

Natural History Baby

A colleague recently welcomed a new baby boy into their family so I made a little gift for them.



Most of the fabrics are Lizzy House Natural History.   It's all delightful and made a really fun and colorful top.   I used this pattern sort of, adjusting for size based on the cuts I felt like making.



It's a nice size at 44 x 55 (ish) and backed with two bits of flannel that got along well with the front.   I quilted all over in a slightly more complicated swirl pattern.   I'm really comfortable with swirls.   Even though I thought I was starting another pattern, I naturally went back to this.  I think it turned out well for this one.















Binding is a green quilter's linen print from my stash.

The baby was born early this year and the quilt gifted as soon as I got over the plague.  So that's an improvement over the last one.    I don't want to get too wacky and finish things before people are borned.

I finally started using my awesome quilt labels from my BFF along with the nerdy QR codes I had printed at Spoonflower.

This is also from my 2016 quarter one Finish Along hosted by Elven Garden Quilts, etc.  http://theelvengarden.blogspot.com/p/finish-long-2016.html   I went with a huge list this quarter so let's see how well it works out.

Project Linus

I've got another nice stack of quilts ready to go to our local Project Linus group. Here is the latest which I started late Friday night as I was too twitchy to sleep. Quilted up on Saturday with a bunch of new motifs and machine bound on Sunday with lots of breaks because I hate doing that. Pictures galore!

Sea Improv Baby

I used the leftover bits from my niece, Lightning's, quilt to do a little improv quilt. It is small, 37 x 37 but I like it. The tan solid was at the top of my scrap basket and I had enough to run with it.



I had a Riley Blake flannel that worked quite well with the colors on the front.


I quilted this one with some straight lines in a few different directions using my basically free Janome. Actually, I ended up a little ahead on that one. It's a nice machine that I got at QuiltCon in February. Not that I needed a new machine but they had such a good deal on the machines used in the classes that I ended up bringing a couple home and finding people interested in them. So after a few nail biting weeks, I basically made back the money that I spent on them. It's nice when a diabolical plan works out.

I entered this quilt in the San Diego Quilt show. Not because it's anything special but just to give people a little taste of other options in the world of quilting. Sure you can do detailed floral appliqué but you can also do a million more things.

Jungle Links Quilt

Gifted on Friday and the baby isn't even 3 months old. That's practically on time, right?



I quilted different designs in each color link. Then straight lines through the gray light dots.



The green dots are a flannel that I had in my stash.



This quilt made possible through the generous support of Jim's garage.