Quilting Gifts: Baby Shower and Wedding

Quilting Gifts
I love to make gifts for presents.  I think that it shows how much you care to create something specifically for an individual.  A gift that is designed with the recipient in mind demonstrates how well you know the person and that you are willing to spend time on him/her when time is the most precious commodity in our society.  Of course, there isn't always time for a full-size quilt.  But, there are so many options for a quilter and knitter (such as myself) that I have plenty of things to choose from.

So, this week I have a baby shower to attend and a wedding that has surprised me by it's date.  I was planning on making a baby quilt and a lap quilt for gifts.  Now I'm not sure I have the time.  Ah... time... it rears it's head again!

Baby Shower Gift

    I texted my friend to see what color schemes has in mind for her baby, but she didn't respond.  So, I decided to make something I've been looking at for a couple of years but didn't have anyone to make it for.   It's bright green frogs--very cute--but she prefers blues.  So... now what?



I quickly switched to knitting for the baby shower gift.   I have been knitting gifts for the baby, a cute hat and booties.  I've completed the hat, but the booties are going slowly.  The size 2 knitting needles are soooo slow.  I prefer size 7 or 8 needles for speed; but, hopefully, I'll be able to get them done by Saturday.  :)  I'm sure she'll love them.

Wedding Gift

An embroidered wall hanging with the date and their names?

A friendship wall hanging?

Saturday is also a wedding for a childhood friend.  I wanted to make her a lap quilt, but I don't' think I have the time.  I'd have to finish the top (which I haven't begun) and get it to the quilter by Wednesday.  Then she could quilt it by Friday, then I could bind it by Saturday?  Probably not...  So, I think I may embroider her a wall hanging quilt.  I'm looking at two different patterns... not sure which to do.  Or, maybe both?  Hard to decide.  I've known her for so long, it's like we're sisters.  She is a very good friend, so I want a really special gift.




So many choices for gifts!  I need to get started!

Do you make your gifts?  If so, what is your preferred gift for a baby shower?  for a wedding?

Quilting Partners: Contrasting Styles

Salsa Quilt--Monica's 1st Quilt

This is my good friend Monica.  We were sewing buddies for several years while she lived in Alaska.  The most dynamic thing about our friendship and our quilting is that we almost never agreed on anything.  We never suffered from "group-think" which can be very damning to one's creativity.

Contrasting Styles

I found that by agreeing to disagree, we often came to understand a very different viewpoint from our own.  I think that this made us both grow into better people.  And we sure laughed at lot while we grew!  You like that color?!

She loves bright and bold quilts.  I love a variety of quilts and colors, but all are more "tame" than hers.  She loves to try out new quilt patterns all the time and to make up new quilts from various blocks.  I prefer to make a few favorite patterns, to really get good at them, and make something really challenging once a year or so.  

Monica's Baby Quilt

She is bold and fearless in the quilting world.  She has encouraged me to try new things, and brighter things, more often.  I have definitely benefited from knowing her.

Whom do you quilt with?  Are your styles compatible?  Does your friend stretch your thinking in new ways?  What do you like best about quilting with a friend?  Are you a lone-wolf quilter?  Why?

New Challenging Quilt: Twisted Bargello

 It's time for a quilting adventure!  I went out tonight and bought 20 1/4 yards of fabric to make a lap-size twisted bargello quilt.  What a hoot!  I didn't even have to spend a penny of my own money, because I had gift certificates from Christmas.   Cheer's to my favorite In-Laws for an exceptional gift. Thank you Fred and Suzy, you made my day!

 Since it's still winter I was enticed to buy especially bright fabrics in luscious yellow, burnt oranges, and deep burgundy-browns.  It'll go well with the pattern I've picked called Island Sunset Bargello by Eileen Wright.



Although I love the bargello look, I have only made one bargello quilt so far. That's the green and tan one seen below.  The reason is, that it became named The Angry Quilt while I was making it.  I was quilting with a few different friends, and so I ended up sewing some of the stripe-sets on 3 different machines.  I discovered that a 1/4" foot is not exactly a 1/4" on all machines.  they were all a little bit different.  So, when I went to put them together, they didn't line up.  So, in my insanity, I unsewed nearly every seam and then resewed them to match.  This ended up making the quilt about 6" longer on one side and I was very angry as I ripped out everything. I turned a queen-size quilt into a small lap-quilt so I didn't have to fight with it anymore. Grrr....  Thus, I have put-off making another bargello.  But, I am older and wiser now. 

I plan on using only one machine with it's 1/4" foot.  That should help a lot!  Plus, taking my time and not rushing to finish it.  It should be a beauty!  Wish me luck!

Have you ever sewn an "angry quilt"?  If so, what pattern was it?  Why did it make you mad?  I'd love to hear from you!  Let's start a conversation!  Leave a comment!

Green & Orange Quilt Athena's Puzzle: A Work in Progress

Today I'm working on a batik quilt with rich earth tones: deep oranges, midnight blues, watery greens, and warm tans.  I've worked with these colors before in a traditional log cabin pattern, as seen here:
 http://www.etsy.com/listing/87979277/orange-logcabin-quilt-batik-fisherman

 I have it for sale in my Etsy shop, Sew in the Snow.  It is a beautiful quilt for anyone, male or female. 

The new pattern is Athena's Puzzle, made from the "Greek-key" blocks on point.  The pattern makes a twin size quilt, however I'm going to make it into a smaller lap quilt. 

For some reason, the colors are not speaking to me today.  Weird!  I think I'm stuck in Valentine's mode with lots of bright colors and rich chocolates. Yum.

Do you ever get stuck in a color or pattern rut when quilting? 

Quilt Bindings Conqured: Completed UFO's

 This is the week of completing UFO's.  The dreaded binding stage.  It's my least favorite part of quilting.  It seems a little like, hmmm, well... drudgery.  But, this weekend I was rummaging around in my stash and these UFOs kept getting in my way!  They kept falling off of the shelves and interrupting my creative flow as I picked out colors to begin a new quilt.  The nerve of those things!  

So, I have determined to complete all four of them.  No starting something new until these are finished.  (Ah, there's the real lure!  Beginning.)

I began  with the blue and white celestial quilt. It is one of my favorite combinations of colors because it has such great contrast.   The pattern is from a great Jelly-roll book, "A Baker's Dozen"made by the staff at That Patchwork Place. This book tells you how to use your stash to create the necessary jelly roll, honey bun, layer cake, or charm pack.  I made this quilt using my stash fabrics.  I had to buy material for the border and binding, but the rest I already had!  
The binding went on so quickly that I was inspired to tackle the next one immediately.

The next one was a pattern from another book featuring jelly rolls, the Jelly Roll Quilts book by Pam and Nicky Lintott.  I made this quilt with a friend after we used exchanged jelly rolls from our individual stashes for Christmas.  It was pretty simple to put together.  It has a warm brown polar fleece on the back.  I trimmed the backing to 3/4 of an inch past the quilt edge, then flipped the backing over to make a binding.  Pretty quick binding, and it doesn't look bad.  Have you tried this?


Tonight I put the binding on my Asian quilt.  It was a really fun quilt to make.  It's a fast pattern that still looks great. (Unfortunately, I have misplaced the pattern, and I can't remember the title.  I'll update this later.)  I had an Asian fabric fat-quarter set that I used with some browns that I had for the "outline" boxes.  It showcases large prints very well.  I may try it again with some kid's prints--dancing mice and other woodland creatures--that are large.  I highly recommend it!




How many UFO's do you have?  What's the most you UFO'S you've ever had?  I'd love to hear from you!