Life, Love, and Dog Hair

Husbands Need Quilts Too

2012-02-01T13:05:00.000-05:00

So I've been quilting for just shy of 2 years now and ever since I finished binding my very first quilt my husband has been asking me "so when are you going to make a quilt for me?" "Soon", was always my answer. But somehow that "soon" just kept getting pushed farther and farther back.

It was always in the back of my mind though - trying to figure out what the pattern would be; the fabrics; the colors. I even secretly collected fabrics that I knew I would one day put into his quilt - like fabric bearing the logo of his beloved Tennessee Titans.

Well, for our 2nd anniversary this year - the cotton anniversary - my present to him was a promise to finish his quilt before the baby came. And as of last week, I fulfilled my anniversary promise to my husband and presented him with his finished quilt.

The pattern is Off the Rail from the fabulous Julie over at Jaybird Quilts and the fabrics were all lovingly selected to represent my husband - like the Titans fabric, the maps prints, and the classic cocktail recipes - or our relationship - like the hibiscus print I picked up during our vacation to Hawaii last year and the RV print to represent our future RV-ing retirement days.

Now that this quilt is finished, the baby can make his arrival any time he would like. :)

Two isn't Too Many

2012-01-30T11:16:00.000-05:00

So with the baby on the way, lots of people have been asking me - so how many quilts have you made for your little one to be? A ton, right?

Well, sorry to disappoint, but I've actually only made 2, if you can believe it. The first, which I posted about last September, used embroidered squares that my mother made for me - well before I ever got pregnant I might add. So for the second quilt I wanted to do something that was a little bit more me and a little bit more modern.

I used the Monaluna Monaco line - so cute and fresh (and organic to boot) - and although it airs slightly on the "boy" end of the color spectrum, I like to think that it's actually gender neutral.

I made it small enough to be able to fit into his crib (once he's old enough to have blankets in there with him, of course); so until then it's adding to the nursery decorations and hanging on the side of his crib.

Pink, But Not too Pink

2012-01-28T11:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a while - and I won't even try to make excuses about it. But I have been quilting here and there and finally got around to 1 - taking pictures of the finished products, and 2 - actually transferring them to my computer and then to the blog.

I made this one for a precious little girl born in November. She actually made her mother miss by baby shower by going into labor early...but I don't think I'll hold it against her :). Her nursery is pink, light green, and brown, so I whipped up a quilt to match. Hopefully she'll enjoy some color coordinated tummy time on this one.

So Difficult to Choose!!

2011-09-11T18:04:00.000-04:00

What's so difficult to choose? The fabrics for my baby's first quilt of course! Mini T still won't be here for another 4.5 months or so, but naturally I needed to get going on the quilts as soon as I found out I was pregnant.

This quilt is mostly my style, but also a bit of my mother's style. If you notice in each of the squares, there's an embroidered animal on a pale yellow background. My mother made those panels for me and gave them to me for Christmas last year - so I knew I wanted to use them in a quilt for my future child. So I paired her squares with some modern, peppy fabrics and voila! You have Mini T's first quilt.

It's gender neutral for a couple of reasons.

1) When I made it I didn't know what I was having.
2) Even though I now know the gender, I am sticking with gender neutral fabrics/clothes/toys/etc as much as possible. Although capitalist society will make that difficult...

Oh, and showing pictures of the quilt on Facebook was also how we announced to our friends and extended family that we were expecting.

A Boy in Blue and Orange

2011-09-10T13:58:00.001-04:00

It's been a while...longer than a while in fact...but I HAVE been quilting. Just on a slower pace than I was last year - I blame Mini T - who has been making my stomach queasy for many months, but who just recently decided to let me get mostly back to normal.

So, this is one that I finished just before we found out that Mini T would be joining our family in just 9 short months. I made it for a dear old college friend of mine who just had her first baby last month. The baby was a boy and the quilt ended up matching the colors of her baby shower (although that was pure coincidence). I decided I really like the color combination and almost wish I could have kept it for myself and Mini T!

Oh, and Gracie wanted to help out with the pictures too. Good thing it was going to a house that already has a dog!

Boys and Planes

2011-06-24T21:37:00.000-04:00

Whenever I can, I try to personalize the quilts that I make for people. For example, for my good friend Liz, I made sure her quilt matched her jungle themed nursery, but that it also paid homage to our alma mater Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!).

So when my husband's dear friend informed us that she was pregnant, I knew I wanted to ensure that her quilt was personalized as well. My husband definitely helped me out in figuring out what would be the perfect fabric for this new baby. And seeing as the mom is a HUGE fan of all types of airplanes and her husband is a pilot...well, airplane fabric it was.

I decided to back the entire thing with Robert Kaufman's Patriot's print in navy, which turned out really well.

Now I just need to meet the adorable little boy they welcomed a few months ago! Nevada is just too far away.

Craft Hope x 2

2011-06-09T19:05:00.000-04:00

Like I mentioned yesterday, I wanted to make 2 quilts for the awesome charity, Craft Hope. Although I usually make quilts for Project Linus, I wanted to switch it up a little bit.

Anyway, here's the second quilt that I made for this project and I like how it came out.

