Kayla's Ruffly Cupcake Apron
Designed and stitched by yours truly. Lucy helped pick out fabrics that Kayla would like. Cupcake fabric on an apron... perfect!
21-OCT-2010
Lucy's Soft Arm-Warmer Things
Lucy made these on my old Barbie knitting machine. I did the cast off and tacked one end to make separate holes for the thumb and other fingers. They were really fast to make and work great for extending the life of those summer dresses into the cooler days of Fall. I'd love to get a similar knitting machine that does more stitches to try making some socks and leg warmers.
03-JUN-2005
Emily's Butterfly Quilt
This is my butterfly quilt. I love butterflies and have been collecting different butterfly fabrics for years. I finally felt that I had collected enough of them to make myself a butterfly quilt large enough to be a bed spread.
I designed this quilt myself. The blocks with the white background have appliqued flowers and butterflies on them. Most of the butterfly and flower patterns were made up, but I got some of them from pattern books. Each of the blocks in between the applique blocks is an 8" block of one of the butterfly fabrics I have collected. Each butterfly fabric block is unique, and all of the fabrics on the applique butterflies are unique.
I finished piecing this quilt in June, 2004.
As of now, I am still quilting it, but I am nearing the finish line.
To quilt the blocks, I am outlining the appliqued butterflies and flowers and quilting a meandering path from a flower to the butterfly that is 2 blocks above it.
06-APR-2006
"Blue Dress"
This is my pretty little blue dress that I made using blue eyelet fabric. I also made a white slip to go under it that has a flower lace design on the bottom, which hangs just below the bottom of the dress.
This is a sample entry with no image.
This entry has no image, but I can still write and write about anything in the world.
If you want to try adding an entry with no image, here's what to do:
Edit your gallery.
Click the "pblog upload" link near the top of the page.
Enter a title. If you do not enter a title, the date of the entry will appear in the title. ex. Friday, April 7, 2006
Enter your entry text.
DO NOT select a file to upload.
Then, just click the "Add Entry" button.
06-APR-2006
Storage Ottoman
This is my lovely storage ottoman that I finished in April, 2006. I guess this was my first attempt at furniture. I made up the design with some help from my dad. Of course, I'm sure designing a cube with a removeable lid is much easier than designing a couch.
My dad and I constructed the base from pine and oak. It is 22" on both sides and 14" tall.
The top is made from a 24" square piece of pine, padded with 2" foam and a layer of quilt batting, and covered with faux suede fabric.
We made two of them. The cushion is comfortable for both sitting and resting your feet, and the inside is big and can hold many toys, blankets, unfinished sewing projects, etc.
Thanks for all the help, Dad! It would have been an expensive project if we'd had to buy all of those tools instead of using yours. Not to mention, I really had a lot of fun.
06-APR-2006
Knitted Patchwork Purse
Before this, I wasn't much of a knitter. I had made a few dish rags and some scarves, but nothing that involved a real pattern. This purse turned out to be a lot easier than I thought it would be, and it's just so darn cute! I started on it in December, 2005 and finished it March, 2006.
The really wonderful thing about making your own purse is that you can make the pockets inside just the right size for your phone, keys, etc. Plus, when people say "cool purse", you get to say "I made it!"
06-APR-2006
Double Wedding Ring Quilt
This is the wedding quilt that my mom and I are making for me and Slug. We're not quite finished piecing it yet. The quilt top is a traditional double wedding ring, but there will be a fun twist to this quilt.
Traditionally, people set out a guest book at their wedding so guests can sign and years later the couple can look through and remember who was at their wedding. While I understood the desire to have a record of who was at the wedding, I pictured that guestbook sitting in a closet for years to come and doing nothing but collecting dust.
Being the looney quilter that I am, I decided to do something a little more practical. We cut out 12" blocks of solid white fabric and bought a set of fabric markers. At our reception, we asked our guests to sign one of the fabric blocks with the markers - sign your name, write a message, draw a picture, whatever you want. When the quilt top is finished, I will piece the guestblocks together, and they will be the backing of the quilt. So, whenever we use the quilt, maybe we will stop and read a couple of messages from the back.
06-APR-2006
End of the Bolt Sale
This is a challenge block I did for the 2004 Appalachain Quilt Party in Boone, NC.
Along with our welcome packets, they sent us a fat quarter of the yucky green leaf fabric that I used for grass. The challenge was to use the fabric in a 12 inch block with a theme of "nature".
