tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66528751134670424782024-03-05T01:04:42.720-08:00Pieces of CottonPieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.comBlogger178125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-82647305242691967012016-02-04T10:13:00.003-08:002016-02-04T10:13:48.559-08:00Guest Blog PostI'm the guest blogger today at<a href="http://www.mccallsquilting.com/blogs/?p=12270"> McCall's</a> if you'd like to check it out. Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-79928620847407020952016-01-22T13:54:00.002-08:002016-01-22T14:00:56.972-08:00Sparkle and Spin!!I am so excited to share these quilts with you!! Last summer, my daughter (8) came to me wanting a more grown up quilt for her bed. She has a <a href="http://piecesofcotton.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-happy-little-quilt.html">pink & green quilt featuring frogs</a>, a pink and black one featuring dogs, and a<a href="http://piecesofcotton.blogspot.com/2013/03/pam-kitty-is-finished.html"> Pam Kitty quilt</a> that includes the panel fabrics of kitties in pretty dresses. Maybe it was time. <br />
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We searched and searched patterns, and both fell in love with <a href="http://www.redpepperquilts.com/2013/10/hummingbird-quilt-block-tutorial.html">Red Pepper Quilts hummingbird pattern</a>. I loved her use of two fabrics per block, and the negative space involved - I loved everything about it, except the work involved. She used paper piecing to achieve her pattern, and her blocks were only 6". I hate all manner of paper piecing - I've tried multiple times, including non-paper paper piecing - I just don't enjoy it at all. Plus, I wanted larger blocks. <br />
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I messed around with every ruler I have and tried many different methods, trying to find a way to make this block without templates or paper piecing. I found it, and the only snag is that you're making two quilts at a time rather than one. But I love the 2nd quilt just as much as the first. <br />
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My work is your gain, because in the upcoming issue of McCall's quilting (<a href="http://www.mccallsquilting.com/mccallsquilting/issues/March_April_2016">March/April 2016</a>), there is a pattern for these quilts using super easy cutting and piecing. No paper piecing, and while McCall's gives you a template, you could easily use a ruler to make the kite shape without their template. I had a couple of rulers that worked and I'm betting you do too. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzdiv83K85_Rf_1sDIyjHBt1Habt5anfSl6T8t8TSthdIrksiFdKHVRtqz71b7B5zYJtq7ufO7L3oXKRBKG4eSY0rZ333w2kzv__lvOpPiziDNytyuy-f-n_bcdlLi_SM7XX00Dsy5LhT/s1600/SparkleAndSpin600px.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzdiv83K85_Rf_1sDIyjHBt1Habt5anfSl6T8t8TSthdIrksiFdKHVRtqz71b7B5zYJtq7ufO7L3oXKRBKG4eSY0rZ333w2kzv__lvOpPiziDNytyuy-f-n_bcdlLi_SM7XX00Dsy5LhT/s1600/SparkleAndSpin600px.jpg" /></a><br />
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How pretty is that!! Their picture of course. I'm no photographer. And here is the Sparkle quilt by itself: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMi5OXCuk4QtB0T1Az3PNMhFeL1Ucjyf3PVLyAu6h52peZbjaVBWxpZzKB54Zc3yKfrRssIsIoQx_Zi1iscVAdgBPj-Su0olak0Pg6PHhf9X7qdC9AorR4Tx9cy6CBieYX-11Ahq8_5LR/s1600/SparkleAndSpinFLAT600px.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMi5OXCuk4QtB0T1Az3PNMhFeL1Ucjyf3PVLyAu6h52peZbjaVBWxpZzKB54Zc3yKfrRssIsIoQx_Zi1iscVAdgBPj-Su0olak0Pg6PHhf9X7qdC9AorR4Tx9cy6CBieYX-11Ahq8_5LR/s640/SparkleAndSpinFLAT600px.jpg" width="554" /></a><br />
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I just love this quilt!! Before they left to be photographed, my daughter couldn't decide which she wanted for her bed. I can't wait to get them back home and have one of them on there! And the other for myself, of course:)<br />
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If you do decide to make one, I'd love to see it. You can contact me through the blog, or use the hashtags #Sparkle or #Spin on Instagram. As a bonus, McCall's has a coloring guide to be used with this design on their<a href="http://www.mccallsquilting.com/mccallsquilting/articles/Sparkle-and-Spin-Double-the-Fun-Twin-Quilt-Patterns"> web-site</a>. <br />
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I'm linking this up to Crazy Mom Quilts for her<a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2016/01/honey-cowl.html"> Finish it Friday</a> series. Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-47136219670812050332015-11-02T06:00:00.000-08:002015-11-06T10:23:05.334-08:00Goodbye DarlingEarlier this year, I had the fortune of having one of the most pleasant ladies I've ever met stumble into my ETSY shop to order a simple table runner and she has shouted my praises every since. I've been very blessed with the people I've worked with, especially considering they are complete strangers, but this one went far above just a pleasant transaction.<br />
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She contacted me again to make her daughter a lap quilt out of the Hello Darling line. Her daughter sent me a picture of a quilt that I couldn't immediately find the pattern for, but in my process of looking, we stumbled upon<a href="http://www.ajfrench.com/blog/2014/8/2/pennants-and-pinwheels-with-gleeful-fabrics"> this</a> quilt and both liked it better anyway. I contacted Ms. French to see if she ever made it into a pattern as she suggested she would, but she hadn't. I was on my own, and that, I believe, is where the troubles started with a very unpleasant quilt for a very pleasant person. I'm not going to bore you with the details, but I will say if it could be added wrong, or cut wrong, or sewn wrong, I did it all in this quilt right here.<br />
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Somehow, despite all my efforts to destroy it, I do still think it looks right cute. And with the closely spaced quilting lines, it feels amazing - my favorite type of quilting. You can tell by looking, it isn't a particularly difficult pattern. The only aspect I would consider challenging is narrow strip that serves as the "string" the pennants are hanging from, so I guess I'll have to accept all the blame for its difficulties.<br />
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Even the back gave me problems.<br />
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It looks fine, and I guess that's all that matters, but I made two errors that made it harder than it should have been, and the company I ordered the fabric from wasn't able to include one of the prints despite showing stock at the time I placed the order.<br />
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Seriously, one headache after another during the entire process. So, I've named it Goodbye Darling. I was so glad to mail that thing off yesterday!<br />
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I'm not sure if I've mentioned it on the blog, but my step-daughter is pregnant. So I'm off to sew lots of cute baby things! We're very excited to have another grandbaby join the family!<br />
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Edited to add: Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts for her <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2015/11/mini-coffee-cups.html">Finish it Friday </a>series. Love those coffee mugs she has this week!<br />
Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-84546430326793529132015-10-18T18:50:00.000-07:002015-10-18T18:50:49.657-07:00The Cargo Duffle Bag, by NoodleheadLast week, we celebrated a friend's birthday and that friend is a bit hard to shop for. She's a bit of a work-a-holic and those are the hardest types, aren't they? But her job does require some travel, so I thought maybe a cute carry on type bag would be nice.<br />
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I'm going to admit, I struggled some with this. The making of the parts was ok. The assembly of the parts was only slightly harder, but the binding of the inside seams almost got my friend a gift card instead. That was my experience. I'm sure someone with actual bag sewing experience would have different results.<br />
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One comment I saw on another blog was that she chose a zippered pocket instead of the cargo pockets because they always seem to look homemade. Yep. It's not huge, but when you want someone to carry your gift from Tennessee to California, you don't really want sloppy details making it look "homemade."<br />
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You can see from the above picture that somehow my flaps are a bit more narrow than the pockets, and also on the right is a piece of pocket showing that shouldn't show:<br />
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And common sense should have told me to buy the kind of snaps that go through the fabric, so my stitches wouldn't show.<br />