For the top I used a variety of batiks in blue shades that I got from my mom and then for the back I went a very different direction and used a bright yellow fabric...that I also got from my mom.

I hope it brings some kind of warmth to a person in need.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-08T07:28:00.000-04:00

Craft Hope

2011-06-06T17:37:00.000-04:00

A looooooong time ago I showed you some photos of my squares quilt top in progress... Well, I finally got around to finishing it and have decided to donate it to a crafting charity that is doing really wonderful things.

Craft Hope is a great little group that is dedicated to sharing handmade crafts with those who need them. They've sent children's dresses to Mexico, baby blankets to India, bean bags to Liberia - 13 projects in total. And now, Craft Hope is sending security blankets to tornado survivors in the Southeastern US.

I'm making 2 quilts for this project and there's still time for you to join in too! The submission deadline for this project is June 15. It doesn't have to be a quilt - just a blanket, made by you - to bring some warmth and security to someone who needs a little love. Learn more about this project here.

A little more about Hawaii

2011-06-03T13:23:00.000-04:00

Some of you have already heard about it, but for those of you who haven't - my husband and I (and my whole family) took a lovely two week vacation in Hawaii this past April. Well, he and I traveled for two weeks and the rest of the fam met up with us for the last week - but I digress.

It was awesome, beautiful, relaxing, and of course - not long enough. Even though it was two weeks. I know, I know - decadent by most standards. But what can I say - we work to support our travel habits. Anyway, hope you enjoy a glimpse of paradise!

Gender neutral - no seriously another one.

2011-06-02T13:08:00.000-04:00

So many, many of my friends are pregnant right now (I even have another shower coming up this weekend), but I'm really surprised at how many of them are waiting to find out the gender of the baby until after it's born. But hey, that just means more opportunities for me to try out different gender neutral quilt ideas :)

So, here's another one, gifted to a friend who wanted to wait. My semi-standard mix of gender neutral colors. Maybe next time I'll mix it up a bit...although I really do love the owl fabric I used in this one. So cute.

But I'm pleased to report that just a couple of weeks ago, my friend had a healthy, happy baby girl. I hope she likes it!

It's been a while...

2011-06-01T07:20:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know, it's been a while...but it's now the start of a new month (my birthday month!), so why not start out with a few new blogs.

I'll write more later (and show you what I've been working on...because yes, there has been quilting in the last 3 months). But for now, I'll leave you with a shot from our April trip to Hawaii.

Happy Wednesday!

Definitely better with a border...

2011-02-25T11:25:00.001-05:00

I hemmed and hawed, but it's definitely better with a border, don't you think?

Before

After

A Revolutionary War Skirmish....No, Really

2011-02-24T19:15:00.000-05:00

On Sunday my husband and I, along with some close friends, attended...that's right...a Revolutionary War skirmish. A real live (well, reenacted) skirmish between the British and the Americans, 15 minutes from our house.

There were cannons, rifles, women tending the fire, drummers, red coats, casualties - everything a person could want in a Revolutionary War reenactment on a Sunday afternoon taking place in a Civil War era Fort and park....

Oh, and the Americans won. Just in case anyone was wondering.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-23T09:02:00.000-05:00

(Not mine... borrowed from a friend.)

Blues and Greens

2011-02-22T11:37:00.000-05:00

In January I did a lot of quilting to finish some baby quilts on a timeline, but now I'm kind of looking at my works in progress and my ideas for next projects and finding myself lacking the motivation to continue.
But when I do, I want to use this stack of batiks from my mother and do a gradient quilt of blues and greens.

WIP: Squares in Squares

2011-02-21T11:13:00.005-05:00

So, I had several jelly roll bits left over after making my last baby quilt for a friend, and I loved the pattern so much I wanted to use the rest of it on another quilt.

The last one was a giant square (well, giant in the realm of a baby quilt), so this one is a variation on the square...squares within squares. Now there is probably some sort of official name for the pattern of the quilt (I certainly didn't make it up), but I don't know what that is.

So the top is finished...although I'm thinking it's a bit small...debating whether or not I should add a border around the entire thing to add to its overall size...

Squares for baby

2011-02-17T19:23:00.001-05:00

Today was a friend's baby shower at her office - a coworker of my husband's - so I didn't get to attend (as I was at my own job across town), but I did get to make her a quilt...which my husband didn't even try to take credit for as he presented it to her in front of his other co-workers.

She's having a girl, but since I don't love pink, I opted to include a few other colors in this one. It's made from a jelly roll of It's a Hoot by MoMo for Moda. Measures approximately 35 x 35 and just quilted it straight across on either side of the seams. I think I like how it turned out, although next time I might quilt it in a slightly different pattern.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-16T11:40:00.002-05:00

Rethinking shadows, windows, and air duct openings

2011-02-15T21:49:00.002-05:00

Each of these seemingly random things was the primary subject in a photo I took over the weekend.

On Saturday I took my second photography workshop with Washington Photo Safari. It was called "Fine Art Photography" and was all about finding things that are interesting in the world around you, but might not be the obvious choice for a photo's composition. It's something that I tend to do anyway in my photography, but I wanted to hear a trained photographer's take on the concept.

