New Year's Challenge

So for the 2014 year, I thought I should try to use up some of the fabrics that have been sitting in bins in my studio.  One such piece, I had used to cover plants when we got a freeze for a few years.  I don't remember where the fabric came from, only that it had been around for quite some time.  I mixed it with a bold yellow and black and came up with a reformed ugly quilt.  The top is in the works and I am almost done.  However, there are plenty of select fabrics in my stash that I am determined to use up this year.
I know time is rare for me.  I do teach kindergarten, raise two kids (one with autism) on my own, etc. Not to mention I am starting my National Certification, getting my ELL endorsement, and deal with an ex in court this year.   However, my goal is to make 6 quilts this year.  I need to use up at least one fabric that has sat in a bin for more than 3 years in each quilt.  The quilts need to be finished by Dec 30 2014.  If you want to join me on this challenge, feel free to post your links on the site and share what you have made.
Happy New Year!

Here are the Christmas quilts for my kids.  The first one is a London themed quilt.

The other is the Panda Quilt for my daughter.  I am just thankful that they are loving the quilts.

Santa has been working!

     Yippy, Christmas break has started.  This year, I decided to make a few quilts for Christmas presents for the kids.  A few months ago, I found some panda fabric on Ebay.  My daughter is crazy about pandas.  I plan to make a Sawtooth star pattern with the panda fabic as the center square and yellow points on the star.  The background will be a bright blue.  The colors will match her room.  Honestly, I like the yellow and blue color combination.  So far I have the top done, but I have to pin and quilt.  I hope to get someone to take her for the day so I can get the top quilted.  (I can do it in a day...if I stay focused and do a basic all over quilting)

For my son, well, he has a love of all things London.  Every once in a while he askes if we can go to London.  Right now, the only thing I can afford is a trip to his room.  

A few months ago, I went to a place called SAS here in town.  It is a very dingy, junky kind of place.  There was a mountain of fabrics in one part of the store.  With some help of a friend and some brave fellow customers, we took on that mountain one section at a time.  We found wild animal print fabrics, that Eric Carle fabric that was used in the caterpillar quilt (UGH!) Christmas fabrics, and two Brittish themed fabrics.  One had the Union Jack and the other was a series of blocks with the Tower Guard, street signs, etc.  So far most of his blocks are already done.  

The blocks for both quilts are turning out cute.  I just hope I can get these done before Christmas.  I will post pics when I can. 

White elephant gift exchange

As a quilter, I have been collecting fabrics for years.  I have found fabrics at yard sales, shops, and once bought 20 pounds of vintage scraps off of Ebay.  Most of the fabrics are treasures that I plan to use in a variety of quilts.  However, there are some UGLY fabrics in my stash.

So this week, I am going to a white elephant gift exchange.  I must admit that I am the kind of person that will give the crappy gift instead of another scented candle or set of potholders.  So this year, I decided to use the ugly fabrics in my stash and make a simple quilt.  I used all sorts of bright, novelty fabrics and geometrics in the quilt.  I even used scrap binding that I had on hand from earlier quilt projects.  My daughter, who generally loves all the quilts I have made, said it was very ugly.

Tonight I will wrap it up and take it to the party tomorrow.  I look forward to seeing the reaction from the other guests to this horrible, ugly quilt.

Purple and ugly!

My grandmother passed away earlier this week.  So, while I was thinking of her and what legacy she left behind, I rememered that she also left behind some fabric.  A few years ago, she called and asked if I could come by and pick up some fabric that she didn't need anymore.  I knew my grandmother was a quilter, and lets be honest, does a quilter EVER turn down free fabric?  I know I don't....well not any more.  I stashed her fabrics in the bins in the quilting closet downstairs (Yes, I have a quilting closet!) and forgot about it.  So, as I was remembering my grandmother, I also remembered the fabric.  My challenge was to make a small wall hanging quilt using ONLY her fabric.  Sounded like a great idea.  So, I pulled out my bins to discover that most of the fabric was REALLY ugly, or a thin poly cotton blend.  I pulled 2 large pieces out determined to do SOMETHING with it.  I settled on a lavender check and a lavender solid.  I selected a churn dash block and started cutting.  One problem after another would pop up in this process.  The solid was very thin and would catch on my dry skin, the blocks did not want to iron well, and it turned out to be a very ugly top.  I still plan to quilt it, but I may just do a basic outline stitch on the top.  Once it's done I will post the pictures...all I can say is Thanks, Grandma.

Favorite Quilt books

One of my favorite quilt books is Around the Block with Judy Hopkins.  I love that some of the most common blocks have mulitple sized cutting instructions for the rotary cutter.  I have made quilt blocks 4 inches using the cutting instructions from the book.  Sadly, my copy is falling apart since I use it more than others. 

Race car quilt





A few years ago, I got a box full of fabrics from my aunt.  Inside was all sorts of fun fabrics and bright colors.  My son saw the cars and wanted a quilt made from the fabric.  I think it turned out pretty cute.  I do love the checkered fabric for the sashing.  It is still on of my son's favorite quilt.  I had quite a few left over car fabric pieces that I made a matching pillow case for my son.