My Masterpiece

 This one is for Emily and Gary Gray. I titled it My Masterpiece because it IS kind of pretty, and it took me F-O-R-E-V-E-R to make.  Not because it actually took that many hours, but because I kept setting it aside to do other things.  It was from a block of the month club at a local quilt shop, which I have to say I probably won't ever do again.  I like to be able to start something and finish it if I want to, and not to have to wait around for the next block to arrive in the mail. This one probably took me a little over 2 years from start to finish. I have to admit it was a little intimidating, but it turned out really well.

These are of the center medallion section. 

 Detail of the quilting in the corners surrounding the very center square. 

 Cute little quilted design in the corners around the 12 sampler blocks on the outer part of the quilt. 

 Some of the blocks.

 My fave below.

 I learned how to do feather quilting for the borders, and that was cool because I never thought I would be able to do that. 

 I like these little swirlies so much I used them all over in the quilt for Abe Sterling. 

 Another shot of the center medallion, this time just the very center. 

 I just stippled around all of the little pinwheels. Can you tell that the thread fades back and forth from black to white?

And here it is with the happy recipient, Emily.  I think she likes it!!  Yay!  It does make her look kind of short, though, when worn as a cloak.

Not-so-baby quilt for Abraham Sterling

 This one is for Abraham Sterling, pending son of Bailey and Levi Sterling.  Hopefully he will be making his debut this week, if he hasn't already.  I think this one is one is really cool. It's a fairly simple block, but turning it in different directions makes it look much more complicated than it is. It reminds me of stained glass. Thanks to Tim for standing out in the rain to hold it up for me, and to Soucy down in the corner for always being ready to lend a hand.

 The colors are truer in the close up.  Lots of brightness.

 I quilted it in all over swirls, which I am really happy with.

 Leftover pieces from the top for the stripes in the backing.

 I didn't do this on purpose, but the back ended up looking like the stitching on blue jeans.  Perfect for a very cool boy.

And the label.  I think I will have to make one of these for myself.  I really like it.

Binkie for a Baby

 I made this  baby quilt for Emily and Sarah's friend Bethany,  and I think it turned out really cute.  I started out with the pre-printed tree picture in the center, and then I added all the borders around it and quilted it.

 A little closer.

 I quilted around the leaves on the tree.  The owl is adorable, when he is laid out flat, which he isn't in this picture.

 Flowers and birds.

 The sun.

And a monkey hat that the girls sent her, is just the cutest thing.  Made by Mad Hatters in Colorado Springs.

New Life for an Old Dresser

I bought this dresser at an unfinished furniture store back many moon ago when my kids were little, and it lived through a lot while they were growing up.  For instance, my oldest daughter, she-who-must-not-be-named, (Theresa)  had this terrible desire to write her name on things with crayon, or sometimes with marker.  Being a very intelligent girl, she figured out that writing her OWN name would get her into a lot of trouble, and she didn't really want to get her brother or her sisters into that much trouble either, so the name of her cousin Amy Fassett was found on the backs and sometimes the fronts of our furniture.  She figured I would never do anything to Amy, so she got away with it.  I didn't know for years that it was Theresa that did it.  Apparently she struck at least once at her Grandmother's house, too.

Anyway,  I didn't take pictures before I started working on it, but I have some from in the middle.  We added that decorative piece on the back and put the little curly things on there, and then added a board on top that I would cover with vinyl.  This is before the stain.

Some close ups of the curlies.  I don't know the technical term, sorry.

And a very nice artsy shot by Emily of the brads I nailed all along the edge of the vinyl on the top. 

The great thing about these knobs was that they were only $2 apiece, which was awesome because I needed 16 of them.

Finished product again, at it's new home in Colorado with Emily.  Sorry, Amy, but I sanded your name off.

Bigger and Better Spring Wall Hanging

I am always really flattered when someone likes something I have made enough to want one for themselves, so when my friend Robin Dowell asked me if I would make her a lap blanket with the same pattern as the Spring Wall Hanging I did in my last post, of course I said I would.  She went and picked out a fabric packet that she liked, and I put it together.

A little closer.

Ladybug and Butterfly.

And the quilting.  I learned how to free-hand these big flowers and butterflies.  I have to say I am pretty impressed with the butterflies.  I have always thought of myself as an artistic person who just can't draw ANYTHING, but I seem to do OK with a sewing machine.

And then I fill in with a lot of loopdies.  Really a lot of loopdies.

I quilted the appliqued flowers, butterflies, ladybugs, and the bee separately.  I think it makes them kind of stand out. Sorry I can't figure out how to rotate the picture.

And the last part is a little label. Ta-da!! All done.

Spring Wall Hanging

This is a little bit cuter than what I normally do, but I really like it. Like, take a look at these little guys.  Adorable, I don't care who you are.

And the quilting... I'm not sure if you can tell, but the flowers are orange and the loops are yellow.

Punkety-Punk likes it well enough.  At least I think she does.  I can't really decipher that look on her face.