The whole workshop took place in the National Gallery of Art here in DC, and after a little guidance from the instructor, we split up to photograph anything that we found interesting, inspiring, unusual, or really anything else that caught our eyes. I took about 300 pictures in 3 hours and narrowed it down to about 10 or so that I actually liked. Here are are few of my favorites.

Although I shot all of these photos in color, I ended up thinking they all looked better in black and white.

Gender neutral baby quilt of a different variety

2011-02-04T16:58:00.000-05:00

So, when (God willing) I have a baby, I definitely want to know the sex of the baby ahead of time. But for two of my friends who have either recently given birth or are about to...they waited to find out. Seriously I have no idea how they did that.

But it did give me the opportunity to try out a few different fabric combinations of the "gender neutral" variety. First was for adorable little Jasper, which I posted about in January. It was a blue, brown, cream combo. But for this one, I wanted to go in a different direction.

The fabrics are yellows, greens, browns, and creams. Kind of a repeating brick pattern for the piecing and an all over meandered free-motion quilting.

As it turns out, yellow and green are very popular colors at gender neutral baby showers - along with ducky and monkey motifs. So this quilt fit right in. And mom loved it. In a few weeks we'll find out if baby will too.

I love the mushrooms...

Turning 98 is a cause for celebration!

2011-01-17T19:57:00.000-05:00

This weekend I attended a very special event...my grandfather's 98th birthday party. It was the first 98th birthday party I'd ever attended...and was definitely worth the trip to Dallas.

Balloons covering the ceiling, cake and ice cream a plenty, and a special birthday boy hat (complete with 'caution: slow moving senior blinking light' and honking horn) greeted the parade of guests that arrived to celebrate with Grandpa.

After a joyous rendition of "Happy Birthday" and making a wish, my grandpa received the best present in the world (in his eyes)... a custom made golf club.

Although he doesn't make it out to the greens so much anymore, he loves golf and happily tried out his new club with a few test swings.

It was a fantastic party and a great trip in general. I can't wait until 99!

Oh and check out that bolo - grandpa made that (along with a ton of other really awesome jewelry) for many, many years.

A gender neutral baby quilt...revealed!!!

2011-01-17T19:17:00.001-05:00

Ok, so when our friends announced they were expecting their first baby I knew immediately I wanted to make a quilt for their new little addition. When they told us they were waiting to find out the gender until birth...well that meant a gender neutral baby quilt challenge.

The pattern is the disappearing nine patch (and oldie but a goodie), made from Pure by Sweetwater for Moda. Quilted in all-over free-motion meander, backed in Pure as well. I hope the new little bundle enjoys it!

More secret holiday projects...

2010-12-30T19:10:00.000-05:00

Here's the last of my secret holiday projects. It was a quilt for my mom - who has a bright, sunny personality, so I wanted the quilt to be bright and whimsical. So when I saw this easy, slightly wonky quilt pattern (which I can't seem to find again), it seemed perfect.

The blocks are 16.5" and cut slightly "wonky" - so they don't square up perfectly. Which of course is part of the charm of this quilt. Sashing is 2" in width, and because of trimming, ended up being slightly thinner than that around the outside edges.

Quilted all over in a free-motion, meandering pattern. I'm pretty happy with the result. :)

And yes, this was quite a big snow event for Cottontown, TN.

Duncan wanted to help me with this picture...but he gets distracted easily...

Quilts for Cats

2010-12-26T19:51:00.000-05:00

Earlier this year I made a couple of small quilts for our cat, Kit Kat (who sleeps on them every single day), and ever since then my sister has been telling me that I really needed to make a couple for her cats (Riley and Mai). After all, they are my niece and nephew. :)

Well, it only took like 6 months, but Riley and Mai now have quilts destined just for them. They were under the tree yesterday and after our 11.5 hour drive back to DC tomorrow, they'll have them to snuggle up with at home.

It's a John Deere Xmas Quilt

2010-12-25T17:11:00.000-05:00

So, finally I can post about the projects I've been working on for the last month. Presents have been opened...so next stop...blogland.

My dad has a great John Deere tractor...when my parents finish building their dream house, he'll have to get an even bigger one to keep up the new property. He's pretty excited about this. So, when I decided I wanted to make him a quilt as a part of his Christmas present...a John Deere quilt was the logical choice. Pretty basic with 15' squares and 3' sashing (and a manly, pine fabric for the sashing and back of course), and straight line quilting in random groups, horizontally across the quilt.

A perfect, simple quilt if you're new to quilting, too. Enjoy!

2010-12-05T17:29:00.000-05:00

So, here's the other charity quilting event that I mentioned earlier in the week: 100 Quilts for Christmas. All thought up and put on by a fellow-quilter in the DC Modern Quilt Guild.

And here's how it works, in Kate's words:

"The holiday season is fast approaching and Aunt Spicy and I are thrilled to be hosting 100 Quilts for Christmas, inspired by an amazing effort last year to make over 400 quilts, one for each child in Utah County's foster care system. This holiday season, Aunt Spicy and I hope to harness the terrific potential for good in the online quilting community by encouraging quilters to make baby (or slightly bigger) quilts for children in their own communities.

Please help us get the word out!

