Cancer Sucks!

These days everyone has been touched by cancer in one way or another.  My husband has had three surgeries for Basal Cell Carcinoma.  A brother-in-law had Testicular Cancer. And now a sister-in-law is starting her chemo journey.  She had already undergone a double mastectomy.  She has already had one session of chemo and many more in her future.

One day I was talking to me niece and asked if she thought her mom would like a breast cancer quilt.  I showed her the fabric from Riley Blake - Think Pink, that I already had for a different project but never got around to make it.  My niece said, "Oh, I think she would love one."

So I got started looking around for patterns and ideas.  My niece like the Bra idea from the Riley Blake pattern.  I decided to use that as the center and found a pattern called Mingle for the surrounding blocks.  Instead of center of the blocks being two colors I went with a single cream color and had family/friends write a note of encouragement on it.

On the back of the quilt I left it for my sister-in-laws immediate family's notes.  As for the quilting, I went to my local quilt shop who rents out their long arm quilting machine.  The lady was nice enough to find me a really nice all over ribbon pantograph to use.  Five hours later, the quilt was all quilted together.  A couple hours of hand stitching the binding and Viola a stunning quilt.  (I do have to say so myself).

 

When we gave Linda her quilt we also told her a bunch (15 to be exact) will be walking in the Making Strides for Breast Cancer in her honor.  We hope to see your smiling face at the walk Linda!

Linda, remember you are an amazing person and we all love you

Home Decor using Vinyl

Good Morning.  I am so excited about this post.  I like shopping at yard sales and thrift stores for "old" items.  One day my neighbor was having a yard sale and I spotted this old metal milk can.  I decided to go over and take a look at it.  It definitely was not my taste in decor (you will see in a second) but I knew I could spruce it up a bit.  I bought it for $20 and started to ponder what I could do with it.

My idea, a vinyl monogram.  I have used Expressions Vinyl in the past for various craft projects and decided to make a monogram for the milk can. After much scrapping (many layers of paint on the can), repainted it in black and sealed it with a semi-glossy.  Then I used my Cricut Expression to create the monogram and to cut it out.  I am very happy with the look of the "new" milk can.

Oh, this project has made me want to craft with the vinyl even more. The possibilities are endless.  Thank you for letting me share my project with you.

Chain Link Quilt

My youngest son wanted to give his bedroom a makeover.  He started to take down the shelves and fill/sand the holes.  He needed my husband's help for something, I can not believe I can't remember what it was.  Next thing I know they are heading to the hardware store for paint.  What the What???  My husband said well we may as well paint since the walls are bare.  Okay...

The following weekend we were heading down to IKEA.  After spending a small fortune there, the room is back together.

Next thing I know my son says, could you make me a quilt to match my room. How can I say no, especially since I made the older son one.

Nick and I looked all over the internet and found a design he liked, but at first I could not find a pattern for it. So I decided to sketch it out.  After sketching it out, I dug around the internet and found a pattern/instructions.

This is the pattern and color scheme my son wants.  The red and black chain link will be on a white background trimmed with black binding.

I am hoping to get started on this quilt in the next week.

Quilt design wall

As I scour the internet for quilt ideas, I have seen so many quilter with a design wall.  I knew I had to make one.  I was currently working with rope strung across my drop ceiling as a clothesline and binder clips holding the quilt up.

I decided not to wait for my husband to help me on this project.  I went above our garage and found two pieces of insulation board.  I covered it with two layers of felt.  (I just duct taped it to the back).

When my husband got home I had him attach it to the wall.  The photo below is before my husband hung it on the wall.

Nautical Quilt

This year I didn't make any resolutions.  I fail horribly at them.

so I just decided to do things that make me happy and that I enjoy.  Currently, I am working on my nautical beach quilt.  Last summer a group of us went on a cruise to Bermuda and I made a nautical tote bag for each cabin and filled it with a box of sunshine.  Believe me we needed the sunshine, it rained all but 2 or 3 days of the cruise.

Anyway, with the extra fabric I bought I decided to make a quilt to take to the beach.  I decided to give a pinwheel quilt a whirl.  It has been slow going on the quilt.  You see the computer is in my craftroom/sewing room and when my youngest son needs to work on homework I am practically kicked out. Or I remove myself from the room due to his choice of music.

This past weekend I decided to get moving on the quilt.  I have two more waiting to be cut and I refuse to work on those when this one is still in pieces.

My layout.  I have just about all the columns made.  Then I will need to sew them all together and contemplate a border and backing.

Hopefully you will check back soon and it will be done.

WIPs

I am feeling like I am actually accomplishing things these days.  I have two of my WIPs (Work In Progress) completed.

I now have the butterfly quilt to complete, which I have on my quilting island right now.

The other WIP is the Applecore Quilt.  I am not sure that one will ever get finished, but I would like to tackle it again at some point.

I am sure there will always be atleast one or two WIPs on my table...

Masculine Quilt Done!

Back in April of this year I finished sewing together the top center layer of my oldest son's quilt.  Next thing I know six months has past since the last time I touched it.  I had to finish the quilt for two reasons, I started & finished the baby quilt before finishing his.  And, we always tell our boys if you started something you have to finish it.  Well I took a little of my own medicine lately.  Just the thought of not doing what I tell my kids was a little depressing.

I started by sewing the sides and top/bottoms to the crossword puzzle of a  quilt top.  Next I moved all of the furniture around in the sunroom,just so I could lay out the layers and pin it together.  Thank goodness everyone was either at school or work.  Once I pinned it all together, rolled it around a fabric bolt that I happened to have in my craftroom.  I sat the bolt on my sewing counter for a week. I couldn't decide how I wanted to quilt the layers.  I decided just to do free motion stippling.

My son was so funny, while I was stippling the quilt he would pop his head in and ask if it was done.  (he was heading to bed and wanted to use it).  Of course I gave him the eye roll and said it will be a couple more days.  I worked on it for about 3 hours that night and got up the next morning (Sunday) to get working on it. Well after about 4 more hours I was done with stippling it.

I am not sure if I am the only who hates binding.  I debated over and over which way to do it.  One, the correct way or Two, the cheater way.  Well today I chose to try the cheater way.  Guess what, I was so much easier than the real way.  I might have to do it on the next quilt, we shall see.

I wanted to get the quilt done before my son got home from school.  So I washed and dried it. Took some pictures of it and then laid it on his bed.

I think he likes it, but you really don't know with boys and teenagers, right???