It's here! It's here! It's here!

When I arrived home Monday I saw this at my front door:

My heart sped up. I started grinning ear to ear. And I believe I said "Oh my God!" several times in excitement. My Christmas present from my husband daughter (she's four, so really my husband) FINALLY ARRIVED!

What is in that delightfully large box, you ask?

32 half yards of Kona solids from Pink Chalk Fabrics! THIRTY TWO, people! I want to carry them around with me, looking at them and touching them. I am SO excited.

But wait, you say. I thought I saw two packages on your doorstep?

You would be right. Because my wonderful, awesome, excellent husband also bought me a membership in the Fat Quarter Shop Blogger's Choice Fat Quarter Bundle of the Month Club!!!!!!!!! Every month I will receive 12 print fat quarters and 3 solid fat quarters from the blogger for that month. And my first bundle happened to also arrive today:

 This month was Angela Yosten's, of Moda Home Mom. I love love love it!

And yes, there was one more special treat in that package. *Squeal!*

 A Kona solids colour card! I have been coveting one of these for months and months!

Doesn't it look beautiful with my stack of THIRTY TWO HALF YARDS OF KONA SOLIDS?

I am in heaven today, seriously. I'm more excited than I was on actual Christmas. 

Hooray for husbands who support fabric obsessions! Love you honey!

Lynn (aka Buttons)

Farewell Christmas

I was supposed to make six new stockings for my family for Christmas. I made three. And one I finished after Christmas, so I don't think it really counts. Here they are:

Brother-in-law's stocking

Sister's stocking

Grandma's stocking

Close up of Grandma's stocking

I am showing you because I am packing away the Christmas-themed fabric. I don't have the heart to work on Christmas stuff for now, so I'll have to pull the stuff out next October and get the other three done!

Speaking of Christmas, my brother-in-law's girlfriend (and soon-to-be fiancee if I had to guess) had me in the gift exchange this year and she did a wonderful job with quilty things. She bought me Mettler thread (in white and grey), a quilt magazine and gift certificates to Greenwood Quiltery, my favourite LQS. I got to go shopping there on Thursday while my mother watched my daughter and I had a blast! Here is a mosaic of my purchases:

Do you notice the Camp Sur in there? I love it. And the pirate sharks. And the pearl bracelets...

I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled with the grey Pearl Bracelets and have already used some on the back of Bouncing Bunnies. 

Also on a Christmas note (to wrap everything up, pardon the pun), I made Decadence this past fall for the Christmas gift exchange at my mother-in-law's house. I was soooo worried that it would not be appreciated, or that it would go to someone who hates quilts. No need to worry! My husband's cousin, whom I adore, ended up with the quilt and she loves it. Despite being a young woman, she has a thing for quilts. She confessed that she has a quilt rack in her bedroom that holds just one quilt- one that her grandmother made her of her father's baby clothes years and years ago. She was going to pay someone she knows to make her a quilt. And now she has my chocolate and teal beauty to add to her rack! I am so happy someone who loves it took it home!

Lynn (aka Buttons)

Improv Scrap Piecing by a Kindergartener

Late in the afternoon on a sleepy, last-day-of-holidays Sunday, my four-year-old announced "I want to sew a quilt." I am a pretty relaxed mom (I wait for her to react before I respond to potential injuries, for example) but putting my sweet JK kiddo in front of a sewing machine seems a tad dangerous. I didn't want to discourage her interest, though, so I let her pick out scraps and improv piece the quilt she wanted for her Cabbage Patch doll, Ginger.

I also let her pick some flannelette for the backing and made a binding-less quilt in about 30 minutes.

The resulting quilt

I decided to take the opportunity to also play with some free motion quilting. Some had good results. Others? Oh heavens, terrible.

Raindrop quilting- not too bad.

Pebble quilting- horrific. I need to actually research what I'm doing before I try something like this "for real."

Walking foot, 3" stitch length using my "21" stitch, a wave. Love it. I'll be using this one for sure!