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I just don't happen to be very big in the common sense department.<br />
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So, here are some of my "wish I'd done it differently" tips:<br />
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1. I would make the sections larger and then cut them down to size after quilting.<br />
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2. I'd have choose different snaps.<br />
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3. I'd spend a lot more time, and probably some fabric glue, making sure those pockets were perfect. They are the focal point of the whole bag, after all.<br />
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4. I'd line the whole bag rather than binding the seams.<br />
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One thing I did that varied from the instructions was to sew the bottom accent fabric on and then quilt over it. Her instructions were to iron the side under and just quilt over it - I liked sewing it down first.<br />
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Oh, and the other thing I did differently was to use headliner fabric - the stuff that goes in the roof of your car. I know, weird, right? I'd read on another blog that was the product of choice for all her bags, but when I checked it out at Hancock, not only was it not that much cheaper, but it was noticeably thinner than the Pellon foam interfacing. I was on the fence as to whether to use Pellon or fusible fleece when I noticed some headliner fabric in the remnant bin for just a couple dollars. So I snatched that up and gave it a try. It was perfect! I might have gotten even more frustrated with the thicker Pellon, and the headliner fabric sewed and ironed just as well. So, if you don't have ready access to the Pellon, or find some headliner fabric on sale, give it a try!<br />
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Minor imperfections aside, I do like the bag, and I really love my fabric choices for it.<br />
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My daughter has requested one in pink and purple. No matter what I sew, my daughter requests one in pink and purple, but this might be a practical make for her since she does spend every Friday night with her Grandmother.Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-80736649100640173132015-09-03T11:12:00.002-07:002015-09-03T11:12:36.768-07:00And the winners are...Using the super scientific method of asking my daughter to pick two numbers between 1 & 17, I have determined the winners of the magazine issues to be Judy@quilt paradigm and stitchinpenny. Congratulations! I've sent e-mails to the winners and will mail those issues out as soon as I have addresses.<br />
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In the meantime, here's a pretty picture of my quilt, courtesy of McCalls. It's not often pictures of my quilts look good, in fact, this may be a first:)<br />
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I'm also guest blogging at McCalls today. You can check that out <a href="http://www.mccallsquilting.com/blogs/blog/2015/09/03/twisted-zags-a-visit-with-lisa-bluford/">here</a>.<br />
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If you make a quilt from my pattern, I would be thrilled to see it. Please either hashtag it #TwistedZags on Instagram, or just e-mail it to me, piecesofcotton @ gmail.com. And if you'd like to follow me on Instagram, I'm piecesofcottonquilting there.<br />
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<br />Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-11695617693649867602015-08-07T08:55:00.000-07:002015-08-07T08:55:35.391-07:00This is happening<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You may recognize the snippit of quilt you can see as being similar to the <a href="http://piecesofcotton.blogspot.com/2013/06/ready-for-tommy.html">one I made for my grandson</a> when he arrived in Chattanooga.<br />
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This one was made about a year ago and will be in the October/November issue of McCall's Quick Quilts.<br />
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If you don't want to wait until it hits the stands, I have a couple copies to give away. Leave me a comment, and I'll pick two random commentors to mail a full copy of the issue to.<br />
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Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts for her<a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-carry-all-pin-cushion.html"> Finish it Friday</a> series.Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-89715454940569730252015-07-31T08:50:00.001-07:002015-07-31T08:50:55.077-07:00Quicky finishI'm in the middle of another large project, and as is typical of me, I needed a break from seeing the same fabrics and doing the same things.<br />
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I admire those who start something, and then finish it.<br />
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Of course, my method of starting something, stopping to make a baby quilt, going back to the first project - for a while - also has its benefits.<br />
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That binding fabric was a Christmas present from my daughter. What other than purple polka dots can you expect from a 7-year-old?<br />
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The other prints in this quilt were a Christmas present from my friend, Mandy. I love it all. This quilt is in the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/241923268/baby-or-toddler-quilt-in-purple-and?ref=shop_home_active_2">shop</a>, but whatever I make next from these fabrics will be for me.<br />
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Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts for her <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2015/07/doe-quilt-complete.html">Finish it Friday </a>series.Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-13893272583919314652015-06-19T11:33:00.000-07:002015-06-19T11:33:12.287-07:00Another lattice quiltOne of the first quilts I made this year was <a href="http://piecesofcotton.blogspot.com/2015/01/my-new-favorite-pattern.html">this beautiful lattice quilt</a> out of Petal by Tanya Whelan. And it almost wasn't. I was in the process of making a lattice quilt out of Paris Flea Market when I cut the side triangles too small. And my typical process is to cut all my pieces first and then sew them all together, so that meant a whole quilt's worth of too small triangles. Not wanting to throw them away, I spied my jelly roll of Petal and decided to make it a lattice too. Loving the fabrics like I did, it was naturally the first to get completed.<br />
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Eventually I did get around to cutting larger triangles and finishing this one out of Paris Flea Market:<br />
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I made this one to sell, but it's a good thing I already have the Petal one or that just wouldn't happen. The lattice pattern must just be my pattern to love. I'm already considering another, masculine, one.<br />
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I quilted it on each side of the diagonal seams. Each time I do this, I'm sure I'm going to add some hand quilting in the white squares, but I haven't yet.<br />
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The backing is a gold that complements fairly well. I found it on clearance at Joann's a few years ago and immediately made it into a backing. I've auditioned it with many quilt tops, but it seemed to fit this one best.<br />
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I did want to share one tip with you that is different from how every tutorial I've seen does it, and that is to iron your fabrics all in one direction.<br />
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Most tutorials have you iron both triangles away from the center strip, which means instead of nesting seams, you are fighting the bulk of having your seams ironed the same way when trying to put the blocks together.<br />
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Not every seam was this spot on perfect:<br />
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But I feel like I received better results and more easily than I would have otherwise.<br />
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This quilt is in the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/237396384/lap-quilt-featuring-paris-flea-market?ref=shop_home_active_2">shop </a>and ready to find its forever home.<br />
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Linking up to <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/">Crazy Mom Quilts</a> for her <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2015/06/chenille-shams.html">Finish It Friday</a> series.Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-90653971528265240562015-05-22T21:02:00.000-07:002015-05-22T21:02:02.641-07:00Sew Demented<a href="http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/sewing/accessory/sew-together-bag/36309">Sew Demented</a> - I always assumed she chose her name to be funny, a little self-depreciating humor.<br />
