Wavy line quilting inspiration

Via Flickr: 1. Amazing wavy line quilting by @angelafmq #quiltcon, 2. wavy quilt lines, 3. wavy line quilting, 4. Aye Aye Captain Quilt

Remember this quilt? It's been sitting, already basted, and patiently waiting to be quilted over a year later. There was little hope in sight of it being completed any time soon. I just could not decide how to quilt it. Then I started seeing some wavy line quilting around the internet and the inspiration struck. Hope may be in sight afterall.

Make me feel better. How many projects have you let sit uncomplete (but oh so close!) for over a year?

WIP Wednesday

My two year old often asks to run outside and yell "Ahhhhhhh" with her friend Ella B.  Doesn't that sound fun?  I would love to just run around and scream with delight with no inhibitions these days.  Talk about a great stress relief. 

Instead, I try to find a little time to quilt. 

Current .project (until I get distracted by something else): scrappy trip around the world.

Oh, hello

Oh, hello there. I've been a little busy since I last posted. Meet my latest two creations. Mr. F, born on Christmas Day and his quilt top, which I hope to finish sometime before he learns to crawl. Tick tock, tick tock Steph!

Wanting

Something from Amy's stash for my stash...how did I not know about this until today?

Yay motivation

I'm taking a short break from sewing swoon blocks.

I felt the need to finish something.

Hey, why not quilt one of the four tops I've made in the past year? I even had a pieced backing for this one ready to go.

Oh, it feels good to be quilting something.

Details: Stacked coins quilt made with leftover fabrics from my first stacked coins quilt .

More on this quilt to come.

WIP Wednesday

As I was writing a list of unfinished projects (ufp) to my sister (she's a good sounding board), I realized I've come down with a little ufp problem in the past year. Here I was thinking that I hadn't been able to sew anything. In reality, I've sewn four quilts but I haven't managed to finish any of them! What good is a quilt top just hanging out in a pile? No good! So before I take on any more quilting projects, I need to finish the ones I've started.

The first step is to list those projects. Unfortunately I've only photographed one of said quilt tops (another reason to start blogging again - better documentation!). So here it is, my finished HST quilt top. It's made with Anna Maria's Good Folks fabrics (hmmmm, lovvvvve that fabric line) and kona cotton in sand I think. It was a bear to piece and took a very long time. I think that's why it became a ufp, I needed a little break from it after sewing the last seam. My goal is to have this quilted by the en of the summer. I'm realistic that way.

More unfinished quilts to share later! Oh because there are always more!

Tuesday Inspiration

Tuesday dreaming, originally uploaded by CreativeReveries.

A little inspiration on this Tuesday morning. Looking at pretty quilts helps keeps me motivated to keep sewing so that I can make all the things on my growing to-make list.

Swoon block 2

The Swoon blocks are surprisingly coming along pretty quickly in the little time I have to sew. I have five of nine blocks complete.

Lately, as I read blogs of other sewers with young children, I wonder, how do they find the time to sew??? I feel a little jealous. But then I realize they must make the time, or claim the time. Which is what I am trying to do now. A few minutes here, a couple more there, every minute counts.

I'm Swooning

I've joined the Swoon bandwagon. How could I resist? A good friend got married three years ago and I still haven't given her a present. Yes, that's a new record for me. This friend is a landscape designer and also helped me plant a garden. (Maybe I will show you pictures of the garden assuming I manage to keep everything alive!). For these two reasons, I thought she deserved something extra special. What's more special then a swoon quilt made with (mainly) flea market fancy fabrics?

Here is one of three blocks completed so far. My goal is to complete the top in the next two weeks and have it quilted and binded so I can hand deliver it to her in July. I have a lot of work to do!

One year

A little over a year ago, this sweet girl entered our lives. What a year! What a girl! Every day I feel so lucky. Sewing and blogging were put on hold, but I hope to be back here more often. I miss this space. See you here again soon.

A new use for baby gates

A new use for baby gates, originally uploaded by CreativeReveries.

What is it about fabric lying on the floor that draws all the attention of little furry felines?

As I was sitting at the dining room table, sewing together the blocks I so carefully laid out, my curious cats were eying the fabric laid out on the floor. And scheming. Yes, scheming.

One of them decides to go for it. He runs across the room, and before I know what is happening, stops and skids directly on the fabric squares. The squares fly everywhere! I scream! I shout! "Argh!"

Thank goodness I took a picture of the layout before the above scene happened.

