Butterfly Quilt

I think it all started in McCall Idaho when I signed up for a block of the month.  The designer is Leanne Beasley out of Australia.  This is her Butterfly Quilt.  What I liked about the quilt was that I had to develop hand applique skills, but it also had embroidery on it.  I finished the top at least three to four years ago, but I wasn't able to get it quilted until last year.  After getting it back and getting the binding done, I realized I wanted to give it away - to a colleague - David Wood for the new baby girl he and his wife are expecting.  They were excited about it and I was really happy to give it to people I knew would appreciate it. 

 

The Quilt that got me through my Father's Death - Charity Quilt

When My friend Julie's husband died, I made her a quilt with some of her favorite scriptures from the experience.  When my Dad was dealing with Brain Cancer, I decided I'd make a quilt to keep my mind off his eventual death and put some scriptures around the quilt.  I used fabrics from Marcus Fabrics - Collections For A Cause.  It took me another two years to have is quilted but I love it.

Year of the Wreaths

I decided that I need wreaths  for my new place.  I don't have pictures of all of them, but as I find them I'll add them to this post.  I tried to make them all purpose - for two months.  The snowflakes of January come off and pink ribbons and hearts are added.  March shamrocks remove and then little flowers turn the fuzzy green into grass and flowers. May and June gets the same wreath with butterflies. 

New Zealand Kitchy Kitchen

I came back from New Zealand with lots of goofy and non goofy touristy things plus some New Zealand fabric- what was I going to do with all that stuff - make a kitchy kitchen of course.  I moved and decided to design my kitchen with all these kitchy things.  Here's what I made for my kitchen:

 

I had the perfect Quarter yard of New Zealand theme fabric for a valance

I also had some other quarter pieces, grabbed some towels from Walmart and added a strip to make them more New Zealandy.

I don't know how long my kitchy NZ themed kitchen will last, but it definitely adds some brighter colors to my usual calm colors in the rest of my house.

Irish Chain Wedding Quilt 2013

My closest friend at work was getting married.I wanted to do something really cool - especially because they were getting married on my birthday and I'd miss it because I would be in New Zealand.  I decided on a quilt.  I asked her what colors she liked and I decided it needed to be an Irish Chain as a nod to her Irish heritage.  This is how it turned out:

Of course I couldn't wait until the wedding or even when school would be out - as soon as I had it finished - I took it straight to her.  Mom's quilter did an amazing job and it's now my friend's favorite quilt to take a nap with.  It was a hard one to give up - but not really - she's that great of a friend.
I believe all of the fabric came from Three Sisters Chocolat Line for Moda.

Pen/Pencil Cases - June 2012

I can't remember where the pattern came from - one of the quilting magazines, but I made this case:

One of my students that I was pretty close to, but needed a different school environment to be successful, invited me to her graduation - so I made this gift for her.  I'm not sure I like way it turned out - especially how you are supposed to do the edges. I think the box needs to be tighter too.  What I did love was the ribbon and button closure.

Cross Stitching

So I haven't been doing a lot of sewing - I've been doing a lot of cross stitching.  Mom took me to this great place in Utah - Craftcenter of Fine Stitchery while I was there all summer, which got me thinking about all the cross stitch projects I have unfinished.  So I've been working on finishing some of them and starting some new ones.  I then found Acorns & Threads in Portland, OR when I was there for Mid-winter break.  (I have visiting a couple of times).  This is what I've finished:

 This is a project I've been working on - well for a long time.  It's a blackwork chart done in green.  I worked on it a lot this summer and during Christmas and finally finished it last month.  It will be a while before I get it framed, but I'm glad I finished it.

The project above and below I got at Acorns & Threads.  They are cottages of the month designed by Nikki Leeman of Country Cottage Needleworks.  I'm almost done with March.  I'm hoping to get a frame that I can change out each month. 

Baby Gift for Sophia

In January, my sister-in-law gave birth to my first niece Sophia. I made a play mat for her. I got the idea from Moda Bake Shop. I've never made anything with a Cathedral Window before & this technically isn't how you make a cathedral window, it was a great learning experience for me. I used Bliss (at least I think I did) by Bonnie & Camille for Moda. It's not perfect, but it was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

I think it turned out okay.  I hope she likes it.

New Zealand Christmas gifts

For Christmas, I wanted to come up with something for the Mackereth girls.    For Tyler Rose I made a scarf with different textures (that I somehow forgot to take a picture of).    For Mackenzie and Keanna I made Drawing books.  I used a tutorial from Two Crafty Critters.

For Andrea I made a Christmas table runner from a tutorial at Diary of a Quilter.  It was perfect for the Christmas fabric I had.

I really enjoyed making the gifts!

Baby Quilt for MKE

Earlier this year, I found out that my friend from elementary school, Tracie Moore (now Egelston) was having a baby girl.  I needed a distraction from serious things going on in my family, so I decided I'd make her baby quilt.  I asked her what colors, etc.  She said her husband picked out a pink cowgirl theme.  I spent the rest of my summer in Utah trying to find fabric I thought would work.  I combined fabric from lots of lines and from my stash. Once I got back to Washington, I got to work.  I decided on a disappearing nine-patch.  The top came together easily.  Then I decided to hand quilt it instead of machine quilting or tying it.  I had a brilliant idea to add "brands" to the quilt and special touches.  It took two months to quilt it (mostly because I had just started the school year).  I loved how it turned out.  It arrived just a day or two after Tracie's daughter was born.

finished quilt at my house

If you turn this image counterclockwise you will see Tracie & her Husband's first initials put together like a brand in the quilting

Last initial

turn clockwise and it's big brother's initial

Baby's initials

 

I used an awesome pink and brown plaid on the back

MKE & her quilt

MKE

Coloring Bags for my younger nephews

This year I decided to make coloring bags for my younger three nephews.  Sawyer got a sophisticated one for his birthday, but these boys needed big crayons, washable crayons - so I adapted a pattern I made a long time ago for Holly's girls.  I bought the pattern in a quilt store in La Habra?, but I've seen the pattern other places.  Here's how they turned out: