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 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!!

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) :)

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!)

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 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).

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

Block 2

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!

Mail's Here Mail's Here!!

It's been a fun week at our house!  Quilt squares are beginning to come in for K's quilt (awesome peeps!!)

(Adding Dumbledore to my mermaid square really came together!!)

Oh and progress getting the map and chocolate frog box put into a square too!

Monday Mail!

Blocks are now arriving for the gift quilt I'm doing!!!  SO excited!!!

and one I made...

In the dark of the night

Why is it I always get inspired in the middle of sleeping?  Last night after finishing up some quilting and doing some necessary sewing (woot for fat quarter bag holders - I'll post a picture in a bit) I got to thinking about my Hunger Games quilt.  With my PoD2015 caught up I think I may return to working on the HG quilt.

I typically layout my quilts just using an excel spreadsheet (because I"m not very fancy).

Originally I had thought to mimic the icons from the movie with laurel leaves surrounding the square and the word district and the district number rounding it out - even going so far to actually piece (thanks to liljabs) one of the district words and then the sheer volume of work shimmered in front of my eyes and I began rethinking things.  This quilt is pretty big and adding all the extras really would make it insanely bigger.  You can see my sad little sketch here...

SO here's my midnight inspiration

I have just over half of the squares made, and I think I am going to solicit one of my friends with an embroidery machine to do the words - and I'll hand embroider the arrows - simple yet beautiful.  (Don't laugh at my drawings).  I love the visual impact of the colors against the black and don't want anything to really take away from that.  

I've also been on the prowl for a backing material - and here's a few I've been considering:

I love the arrow theme - and a part of me wants to just do a turned edge to the front to finish rather than a whole separate binding - but I'm not sure yet.  Right now I'm leaning to the red or every which way multi-color arrows.  We'll see.

Making the Mermaid - K's quilt

My friend K and I are a lot alike - we're both landlocked mermaids who wish we could spend more time at the beach and near the waves.  I knew I couldn't pull this quilt together without adding at least one personal mermaid touch - and so I hunted down THIS pattern over at fandominstitches.com and put her together.  (side note:  I would love to do a set of these, one in reverse for some bookends maybe?)

I always start by laying out fabrics to play with color and contrast.  The pattern has her nekkid-ish, so I revamped it a little and added a clamshell (that was seriously a lot of work - if I do add these as bookends on something I'm doing, I'll plan to give her a washed out green textured skin and call it a day)

3 1/2 hours of work later - and I finally got her put back together.  I always have this angst about remembering to give myself the 1/4 inch seam allowance so I can sew it back together!  but it worked.

Isn't she lovely?  She measures out about 7.5 inches tall, which made putting her in to a block with some of our fun gift quilt mail pretty easy! :)

Shhhh - a surprise in the works....

My friend K has been undergoing some pretty severe health issues for a couple of years now and earlier this year began going through multiple severe surgeries to rebuild her jaw and has had complications all the way through (read: shingles, pneumonia, multiple infections, etc.). In a visit this week her husband expressed how much depression has crept in for her, but that he just didn't know how to help her - and it hit me... She needs help warding off those dementors! She's been my biggest fan as I've created each of the PoD and multifandom quilts and every single time has said - You should make me one!

So this week I sent out a call to my fellow Doomer's to see if they'd help me put one together - it's no small feat and I am overwhelmed with the love support and eagerness of this wonderful group of women to pitch in to raise someone's spirits.  Literally in the course of about 6 hours, all but a few of the 30 quilt squares were signed up for.  K's birthday is early August, and I have no doubt that I will easily be able to get it done before then.  

A sneak peek for you at some that are already done...

Since I've been gone....

I'm currently still working on my HP Dark Arts (Project of Doom 2015) QAL and these are the squares completed in the last two weeks.  I'm still in catch up mode since I'm a little behind the rest that started back in March, but I'm really happy with the progress.

Sorting Hat with Crookshanks (Weeks 21 & 22)  Pattern slightly adjusted to line things up a little more than the original.

Rita Skeeter's and Delores Umbridge's Quills (Week 23)  I did adjust this pattern to include both of the quills that were not on the original 2011 PoD, I'm pretty happy with how it came out!

Gilderoy Lockhart's Quill and Ink square (Week 15)  Well at least that's what I'm calling it...

Voldemort's wand (Week 14) -  the new 2015 version also offers patterns for Harry's wand and the Elder wand, but I felt like if I'm running a Dark Arts theme, He who much not be named's wand made more sense.  And while you can't tell as well here - the "bone" color of the wand piece is pretty cool.

Hermione's Blue Flame in the Jelly Jar (Week 20)  I am Thrilled at how this one turned out.  I used a shimmery overlay to give that feel of glass and it turned out great!

Durmstrang School Flag (Week 19) This week's square has quite a few options and I debated hard over if I should do one of the four houses (Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw), Beauxbatons, the Hogwarts Crest and this one.  I just really liked this one!  Plus my first PoD has the Hogwarts crest.

All Patterns are property of Fandominstitches.com and are always free!