Polka-dot flannelette backing

Lalaloopsy enjoying the new quilt

My daughter was certainly fearless in her fabric selection (they all came from my "warm" scrap bin, in case you were wondering) and she loves it. Maybe I need to play with some improv piecing myself!

Lynn (aka Buttons)

Lack of Self-Control

I thought I could resist the Sugar Block Club over at Stitchery Dickory Dock, but I was wrong.

I knew I probably couldn't resist picking up some of Camille Roskelley's new patterns, and I was right. I had to have these two:

 But I mean, honestly, can you blame me?

Lynn (aka Buttons)

Busy Sewing

I have been hard at work (and having a blast) sewing and quilting in the wee days of 2013.

Bobbin winding

Always lies ON the quilt while I am trying to sew

I managed to get my Things That Go quilt finished! Here is a peek at the free motion:

And I did diagonal straight-line quilting using my walking foot through the squares in the middle:

I even finished hand sewing the binding last night! I LOVE this quilt and I can't wait to share it with Baby L who is expected February 9th. I also still have to finish his Bouncing Bunnies quilt before his arrival!

In addition, I checked the Fat Quarter Shop's Daily Deals every day for the two weeks leading up to Christmas and on one of those days I could not resist ordering some fabric. It arrived this week!

From top to bottom: Free Spirit Designer Solids Grape (my daughter loves purple), Fresh Cut Cotton Olive Groovy Yardage, Flea Market Fancy Grey Eyelet Yardage and Chicopee Lime Dotted Leaf Yardage

FQ bundle of Bluebird's Song La Dee Da for Free Spirit Fabrics

The fat quarter bundle is for a special little girl, and I will make her the quilt with it in February. I do need some solids to compliment the patterns, though, so I am waiting for my Kona Solids Colour Card to arrive (thanks to my wonderful husband). The prices on these fabrics was too good to resist and I am thrilled with the purchase!

I'm also checking my mailbox every day for my Christmas present to arrive. I can't wait to show you!

Lynn (aka Buttons)

What Do You Mean I'm in the Way?

He doesn't seem to understand that sleeping directly behind my sewing machine is not helpful.

Lynn (aka Buttons)

2013: A Quilting "To Do" List

Happy New Year!

I have a seemingly endless list of quilts to make on my bucket list, but I thought I should make a 2013 "To Do" list to get the quilts that really need to be made this year organized. I have listed them based on when they need to be given/received so I will need to start them even earlier. It doesn't help that everyone I know is having babies!

January

• Baby L's Things That Go Quilt (basted, ready to quilt). Binding already made!

Binding for Things That Go

• Baby L's Bouncing Bunnies Quilt (Below is the layout for the quilt top. It is made with HSTs. I am letting it sit for a bit to see if I like it. I'm not 100% about this one).

• Baby M's Giraffe Love Quilt 

• HST QAL in Outfoxed for my daughter

February

• La Dee Da Quilt for Toddler Girl L using the Three Dudes that Quilt tutorial from the Missouri Star Quilt Company

April

• Superhero Flannelette quilt (I already have the kit!) for my friend's son, B

June

• A quilt for my grandma for her 89th birthday (she was super jealous of my mom's Christmas quilt!)

August

• Landscape Architexture Butterfly String quilt for my dad for his birthday

Those are the date-specific quilts on my list (and as new babies get announced I am sure I will also have more quilts with specific dates!) but I also have a list of things I really want to do in 2013 that are not tied to a certain month or date.

Other 2013 Quilts/Projects To Make

• Box pouch with zipper (scary!)
• HST quilt in all Kona solids
• Paper piecing (I wonder if I can find a class near me?)
• A Plus quilt
• At least one quilt from Sunday Morning Quilts and one from Quilting Modern
• Squares and Strips quilt in orange and turquoise using the tutorial from Cluck Cluck Sew
• Tumbler quilt
• Something with my Lotta fabric

I could actually list at least another 20 projects/quilts, but I think this is a reasonable (is it?) list for the upcoming year. If I can do all of these then I think I am doing well for the year of sewing!

Wishing you a wonderful 2013,

Lynn (aka Buttons)