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But now, after making her famous bag, I realize it is us - we are the ones demented.<br />
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We put 4 zippers in one project.<br />
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We wrapped that side panel around three different things, and then we defied the laws of nature, physics and fabric to attach it to the base without distorting the inside pockets.<br />
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And like just about everyone else who has made one, I am now planning my next one. Yes, we are the ones demented. We're on our way to the padded rooms, you realize that don't you?<br />
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And the scary thing, they don't allow rotary cutters in those padded rooms. I think they're afraid we'll cut the padding off and use it in a project.<br />
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I'm sure you figured out by now that this is for my friend, <a href="http://mandyloon.blogspot.com/">Mandy</a>, who recently graduated nursing school. The fabric is Calling all Nurses by Windham fabrics. My favorite is this text fabric:<br />
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Full of puns, but I love it anyway. I bought extra of this and I'm thinking of making something for my sister-in-law as well.<br />
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I also love the hats, mostly for the pretty blue background:<br />
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I really didn't like the band-aids - I'm not even sure why I bought them, but I did, so I relegated them to the inside of the pockets.<br />
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I think the next one will be easier. I think. If not, I will gladly surrender my rotary cutter to the men in the white coats.Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-59125800243287639182015-05-15T11:16:00.001-07:002015-05-15T11:16:17.404-07:00A couple of little distractionsI mentioned at the first of the year that one of my only two goals for the year was to make a quilt for my bed. I actually have the top done, but I haven't decided how I'm going to quilt it, and I haven't gotten any pics of it yet. But it was a pretty tedious process, being such a large quilt, so I thought I'd show some of the weekends I took off from working on it.<br />
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One was this Backyard Baby plus quilt:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBoaMTpy1dzO7BrsXxvsDsQ2StjIj9RltgM39qh1gGeGOpoG9peyhwYSdH-rX9rYNwODu9byxXzcSF5Uwl0ujO2jaU6fLrKxqRmTNomCrqKZ2vSBF6NIunQp433-PtI5yP9V1P_bcDv1CF/s1600/DSC01945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBoaMTpy1dzO7BrsXxvsDsQ2StjIj9RltgM39qh1gGeGOpoG9peyhwYSdH-rX9rYNwODu9byxXzcSF5Uwl0ujO2jaU6fLrKxqRmTNomCrqKZ2vSBF6NIunQp433-PtI5yP9V1P_bcDv1CF/s400/DSC01945.JPG" width="351" /></a></td></tr>
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I love Backyard Baby! This was the first plus quilt I'd ever made and I really liked the process. I'm sure I'll make more of these.<br />
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The other was just one of those times when you start and don't really have a plan. I started putting some 4 patches together, and then I cut some larger squares and framed them. Moved them around until they made sense, and that was that.<br />
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I bought these fabrics at Joann's a couple of years ago and got tired of them sitting there. I just wanted to do something whether it was the "right" thing or not. They're really cute fabrics:<br />
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Both of these quilts were quick, weekend quilts. Just what I needed when I was so tired of looking at the same fabrics for so long it was in danger of all being put in a drawer somewhere.<br />
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Linking up to <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/">Crazy Mom Quilts</a> for her<a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2015/05/good-neighbors-scrap-happy-purse.html"> Finish it Friday</a> series.Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-18763420937013368042015-05-08T10:49:00.001-07:002015-05-08T10:49:58.691-07:00Another memory quiltI mentioned in an earlier post that some things were changing for me this year, but I didn't go into details. It's a somewhat controversial topic, with everyone not only having an opinion, but seemingly feeling free to judge you if your opinion doesn't match theirs. We made the decision over Christmas break to homeschool our daughter. With this semester almost behind us, I'm feeling more sure than ever that it was the right decision. Not every child is made for the 7 hours at a desk lifestyle that traditional classrooms require. And not every child can take the medication that is required to force them into that environment. And that's all I'm going to say about that.<br />
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So my days are a little bit more full, and my time a little bit less my own. Honestly, it hasn't slowed my sewing down all that much, but the blogging has obviously taken a hit:) I think I've finished 4 quilts since my last blog post. The one I want to talk about today is maybe not the most attractive, but I think the most special of the group.<br />
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After the commissioned memory quilt I made, my husband mentioned a cousin, still struggling with the grief of losing her husband, and how she might be comforted by a memory quilt. I don't even know this cousin, other than reading her facebook posts, but without even thinking I said I'd make her one for free. She was delighted with the idea and sent me quite a selection of his shirts to make it from.<br />
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I used a <a href="https://www.missouriquiltco.com/shop/detail/18258/msqc/-/digital-download-disappearing-pinwheel-churn-dash-quilt-pattern">Missouri Star Quilt Co.</a> tutorial to make the blocks. It's a pretty quick, easy, and fun way to make a block that I think is pretty darn cute. But the method - making a large block, cutting it in pieces, and rearranging the pieces to sew back together - isn't the most accurate way to piece. Where this is most noticeable in this block is the little pinwheel center. Sometimes it's a bit off.<br />
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But unless you're zoomed in on it, I don't think it ruins the overall block:<br />
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Amongst all the manly shirt blocks, I wanted there to be something pretty & floral. The quilt is for a woman after all, so I added a print from my stash that I thought coordinated with the overall feel, and liked it so much that I used it on the back as well.<br />
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And I offset the blocks in the rows because I love the shapes created in the negative space.<br />
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The background is Kona stone, and the binding is a stripe that coordinates with the backing. It's a nice, snuggly size for an adult - I think 55" x 65". I can't imagine the pain of losing your husband. I think this is a beautiful way to honor his memory and keep a part of him close to you. Despite the materials not being as pleasant to work with as designer quilting cotton, I think I'd like to do more of this for people.<br />
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I'm linking up to <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/">Crazy Mom Quilts</a> for her <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2015/05/shoo-fly-pillow-and-big-finish.html">Finish it Friday</a>. And now I'm going to get back to my machine while I have the chance for tonight I get to see my dear friend<a href="http://mandyloon.blogspot.com/"> Mandy</a> graduate from nursing school!! She did it, and I am over the top proud of her!!Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-66417718564622832382015-02-13T07:15:00.000-08:002015-02-13T07:15:49.487-08:00The well behaved quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You know how something always goes wrong when you're making a quilt? Either the seams are hard to match, or there's a pucker during the quilting, or you run out of a needed print - something always goes wrong.<br />
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Somehow, nothing did with this one. It all came together so very smoothly.<br />
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Even this - check this out:<br />
