Summer 2013 Part 1

I can't believe the summer is almost over and the kids are back in school (plus my birthday is only a few days away and I will be 38 this year). We have had a super busy summer - mainly watching our boys play baseball, playing with our new chickens and a few weekend getaways.

 

 Love it when they are in full catchers gear and waddle out to home plate :)

 

Our oldest got to pitch this year and his whole game improved immensely from the beginning of the season. This was his last game of the year and three kids hit off him, but he got them out at first, so no runs scored.

 

In May we got 6 chickens. It is amazing how fast they grow and they are so fun to watch. We let them wander around the yard at night and they chase each other fluffing up the neck feathers to battle.

May

Early July

 



We also had a summer project of installing a fire pit and patio in the backyard. It was supposed to be a 2 or 3 weekend project but due to weather and ball games it ended up being almost 2 months. We have enjoyed many nights cooking hotdogs and roasting marshmellows!

Before

After

 

4th of July sparklers by the fire.

 

 

Now for some quilts!!! I did a photo shoot earlier this summer of my finishes from late 2012 and early 2013. I have shown these quilts before but some where taken indoors in bad lighting.

 

Youngest sons twin quilt. I also made him a matching pillow case and oversized floor pillow. He wanted red, black and white. Last fall my husband and I went away for the weekend and stopped at a few quilt shops on the drive and picked out about 12 different prints.

Oldest sons twin quilt, along with matching pillowcase and oversized floor pillow. He picked out a fabric line with puzzle pieces. I am sad to say that this quilt is now in his toy chest being used as the bed of his stuffed animals. All that work to be stuffed away hidden :(
Both boys quilts were quilted in a squared off meandering stitch.

 

King swoon quilt. After a long process of sewing the blocks together and having it sit for months while deciding how to quilt it. It is completed and on my bed. I have such a love hate relationship with this quilt. I know that I will never attempt to make one this size again (120x120).

 

Here is my Lonestar paper pieced quilt. This is my first attempt at paper piecing, once I got the hang of it I rather enjoyed it. I have a sampler quilt that I also did paper piecing on but have yet to quilt it. I used DS Quilts Meadowlark in Orange and Blue colorways with the four center diagonal stars half and half. The backing is also half and half of orange and blue.

More to come in the next post!

Blogs I am linking up to:
Made By Me
http://www.jaqsstudio.com/2013/08/made-by-me-93-linky-party-and-features.html
Fabric Tuesday
http://www.quiltstory.blogspot.com/2013/08/fabric-tuesdayshare-your-projects.html
We Did It Wednesday
http://www.sew-much-ado.com/2013/08/we-did-it-wednesday_28.html
WIP Wednesday
http://www.freshlypieced.com/2013/08/wip-wednesday-better-late-than-never.html
Really Random Thursdays
http://www.liveacolorfullife.net/2013/08/really-random-thursday-82913.html
Needle and Thread Thursdays
http://www.myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.com/2013/08/needle-and-thread-thursday-and-dash-of.html

 

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WIPS February Update

I have given up the idea that I will blog regularly. Life is not going to allow that.

Since the beginning of January I have finished some of my WIPS that carried over from 2012.

King Swoon - done and on my bed.
Puzzle Boxes Twin Quilt - done and on my eldest sons ned.
Flea Market Fancy Sweet Starlet - done and on  my kitchen table
Lone Starburst - done and hanging on my living room wall.

I keep waiting for a somewhat warm winter day in Iowa to take photos of them all outside. But so far no luck :(

WIPS
Granny Squares - I have two blocks hand quilted - no additional progress in months

Mama Said Sew Triangles - I am straight line quilting this right now. I had hoped to finish it this past weekend but was under the weather so still working on it. My faithful cat is constantly sitting on the quilt as I work and is very annoyed with me when I push him off.

I finally got around to making my Summer Sampler from Freshly Pieced. I dug through my stash for some Sweetwater, DS Quilts and others. This is waiting to be quilted.

A few weeks ago I received my copy of American Patchwork and Quilting in the mail and saw this quilt.

 

I started collecting owls this fall and was so excited to find a pattern for quilt. This one used 2.5 inch stripes. I want to downsize the pattern to create a smaller version maybe for a table topper. I used more fabric scraps and stash.

 

 

As you can see from some of the photos I had to put cutting mats and rulers across the quilt. This was to prevent my cat (see above triangle quilt photo) from jumping on all the fabric strips and tossing them in the air. grrr.

