Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Whipping up some Christmas love!

This year I took some extra time to make some well needed aprons for my sweet bunch o'kids!  Patterns are all found at fandominstitches.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Charity Quilts - sharing the love

I was given the opportunity to help out a project with our women's auxiliary group at church this year - with quilts!!


Each group was asked to make two quilts (twin size) 1 boy, 1 girl.



I wish I had taken more up close photos of this boy/superhero quilt - I loved the pop of the black and blue stripe with the different colored squares.



But I did get some up close shots of the girl quilt!! :)



This article was published about the project



Saturday, September 19, 2015

Birthday in the air.....stream?

Hexies have been dominating my time at present, but when I came across this picture on pinterest I couldn't resist - and I knew immediately who I wanted to make one for!

My Mom's birthday was coming up this next week - so after downloading the templates (listed on page 8 of the pdf) I kind of had to finagle my own directions since I couldn't find any specific directions.  And here are the results....


I opted to stuff the top with fiberfill and then added some play sand to give it a little weight at the bottom to keep the pincushion steady.  I also had to back the button wheels with some cardboard to keep them upright.


I'm in love with it.

Enough that I'd like to make my own - but I think when I do, I'll use a dowel glued between the button wheels to make it more steady.  So FUN and CUTE!

Sunday, September 13, 2015

A very Hexie Halloween

The weather has cooled down and the humidity has died down and I decided it was time to take on a smaller personal project with a subject I have been watching on Instagram for a few months now - HEXIES!  I've never done any kind of hand stitched projects of this kind - but the simplicity and ease that a few regulars assure me of and I decided it would be a great way to create something for Halloween (my most favorite holiday ever), and learn a new skill.

I broke out a few "how-to" type blog posts (thread basted vs. glue)
and found some printable templates (because I'm too impatient to order any) and because several hexie makers I follow assured me paper is fine.

and then I had to decide what size... and since most of my scraps I've saved from the multi-fandom and harry potter project of doom quilts are smaller, I opted for 1.5 inch hexies and I sat and cut, and cut and cut...  And then I broke out the fabric scraps and selected the colors I wanted (gray, black, orange, green, purple) and at first I was fussy and used a 2 inch template to cut out fabric, and then realized I could just use square pieces and it was a little easier.

And VERY quickly I amassed a small pile

 My kids liked playing with putting them in different combinations...

By Sunday we had a couple hundred and the girls had moved them from the floor to the table...

 and now we're playing with runner layouts....


I still have to assemble them.  My plan going forward is to assemble them in hexi flower shapes that I can then put together as a whole like these examples from My Poppet Makes and Missouri Star Quilt Company


So Much Fun!

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

A very Super Baby Present

Finally!  I've got it all put together!!  And just in time for V's new baby Rafael!!  I love how this turned out!  I opted to use a blue flannel on the back and around the pieced blocks with no batting to make this a usable easy quilt.  I did line the blocks with an interfacing to support the structure and then finished it with some tie-dye binding.  It was my first time using any separate binding and I followed THIS tutorial which was SUPER easy and error free!


 And - she loved it!  It was super fun working with all of these patterns!  These patterns were created and provided for FREE by Liljabs and SewhookedJen over at Fandominstitches.com

Saturday, August 15, 2015

The next "super" batch

I spent some pleasurable moments indulging in more of this superhero baby quilt for V.  This weekend we took on five new blocks - we'll be done before you know it!


Shield
Thor
Superman
Iron Man (Arc Reactor)
Hulk

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

"Super" update

I've been pushing myself to do a few of these blocks each couple of days because V's baby shower is Aug. 26th and I'd like to have it done by then.  They are coming out awesome - Here are the blocks done to date.


Avengers
Black Widow
Fantastic Four
Spiderman
Flash
X-Men
Green Arrow
Aquaman
Deadpool
Green Lantern
Hawkeye
Wonderwoman

All patterns are free over at fandominstitches.com

Monday, August 10, 2015

"Super" Busy

These superhero blocks go together super easy!!  So far there aren't any that have caused me grief - except I couldn't find a Deadpool pattern, so I made my own!!  (And no, I didn't use a program, I pulled out the old ruler and pencil!!)  I'm happy with the results!  I've since found out that Liljabs has one over on her website...



Green Lantern
Flash
Deadpool

Friday, August 7, 2015

A "Super" new project!

What to do when one project is done and I'm not ready to return to my HP Dark Arts Bookcase project?  Of course!  Start another project, this time a quick baby quilt for my good friend V.  She's preggy with her first baby and a total superhero nerd - so of course I had to hit up Liljabs and Jennifer O's superhero patterns over at fandominstitches.com

So today I whipped up these three to start us off!  These are 5" (finished in quilt) blocks -

Avengers
Black Widow
Fantastic Four

Monday, August 3, 2015

It all comes together!!

I took a little bit of time off from online while I wrapped up a couple of projects including the surprise quilt for my friend K.  I took a couple of pictures along the way...

It's been so much fun to open packages by all of the amazing women from the FandominStitches Project of Doom 2015 FB page, who volunteered time and talent and effort by making a block or two!!  We've been posting them as they come in and finally - all of them are here and we had to monkey around with the layout to get it looking JUST RIGHT.

And then I quilted the blocks with the batting...


and then I sewed them into rows and put them on shelves....