We are hopeful that you will grab a button (on the sidebar) and post something about 100 Quilts for Christmas on your blog, website, Facebook, or Twitter account to help us get the word out! Additionally, please consider sponsoring the effort--we have local quilters, crafters, and shops that are sponsoring giveaways, either from their stash or their shop (or both). We would love to add you to our list. Send me or Aunt Spicy a note if you have something to add (ideas include a pattern, a bag, a small fabric bundle, pre-cuts, or fat quarter pack, notions, and scrap packs of of hard to find fabric) and we'll include the prize, along with a link back to your shop/blog on a future post."

The short version

1. Make a blanket

. Take a picture.

3. Donate the blanket to someone or an organization of your choice

4. Post a picture of the quilt on any of three link-up days, and of course there will be prizes, including a grand prize drawing on Wednesday, December 15!

5. Here are the link-up days and locations:

Monday, December 6 -- Kate's Blog

Monday, December 13 -- Aunt Spicy's blog

6. We are also posting pictures on Flickr

Or learn even more about the event on Kate's blog.

Just a peek...

2010-12-04T17:57:00.000-05:00

Just a peek of something that's coming...

I finished but can't show you the whole thing just yet.

Helping the world...through quilting

2010-12-02T12:04:00.001-05:00

There are a couple quilting-related charity events going on in my little modern quilt world this season so I'll share one today and another very soon - cause it's not too late to get involved!

So today's charity event is lovingly called "{Modern} Relief" and was dreamed up and started by a group of quilt bloggers that I adore. Their concept is simple -

"We are Modern Quilters uniting through the holiday season by bringing the warmth of our quilts and the warmth of your hearts together for others in need. This season, 2010, we will be supporting World Vision. We hope YOU will join us in taking a stand against hunger by participating in our fundraising raffle."

And they are raffling off some AMAZING quilts. Quilts that I one day aspire to create.

Visit Heather from {House} of A La Mode to learn how to get involved.

The Shaffer Homestead

2010-11-30T23:28:00.000-05:00

My parents were in town for the Thanksgiving holiday and on Saturday we took a trip out to see their new land and future site of their dream home! Well, I should say that they are under contract right now - hopefully closing by the end of the month. Home to be built over the next year. They'll be less than 2 hours from me and my sister and will have nearly 40 acres for their future grand-kids to explore. Here are a few shots of the amazing property.

And some of the out buildings scattered around the property.

And a couple more shots of the views from the top.

A Holiday Banner

2010-11-28T23:28:00.001-05:00

I was totally inspired earlier this year by a Halloween banner that I saw over at the Moda Bake Shop. I thought it was so cute and since when I saw it Halloween had already passed, I immediately put it on my list for the winter holidays.

I made this one with a charm pack of 12 Days of Christmas by Kate Spain for Moda. The quilting is all free motion and varies from piece to piece. It was a lot of fun to make and once all the pieces of batting were cut out it went together pretty quickly.

And yes, we really are decorated already.

A gender neutral baby quilt...

2010-11-05T22:10:00.000-04:00

I love the idea cause it allows me to use all sorts of awesome modern fabric instead of just baby fabrics!!! I'm working on one now...but I can't show you yet...it's a gift. Instead I'll leave you with a picture from Halloween.

My sister's pumpkin is on the left, mine is on the right.

It's a Jungle Baby!!

2010-11-01T20:30:00.000-04:00

After a lovely baby shower this weekend for my dear friend Liz, I can FINALLY post the pictures of the quilt I made for her and her soon to be bundle of joy. Her little boy is due in December and will be rocked to sleep each night in a jungle of a nursery - complete with vine covered walls.

So of course her quilt needed to blend in with all those jungle motifs.

I think it turned out pretty well :) Keep scrolling for the surprise I put on the back for the mom and dad to be...

Yep, there it is...a nod to mom's alma mater (also MINE!!!) and dad's favorite football team.

I also whipped up a couple of burp cloths to match the quilt. Now we just need the little one to arrive!

October 2011 - Get ready for it...

2010-10-27T13:10:00.000-04:00

I already can't wait...

Stashy Stash

2010-10-19T21:19:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I went to a quilt and sewing expo (my first) and picked up some adorable new fabric - now I need to figure out what I'm going to make with it!!

Trick or Treat...

2010-10-18T21:29:00.002-04:00

Cause it's the season...

Autumn Wedding Quilt

2010-10-17T21:17:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was my wonderful younger sister's wedding day. It was a lovely event - full of autumn colors; rich, yummy foods; and lots of love and laughter.

As part of their gift, I made them a quilt with with fabric in their wedding colors (red, orange, and purple). I finished it a week ago, but since I couldn't post the photos of it until after I actually gave them their gift, I've been waiting to share it with you.

Congratulations, Jenny & Stan!!!

October - Adopt a Shelter Dog Month

2010-10-01T21:06:00.001-04:00

You've seen so many pics of the pups on here for the last few months - but there's something you might not know about our beloved doggies...they are both shelter dogs.

