Fabric Breakfast

I did it. I broke my fabric fast. And note that it was November 10, so I even lasted 10 days past my original fast.

I had to go to Ikea yesterday to buy a replacement seat for my daughter's desk chair (it met an unfortunate end when Daddy used it to stand on while hanging the curtain wire we are using as her picture display wire). Since the Ikea is a bit of a drive away, I decided to check out the LQS to see what it was like.

Quilter's Dream

I found the story tiny and certainly in my quilter's dreams there are lots more modern, designer fabrics and a lot less batiks. But I guess that's me. :)

This was pretty much the entire selection.

All the Kona Solids had me grinning!

I spotted a few things that I liked, but nothing that had me rushing to get any yardage cut until I found these three beauties:

The octagons in green and yellow are so yummy, and hello they're on flannelette! Robert Kaufman Izzy I think it is called.

Dr. Seuss letter fabric, more Robert Kaufman. This is destined for my rainbow baby quilt.

The circus fabric is also for my rainbow fabric, and how irresistible are these birds? I LOVE the colours and would totally do a mostly-solids quilt in those colours with this fabric as the centrepiece.

I think I was very reserved in how little I purchased. Granted, I was tempted to head to my favourite LQS (Greenwood Quiltery) but it was a 45 minute drive that I was not in the mood for, and I still have a huge gift certificate to The Hobby Horse. Plus, there are several new lines coming out that I must, must have and will order when they are released so I better behave now!

Do you like my choices? It sure feels good to break my fast...a fabric breakfast!

Lynn (aka Buttons)

Stockings and Seuss

First of all, thank you to those of you who commented on my last post. Your kindness regarding the desirability of Decadence makes me hopeful that it will be welcomed and cherished by whomever takes it home Christmas Eve.

And speaking of Christmas, I've jumped right in to making new Christmas stockings for my family. My mother, grandmother, sister and brother-in-law take turns filling stockings for each other. Since before my memory can reach, we have used the same hand-crocheted stockings made by my aunt. They scream "Christmas" to me. The problem is that they are just too darn small. Last Christmas I ended up making stockings for my in-laws and my mother mentioned that it sure would be nice if we got some new ones as well. (Do you notice a pattern with my mom? She sure does have lots of sewing suggestions for me!) I bought the Christmas fabric after Christmas last year and got a good deal (it is not  designer fabric or anything, just plain-old Fabricland fabric).

Here is a preview of the work in progress:

When I am not working on the stockings (and trust me, piecing a zillion 3" squares is proving to be a pain in the bum, so I'm taking breaks) I have been working on my Seuss quilt, a Christmas present for my friend's son (the same friend who is receiving First Snow, actually). I got Seuss basted and the centre quilted today. I used variegated red thread on the front and white on the back. I did a loose interpretation of a herringbone pattern (blogged about previously) and love the impact. They look like giant zig zags more than herringbone. In the future I might do this on another quilt but more densely quilted and with the lines overlapping. This quilt is playful and fun, so the crazy lines really work (in my opinion).

I spent some time using my new easy-thread needles to bury the ends of the threads. It works great it is just time consuming! I have about 1000 more to go, and then I am going to FMQ the border in white.

Wish me luck on all fronts!

Lynn (aka Buttons)

Decadence : A Finished Quilt

Every year at my husband's mother's house the adults do a Christmas gift exchange. You purchase one gift (this year with a value of $75) and wrap it, and each adult draws a number and opens a present. You can steal from someone who has already opened, or you can open a new gift. Then hilarity ensues as people fight over the most coveted gift.

I decided, with some hesitation, to make a quilt as my contribution. The value is more than $75, but I did already have most of the materials purchased. My stepbrother-in-law is a skilled carpenter who has made beautiful wooden boxes and other objects in the past that were appreciated. I thought that I might delight someone with a quilt.

But.

I am worried because the mix of people is very strange. There are great grandparents in their eighties and my brother-in-law who is 29 and a hard-drinking, life-loving bachelor who would not want a quilt. I decided to go for it because I think that though the men would perhaps not really want a quilt I am hoping their wives would, and that someone will choose this and rather than feeling "stuck" with the quilt be delighted to have it come home with him or her. I am most worried that my quilt will be one of the "unwanted" gifts that people do not want, and after hours of work and loving the quilt myself, I would be quite heartbroken if my quilt was dismissed or unappreciated. I guess I just have to worry up until Christmas Eve and deal with whatever the reaction ends up being!

On that pessimistic note, here is the finished quilt!

Flannelette backing

I love the brown and turquoise together, and I love the way the binding turned out. Honestly, I have someone specific in mind at the gift exchange whom I know will treasure this, and I hope she ends up with it.