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The solid I'm using is Petunia by Kona. It's a violet that is so light it's almost pink. Almost. Have you ever tried to find almost pink violet thread? It doesn't exist in Chattanooga, so I can save you some time there. But then I remembered a chart I had downloaded from <a href="http://pileofabric.com/">Pile O Fabric</a> that matches Kona colors to Aurofil colors. You can download yours <a href="http://pileofabric.com/blogs/modern-quilting/15950728-kona-cotton-to-aurifil-thread-conversion-chart-updated">here</a>. And you should - you just never know, and what wonderful information to have! I ordered Aurofil Light Orchid from her chart and I just couldn't believe how perfect it was.<br />
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So I'm calling this my well behaved quilt. The prints used are Waterfront Park by Michael Miller. And it's bound with a print from that line.<br />
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The back is simply more Kona, some charcoal, some black, and one little strip of the Petunia. The backing actually altered my quilting plan. I was going to go with vertical straight lines all the way across. My friend Mandy wanted me to echo the chevron shapes, but I just did not want all the stopping and the pivoting and the rearranging - I wanted it to be so much easier. But as I laid the backing down to start basting, I pictured how much nicer it would look with zig zag quilting lines and I just had to do it.<br />
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Such the right choice.<br />
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The batting is warm & natural, my typical batting. The measurements are 61" x 87". And it's available in my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/222431642/twin-sized-quilt-featuring-waterfront?">shop</a>.<br />
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I'll be linking up to <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/">Crazy Mom Quilts</a> for her Finish it Friday post, assuming she does that today. Have a wonderful weekend, and stay warm!Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-62096567956423668612015-01-23T10:21:00.001-08:002015-01-23T10:21:22.588-08:00My new favorite patternIn the "It's mine, you can't have it" category, we have my recently finished lattice quilt.<br />
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The quilting was simple, and only took an evening. Just straight lines echoing the seams of the patterned fabric, which is Petal by Tanya Wheelan. The "white" in the top is Kona Snow.<br />
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I just love the little way a square forms at the intersection, framing the points where the different fabrics meet.<br />
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For the back, I just used some fabrics I had on hand, mostly solids, but I found a red gingham and threw some of that in too.<br />
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The colors in the back are darker than the colors in the top, but they blend well.<br />
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I don't remember the name of the blue, or the light neutral, but the dark neutral is stone, and as you can see, I've used it for the binding as well. I think it frames all the lighter fabrics beautifully.<br />
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This quilt finished at 49" x 64", which is perfect for an extra quilt on my side of the bed only. It would also make a great quilt for the couch, but this dog is only allowed supervised visits with quilts:<br />
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Somewhere along the way, she developed quite a taste for them and we've been unable to break her of it.<br />
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I'm linking up to <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/">Crazy Mom Quilts</a> for her Finish it Friday series. I love those project bags she's putting together - I may need to make some of those myself.Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-15304950080586093702015-01-05T10:46:00.003-08:002015-01-05T10:46:41.062-08:00My seriously bad dayIt started Friday night, actually. I was walking across my den towards my sewing machine when I heard a loud pop in my left knee and felts lots & lots of pain. I did some google research on knee pops followed by intense pain and determined I had sprained it and I just needed to rest it a while. So I took the weekend off from laundry and just sat around all day Saturday. My husband bought me this:<br />
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And probably this in connection with all the rest made everything all better. Maybe a little weak feeling, but virtually pain free. So Sunday was back to life as usual. I had to run to Joann's for thread, I needed to pick up some things from the grocery store, I did some cooking, went back downstairs to sew some more - typical day. I felt so good, in fact, that I made the decision not to wear the brace to sleep. A decision I immediately regretted when I rolled over in bed last night. There was no pop this time, but there was the same sudden onset of pain, only worse. I couldn't put the first bit of weight on my leg. I literally couldn't walk.<br />
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So I get up this morning & it's a tiny bit better - I can walk in tiny steps if my knee is bent almost 90 degrees - are you picturing that? All hunched over, grabbing walls for support, shuffling along?<br />
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It was right after I got to the couch that I heard it... You know how you're supposed to change the batteries in your smoke detectors when the time changes? And if you don't, it lets out a loud beep every 30 seconds to annoy the crap out of you until you do? That's what I heard. I can barely make it to the bathroom, climbing on a chair to change a battery in a smoke detector is out of the question. So I just get to hear it - all. day. long. My husband is on overtime. Won't get home until around 6:30. I can't guarantee my sanity by then.<br />
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But let's make it more interesting. Let's add a tiny dog that is scared of the beep and even after 6 hours, just will not become desensitized:<br />
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The shaking and the whining and the getting under my feet. Wow.<br />
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While I regret all the activity yesterday that probably allowed a recurrence of the sprain to happen, I'm very glad this was one of the things I chose to do:<br />
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Cream of broccoli soup. Folks, this is some of the best soup you'll ever taste. I took a basic recipe from <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/11/broccoli-cheese-soup/">The Pioneer Woman</a>, but I used half chicken stock & half milk, and I only had less than a cup of cheese. I mean, if you have to be stuck at home, unable to even walk well, this is the food you want to have.<br />
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So, lest the most attractive picture I leave you with be a bowl of green soup, I'll show you what I did while I rested all day Saturday:<br />
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This is a<a href="http://piecesofcotton.blogspot.com/2014/06/its-my-own-fault.html"> twin sized quilt</a> made out of Paris Flea Market fabrics that I decided to hand quilt. I hesitated for the longest, because I was so sure I'd regret taking on a hand quilting project of this size, but I haven't regretted it for a moment. In fact, I'm pretty sure it is now necessary for me to have a hand quilting project going at all times. I'm nearing the end of this one, and I just love the way it looks. Hand quilting adds something that just can't be replicated with a machine.<br />
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I hope you're having a less annoying day than I am, but I doubt your lunch is as good:)<br />
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<br />Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-11124884928532879962015-01-02T09:51:00.001-08:002015-01-02T09:51:19.204-08:00We had a homemade ChristmasI just didn't photograph it well. We had pillows, and pillow cases, and table runners, and hot pads, and even some ornaments. Some of them were quite pretty, but we have no evidence of that, do we? What can I say, something had to give in the hectic frenzy that is Christmas.<br />
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I did make another table runner after Christmas, though, and since I'm listing it in my shop, I did get some pictures:<br />
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Simple patchwork, but sometimes that's best.<br />
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Hope you're off to a great start to the new year!<br />