I interpreted the "nature" part in a slightly different way and said that it is the nature of the quilter to collect as much fabric as will fit in her house. Hence, my block shows a quilt shop called "Thimblepatch", which is having an end of the bolt sale, and one excited quilter who has filled her wagon with fabric from the sale.
I haven't turned this block into anything yet, but I plan to make it either a wall hanging or pillow for my sewing room.
06-APR-2006
Crowning The New York Beauty
This is the quilt that I started at the 2004 Appalachian Quilt Party in Boone, NC in a class taught by Priscilla Hair.
The arcs are done with paper piecing. This was my first paper piecing project, and I loved it!
This is also the first project I've done where you have to deal with nicely flowing from one color to another.
I still have a lot to do for this quilt. I'm still not sure how big I want to make it. It will probably end up being a large wall hanging. So far, I've really enjoyed this pattern and am looking forward to working on it some more.
By the way, if you're a quilter and you ever get a chance to take a class from Priscilla, DO! She's wonderful!
06-APR-2006
Jewelbox Wall Hanging Quilt
This is my Jewelbox wall hanging quilt. It is 36 inches on each side. When I started it, it was supposed to be a challenge quilt to raise money for breast cancer research. However, I didn't finish it in time for the deadline because I was too busy with school in those days. The challenge was that you had to use 3 of 4 preselected fabrics to make any wall hanging no larger than 36 inches on either side.
The piecing was all done on machine. The quilting, which is almost completed is all done by hand. I am quilting every 1/4 " in the white spaces, and am quilting a flower-like design in the large color squares that are formed by 4 triangles coming together. I love the look and feel that come from putting so much quilting into the project, but I'm sure glad I chose to do it on a quilt that is only 36 inches on each side.
06-APR-2006
Roots and Wings Quilt
Why do I call the quilt "Roots and Wings"?
When my mom was pregnant with me she made a framed embroidery that said
"There are two lasting gifts we can give to our children - one is roots, the other wings."
This is the first big quilt I ever made. It started as a 7th grade math fair project on tessellations.
The pattern is Dutchman's Puzzle, alternated with solid blocks. I pieced and quilted the entire quilt by hand. I quilted butterflies, birds, and birdhouses in the solid blocks (wings) and a vine and leaves on the green border (roots).
I finished this quilt just before I left to go to a residential high school. In the 16 years that I lived at home, my parents helped give me strong roots, and I was finally ready to use my wings.
06-APR-2006
Fat Quarter Quilt Carrying Bag
This is a bag I made to carry large projects in when I take them to a quilting bee.
The outside is made from 6 fat quarters sewn together in a 2 x 3 grid. Then, line the inside. I lined mine with a very colorful fish fabric.
Add elastic to the sides that are made from 3 different fat quarters. Use a nice, wide elastic, but make sure it has a lot of give.
Then, I put a fabric drawstring through each of the sides that is made from 2 different fat quarters. I just tied the ends of the fabrics in a knot. That way, you can easily adjust the length of the straps or change them out if you ever need to.
It doesn't look all that big, but it can hold a lot. In the photo, it's holding a queen size quilt, quilting hoop, and a box of sewing supplies.
This bag makes it much easier to carry those big projects around.
06-APR-2006
Sewing Bear Bag
I made this bag when I was 15. I embroidered the front pannel with the sewing bear and my name. Then, I sewed the front pannel to a back fabric and made a drawstring bag for carrying sewing projects.
It's a great size for carrying a little bit of knitting or crochet.
I also made one for made one for my friend Holly (hence the need for the names).
06-APR-2006
Scarecrow Challenge
In the fall of 2005, my quilt group got together one day and had a scarecrow challenge. Everybody had to make a scarecrow project : whether you made a block or an actual 3D scarecrow.
The applique was done with a zigzag stitch on the sewing machine.
This is what I came up with. I think I'll make a little wall hanging out of it by next fall.
06-APR-2006
Go Ahead, Laugh!
This is one of my earlier projects c. 1988. It's a little drawstring bag that I made on my sewing machine. It may not be the fanciest looking bag you've ever seen, but the drawstring does work and there's even a little snap pocket on the front. Thanks, Mom, for keeping this stuff around (and probably for telling me it looked lovely when I showed it to you).
I must say, I think my work has improved since then. This just goes to show that you have to start somewhere. If you want to learn to sew, don't be upset if your first few projects turn out like this... it'll get better.
06-APR-2006
Carolina Afghan
This is the Carolina Blue and White afghan that I crocheted for Slug.
It's just a bunch of granny squares put together, but it seems to keep him pretty warm.