Enter the baby gates - now called cat quilt gates in my household. We can now live happily together.

Quilting for baby

Quilting for baby, originally uploaded by CreativeReveries.

I finally decided on a quilt design for Baby D. Yes, I'm still on a half-square triangle kick. I think I will actually finish this one in a timely manner though! I'm hoping to finish it soon, because I have a gazillion other quilts and items I'd like to make for baby when I'm done with this one.

Twenty weeks

Twenty weeks, originally uploaded by CreativeReveries.

There's a little work in progress that 's going on behind the scenes over here. Twenty weeks down, twenty to go...and it's a girl!

Wonderland Baby Quilt

My good friends, Ali and Chris, had a baby girl in early November. Everyone was so excited to welcome their baby, Sophie. Somehow I managed to finish making her a baby quilt just in time for Ali's shower.

I used two charm packs of Wonderland fabric by Momo for the top and some Anna Maria Horner Garden Party dots for the backing. The Wonderland fabric is one of my favorite fabric lines. Sadly it seems hard to find now. Luckily, I bought two more charm packs of this fabric before they stopped making it and so you might just see another one of these quilts sometime soon.

Unsure

Unsure, originally uploaded by CreativeReveries.

I'm trying my hand at half square triangles, but I'm not sure I like the result so far. Are my squares too big (they will be 4 inches by the time they are sewn together)? Do I need more prints? I think I might. Perhaps it is too early to judge.

The beginnings of something

Now that wasn't so bad. Once I finally decided on something and drummed up the courage to cut into some fabric, I didn't want to stop! My inspiration wheel was turning and suddenly my project list grew longer and longer as I found several quilts and items I can't wait to make out of my stash fabrics. Yes, my stash fabrics! But of course, buying a small amount of new fabric never hurts...oh the justification of a fabric addict.

However, just when I was getting into the swing of things, a winter cold has stopped me in my tracks. Luckily I'm on the mend and I feel a good solid weekend of sewing in my very near future.

What are you working on these days?

Now let's see if I remember how to do this

It's been so long since I've sewn or blogged, and now I'm pretty rusty at both. Since we moved last April, I've unpacked my sewing machine and fabric, but both have been sitting where I left them hardly touched ever since. I keep going into the room we've designated as a sewing room (for now, that will soon change) and staring at my fabric, wanting to make something, but afraid to start. The picture above is actually a baby blanket in progress that has since been finished (since the summer) and given to its intended recipient. But, I'm rusty at taking photos and uploading, so it's all I've got for now. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to convince myself to quit staring and start doing. Just jump in. There's nothing to be afraid of. Right?

The reason I've been away

Although it's not over yet, I suspect that I'll always look back on this summer and think, "Geesh, what the heck did I get myself into?" With hope, I'll also think, it was so worth it. I ran a 10 miler, a 10k and in a week and a half I'll have completed my second ever triathlon. I went to Paris with my mom and sister and presented at a conference. I went to the beach with friends. I've also painted three rooms, and with even more hope, I'll have completely refinished a kitchen. Oh, wait, let me back up a little bit.

We bought a house. (Photo from one year ago of house with overgrown front yard. Don't worry, we got rid of all those plants soon after we moved in before they completely overtook the house!.)

After a very stressful and dramatic house search, we finally bought a house and moved in April. We soon learned that HGTV makes things look way too easy. Even painting a room is not simple. But so far, the end result has been worth all of the sweat and tears. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some kitchen cabinets to finish sanding .

Wishing on a Wednesday

Oh please can I stay home today so I can paint my toes red and then create something beautiful? Saturday can't come soon enough!

1. Half Square Triangle Quilt, 2. Dogs Allowed!, 3. spotted squares quilt, 4. a quilt to sit on it!, 5. Stacked coins quilt, 6. Front: Gray Tangerine Stacked Coin Baby Quilt, 7. Bridie's Quilt, 8. if only ..., 9. Shoo fly quilt on couch

Blossom Quilt

Thanks for all of the nice comments about the Bee quilt. After finishing that quilt, I just couldn't stop quilting. I decided to finally finish the Blossom quilt that I started last May.

As you may remember, I was inspired to make this quilt after seeing this lovely version. I pieced the top using a jelly roll and charm pack of the Blossom by Urban Chicks fabrics.

I used fabric from the same line for the back. I love this fabric.

I've got another quilt or two in the works. I really can't stop (and I'm ok with that)!