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I'm linking up to <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2015/01/happy-new-year.html">Crazy Mom Quilts for her Finish it Friday</a>.Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-78266974108773149772014-12-31T11:19:00.001-08:002014-12-31T11:19:53.159-08:002014 in reviewI started not to do a year in review post because it didn't feel like I'd done as much sewing as in other years, but I started flipping through the pictures & decided to put them together anyway:<br />
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It ended up being more than I thought!<br />
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The upcoming year holds some changes and I once again find myself wanting to be more thoughtful and purposeful about my time. Purely a coincidence that it's the New Year - I'm not a New Year's resolution kind of person. But the New Year does remind me that another year has passed without me accomplishing the things I said were important to me the year before. As this relates to sewing, I have two main goals for the upcoming year:<br />
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1. A new quilt for my bed. I made a brown quilt in guitar fabric for my husband when I first started quilting, but my dislike for it has only grown over time. It's nothing but silly to not have a quilt I love on my very own bed!<br />
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2. Capistrano.<br />
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I bought the book, Stellar Stars, by Judy Martin over 2 years ago because this quilt right here knocked my socks off. It stays on my mind, and almost every fabric shopping venture, in LQSs or online, brings this project to mind.<br />
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I don't think goal one & goal 2 can or should be combined. She has a version of the pattern large enough, but maybe too large as it would be about 110" long, and the piecing of this is going to be tedious and slow going. I think it would be better to make Capistrano in a wall hanging size and something more functional for my bed. Something that wouldn't cause my head to explode if a child spills grape juice, or a dog snags a toenail. I recently scored some Miss Kate during Fat Quarter Shop's year end sales and I think it fits the bill perfectly - bright & cheerful.<br />
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I hope you have a very Happy New Year and I look forward to seeing what we all create in 2015!Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-77585054863221912452014-10-30T14:12:00.002-07:002014-10-30T14:12:52.621-07:00A memory quiltSomeone contacted me a few weeks ago wanting a memory quilt for her husband made out of his recently deceased grandmother's pajamas. This quilt stumped me for a little while. One pair was pink, one purple, one with blue roses, and two with leopard prints. There were only 2 prints that struck me as something he would enjoy in a quilt, one white with red cardinals and one blue with white deer. I wasn't completely sure how I was going to make this work. But I visited a couple of fabric stores, looked around, rummaged through my stash and scraps and finally felt like I could put something masculine and cohesive together. And I did end up adding one blue floral from the pajamas, but it didn't seem overly girly to me. I tried to stick to outdoorsy prints, the colors blue, gray, red & green, and organic rather than graphic prints. In all, there are about 25 prints, plus the gray which is Kona coal.<br />
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I didn't include the leopard prints on the front. I never see a man walking around with leopard print anything, but the colors were not feminine, and the fabrics were so very soft that I thought they'd make a perfect backing. I used the rest of the pajama prints from the front and ended up with a back that was completely made out of the memory fabrics.<br />
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Except for that one block towards the bottom that you probably already noticed. That one is a 9-patch of my favorite prints from the front, just for the fun of it.<br />
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The back was fun, and super soft, but not only were most of the fabrics heavier than quilting cotton to start with, they had to be stabilized, which added more weight. I didn't want to add the weight of cotton batting to the quilt, and polyester is out of the question for me, so I chose wool batting instead. As a bonus, wool batting doesn't shrink as much as cotton batting.<br />
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I quilted it in an overall stipple and bound it with more of the coal. Both the front and the back were busy enough that they didn't need another design element on the edge. The size is 50" x 70" - she just wanted a lap quilt that he could use while watching TV or something. For all my hesitations, I'm really happy with how it turned out.<br />
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I'll be linking this up to <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/">Crazy Mom Quilts</a> for her Finish it Friday link up.Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-4082439505180731152014-09-24T07:19:00.000-07:002014-09-26T09:01:43.129-07:00Nothin' but cricketsDespite the quiet on the blog, I've been on quite the sewing binge lately.<br />
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The largest is this chevron quilt out of Waterfront Park by Michael Miller and Kona Petunia: </div>
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There are a few different ways to make chevrons, but I chose to cut diamonds. Given my superb organizational skills (eye roll), keeping track of which diamond goes where is the biggest challenge in this quilt. It goes together pretty quickly and there's nothing fussy about getting the seams to meet. </div>
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I'm really sure there will be more quilts out of this pattern in my future. </div>
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I also got a wild hair and went on a pillow making binge: </div>
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Mainly because my scrap bins are overflowing, but also because I wanted to use the scraps from some lines together in a single project. I haven't made the backs yet because I bought invisible zippers and I don't even have the right foot for that. My mad organizational skills at work again. </div>
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If you've been around a while, you might recognize this one as being similar to the front of my <a href="http://piecesofcotton.blogspot.com/2012/09/this-is-what-im-talking-about.html">purse</a>: </div>
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I still love the Ghastlies! </div>
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But my crowning achievement during this sewing splurge is this beauty: </div>
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This is my first, but not my last, lattice quilt. I used a jelly roll of Petal by Tanya Whelan and some Kona snow. The quilt is not very large, maybe 48" x 64" and was destined for my ETSY shop. I'm not sure it will make it past the foot of my bed. I just can't stop looking at it! </div>
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My favorite quilts this year have been made out of fabric I bought on a whim, just because it was on sale, and out of patterns I didn't put much thought into - they just seemed easy enough. It's the ones I agonized over and thought would be the most perfect quilt ever that I'm kinda "meh" about. Maybe I should think less...</div>
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I'm linking up to <a href="http://www.freshlypieced.com/">Freshly Pieced</a> for her WIP Wednesday.<br />
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Edited to add: Linking up to <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/">Crazy Mom Quilts</a> for Finish it Friday.</div>
Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-64256338191885305762014-08-15T06:26:00.000-07:002014-08-15T06:26:59.178-07:00Someone, somewhere is having tripletsCan you imagine? If you've read any blog post of mine where I even mention my daughter, you're sure to already understand that I'm just not on top of this mommy thing. One child has completely turned my life upside down. I'm sure the problem is with us - either me, or her, or the combination of us because if parenting was this hard for every person, the human race would have just died out by now. I spend some portion of every day wondering why it's so hard - I don't think it should be as hard as it is, but I just can't seem to get it figured out. Maybe someone out there is an expert on parenting an ADHD child with indicators of Aspergers. If so, maybe you could send some advice this way. Or prayers. Or earplugs. Whatever you got.<br />
