Wednesday, No W.I.P.

I know most blogger post and share WIPs on Wednesday. We love that alliteration. I don't really have any to share, but I do have a finish and I can't wait until Friday because I am working Friday. So, here we go.

 I am calling this quilt the Octopus' Garden. I bought this fabric a long while ago with the intention of making a baby quilt with it. When the baby came, I had several other quilts for her and my daughter asked me to make something bigger, because you can only use so many baby quilts. Right?

 So I noodled around and finally found a way to showcase all the prints from these two lines that I had bought to go together. I did not end up using them all, there is a scale print that I have and I already have an idea for that.

 Everything outside is wet today due to an overnight storm, so all the pictures were take indoors.

 I quilted the main portion with a rather uneven wavy line to mimic the water.

 Then I went around the outer borders with the same wavy lines, just easing around the corners.

 The binding I decided to use the bright orange print for one final pop of color and I love it!

 So this is the whole thing, laid out on my queen size bed. I think when Miss N gets her first big girl bed it will fit real nice. Of course she's only 6 months old, so it will be awhile.

 This is the back. I was originally going to piece a back, but then I found this! Extra wide backing fabric from Amanda Jean's Good Neighbors line...on SALE!...at Connecting Threads. I love this!

 I can't say enough good things about how cute this is and I am so sold on extra wide backing fabric. I love the thriftiness of piecing a back, but this. This was awesome!

 Here is my label. All attached and ready to go. Quilt has been washed and dried to a soft, crinkly finish. All the Pieced side is organic cotton, by the way.

 Folded up and ready to go to it's new home. I know it will be well loved. I mean, mermaids!!

But it will have to sit on a shelf like this for a year or so first. I'm okay with that. Talk to you soon.

Friday Stuff

Not a catchy title, I know, but that's all I got today. I have spent the week noodling around in my sewing room. Jumping from thing to thing and not finishing any projects at all. And I don't feel a bit guilty. Here is what I have done:

 Fiddling around with feathers. One of the projects I am doing for my middle daughter. I always wanted to try my hand at these and now I am. I'm going to try a few more in other colorways.

Then there's this. A Geranium dress for Miss N in Sarah Jane's classic Children at Play. I have wanted to make a dress out of this since it first came out. And now I have.

 Then I started playing around with a few fabrics in a Plus quilt. I have wanted to try this one before and now I have. Dark blue...?

or light blue...? Or...

 Both!! And a border of the dark blue. Just took one day to do, but no real plan in mind and this is how it ended up.

 There are some really cute fabric prints in here. Love the little tiger kitties.

And last, but not least, my HSTs for the Summer Solstice QAL. I have them all sewn up and am trimming away on them. One third done, two thirds to go. Hope to have them all done by the end of the afternoon. So, How has your week been?

Long Time WIP

I have several WIPs that I started years ago. I still pick them up occasionally and try to finish them. I know you have some too. Everybody does. Here is one I just picked up again today and now I have a plan to get it done.

 I know I started this about 7-8 years ago at least. I got the fabrics at my LQS. I don't often use batiks. I thought this would look so nice on the couch I had at the time, which was blue denim.

 The piecing went fast and I had decided to hand quilt it. I wasn't doing too much machine quilting then. So I got started. I did work on it a lot in the beginning.

 The only way I might be able to date this quilt is the backing. I think this is a Heather Baily print and I love it so much. This is the back of the quilt.

 I surrounded it with a dark blue marbled fabric. This quilt is about a lap size, but I haven't measured it lately.

 Look at how beat up the batting is. I have to get this done, just to save the quilt from the ravages of time at the very least. It's very wrinkled.

 The centers that are quilted have a Celtic design. It's hard to see here. That is what slowed me down. The small squares are almost all done. So I am changing gears. I am going to do a simpler design in the rest of the centers.

 I need to get this thing done, bound in lord only knows what. I know there is not any scraps from this now.  I will keep you posted and let you know when it is done.

 Not bad for someone who hasn't hand quilted in a couple of years. I forgot how much I love the look.

Wish me luck. Here I go...

Summer Solstice QAL Progress

Chugging right along in the QAL by Melissa of Happy Quilting. This week's assignment was flying geese blocks. Here are mine:

 I am making 4 of the 40 inch blocks for a queen sized quilt for my bed. I had some Mendocino fabrics and found a few complimentary colors in my stash. I am so excited about this quilt.

You should take a look at Melissa's method for making the flying geese blocks. So easy and NO Wasted fabric. Zero. Can't wait for the next installment next week.

And the World Will Be a Better Place...

...for you and me. If you put a little love in your heart. I loved that song from the sixties. There were lots of songs about love for your fellow man in the sixties. Maybe we need more songs like that today. Are there still any folk singers out there?

Any way, my heart quilt is finished. I am so happy with it. It is bright and cheerful and I filled it with lots of love to wrap around someone in need.

 Freshly washed and all crinkly from the dryer. My favorite way to see a quilt.

 I quilted it with a wiggly line in rows about a half to three quarters of an inch apart.

 The backing is two chunks from my stash. The one on the left is the last chunk from a quilt I made about 15 years ago.

 One of my favorite fabrics here. A reminder of the happier days in life.

 The wonderfully colorful binding. I love it and was so happy to have found a use for that fabric.

And next week it is off to Orlando! I feel so much happiness at being able to contribute to such a cause. Put a little love in your heart. Have a great weekend.