Gracie (the little one) was adopted from the Washington Animal Rescue League (WARL), right here in DC, almost 3 and a half years ago. She was brought to the shelter from an animal hoarder in Georgia who had collected 79 dogs at her house. She lived with all of those other dogs until she was 3 years old. After neighbors called animal control a group of them were brought here to WARL for adoption. I was lucky enough to end up with Gracie. At first she was timid and just wanted to be held all the time. Three years later she's exuberant and curious and filled with endless love for me and my husband and pretty much everyone else she meets.

Then Duncan, our beautiful collie, came from Collie Rescue of the Carolinas. Duncan's story began with a backyard breeder. He lived there for the first year and a half of his life and when he came to us he was sick and had almost no fur. He was just learning what getting petted was and he was scared of almost everything. Two years later he's made so much progress and we love to see his happy, puppy smile.

If you're considering getting a dog - adopt a shelter dog. You'll be saving a dog's life - and making yours fuller than you ever thought it could be. Learn more about adopting a shelter dog at ASPCA.org.

Cute pups

2010-09-30T20:12:00.000-04:00

There really are just never too many pictures of cute pups...

Soutwest Waterfront Getting a Facelift

2010-09-30T11:42:00.001-04:00

This is big news for my little neck of the woods. Most of the time when I tell people I live in SW DC they get a confused look on their face like, where's that? My response is usually "Near the new Nats stadium." But this is only partially true. The stadium is actually in SE. Just a few blocks away, but not in my little quadrant.

Last night there was a big meeting at the arena stage for SW residents about the plans for...wait for it...the SW Waterfront. We've been hearing rumors about it for years (including that Hogate's will be torn down before the end of October 2010), but I never thought it would actually materialize! But last night the plans were unveiled to the community. Read all about it from another SW resident who was actually there.

Just cause

2010-09-28T20:11:00.000-04:00

Yes, I'm still quilting up a storm, but for now I don't have any pics to share of what I'm working on. So instead - some pretty pictures from our recent trip to West Virginia. Enjoy!

Disappearing nine patch

2010-09-15T22:38:00.002-04:00

Finally took a stab at my first disappearing nine-patch...and it really wasn't hard at all.

Time to use up my scraps

2010-09-14T22:38:00.001-04:00

I had a bunch of strips of fabric left over from my most recent projects so I decided to make a quilt out of them. Just simple stripes with a horizontal quilting pattern. It does have a fun, unexpected pattern on the back, though.

Stripey Blocks

2010-09-13T20:43:00.001-04:00

I tried a new pattern for this one (a practice quilt for a larger quilt I'm going to make very soon) and I like it. I found the pattern over at U-Creative and used a variety of fun blue fabrics from my stash.

Kefta Tagine

2010-08-21T17:49:00.004-04:00

This week my husband amazed me with his culinary skills by making kefta tagine, using our gorgeous ceramic tagine that we received as a wedding gift from a dear friend.

We had to improvise on the bread, but other than that it was amazing!!

And here's your vocabulary lesson for the week - tagine refers to both the type of dish as well as the container that it is cooked in (namely the almost conical ceramic/cast iron dish).

Mine, all Mine

2010-08-20T17:46:00.002-04:00

I did it. I finished my quilt for myself. The first one ever, and my first attempt at an adult size quilt (I'll have to go back to a baby quilt for a rest now).

Picked fabrics that might not make sense to everyone else but that I love...and I guess that's all that matters :)

And of course thanks to my wonderful husband for helping with the photo shoot.

Lazy Sunday

2010-08-09T11:12:00.000-04:00

I had a terrific outing with friends yesterday that started as just plans to paddle boat in the Tidal Basin and ended up full of delicious, yummy cheese. Enjoy!

WIP

2010-08-06T09:41:00.000-04:00

So here's my current work in progress - one half is mostly quilted - the other half not so much.

Definitely the biggest thing I've worked on so far (although peanuts compared to what I know a lot of you do). Also trying to improve my free-motion with this project. I can't wait until it's done and I can snuggle under it with a pup or two.

And forgive the photos - they were taken with my iPhone on my way out the door.

iPhone 4 - I take it back - you don't disappoint me

2010-08-04T18:24:00.000-04:00

Or at least I hope you won't...I know I said that you disappointed me right after you first came out...but I ordered you today.

Naturally I have about 2 weeks to wait till you actually come in, but I'll be lovingly counting the minutes until we meet!!!

My Sewing Room

2010-08-03T18:01:00.000-04:00

Did I say sewing room? I meant kitchen.

Happy National Farmers Market Week!!

2010-08-02T09:31:00.002-04:00

That's right, August 1-7, 2010 is National Farmers Market Week. Take this week (or every week) to support your local farmers markets - find a visit one (or many) near you:

http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/

Stripes and Lines

2010-07-27T09:33:00.002-04:00

So I promised you pictures of the quilt I finished last week and I finally got around to taking them over the weekend. It was my first attempt at a higher density of filler quilting - albeit in simple straight lines - and I like how it turned out.

The fabric was a series of batik fat quarters in a rainbow of pastel colors.

And I used a small flower print in blue for the back and binding.

And although I said that I wasn't working on any more Project Linus quilts for a while - I think this one will go to them as well.

The pups wanted to get in on the quilt photo session this time too.

Fabric Greeting Cards

2010-07-26T08:50:00.001-04:00

As soon as I saw this design over at the Moda Bake Shop I knew I had to try it. I've been making my own cards for the last several years but basic scrap-booking materials were starting to get a bit old. Adding fabric to them would definitely take them up a notch.

I started with some of my favorite green fabrics that I've used in recent projects and threw in a splash of color with the pink - cause, well, why not.

I think next time I'll increase my stitch length a bit - I'm slightly concerned that the perforations in the cardstock are a bit too close together at this length.

But I had so much fun making these that I definitely think that I'll be making a whole mess of them as holiday cards this year.

Friday Night Fun

2010-07-24T19:45:00.007-04:00

So last night was my first Friday Night Sew-In - I had planned to finish more than I did, but isn't that always the way it is?

I whipped up the second of two quilts for our cat. First one above and second one below. And yes, I realize this is a little crazy but let me explain.

KitKat has a few distinct spots in the house that she likes to sit - like the bottom corner of our guest bed. As a result, all of her prime spots become absolutely covered in cat hair, unless we drape them with old blankets or towels. Well, instead of using old towels I thought it would be more fun (and attractive) to make her a couple of little mini quilts to lay over her favorite spots.

Both were made with a variety of remnants from the last couple quilts that I made - as well as a few other pink-ish colored fabrics thrown in as nod to the fact she's a "her".

I introduced her last night to her new quilt. Jury's still out on whether or not she likes it...but she was rumored to have been napping on one of them today...

Friday Night Sew In

2010-07-23T12:32:00.003-04:00

So, this Friday (I mean today) I am officially joining my first Friday Night Sew In. Heidi at Handmade by Heidi is organizing it and already 100 bloggers have signed up for a relaxing night of sewing.

Check out all the deets on her site and join in for a lovely, calm night of sewing - in the comfort of some high blasting air-conditioning of course.

Sneak peek...

2010-07-23T10:53:00.002-04:00

Finished this up last night. More pics coming soon :)

Mine, all mine.

2010-07-22T10:47:00.001-04:00

So I've been building up a little stash with the intention of making myself a quilt (first one for me in fact!)

Here's what I've got put away so far...the choosing is so hard!!!

Free Motion Fun

2010-07-21T10:18:00.007-04:00

I take photos of my projects with every intention of posting them immediately- but somehow I end up procrastinating before transferring them from my camera to my computer. Must be better about that. So here's my update of what I've been working on over the past week:

Took my first machine quilting class at Capital Quilts last Sunday. Learned some basics and finally tried free motion quilting.

Some techniques with better results than others.

Now to put those techniques to work!!

It's National Ice Cream Month!

2010-07-14T09:40:00.005-04:00

It's National Ice Cream Month - and the third Saturday in July is National Ice Cream Day! That's this coming Saturday!! Maybe I'll go hang out at my favorite ice cream spot, the Dairy Godmother - I know it's technically frozen custard and not ice cream, but it's so good! And they have doggie ice cream for Gracie and Duncan!

And how did National Ice Cream Month come to be, you ask? Well, Ronald Regan, under the impression that ice cream was a nutritious and wholesome food, designated July as National Ice Cream Month, and the third Sunday in July as National Ice Cream Day. Yep. Seriously.

Nevertheless, check out the International Dairy Foods Association for some fun facts about ice cream. Enjoy!

Circus Animals & Happy Dots

2010-07-12T22:15:00.005-04:00

My last Project Linus quilt for a while I think.
I have a few other quilts destined for some of my favorite people to get working on...
But this one was still cute to make - machine pieced and quilted.
And thanks to my wonderful husband for being my quilt holder for the day.

Rainbow Coalition Quilt

2010-07-12T10:17:00.007-04:00

Got all of this fabric from my mom.
Machine pieced and hand quilted (per my husband's request, who then decided he didn't like it as much as he thought he would after all).
This one goes to Project Linus as well.

Little Boy Blue

2010-07-05T18:52:00.006-04:00

Took my first sewing machine class this week and learned the basics of machine quilting - thought I'd try it out on a quilt for the newest member of the extended family (I would tell who, but he doesn't know he's getting it yet).

Made up of fat quarters and other cuts from a variety of places - back and binding made of some leftover navy batik that I got from my mom.

I now understand the instant gratification piece of machine quilting.

Stripey & Scrappy

2010-06-30T20:24:00.015-04:00

Although I hadn't planned on this one turning out quite so girly, I think I love it. I made with a combination of fat quarters and other, smaller cuts of fabric - most of which I picked up from the Artful Quilter last weekend at the DC Modern Quilt Guild meeting.

The tea fabric I thought was particularly cute. I machine pieced it, but hand quilted it in a simple, curly-q design (I just make it up as I go along).

I'm pretty happy with the back and border too - a green, heart fabric (even though I hate hearts) that I got from my mom's stash - I'm definitely going to have to raid that one again.

Now I just have to figure out who I'm going to give it to...

Happy Social Media Day

2010-06-30T08:57:00.002-04:00

Since social media came along, our lives have never been the same. Happy Social Media Day! Check out a meet up near you!

http://mashable.com/smday/

Create your own oil spill...

2010-06-29T10:24:00.004-04:00

...online that is...