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But back to those triplets. One of my clients requested three baby quilt tops that she will quilt herself for triplets on their way. We pretty quickly decided on using the same fabric line for each, but different patterns and as soon as I hard their names, Abigail, Sophia & Amelia, I wanted them on the quilts too. She mentioned the room colors were pink and teal. I had been eyeing the Emmy Grace line by Art Gallery since before it was available and knew that not only were the colors perfect, but the style would be perfect for such elegant and classic names as well:<br />
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The client selected an hourglass, pinwheels and chevron for the patterns and I got to work.<br />
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I particularly enjoyed the chevrons. It was my first time making them and I was surprised at how easy it was and how well they came together. I really enjoyed that process.<br />
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For the names, I went with gray fabric and white letters. I think the gray and whites in this line are what makes it. But not only was I struggling to make blanket stitching look good, either by hand or by machine, I wasn't quite happy with just gray & white. Lucky for me, I never put anything away because just then I spied some pink hand quilting thread I had recently used on another project. It turned out to be an adorable finish to the names:<br />
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Just the right touch of pink. I heat bonded the letters with Wonder Under first, of course.<br />
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I hope Amelia, Sophia and Abigail like their quilts. And I hope they and their mother get at least some sleep in the upcoming year!<br />
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Linking up to <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/">Crazy Mom Quilts</a> for her Finish it Friday series.<br />
<br />Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-77870370696907408172014-08-04T12:31:00.000-07:002014-08-06T07:19:44.885-07:00I have the strangest little injuryI was driving down the road yesterday when I noticed the ring finger of my right hand had what looked like a blister. I was so confused as to how I could have gotten a blister on that spot.<br />
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It wasn't until I pulled out my hand quilting last night that I figured it out:<br />
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Hmmm. Maybe it's time to take a break?<br />
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Let me show you what I've been working on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGE9OOAwLWTxjVXTcYWcosn1Cz2EQVeyUKaJLaDZJWAtNclGt43H9ev-qnCHMIpQgg-A4ktCkrvbTEo61k9SYd-zI3DRK89J77kDPQPREcEPyS3va1ol9dt-P0kiuGSMJGQqZB3l2dyhvw/s1600/DSC01813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGE9OOAwLWTxjVXTcYWcosn1Cz2EQVeyUKaJLaDZJWAtNclGt43H9ev-qnCHMIpQgg-A4ktCkrvbTEo61k9SYd-zI3DRK89J77kDPQPREcEPyS3va1ol9dt-P0kiuGSMJGQqZB3l2dyhvw/s1600/DSC01813.JPG" height="368" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you're thinking that looks old, you're right. I won't go into the long story of these blocks, but I have 16 of them, each a different color, that were embroidered by someone else and then given to me to quilt. 25 years ago. Her handiwork was really good, so good that I'm pretty sure my quilting is not doing it justice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kJ4Hd5LGBzMKjpq9XcRsCpjnyq7MrB5E5MOaMVC-BnOYbMdYlDhZXUSFSpC-Nvd3_hwWz9j9uAYFC44eN_s99Qm48mihYhrU82BkXcnCFfPij6DyF0iwnHVr0P_R_ht3S3qRDSxCoXZd/s1600/DSC01815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kJ4Hd5LGBzMKjpq9XcRsCpjnyq7MrB5E5MOaMVC-BnOYbMdYlDhZXUSFSpC-Nvd3_hwWz9j9uAYFC44eN_s99Qm48mihYhrU82BkXcnCFfPij6DyF0iwnHVr0P_R_ht3S3qRDSxCoXZd/s1600/DSC01815.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was full of excitement when I got them, but I had no idea how to quilt and no one to show me and the internet had not yet been invented. I suppose I could have bought a book or something, but frankly, the thought didn't occur to me. They've been in the back of my mind since I started quilting 3 years ago, but I haven't been that interested in hand quilting before. Out of nowhere a few weeks ago, I had the compelling urge to hand quilt something, NOW. So I pulled these out & started. I've done 4 so far:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8LrXbEdH5BDBRbcLMFV30fjShzp61-IWelH-VDQLPFFdJzRNCpWt6kYynv5l9bLP5-M7QrHZ9DlujPWzHgatQNTMQCdH1kojz7XQKcj0nVLE9Ddk2l-PdmE7R1admFy1cX4xszBh_HL1/s1600/DSC01817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8LrXbEdH5BDBRbcLMFV30fjShzp61-IWelH-VDQLPFFdJzRNCpWt6kYynv5l9bLP5-M7QrHZ9DlujPWzHgatQNTMQCdH1kojz7XQKcj0nVLE9Ddk2l-PdmE7R1admFy1cX4xszBh_HL1/s1600/DSC01817.JPG" height="313" width="400" /></a></div>
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And I'm looking for your thoughts as to what I should do with them. The fabric is very thin, so thin that the embroidery threads on the back show through way too clearly, and so thin that I fear it might not hold up well as a quilt. It has small stains on it, although I'm not sure how. I've had them in storage for 25 years, only taking them out once or twice to look at. And I'm also wondering if 16 of them together might be too busy. I can picture one as a pillow cover, or a few made into a table runner, but all 16 together seems overwhelming. But something in me wants to stick to the original plan for them. What would you do?<br />
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Linking up to <a href="http://www.freshlypieced.com/">Freshly Pieced </a>for her WIP Wednesday series.Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-4540336586609222562014-07-18T08:14:00.003-07:002014-07-18T08:14:33.630-07:00This quilt has some serious problems<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_89gzu4bQvFMOj7642qbRbu6ORXbA4dw3jZsA1nMr7V-UHbW4udLWiYRtAolr_ZzWFFGrRTMAWfIYqyJM_cyoEZ1msJM0VS_ULuKvM-Aw501qxOAxtlrjzXCFxbfpjgGpne2T1ZZYz8r/s1600/DSC01805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_89gzu4bQvFMOj7642qbRbu6ORXbA4dw3jZsA1nMr7V-UHbW4udLWiYRtAolr_ZzWFFGrRTMAWfIYqyJM_cyoEZ1msJM0VS_ULuKvM-Aw501qxOAxtlrjzXCFxbfpjgGpne2T1ZZYz8r/s1600/DSC01805.JPG" height="330" width="400" /></a></div>
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But I love it too much to focus on that. The fabrics in the top are Kensington by Riley Blake. I bought a jelly roll on a whim because it was on sale and fell pretty hard for it during construction. I love every fabric in this line and every color in every fabric. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSL81cyNxEPT6JNs05zf3IH8R0YF71-QU1H428GxV0bSB9WsfiN8NDJTpr8AjC5GxGyKjO2_SFu2mrFdzkGKQFkG5hWfxzWie603_AsdIwZ7BiJEEMLOu2NgPMu2omqLX5tytIA29GpbY/s1600/DSC01807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSL81cyNxEPT6JNs05zf3IH8R0YF71-QU1H428GxV0bSB9WsfiN8NDJTpr8AjC5GxGyKjO2_SFu2mrFdzkGKQFkG5hWfxzWie603_AsdIwZ7BiJEEMLOu2NgPMu2omqLX5tytIA29GpbY/s1600/DSC01807.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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I did two rows of hand quilting in each white strip, and one row of machine quilting on the outside of each hexagon shape. It's not heavily quilted, but not too sparse either. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-O40hoJpMwLRYzoyUHugXY3kzxOWpHdfmyAB5efYHGAJ2STvod-XSilxiUXPNXARSSSWF5qXvg61WmhpjV04f03WfoPJoFjOPQHrLygiyizbqag4I1oQnnS9nMLQzZfAuhnUXeM7MqXc/s1600/DSC01806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-O40hoJpMwLRYzoyUHugXY3kzxOWpHdfmyAB5efYHGAJ2STvod-XSilxiUXPNXARSSSWF5qXvg61WmhpjV04f03WfoPJoFjOPQHrLygiyizbqag4I1oQnnS9nMLQzZfAuhnUXeM7MqXc/s1600/DSC01806.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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The thread I used for the handquilting is a size 20 crochet thread that is actually darker than the green in the binding, but you almost don't see it against the white, unless you look closely. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uT5ER3tsJHD_qaNyRH9_Ue_DhJW1BOnFSh9sgblFxcxauanMOATBSp8Y57v1b38zZagCn4m9hE87epJ4vHIfY-H5Awkl8-i6ZElaRQupDT9VIJuoVBy1r9BsZrh1FB7-t6Ff_UDeUCS3/s1600/DSC01808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uT5ER3tsJHD_qaNyRH9_Ue_DhJW1BOnFSh9sgblFxcxauanMOATBSp8Y57v1b38zZagCn4m9hE87epJ4vHIfY-H5Awkl8-i6ZElaRQupDT9VIJuoVBy1r9BsZrh1FB7-t6Ff_UDeUCS3/s1600/DSC01808.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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The backing is a fun dot I found at Joann's, and the binding is Kona Celery. Not one of my favorite colors, actually, but I had it on hand and it went very well with the yellow & green in the quilt. I'm happy with my choice. You can also see here the great disparity between the tops of my hand quilted stitches and the bottoms of my hand quilted stitches:) </div>
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I will give some advice based on this quilt: </div>