2013 Finish-A-Long

I have decided to join the 2013 Finish-A-Long over at She Can Quilt http://shecanquilt.blogspot.ca/2013/01/2013-finish-long-q1-begins.html

I am not going to repost photos of all my WIPS, you can few my last post for the photos. I will just relist.
http://hummingbirdhollowquilts.blogspot.com/2013/01/2012-year-in-review.html

1. Puzzles Boxes Twin Quilt - needs to be bound
2. King Swoon - needs to be bound
3. Flea Market Fancy Sweet Starlet - needs to be bound
4. Lone Starburst - needs to be bound
5. Granny Squares - I have two blocks hand quilted
6. Mama Said Sew Triangles - I am piecing the rows together right now - no photos to share though

I know alot of my WIPS only need to be bound, but that is the part that is that hardest for me. I have carpal tunnel and after working on the computer all day not the best thing for my wrist :(

Good luck to everyone!

2012 Year In Review

A look back at my finished quilts for 2012. 10 baby sized or larger quilts, 12 mini quilts, 2 pillowcases and 4 pillows. For how busy our life was this past year it was a huge accomplishment. But...I have a long list of WIPs that I did not finish. These are at the point where the binding needs to be sewn on.

1. My eldest son's twin quilt - I am about 1/2 way done with the binding.

 

 

2. King Swoon - also about 1/2 done with the binding.

 

3. Flea Market Fancy Sweet Starlet - I struggled with this quilt, ripping it out constantly while piecing. I decided to  pebble quilt the star and straight line the triangles. I am very happy with the quilting but will be glad when it is done and gone.

4. Lone Starburst - once I figured out how to paper piece these were so much fun to put together.

5. Granny Squares - I decided to hand quilt this one. I have 2 squares completed.. a long way to go yet.

6. I did start a new quilt yesterday with my Mama said sew fabric. Photos to come.

Happy New Year!

 

3 Months Later...

I have been non-existent for the last three months but I have been very busy in my sewing studio.

A few finishes but alot of works in progress.

 

Finishes:

This is a baby quilt that I made for my cousin who just had a baby boy.

I made this for my niece to fit into a doll bed that my dad made her for Christmas. I didn't get to see the finished product before it was delivered to her on my parents fall visit to them.

Two of the Halloween quilts that I made but didn't get the binding done until Halloween was over :(

I have been wanting to make quilts for both my boys beds for a while now but it is so hard to find fabric that is not babyish. My youngest decided that he wanted a black, white and red quilt. So I went to a few quilt shops and picked a variety of fabric. Below is what I came up with.

I did a disappearing nine-patch pattern that went together so quickly. With the leftovers I made a pillow sham.

WIPs

 

My paper pieced stars are complete! These were really fun to do once I figured out how to paper piece. This top is basted and is waiting to be quilted.

I have wanted to make this Basic Grey pattern - Sweet Starlet Quilt for awhile. I had such a hard time with this pattern. I cannot even tell you how many seams I ripped out and the quilt still doesn't lay flat :( I got to this point and decided to call it quits. It is a great size to use as a table topper. It is basted and ready to be quilted. I actually tried to quilt this twice and ripped out the stitches because I didn't like the look of the quilt designs. I am in no hurry to go back and try to finish it.

 

These are the corners from the Starlet quilt that I did not use. I am trying to decide what to do with them. I hate to waste the fabric.

 

My first attempt at hand quilting! I have 3 blocks done so far.

 

And finally my king Swoon is quilted!!!! It is now sitting in a basket waiting for the binding to be sewn on. My goal was to have it done by the end of the year but that is not looking very good.

 

Close-ups of the border quilting. I did flowers with loops in blue thread.

In the middle of the stars I did pebble quilting, with meandering around it. The sashing has a wavy line with a swirl in the small squares.

As I was in the process of quilting this, my cat found a spot to sleep everyday.

 

My oldest son picked this puzzle fabric Riley Blake's Pieces of Hope for his bed quilt.

 

The pattern I choose was from Camille Roskelly's Simplify book. (Sorry I am too lazy to run to the studio to look up the pattern name :p ) My parents took the boys on a road trip this weekend so I had alot of sewing time and got almost the whole top done. I have the final border to do yet. I did have to modify the pattern so it was large enough for a twin bed.

I splurged a few weeks ago and bought Sweetwaters Mama Said Sew line. I am still trying to decide on what pattern to use. I was debating about this brick quilt featured on Moda Bakeshop  http://www.modabakeshop.com/2011/05/easy-strawberry-fields-bricks-quilt.html

That is all for now. Thanks for checking in!