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Let's Bee 2012 Quilt

5 Together, a photo by bailchri on Flickr.

When my local quilt group, "The Quilt Block Ladies," went on the shop hop this year, I started collecting a batik from each shop.  Batiks are a type of fabric that I had previously not had too much feeling for, but I'm starting to love them.  When it was suddenly my turn to get fabric sent out for my online group, "Let's Bee Together", luckily I already had fabric on hand, just needed to find a perfect solid to pair the batiks with.  Each member got 2 different batiks and the solid.  I have received blocks back from members Shannon, Sara (no blog)  and Erin and they go quite nicely with the 2 that I made! I tried a photo edit when I uploaded to flickr and so it looks a bit weird, but it does show the colors of each fabric better.

Quilts and Teeth

Last post, I showed you the quilt top I made for a friend for her engagement pictures/wedding and now that she has actually seen the top, as well as the back (in person) I will share a couple of fun personalization "labels" I added to the back.

I wanted to add something with a monogram, the bride and groom names and their wedding date (which I said she cannot change now that it's on the quilt for EVER) but I wanted it to be something I would be sure would never wash away.  Thought of writing a label, but have heard even those will fade over time, heard a technique of printing on fabric with the printer, but didn't know too much about that, and I'm not good at hand embroidery type stuff so that was not an option either.  As I was chatting about my dilemma while on this year's Treasure Shop Hop (14 hours, 450 miles, 8 quilt shops, 8 women, 1 Suburban...I'd say those numbers deserve their own post, no?  Maybe someday I will get around to it).  So, anyway, a friend of mine who has her own business and own commercial grade embroidery machine suggested embroidering something on the quilt.  So, one afternoon I spent a good 5 hours with her working on the design we wanted and finally came up with something I love.  

Soon I will get around to taking pictures of the complete front and back.  As you can maybe tell from that bottom picture, I quilted around the circles on the front of the quilt, a technique I've done on 2 "circle" quilts now and I love doing it!

Now, and update on the "and the Boys" front, Hunter has lost another tooth (this makes 5 now):

For Beth

A friend asked me if I would make a quilt for her to use in her engagement pictures and then hang at her wedding.  She picked out a pattern from the few that I have and then chose the fabrics; her wedding will be in October and she's going to be having jewel tones for her colors.  I'm getting ready to head to the store to get some thread for quilting and at some point soon (after I give it to her) I will show you the back because it has something wonderful going on.

I always wonder and am asked how long different quilts take me so this time I decided to try and keep track...which has been interesting to see.  I forgot to start with cutting (which also included sewing strips together for those striped sections) and was at 15 hours and 37 minutes piecing the top, deciding on a layout for the top and piecing the back.  It's amazing how quickly it goes by, because I'm pretty sure I would have guessed 5 hours!

Here's to being back on the blog - and trying not to go another 4+ months between posts!

How Do You Do It?

My local quilt group is making some super scrappy (read: random) quilt tops to donate to the Women's and Children's Alliance.  We recently did some baby quilts so we wanted these to be bigger in size for older children.  The tops are made from 5" squares and there are 11x13.  After I pieced together 4 rows, I was wondering about doing them a different way...making larger squares (I was thinking just sewing 4 together in a 2x2, but could probably even do more).  I didn't know if this would be easier than wrangling the longer rows.  My mind has just always thought to do rows, not sure why, maybe it's based on what type of thinker/right brain/left brain thing we are so I wondered if that's how most people do it.  How do you do it?  Would one way be easier/faster and maybe even more accurate as far as where all points line up?

Knitting Like Crazy

I have been knitting like crazy!  I've just mailed the following blankets to the next knitters in line to add to these lovely blankets and I'm happy to put down the knitting needles for awhile and pick up my sewing needle as I still have a binding to finish hand stitching before Christmas!

Sunny Baby - Preemie

Gridiron Glory

Candy Corn - sorry, I'm too lazy to rotate photo

Lavender Fields - again, being lazy

At our Quilt Group's Christmas Party/Sew What You Want

Receiving Blocks

I have started receiving blocks back from my Let's Bee Together group.  

As of this post I only have 4 back (out of 11) and I look forward to getting the others back soon so that I can add them to the 8 I have from when I had my local quilt group do the same blocks for me back in February.  

8 blocks from local group

4 blocks so far from Let's Bee Together group

From Staci of The Confused Quilter

From Marta of PolkaDotClassic

From Linda of Stray Stitches

From Wendy of Calculating Quilter

Quilt Mystery

I'm pretty new to the quilting world and when I really started getting into it last year, I suppose I developed more of an appreciation of quilts in general; suddenly I remembered a quilt that I received as a Graduation gift.  At some point I was able to move the fish tank off from the top of my cedar chest to retrieve the quilt.  Something that someone put so much time and effort into should not be in my cedar chest, it should at least be in the linen closet where I can easily pull it out on a chilly day.  So, I successfully moved the full-of-water fish tank, opened the cedar chest, and imagine my surprise when I did not see the quilt in there where I had assumed it was, where it used to be.

Between 2001, when I graduated, and when I opened my cedar chest in search of the quilt, 9 years had passed, 6 moves had taken place, and I had shared a living space with 3 different people (excluding my husband and kids).  I started with my parents - neither one of which had recalled the quilt being left at their house.  I emailed my former roommates - neither one of which think my quilt somehow ended up with their things, but they'd keep an eye out, or some of their stuff is in storage, etc.

When we moved in May, I was diligent in checking every box that was still in our garage from our previous move (yeah...no comment, please) and the quilt was not there anywhere.  A couple of months ago I was at my in-law's house and they had recently emptied their storage unit onto their back patio and I inquired about whether or not my brother in-law still had a storage unit or if the back patio included his stuff as well.  He still has stuff in storage and, since my husband and I lived with him on 2 separate occasions, I guess that is my last hope for the quilt.  My mother in-law said they'd keep their eye out in the house and then I just need to make sure my brother in-law will check once his stuff comes out of storage.

