I Declare: Sewing for ME Week

I have declared as of about dinner time Sunday night that this week would be devoted to sewing for me and my family week...Hooray!

I just finished a show on Saturday (which was great) and in getting ready for that I have an epic amount of product made so to sort of energize my sewing I am going to take this week to work on FINISHING a few items that have been hanging around.

First up, Sherbet Pips, this is a quilt I started for my daughter, in spite of her desire to have everything princess themed this will be for her use around the house. I bought most of the fabrics from this line last summer when it came out. I had cut it out and had a few measure issues, mainly trying to do a pattern in which I did not have the right amount of fabric (I bought the fabric before deciding on a pattern). Anyway I had to do some creative piecing along the way to get it to work.

Piles of fabric that I had to dig out from last summer, I had some notes with changes I made, though I would say not as good of notes as I would have liked. Though I am pretty certain I did not plan on packing it away unfinished more then 6 months.

Quilt about half done, it is actually pieced now, I am hoping to find a back this week and drop it to the machine quilter on Friday. Yay, one down! ! !

Next are these tropical placemats, I think I started these at least 3 years ago - sad, huh? They are completely pieced I just need to do some light quilting and sew backs on and use. This is next up, this will be a set of 8, the interior features a fruit print and a tropical print as the focal. It is bordered by lime green and then orange and watermelon squares, finished with the lime green.

Then a quilt I am super excited to start in this aqua and brown combination, this will be a throw for my bedroom. I need to get a solid cream or something like a cream, making a fabric run lunch today. I think once I get rolling on this it should go quickly.

Then there is this lovely basket of half finished quilts, grrrr...that is what I think when I look at this. Things half completed, random notes and lots of folds in odd places. It will be somewhat of a nightmare sorting this out. In this basket are the beginnings of 3 quilts and a Christmas table runner. In my sights this week are the table runner, and one of the quilts from a line called "Surf and Sand" this was/is also to be for my bedroom, going from memory I also have fabric to make matching pillowcases, ah the sorting and memory jogging needed.

Also in this basket is another line that I LOVED, actually still like it but not sure I want it for what I originally intended, so I need to sort this one out as well. And lastly in that basket was a quilt that was fully pieced just needed some applique flowers, this is not on my need to finish now list, so it will probably get a looksy but to be finished later this year...hopefully. I hope to post finished (or at least my part finished) this week or early next week. For quilting I usually hire this out, so I may space them a bit plus I need backings, I hope to get 2 ready to go to a quilter this week or next.

2011 UFO FInished - Laura Gunn Fabric Pillows

Another 2011 UFO done, well nearly...done enough to be put to use. I still may go back and do some more beading on the birdcage pillow, but for now the less is more and calling it done.

These are my favorite two chairs to seasonally embellish, ready made pillows that I often cover make this easy to change out as I desire. These chairs are great for entertaining as they make an nice conversation pair and are also easy to slide on our hardwood floors, as an added bonus when needed they are a great height to our dining room table, for really big gatherings.

I love this first fabric collection by artist Laura Gunn, her fabric is from Michael Miller and I have quite a bit put away to use for home decor projects for myself like this one. I also have a pieced small quilt that I was hoping to applique a tree on it and hang it above these chairs. I am actually unsure I still want to do that so I have this rather simple pieced quilt I am deciding what to do to finish.

I actually sort of followed some pictures on Laura Gunns blog when she did this fabric release. I sized them to fit my 18 inch pillows that I already had, below are just a few things I did to make the pillows.

I almost always do a quilted top for my pillows, the stability and weight the batting provides to the completed pillow is worth the effort. My pieced pillows with some simple on point grid quilting to hold the batting to the top, I only use batting and the top, no need to back it as it will be enclosed.

Auditioning thread colors, just unfurling thread and laying randomly on piece to be quilted will give a good visual to the finished item.

I marked with white pencil a cross hatch design to be quilted, I only quilted the 2 accent fabrics on the side.

Finished quilting

I then did some free quilting to the motif design, just enough to hold in place.

Birdcage pillow, below beaded details, I beaded most of the aqua and fuchsia bird cages.

Lantern Bloom Pillow with quilted detail below



Makes a lovely pair, I just used a faux chocolate suede for the back and made them in an envelope style to change out with the seasons.

UFO - Finished Love Quilt

Hooray, every year I pretty much make the same resolution, to finish up UFO's, those "Un Finished Objects" or projects that taunt me with their incompleteness. After reorganizing my sewing space I was inspired to try and stick to this goal.

First, though hopefully not the last of 2011 is this Four Patch Posy quilt in Amy Butler Love fabrics. I sashed each block with a navy and coral, and completed with a fabric from the Love line, Midnight Garden.

I usually send out quilts to be quilted, for me the fun is in picking out and planning fabrics, and the piecing. Consequently I have loads and loads of pieced tops needing to be quilted. I sent this one out and on a lark got it back in 3 days. I am super inspired to get about 3-4 more smaller ones to get ready as well and hope to blog about them IN 2011.

Quilt is backed in a salmon and pink big dot print from the Joel Dewberry line "Deer Park" I love how it compliments the pinks and corals in the Love flower motifs.

Close up of some of the blocks. The machine quilter did a great job, quilting on top was done in navy, a block design repeated on each block, and then amazing free motion work in the borders an sashings, way better then I would have though of doing and much better job too!

Full Quilt, I used a large scale print for the blocks, this was cut into 4 repeats and the blocks are mirror images of each other when sewn together. I had actually done a mini look at the construction technique in this earlier blog post.

I have also been playing with a few of the new AB fabrics from Soul Blossoms. This pleated tote and snap clutch will be at Yellow Door later this week.

Joining a few link parties this week with this lovely quilt, check out Quiltstory and Crafting with Karina to see it in action!