I decided to call it Decadence because of the rich jewel colours, the chocolate brown, the pearl bracelet fabric and the flannelette backing. All of those things are just so, well, decadent, don't you think?

Also, a thank you to my friend's husband who trekked out in the cold with me to hold up quilts. He was patient and good natured about the whole thing, and I can reserve my hubby for the next quilt finish (hopefully Seuss!).

Friend's patient husband holding up my quilt

Lynn (aka Buttons)

First Snow: A Finished Quilt

One of my oldest (length of time, not age) and dearest friends is having a birthday on November 13. When I began sewing about two years ago she wistfully mentioned having always wanted a quilt. Her stepmother quilts but they are not close and she has not had a quilt made for her in at least 15 years. At the time, her wistful request was a distant wish. I thought it would be years and years before I would ever be able to attempt quilting, never mind make one for her.

Fast forward to January 2012 when, after just over a year of sewing, I decided to tackle a quilt. I didn't take any classes, rather I learned via the internet. This is also, not coincidently, when I got addicted to modern quilt blogs. I knew the first quilt I would make would be for my friend. Her favourite colour is turquoise, and the hunt for fabrics began.

It is now November, and her birthday celebration is in two weeks, and I will gift her this queen-sized quilt. I have named it First Snow. It is my first quilt, the first quilt I pieced, the first quilt I sent out to be quilted, and it uses a simple snowball pattern. 

I took advantage of a friend's husband who is off work for a week before starting a new job and got him to hold up the quilt for me. He was such a good sport, and it avoids using my own husband too much because he can get awfully grumpy during quilt photo sessions. :)

I hope she loves it. I hope it matches her expectations from that time two years ago when she mentioned  wanting a quilt. I hope she treasures it forever.

Lynn (aka Buttons)

HST QAL: November Block

I have been taking part in the HST quilt along at In Color Order since I discovered it early this summer, and I can't believe there is only one month to go!

This is what Jeni's November block looks like:

Photo courtesy of In Color Order

And this is what my November block looks like:

(I'm having photo-turning problems again. What is with that?)

I think it looks great and I'm excited for the December 1st post so I can finish up this quilt and perhaps make it part of my daughter's Christmas gift!

Lynn (aka Buttons)

Mother's Garden: A Finished Quilt

I finished the binding on the quilt I will be giving my mother for Christmas. The quilt is a surprise, and I hope she loves it. I have decided to call it Mother's Garden.

I wanted to give the quilt a full glamour session, but it was cold, and my husband was unimpressed, as was my four-year-old who was waiting for us to take these pictures behind our local public library so she could go in and select some books. These, therefore, are the best I can do. It didn't help matters that my mother was coming over an hour after we took these so I had to hide the quilt quickly. I hope to give more attention to my other two finished quilts from this week (I'm on a roll!).

My husband was trying to get the quilt to stop blowing around by starfishing himself behind it, and this is still the best we could do. Doesn't the weather understand the importance of taking quilt pictures?

I think it looks awesome, and I love the pieced back but I am still nervous that my mom won't like the back. My husband doesn't like that it is asymmetrical, and I recently found out that my quilting friend, A, also dislikes pieced backs. I disagree and would want this on any of my quilts. Fingers crossed that Mom loves it!!

The binding is a reddish purple with white spots that I picked up from my LQS, but I have no idea who made it. I know it looks great with the colours in the prints.

Lynn (aka Buttons)

Finished Quilts are Stacking Up!

I have been using my time very efficiently lately and I am finished (!!!) two quilts and just need to do the hand sewing of the binding on a third quilt. That's progress!

I received my teal and grey snowball quilt back from the long arm quilter, the first quilt I have ever sent out (and, coincidently, also the first quilt I ever pieced!). It began in January and is finally, finally finished. It is for a dear friend's birthday. She will get it November 17. Stay tuned for the glamour shots!

Truth be told, I decided to try my hand at machine binding again. I tried it on my Sweet Baby quilt as well and was not impressed with my results. Alas, I was equally "menh" about this machine binding. But it is a queen sized quilt and huge and I hate hand stitching the binding, so it will work. I know she will love it, with or without the binding being hand stitched.

I also finished the binding on my mom's Christmas present quilt (still a surprise...shhh!) and it looks great! (Hand stitched, in case you were wondering). This quilt (which still needs a name) will also get a glamour shoot sometime soon.

Binding for Christmas Exchange Quilt

Finally, I made the binding for my Christmas exchange quilt, and I stitched it on the front. Now I need a few hours in front of the TV and it should be done and ready to go!

Two finished and one almost finished. Hooray!

Is there anything more joyful than a stack of quilts? Honestly, this picture makes me happy because it makes me feel like a real quilter. I may even baste another quilt tonight. I'm on a roll! (But I still can't find that yard of fabric I'm missing).

Lynn (aka Buttons)