That is my last hope, otherwise, I have no idea what happened to that quilt.  I'm sort of heartbroken about it and mad at myself for letting it get away.

Has anything like this ever happened to you, with a quilt or something else?

Fab

I just discovered this new (to me) deals of the 'day' type website. 

"Fab.com features daily design inspirations and sales at up to 70% off retail."

I just joined (it's FREE!! to sign up) and have seen several items that would make great gifts!!

Use this link to sign up (when friends sign up under you, you get credits so it would benefit me if you used this link and I'd greatly appreciate it :)

I just wanted to share a great find with you all, this company does not know I'm blogging about them, I'm not paid by the company, etc.

Dirty Boys

Things I've Been Working On

This one started as a Crazy Nine-Patch Lattice Quilt, but after I made the nine-patch blocks I discovered it was a baby quilt and I didn't have enough to make more....so, enter a little improvisation (mess?).  This is an early picture, there will be the thin yellow border around all of that center grid and the outside border of the larger squares may still change several times as I go.  Back when I did the Treasure Shop Hop I decided to get 1 fat quarter from each shop, these are the fabrics from that adventure.

Geeze, lady!  Been sewing long?!  These blocks for my local quilt group are supposed to look like that.  Beth got her inspiration from the Waverunner quilt along.  Some of Beth's fabrics are also from fat quarters purchased on the Shop Hop, this was a fun idea we plan to do again next year (buying a fat quarter at each shop, I mean).

Veggie Tales is a blanket for West Coast/Central Oddball Knitters (although, I think our group name has changed several times so I don't really know what to call it anymore).  If you are a knitter and would like to join our group, feel free to leave a comment and I can email you more info, or you can find us on Ravelry, I think we're called Western Regions Oddball Baby Blankets there (see how one could get confused on what to call the group?).

For my local quilt group.  I'm unsure of what the pattern is but Terri will end up trimming those little points to create "square" rows and then place them side by side in zigzag form.

Sara borrowed some of my Crazy Curve templates, used up some of her fabric scraps she had on hand and asked us to make a block that looks like this - I'm not sure what she plans to do with them.

I bought this quilt kit awhile back and pieced together the top.  It also came with the binding fabric and I purchased the backing fabric at the same time.  Last week I bought some batting so one of these days I can get it all together.  The pattern is called Fire Escape.

3 and Grumpy

My baby, Calvin, turned 3 on Friday!

Trying to show me how old he is

Frustrated with Mommy for taking pictures - how dare I?

Decorating cupcakes for his party

A Blogging Award? For ME?

Linda over at Stray Stitches awarded me with an award:

Thank you, Linda!

There are rules to this award...
1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.
2. Share seven things about yourself on the post.
3. Pass the award to fifteen bloggers that you think deserve it.
4. Lastly, contact all of the bloggers that you've picked for the award.

Here are seven things about me...

1.  I have 2 sons, hence the title of my blog, and I love being a mama of boys!

2.  I am a hunter...of big game, you know, elk, deer, etc. but I have yet to actually "seal the deal."

3.  I'm pretty new to quilting, but it is definitely a passion.

4.  I love thunderstorms, especially those in the summer.

5.  I would love to be good enough at it to be able to decorate cakes as a job.

6.  I sometimes feel like I've missed out on something by not growing up in a small town, I blame this on listening to country music (although I do listen to many kinds of music).  I do think the small town way of life is something that would suit my family.

7.   After seeing some of the online quilting bee groups that make a block for each other each month, I created a local group like these.  We are currently into our second year and it's so fun to see people's skills developing (including my own) and friendships forming! 

Now, I will pass this award on to 15 of my favorite bloggers (though, really, I love so many).  Most of these are "smaller" bloggers so I hope you will visit their blog, show them some love and if you like what you see, become a follower, because we all love new followers!

1. Life As A Lee

2. Applique Addict

3. Renegade Quilter

4. Ardea's Nest

5. Kate Quilts

6. Wyoming Breezes

7. Twin Fibers

8. Crazy Mom Quilts

9. Jaxson's Journey With Sensory Processing Disorder

10. The Vintage Sheet Blog

11. Stash Resolution

12. Polka Dot Classic

13. HoneyBear Lane

14. Lucky Duck Dreams

15. Teaginny Designs

If any of you came over from Stray Stitches and are new to my blog, welcome.  

I haven't been blogging very consistently lately as we've been adjusting to new schedules with work, school, etc.  I hope to get back in the groove and post more very soon!

Have a Fabulous Friday and Wonderful Weekend!

Crazy Curves

I'm not kidding, you guys, I absolutely loved working with these circles!  The video tutorials on Elisa's site made sewing them so easy.  I did do a couple of practice blocks, but within no time they were going together quite nicely (not to say that they are all perfect, but I'm completely happy with this as my first circle quilt top).  

Again, fabric won in a giveaway from Quilt Dad, some purchased at Wish Upon A Quilt.

Works In Progress

Besides the circle quilt top on the wall and table, my sewing room/office is STILL a work in progress after our move in MAY!

Templates and pattern for circle quilt won in a giveaway quite some time ago from Elisa and this is my first time using them.  Have to say, I LOVE the curves (thanks, Elisa, love the templates and patterns!)!

Fabric for circle quilt is a Fat Quarterly Fabric Pack purchased from Wish Upon A Quilt in addition to scraps won from John Adams a.k.a Quilt Dad's  Mother's Day Giveaway (thanks, John, loved the fabric!)!