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1. If you're working with triangles, ALWAYS spray starch. Even if your fabric is a jelly roll and it seems like a pain to do. </div>
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2. If you're cutting triangles, go ahead & get a ruler especially made for that triangle - don't just use the degree line on your straight ruler & figure it will work out. </div>
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3. Don't get excited over the spray basting Walmart has for just $7. It works fine for some fabrics, but others just won't stick at all. </div>
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4. If your basting fails, re-baste. Don't just stick a few pins in & call it good. </div>
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5. If your quilt is basically not basted (see numbers 3 & 4 above), don't do the hand quilting first. Things will end up in weird places. </div>
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6. And if you ignore all of the above, just throw it on the bed & love your new, very imperfect quilt. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqDCwWJqTiYtaIXAitsw3T-LAjWXo5RadpbWIlviZEhil7vFZZS0hRQVj3aG9ZIOJ15thqEldCZx8Mwxpdify5u7VJyWkl-7YWsGkQNGKvk_cKSE5f4Gs3hxuGxOIonUtdu-eRF5dYj6T/s1600/DSC01809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqDCwWJqTiYtaIXAitsw3T-LAjWXo5RadpbWIlviZEhil7vFZZS0hRQVj3aG9ZIOJ15thqEldCZx8Mwxpdify5u7VJyWkl-7YWsGkQNGKvk_cKSE5f4Gs3hxuGxOIonUtdu-eRF5dYj6T/s1600/DSC01809.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Linking up to <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/">Crazy Mom Quilts</a> for her Finish it Friday series. </div>
Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-89853846102358661252014-07-11T07:53:00.000-07:002014-07-11T07:53:06.395-07:00My hero inspires meTo everything except finishing quilts apparently.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiicqopNMQ00kimFP5Z-OwpAzMU8TTxdRAweSwCxWOMU9UK4wKfQUkwAYRcABOZFAyR7iTi6Z3S8bOmipbFd5iIRWct5UJ7QHlCEOmNZd_xW43zPZeXgx0wRmWcAvWcXlsCU_BCx8tJU5NA/s1600/DSC01793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiicqopNMQ00kimFP5Z-OwpAzMU8TTxdRAweSwCxWOMU9UK4wKfQUkwAYRcABOZFAyR7iTi6Z3S8bOmipbFd5iIRWct5UJ7QHlCEOmNZd_xW43zPZeXgx0wRmWcAvWcXlsCU_BCx8tJU5NA/s1600/DSC01793.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Strawberry Patch", started over 2 years ago</span> </div>
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My hero, aka sister-in-law Kim, is an amazing person. When I first started dating her brother in '96, she was in her last year of nursing school. She went on to work close to 15 years in the medical ICU unit of our hospital, where she saw a huge variety of severe cases, many close to death.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXt9l0b06BVgjnTM_aYkV5X6NLLIUnvZVHRBnOTUWSeCoVpsx4kSM_EVWVbq267D5wLWtbYaRdpnqXmsVTzid1iMlMhpqSqK08GNmkRiPCPw6mEgcVqaq9l7HneHrrL9MjX3w9oWQOJLKn/s1600/DSC01794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXt9l0b06BVgjnTM_aYkV5X6NLLIUnvZVHRBnOTUWSeCoVpsx4kSM_EVWVbq267D5wLWtbYaRdpnqXmsVTzid1iMlMhpqSqK08GNmkRiPCPw6mEgcVqaq9l7HneHrrL9MjX3w9oWQOJLKn/s1600/DSC01794.JPG" height="246" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> made in the <a href="http://www.dontcallmebetsy.com/2012/03/patchwork-wheel-block-tutorial.html">Patchwork Wheel</a> pattern by Don't call me Betsy</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">fabrics are Strawberry Fields by Fig Tree & Co.</span></div>
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But that's not why she inspires me, because I've never felt any urge or calling to work in the medical field.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nGpZiUHFQPijymIlESz1m6XOAv00-ib3J9Mp28IA5KbLBTtKsdR1NAWcX_pQnVwAImmd9Kvgdx9dQ0r_bjAbB5Lh-XsXmYN3KqqccwErSCEyxh9Cp2VmlbhffuLPbQMdYj-zWBUqXKE8/s1600/DSC01795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nGpZiUHFQPijymIlESz1m6XOAv00-ib3J9Mp28IA5KbLBTtKsdR1NAWcX_pQnVwAImmd9Kvgdx9dQ0r_bjAbB5Lh-XsXmYN3KqqccwErSCEyxh9Cp2VmlbhffuLPbQMdYj-zWBUqXKE8/s1600/DSC01795.JPG" height="240" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Binding is a California Girl print, also by Fig Tree</span></div>
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She inspires me with her commitment to Jesus and the way she lives out her Christian faith. I'm sure being a nurse is a natural extension of that for her.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsR0Nij2VV_GG-cdycT8pDQYKi809k-Uvg2mkd_d85Rzqp-QyDRkveIlHY5WuARGTSiKPbSgpaDoHR3tXggttVwt0YLP9hDWvFF2TLF4h4korjBW0fvEkHLXB74yKE3aAAlFtIQpHljtc/s1600/DSC01796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsR0Nij2VV_GG-cdycT8pDQYKi809k-Uvg2mkd_d85Rzqp-QyDRkveIlHY5WuARGTSiKPbSgpaDoHR3tXggttVwt0YLP9hDWvFF2TLF4h4korjBW0fvEkHLXB74yKE3aAAlFtIQpHljtc/s1600/DSC01796.JPG" height="341" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Backing is from the Butterscotch & Roses line, also by Fig Tree</span></div>
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If there's anyone I could be more like, it would be her.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFFUTK_xXaFSaNwlgD6tq9JHyitcNeqXp3UnG1OwcOmPj48F7fzvVQHND3Gb3uC7KHuSuH4sBYkP8Vix5ADCUmQTMLfrnwolXN0DiyZSitI6xXJC74lMXwE_S4n0mqLYRBkckwzbJi63L/s1600/DSC01799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwFFUTK_xXaFSaNwlgD6tq9JHyitcNeqXp3UnG1OwcOmPj48F7fzvVQHND3Gb3uC7KHuSuH4sBYkP8Vix5ADCUmQTMLfrnwolXN0DiyZSitI6xXJC74lMXwE_S4n0mqLYRBkckwzbJi63L/s1600/DSC01799.JPG" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">That's a stick, only a stick, in the bottom of the photo...</span></div>
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I'm not sure my husband fully realizes how blessed he is to have the women in his life that he does. I count his sister, mother & daughter among the best women in the world.<br />
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Linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts for her Finish it Friday.Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-66244132884498856042014-07-02T06:56:00.001-07:002014-07-02T06:56:26.324-07:00I'm ready for the new school year - I don't know about herThe main project I just had to get completed over the summer was my daughter's messenger bag. Bags intimidate me, and while I did spend some time procrastinating it, I also spent time finishing it:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGs9k-cjAOVXG_YIgVs2mAKYUkvHXfVqJcoG21bpuBE7frjvfghOeISENDop6u0Wpo9pXZa3Bnp_GfAd58JvN4oPoylFzTx903P8jjk_TcDEsLZaoSk0PyRAcc6lCZHT3LwjCvFUtIRJ9/s1600/DSC01784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGs9k-cjAOVXG_YIgVs2mAKYUkvHXfVqJcoG21bpuBE7frjvfghOeISENDop6u0Wpo9pXZa3Bnp_GfAd58JvN4oPoylFzTx903P8jjk_TcDEsLZaoSk0PyRAcc6lCZHT3LwjCvFUtIRJ9/s1600/DSC01784.JPG" height="321" width="400" /></a></div>
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Can you tell she's a Monster High fan?<br />
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I used the <a href="http://prettybyhand.bigcartel.com/product/pdf-molly-messenger-bag-pattern">Molly Messenger Bag</a> pattern from Pretty By Hand and overall I'm very happy with it. If you follow Pretty By Hand, you'll understand I got more than one giggle out of making her pattern with skulls and crossbones. To say that it's not her style is an understatement.<br />
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It's a very roomy bag - I think 12" x 16" with a 5" depth. If I'd been more confident about it, I would have trimmed those measurements down a little. This bag is for a 7-year-old entering 2nd grade, so it's a little overkill. But I just knew I'd mess that up somewhere, so I just left it big, only shortening the shoulder strap. She loves the bag and if it turns out too big for school, we'll just use it as an overnight bag for when she goes to her granny's.<br />
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I'm prouder than I should be at how the shoulder pad turned out, with that image centered so well. If memory serves, it was more of a happy accident than my piecing skills anyway.<br />
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If Mandy had her way, the entire bag would have been made out of that fabric, so I did use as much of it as I could. The inside of the flap and the back and gusset parts of the lining were made out of it. Then I was done with that yard of fabric.<br />
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I did change the way the zipper tabs were made. She had you sew them together, turn them right side out, add a piece of the fleece and then turn the open ends under and sew. I ended up with a hot mess when I tried that. So I took some pellon decor weight interfacing and used the starch method of turning the edges under.<br />
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I know what you're thinking - that isn't exactly perfect, but trust me when I say it's much better.<br />
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I made a few additions to the pattern - some inside pockets on the front, a sewn-in key fob, and a name tag that includes our phone number. If this thing gets lost, I want to make sure it can find it's way home!<br />
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The only thing I'm not crazy about is the way the bottom sags. I'm tempted to see if I can find a way to get a piece of plastic in there. Not only does it bug me, but the main thing my daughter didn't like about her old backpack was how soft and collapsible it was - I wanted to make sure this bag was sturdier.<br />
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I also want to give a shout out to <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Sewpplies?ref=l2-shop-info-name">Sewpplies </a>for providing the great iron-on patch that brought the whole design together. It makes the whole project, and as you can see, the image is very crisp and perfectly sewn.<br />
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The solids used are Moda Bella Platinum, which is my new favorite gray - very light & very cool, and Moda Bella Berry. As you can see, there's also a snippet of Kona black.<br />
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Linking up to <a href="http://www.freshlypieced.com/">Freshly Pieced</a> for her WIP Wednesday, and <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/">Crazy Mom Quilts</a> for her Finish it Friday, assuming she does it this week.<br />
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<br />Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-18082611925212172552014-06-25T07:51:00.000-07:002014-06-25T07:51:38.438-07:00It's my own faultIn my last post, I spoke briefly about my huge number of WIP's and how I was on a mission to work on them rather than starting something new.<br />
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Do you know where I'm going with this?<br />
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In my defense, I left my walking foot in <a href="http://mandyloon.blogspot.com/">Mandy's </a>driveway. The two projects I have on my sewing table right now are the Strawberry Fields quilt, that I'm straight line quilting, and my daughter's messenger bag, that also requires straight line quilting of the pieces. I can't continue with either of those projects until I get my foot back, so I really had no choice. Really.<br />
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As a side note, you should go check out her new <a href="http://mandyloon.blogspot.com/2014/06/vals-quilt.html">quilt</a>! Very cute.<br />
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I scored a huge bundle of Paris Flea Market very cheaply at an estate sale last year and, other than taking it out to pet it every now & then, I haven't done anything with it. I was in the mood to finally cut into that, and I was in the mood for a quick and easy project:<br />
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You're only seeing half the quilt here because I don't have any tall quilt holders handy. The total quilt is 66" x 84".<br />
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I absolutely love it!!<br />
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The solid is Kona Putty, which was a happy accident. I bought 5 yards of it to go with my Rock 'N Romance bundle for my bed. I wanted the darkest "white" I thought I could get by with because ... life. Pets & kids. But I wasn't happy when I got it. I went just a bit too dark. Thankfully, it goes with these fabrics really well.<br />
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One of the <a href="http://piecesofcotton.blogspot.com/2011/12/sd1.html">very first quilts I made </a>was also out of this pattern. One of the biggest joys in making this current one was seeing the difference in the process for me. When I made it the first time, it took FOREVER. And so many problems. I basted that stupid thing three times because it kept puckering as I tried to quilt it. I'm actually surprised I persevered and finished it. By contrast, I made this quilt top in one week. With no issues at all. So satisfying to see my own progress with this project.<br />
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I haven't yet decided how I will quilt it. Mainly because I keep wanting to hand quilt it, but hesitate to make that choice knowing the time commitment involved. But don't the vintage inspired prints and even the solid seem to scream for it? I'm thinking pink thread in a Baptist fan pattern.<br />
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And, if that rather large quilt top wasn't bad enough for someone "dedicated" to knocking out her WIP's, I'm also playing with the idea of the flowering snowball quilt along that <a href="http://mollyflanders.blogspot.com/">Molly Flanders</a> is hosting. And by "playing with", I mean my fabrics are starched and my templates made.<br />
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Linking up to <a href="http://www.freshlypieced.com/">Freshly Pieced</a> for her WIP Wednesday.Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6652875113467042478.post-8949830397628177582014-06-20T07:56:00.000-07:002014-06-20T09:04:05.603-07:00Working down the listA couple of months ago, I made a list of my WIP's and a list of projects I want to do in order to try to stay on track. A "to-do" list of sewing projects. Because my ADD brain just wasn't keeping up otherwise. I'd get focused on one thing & then - ohhhh, squirrel - I was off on something else.<br />
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It was a rather embarrassing list. Some projects that were very old, and some projects that were soooo close to being finished. Just do them already!</div>
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So here's two. The first is a baby quilt for a boy, because my husband seemed offended that I only made girl quilts for my shop. </div>
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I really wish I was a better photographer. Some of the blame can be laid on my less than expensive equipment, but really, most of it is me. When I see the pictures of most of my quilts, I'm so disappointed. In person, this quilt is so pretty. In pictures, it doesn't quite make sense. It looks like "why did she put orange & yellow squares around a blue center?" </div>
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The close-up is slightly better: </div>
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And I was so happy to have this older Riley Blake print for the back: </div>
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I'm really happy with this quilt. If I had a boy, I'd keep it for sure! </div>
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This next one is for a girl, obviously: </div>
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I've shown these blocks on the blog several times, so I won't go into them too much. I was particularly pleased with the back of this one: </div>
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I think the yellow in the center is Kona banana. The blue stripes on the bottom, also Pam Kitty, is what I had left from binding my<a href="http://piecesofcotton.blogspot.com/2013/03/pam-kitty-is-finished.html"> daughter's quilt </a>and my table runner, and the yellow gingham on the top is from Riley Blake. </div>
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I so love those kitty panels:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQBYIGSS8ff_3LVYXmdzCUW-xyppR5LEuf8DezZ3SiKfRDWPOw77qFKUJahwe_jEI68mTeHUUgzRmBY2olsKIVjIOV4s3Y8JauDZnLxOFHz-664tr7cWpzxjF1_tvAsXYq2G2myy0h-SNT/s1600/DSC01709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQBYIGSS8ff_3LVYXmdzCUW-xyppR5LEuf8DezZ3SiKfRDWPOw77qFKUJahwe_jEI68mTeHUUgzRmBY2olsKIVjIOV4s3Y8JauDZnLxOFHz-664tr7cWpzxjF1_tvAsXYq2G2myy0h-SNT/s1600/DSC01709.JPG" height="327" width="400" /></a></div>
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I still have one left.</div>
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Those are my finishes this week. They're both listed in the<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/PiecesOfCotton?ref=shop_sugg"> shop.</a></div>
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My plan is to buckle down and focus on housework and party planning next week as it will be my daughter's birthday. We're going to have about 12 kids at the house, and I'm going to make small cakes, with a cake bar to let them each decorate their own. It's times like this I wish I had an industrial kitchen and could just hose it off, letting all the water drain out of a hole in the middle of the floor. At least I'll be sending the kids outside after to play in slip & slides & other water-related things, essentially hosing them off:)</div>
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I'll be linking up to <a href="http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/">Crazy Mom Quilts</a> for her Finish it Friday, assuming she does it this week. </div>
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Pieces of Cottonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354955290337509029noreply@blogger.com4