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 -

Triangles Finished

I finished the binding on the triangles today. It's really scrappy with a minky backing. Some of the triangles are pieced since the scraps weren't quite big enough.




It's a decent size baby blanket that I'll stash away for a gift one day.



The quilting created asterisks on the backing which goes well with the overall patterns.



This is one of the projects I listed for the Finish Along. Just 5 or 8 more to go.

Some Progress

It seems like every year when I figure out a goal (or two) for my sewing that I happen across others with the same general plan. Last year it was not buying fabric for a few months and there were plenty of people trying the same resolution.*
I've spent the last week or so focusing on not starting new projects since I ended the year with at least 15 projects in the works. The number may seem high but the urge to finish is pretty common on blogs this year. So I've updated my Excel spreadsheet and made some neat piles. I'm linking up to the Finish Along at Quilter in the Gap for the first quarter. Here are my projects to be completed -






It is kinda a mug shot setup with the front and side views but there are six projects there.

1. Summer Takeout
2. Arabella Diamonds
3. Sunkissed Jelly Roll Magic
4. Triangle Quilt, Triangle Quilt, Doing the Things a Triangle Can
5. Grand Bazaar
6. Origins HST (with the border fabric hanging in the back

The last two need backing fabric still.**

Oh and the turtle quilt top that I gave away for Christmas and brought back home to finish. Because that's classy.





However, my main goal this year is not to sew with any deadlines, I did enough of that in 2011. So we will see what gets done without pressure.

Oh and I will be starting a new project that makes me giggle tomorrow. Or next week.


*Please ignore the full shelves in the following pictures. I mostly succeeded.
**Again, can I say that there are not enough flannel choices out there?

Lemon Squares Bound

Lemon Squares Bound, a photo by shanleytulip on Flickr.

I had a looooong day of jury duty today and decided to fully dork out and take a quilt with me to bind. I finished up the Lemon Squares quilt. I've just got to dig up the label from somewhere around here. If I can trick someone into holding up for me this weekend, I'll post a full picture soon.

Hmm, that seems to be a common thread on posts lately. It might be time to dig out my pulleys too and set up a photo spot. Maybe on my new front porch, that should fancy up the neighborhood.

You can kinda see in this picture that I decided to try pebbling in the white spaces. On the yellow squares I stitched in some lemons. Cause I take quilt names literally.

Saturday Stash # 24

Go Crazy Go!, a photo by shanleytulip on Flickr.

Yes, I did clear out Marmalade Fabrics of all their Kona Bright Periwinkle. And I may do it again this summer too.

Saturday Stash #22

Saturday Stash #22, originally uploaded by shanleytulip.

This has been in my stash for a bit as I was waiting for the perfect project to come along. That project came along last month and brought a friend today. So I've got a couple of plans and have put my rotary cutter on alert.

Gotta hit up just one more Memorial Day sale this weekend and I think I'm set for both projects.

Quarter Circles

IMG_2576.JPG, originally uploaded by shanleytulip.

Still on the California Dreamin' kick today. I'm using this tutorial on Cluck, Cluck, Sew and so far liking the results but who could have guessed that if you cut an eight inch square into quarters that you would end up with four inch squares. They look so tiny. I'm adding in some solids from my stash so that my eyes don't burn out of my head.

Saturday Stash #16

Saturday Stash #16, originally uploaded by shanleytulip.

I know, I know, everyone's showing the Sherbet Pips but I like 'em. They're fun. I even already have an idea of what to do with them. But right now I'm trying to decide whether to get in the car and break my big machine, Pippi, out of the shop.

Saturday Stash #12

Saturday Stash #12, originally uploaded by shanleytulip.

A little pile of fat quarters from Hawthorne Threads (I think). The line is California Dreamin' by Jenean Morrison and I'm thinking of turning it into a quick baby blanket. The orange on top is my favorite.

I have been doing a little bit of actual sewing but am prepping for a vacation and that requires a lot of reading and panicking. No, I don't have anything to panic about, I just do it anyway.

Saturday Stash #9

Lovely View, originally uploaded by shanleytulip.

And yes, I know I haven't posted a few of the pictures but I did take them all on Saturdays and I'm a big fan of filling in my blogs backward. So glad Blogger let's you change the posting dates/times.

Here are three little stacks of Kona solids with a set of Sunkissed (still not opened since I'm not quite sure of a pattern). The scraps on the corner of my desk are for the SDMQG first charity project, a wonky star quilt.

I sew in the house in the "winter" since my converted garage is just a bit chilly. Plus the yellow walls and happy fabric/photo desk help with how much I miss the sun after work. I'm already on the countdown to Daylight Savings Day!

Sew Fresh Fabrics Bee Block

Sew Fresh Fabrics Bee Block, originally uploaded by shanleytulip.

I was sitting here this morning and thinking about redoing this block because it didn't quite turn out as expected. We fought a lot and I ripped it apart a couple of times. It's loosely based on the Oh Fransson mod mosaic tutorial. Loosely because I basically read the directions and then did one step right before veering off into crazy.

Crazy in this case was piecing the giraffe from two bits. Which is my favorite part of the block. But it kinda threw off the rest of the block with the odd angles. Eventually though I got enough pieces sewn together to cut out a 12 1/2" square. I called it done and started the search for my micron pen to do the signature for the back of the quilt.