And then we had to decide about backing fabric.... oh decisions decisions....  I loved both of these because the pulled all the colors from the other side.

and we went with the tie-dye trimmed in turquoise (because turquoise and purple do some serious poppin'!)  well, and because if K isn't in beachwear, or resortwear - she loves bright popping colors...



and then we sewed the front to the back (by stitching along the shelves strategically)

And finally - it was all ready to take over, just in time for her surgery...
Delivery was emotional and sweet - she was absolutely floored.






And this - THIS is why I love doing things like this.  
K was truly surprised and tickled pink that she had been given this quilt.  She messaged me after we left still a bit in shock, but so so so thankful.  I love that I have such amazing quilting friends, and get to be a part of such an amazing community.


Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Lollybraining - thinking ahead to other quilts I want to do...

I've been thinking a lot about what comes next in my quilting journey.  (and yes I know I have several projects to finished).  I'd really like to work with some of the HP portrait patterns by Michelle Thompson over at fandominstitches.com - so I mocked up an idea...


Not sure if I'll be able to see it through, but it's a fun idea...

Monday, June 29, 2015

Monday Mailtime!- K's quilt and fabric swaps

A few more additions to K's quilt came in and we're close to getting to the end!  I can hardly wait to put this together!!





Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Coming up with a plan - K's quilt

So it's been a little while since blocks have started coming in for K's quilt, and I've been figuring out how to put them on the shelves.   This week I took down my PoD2K15 Dark Arts quilt from my wall board and started configuring the layout.... a quick peek...


I like how it's coming together.  There has been some conversations on the best ways to quilt this type of project, and this being my 6th version of this quilt (lol that made me chuckle), I am creating a tutorial on how I'm putting it together so keep your eyes open! (I'll update this with a link when it's done) :)

Monday, June 22, 2015

Mail's Here Monday!

This week we got more fun blocks!  I love seeing the purples that come in.  (just in case you're wondering - we're going to shelve them in gradients, allowing for a subtle ombre to happen in the background!)



Saturday, June 20, 2015

More PoD2K15 - HPDA

I've also been working along with my own 2015 version of the Project of Doom which is more dark arts oriented.  I love that we've been getting patterns every Wednesday, but with the realization that the quilt will be done in the next 5 weeks, I'm a little sad!  I've taken some time to go back and pick up some alternative pieces to add to my own, so a little revamping has been going on!  here's this week's block #25 with the addition of baby norbert (printed at 75% size).  All patterns are property of Fandominstitches.com and are always free!



Monday, June 15, 2015

Monday Mail Call - so cute for K's quilt!

This week at the mailbox...

I am loving the mystical creatures and mermaids!!!  (K has a special affinity for creatures, in particular mermaids - **squee**  I know she's going to love this).





Saturday, June 13, 2015

PoD2K15 QAL - Block 24 - The importance of Books

This week is the ONLY week during the PoD2015 QAL that the block had no alternate variations.  I'm kind of glad!  While it is always fun to have the "stuff" involved in any fandom on the shelves for this type of quilt, it is just as important to have books - and that is what this week's block is - BOOKS!


Block 24 - Books!  There has been great discussion about minimizing the number of books to add more of the fun stuff, but without the balance of both - the shelves will look a bit like a curio cabinet with a smattering of reading matter and the truth is, that while I love the stuff, I want my kids to remember that it was the books that held the doors open to all the adventure.

I've always been a big, voracious reader.  I love all different genres - and it all started with Laura Ingalls Wilder and this box set I got around my 9 year old Christmas:

Of all of the books, Little House in the Big Woods remains my favorite.  I wasn't a big supporter of good 'ol classic reads until I had my own kids and began reading with them - something we did all through their growing up.  Some of my favorite authors were Beverly Cleary (Mouse and the Motorcycle, Ramona series), Gertrude Chandler (Boxcar Children), E.E. White (Charlotte's Web, Trumpet of the Swan), anything by Lois Lowry (especially Gathering Blue), Lynne Reid Banks (Indian in the Cupboard), CS Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia Series) and of course (when they were old enough) the Harry Potter books by JK Rowling.

While my kids didn't all start out as avid readers - they came to love it simply by it being a constant presence in our lives.  From the time they were small (think Goodnight moon and Where the Wild Things Are small), we read before bed every night.  And because of the time and love we shared they kept reading as teens and now as adults.  (side note - when HP 7 was released, all of my children were in high school and they still begged me to read it out loud to them in the evenings!!)

I'm grateful to them too because they keep me on my toes by introducing new books on tap!  (Twilight -way better books than movies, Hunger Games, The Map to Everywhere, The Forbidden Library, Gregor the Overlander Series, The Dark is Rising Series, Dorothy Must Die, The Queen's Thief, Inkworld, Percy Jackson, John Green's books.  And then later as they became young adults - The glass castle, Room, Sarah's Key, Still Alice, Wild, Night, Orphan Train, the Divergent Series, The Goldenfinch, Eleanor and Park, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Match Series, Maze Runner Series...)  The list could go on and on.

Books are such a wonderful escape, I am often at odds as to why more people aren't readers.  I realize now after raising my children that it is what one puts in to teaching to read that really matters, it is the time well spent in investing in the adventure WITH someone, that makes the greatest impact.

As I sit here I am listening to Harry Potter 6 on audiobook again for probably the 20th time.  I love this series.  So many are blinded to the genre of the book that they miss the greater lessons and messages that come from these books - Here are my favorites.


So for all of you looking for just more book squares?  Try these (mostly) book only patterns on for size!
 Block 16                                        Block 9
Block 8                                           Block 5

For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die. … Anne Lamott

All patterns are the property of Fandominstitches.com and are always FREE!