Check out this web-app from A Cleaner Future - it allows you to choose any website out there and create your own oil spill on it. I tried it on this blog and it really is cool (and depressing).

An Icey Quilt on a Hot Day

2010-06-27T20:29:00.010-04:00

This weekend I've been holding down the fort by myself, taking care of some yard work (in the 100 degree weather - ick), catching up with some friends, and of course, quilting.

I'm not quite ready to share my current project with the world - as you may have noticed, I've only shared my final, complete projects (Quilt 1, Quilt 2, Quilt 4) here thus far and although at some point I might take the Process Pledge, I'm not quite there yet.

But I did finish my 3rd quilt for Project Linus last weekend (thanks to a lovely afternoon with the girls of the DC Modern Quilt Gu ild), so thought you might like to see it. It is just a simple pattern (5 inch blocks - my beginner quilt design of choice), made with some polar bear/penguin fabric I got on my trip to Alaska. The boarder, back, and binding are done in a blue, "watery" batik that just goes with the winter/icy look of the quilt.

Kind of ironic that the day that I took this picture it was 98 degrees outside. Maybe if I close my eyes and think about the ice in the fabric I'll forget how hot it is here...

iPhone 4 - you disappoint

2010-06-24T15:49:00.003-04:00

No, I haven't gotten one yet (and I stress yet), but I'm definitely paying attention to the issues that the new iPhone 4 is having. It's been out less than a day and already the macforums and Gizmodo are flooded with reports about how the iPhone 4 loses signal reception by holding it on it's metal sides (which are also apparently part of the antenna system) and how there is a yellowish tint to some of the pages (most noticeable when the screen you're looking at is white).

iPhone 4, I had such high hopes for you (as did so many people - check out those launch lines in NYC). Let's hope that these issues are due to hardware problems that can be remedied before the next shipment rolls out.

Quilting in Alaska...

2010-06-21T19:25:00.010-04:00

Alaska. A land of big sky. Big mountains. Shrinking glaciers (thanks, global warming). I was able to experience the breathtaking scenery of Alaska in May of this year on a cruise with my whole family. No, seriously. We actually all like each other.

Anyway, I quickly pieced together my fourth quilt (made up of 5 inch squares of some fabric I got at the Japanese street fair in DC) so I could take it with me on the trip.

I had visions of relaxing on the balcony of our stateroom, right at the very front of the boat, quilting and taking in the scenery. Maybe stopping for a moment to take some photos. Ah, yes, I was ready to quilt in Alaska. One problem-it's WINDY when your balcony is at the very front of the boat. Like so windy that I was concerned that our balcony furniture was going to blow away at some points on the trip. A quick hop out to the balcony to view a waterfall involved bundling up into a coat, scarf, hat, and my Uggs. Not exactly perfect quilting weather. Luckily our room was equipped with a small seating area next to the window where I was able to quilt and gaze out at the scenery from the safety and warmth of the indoors.

But here's something that I'm discovering about quilting - no matter where you go, whenever you find a quilt store you feel like you're home. And that's exactly what happened in not one, but two of our ports of call: Skagway and Ketchikan. In Skagway, almost buried down a side street (which, come on, tourists will almost never get to), sits the Rushin' Tailor's Quilt Alaska. Filled with truly "Alaskan" prints, the store was a surprise to find in a town with only 862 full time residents. Then in Ketchikan I came across the Silver Thimble - a HUGE, 2 part store in the middle of a sea of kitchy tourist shops. Very refreshing. If you ever find yourself in Ketchikan, be sure to check it out.

My second quilt

2010-06-20T12:16:00.006-04:00

Not long after I completed my first quilt, I decided that I was ready to try a real one- for a real person - ok, well, a baby-sized person. It just so happened that my cousin and his wife were expecting their first child in only a few days. So, I crossed my fingers and hoped that the ties of family might be strong enough to get past what could end up being a hideous first attempt at a baby quilt of my own design.

I started with a fat quarter pack that I got at G street fabrics that was baby-ish in motif (albeit a little girly despite the fact that they were having a boy) and cut out 5 inch blocks for a 6 x 6 square pattern. (Note: I totally got this pattern idea from a YouTube tutorial by Jenny at the Missouri Star Quilt Co.)

As for the quilting-well, I kind of drew a blank. I didn't have any stencils yet and I didn't have a sewing machine to help me out, so, being the industrious person I sometimes am, I took a cap off of a vitamin bottle and ta-dah! I had a stencil. A handful of randomly placed circles and a binding later and I was done. And I'm happy to report that little Rowan received his quilt when he was about 5 days old. His mom even took a picture of him on it for me. How cute!

Take a peek - WMATA's new metro map!

2010-06-18T09:33:00.008-04:00

Although the new DC metro silver line won't affect my daily commute, I am VERY excited that the WMATA metro system map is getting an upgrade at the same time! The new map will feature thinner route lines, an explanation of the random times that some lines don't run all the way to the terminating station (I'm talking about you, yellow line), and will finally display regional light rail lines that exist outside of the metro system like MARC and VRE. It now looks very similar in style to subway maps of Paris and London.

*sigh* I feel like DC is growing up right before my very eyes.