Just as I'd decided to just make a new block though, I started to get really nice comments on Flickr. Yay for outside input to keep me sane :) Hopefully the brown and other bits I added go along well enough with the other blocks.

Saturday Stash #4

Orange and Gold Mum, originally uploaded by shanleytulip.

On one of my birthdays way back when, I bought this fabric at a little shop in Oceanside (closed now). I wasn't sure what pattern to use so I held on to it. And found it some friends, more friends than it needs probably. I still like them all and still would like to make me a quilt out of them but I'm sorta burnt out on this style fabric after making the bento box (link to be magically inserted later when I actually write the post from last year) and then using up the bits on this quilt, so this quick view might be the only time they are seen this year. Who knows? I might find the perfect pattern that screams for an orange mum with shiny gold outlines. Mmmmm, shiny.

Orange and Gold Mum Friends, originally uploaded by shanleytulip.

Chain Reaction

Chain Reaction, originally uploaded by shanleytulip.

The top is done and only 5 inches wider and 10 inches longer than I expected it to be. Maybe a little large for a baby quilt but she'll grow. I did manage to complete the top with only fabrics I already had on hand. So even though I had a resolution exception to buy any fabrics needed for this quilt, I only had to pick up some green and white flannel for the back. In fact, I think the border was originally purchased for the first baby quilt I made. Hmmm, that one also ended up way larger than expected.   Although why did I buy 2 yards of fabric for an applique project?

I've got the twin size ticker tape on the frame right now so I won't be able to quilt this until the last 30 or so inches is done on that. Let's see if I can talk myself into working on it this weekend. I know I'm going to like it again once it's off the frame but right now I just find it tedious. Plus it doesn't warm up out in that room very quickly.

Here's a little closer picture of the feathery fabric I fussy cut for the little border.

Chain Reaction, originally uploaded by shanleytulip.

And for those keeping track of my craziness, yes, I did consider alphabetizing the 4 center prints but managed to mostly talk myself out of it.

Saturday Stash #3

Last Order of 2010, originally uploaded by shanleytulip.

Today's stash is the last order I placed in 2010. It took forever to get here. Forever. This is my first and last order from eQuilter.com, their site is nice and they have a million fabrics, most of these were on sale. A lot on sale actually. And it wasn't the waiting for the order that I minded. They did respond to my email saying they would be late with the order since their clearance sale went much better than expected.

But here's the thing, I ordered two yards of the orange swirly flannel in the back. And they emailed that they didn't have it in one continuous cut. So they gave me the option of paying for an extra 12 inches. I chose what I thought was the option of 2 yards in 1 yard increments. Nope, they sent me an 18 inch piece and cut 12 inches off the 1 yard 30 inch piece. Surely, this is an error and they'll make it right? Nope, not even a real nice apology. Here's the thing, the shipping was sooooo late (and not that cheap) that a little give in the fabric cuts would have made me shrug and say "well, these things happen, no big deal". But without the customer service, it's just not worth shopping with them again. And I can be quite successful in the not shopping at places again, just ask Starbucks and Target.

A Reminder

IMG_3513, originally uploaded by shanleytulip.

No seriously, when I was looking back for some pictures for one of last year's quilts, I found this picture. That's right, people. I needed about 6 purple batiks and this is what ended up coming home with it. And then some of the purples were fighting so I had to go find new friends for them anyway.

Fabric can be so mean.

Saturday Stash #2

Yellow Delicious, originally uploaded by shanleytulip.

I'm still working on another project but as a reminder to myself that I have plenty of fabric to play with, I went out to look at my fabric shelves. I started with this delightfully swirly and sunshine-y fabric and it took me just a few minutes to pull 5 other fabrics that wanted to become it's new BFFF*.

I let them hang out for a little while but they've all gone back to join their regular shelves now.  Maybe they can be pen pals.

Yellow Delicious, originally uploaded by shanleytulip.

In other happy fabric news, the green that I had for the modern diamonds project (posted as the hmmmm previously) was getting pushed around by the prints so I replaced it with a darker green that could hold it's own. Doesn't sound happy so far, right? Well, I tossed it near the stack of other fabrics looking for a bit o' green and it gets along famously. I think I'm at the pattern picking step for the baby quilt mentioned in Saturday Stash #1.


* That's Best Fabric Friends Forever.

Saturday Stash #1

Saturday Stash #1, originally uploaded by shanleytulip.

Happy New Year!

Here's the first grouping of fabrics for the new year. And also the first exception to one of my resolutions. First, I'd like to say it's a really hard resolution and I know this because I like to test my resolutions between Thanksgiving and Christmas to see if I really want to keep them. So effective today I will not be purchasing fabric for 2 solid months*. With the sole exception of anything that is needed for this baby quilt I'm making on my sister's behalf for one of the funniest, nicest, best Facebook updaters we know. She picked out the 3 fat quarters and I'm going to come up with a pattern of some sort. I will try to add in only fabrics from the neatly stacked, yet still very full cabinets I already have. But in an emergency, I reserve the right to buy the perfect shade of green to make the apples and zoo animals get along.

Other than that, if I am in the middle of a project and run out of fabric, I will set it aside and work on something else. Probably. I do have plenty to work on.



*Yes, purposely picked a short month in which I have a birthday which may trick people into sending me Kate Spain Central Park stuff.