Weed and jumpstart your BBQ at the same time...

2010-06-17T13:18:00.005-04:00

Weeds. They come in all shapes and sizes. Big ones, small ones, viney ones, leafy ones. Weeds that masquerade as grass and weeds that masquerade as flowers. And every single one of them is growing in my backyard right now.

I can't see the sidewalk anymore through the weeds and my yard is coming dangerously close to resembling an overgrown, abandoned lot. Surely, you say, she's brought this upon herself by letting the yard languish, ill-attended. "She must not have weeded at all this season" is what you might whisper under your breath if you passed by my yard on an evening stroll. But, no, let me assure you - I have weeded this yard. Despite the fact that it requires several hours of backbreaking weeding on my hands and knees, I weed this yard on a regular basis. But no matter how thorough my weeding efforts, within a few day the weeds are back in full force.

Something must be done.

After speaking to my dad about my chemical weed-fighting options, ruling out the use of super-toxic Round-Up, and briefly entertaining the idea of just paving the whole backyard, I came across something called a "weed burner" in a google search for alternative weed-killing devices. Called a Weed Dragon, it's essentially a propane torch with a long handle, designed to administer a blast of focused, high-intensity heat to enemy weeds while keeping you a safe and comfortable distance from the flame. It's eco-friendly and non-toxic and they even make a mini, hand-held version that works with a disposable propane canister. The YouTube promotional video filled with images of weeds dying before my very eyes was enough to sell me. My Mini Weed Dragon should arrive in a few days and bonus-it will be great for lighting the grill too. What's better than that?!?!

It all started with a gift for a 2 year old

2010-06-12T23:29:00.007-04:00

For the first time in a long time I found myself with a lot of free time this spring. No school, no wedding planning, no more long hours at the new job...and it was driving me crazy. I knew I needed a new hobby, but I was completely failing at figuring out what that new hobby could be.

I found myself in Michael's one day and just started walking through the aisles, looking through all of the different crafting supplies - hoping something would call to me. Flower arranging? No. Wood working? No. Jewelry making? No. Paint by numbers? No. Nothing appealed to me.

At home that night, after sharing my hobby search fail with my husband, he (for some unknown reason) suggested I take up quilting. I have no idea where that suggestion came from and I have no idea why it appealed to me - but it did. But as I had never quilted a thing in my life, I needed to try it before I dove into the hobby full force.

The next day we went to the store and got a small quilt kit and a few basic quilting supplies to help me through my first project. It took me a few weeks (I didn't own a sewing machine and frankly they scared me) and viewing many, many instructional videos on YouTube, but I completed my first project. A small, baby-doll sized quilt that I gave as a gift to my good friend Christi's daughter for her second birthday (see picture). I couldn't believe it - my husband was right. I had found my new hobby.

I loved the whole quilting process, from piecing to binding. Next step is to find a quilting bee (how cute is that) to join so I can learn better technique from people who have been quilting a long time - and probably learned their technique from a real person rather than a YouTube video.

Quilting & the BP Oil Spill - Who Knew One Could Lead to the Other

2010-06-11T13:45:00.006-04:00

I've recently taken up quilting and although I'm not writing about quilting today, my desire to connect with others who are interested in the craft lead me to the primary purpose of my post today.

I've been following the coverage of the BP oil spill haphazardly - the photos of cranes covered in oil make my heart ache (just like the commercials for animal cruelty with that Sarah McLaughlin song playing in the background), and I have to look away.

Today when cruising through some quilting blogs I found a link for "If it Was My Home", which is an app that superimposes the image of the oil slick in the gulf over your home using Google Maps. It's one thing to see the image of the oil slick over the Gulf of Mexico, but it's quite another to see it covering most of the eastern seaboard. Try it yourself to see what it would be like to have the oil slick affecting where your home. It certainly gives some perspective as to the size of the problem that we're dealing with.

A Life Surrounded by Dog Hair

2010-06-10T21:58:00.009-04:00

I have 2 dogs - a beautiful collie and an adorable corgi mix (and a cat if you must know) - all three adopted from the pound or an animal rescue (or in the case of the cat, from the alley behind our house), and all three with full, bushy coats. So consequently I spend my life surrounded by dog (and cat) hair. It doesn't matter if I sweep and vacuum every evening - by morning I see little hair balls drifting in and out of the nooks and crannies of our living room. This is most frustrating.

Of course, if I had to choose between a life with hairballs or a life without dogs, I would, without hesitation, choose to battle it out each and every day with the hairballs in order to keep my beloved pets. Thus you see - I have committed myself to living a life surrounded by dog hair. Yes, my husband and I could choose to get pups that don't shed or at least shed minimally, but those are not often the pups that end up in animal rescue in need of a new home. So now we've come full circle.

Luckily, a few brilliant dog-hair products help me control the hair and keep it at a somewhat manageable level so we can go about our lives. And we are fortunate to have friends who overlook our somewhat hairy abode and instead concentrate on the loving kisses our dogs greet them with upon entering our home. And those doggie smiles win them over every time.

My life is full of love, laughter, travel, adventure, hobbies, and of course my day job, but surrounding me in all of those things...is a little bit of dog hair. And I wouldn't have it any other way.