i'm back!

phew. it feels like forever.

we moved! from texas to colorado.
it has been busy and crazy.
my sewing machine has been packed away for weeks, i finally unpacked it last night.
i feel like i have been going through quilting withdrawals.
here are some doll quilts i made (before the move) for christmas gifts. i can share them now that the recipients have seen them.thanks to all those well wishers who inquired after me. i am indeed doing fine, just busy.

katie jump rope strips

this quilt was a special order, and i am hoping to do another to put up in my shop...look for it after the holidays.

this will probably be it for a while, i have a busy november ahead of me and am going to put my sewing machine away...(hopefully).

birds on a limb

i finished this one up this past weekend.

i pieced the back to avoid buying fabric, and i am glad i did.available in my etsy shop.

stacked coins

I almost forgot to post this quilt finished. I can't think of a creative name, so stacked coins it is. Plus it's already out the door to it's new owner...

As I mentioned in a previous post, I used Denyse Schmidt, Heather Ross, and Wee Play (american jane) fabrics...they all came together nicely to give it a vintage-y, flea market-y look. I just LOVE it, and am hoping to make another quilt with these fabrcis for my etsy shop.this is the back...I used a Heather Ross dot, with a strip of scraps running through it.

I haven't been doing much quilting this week. I guess I needed a break...I'm also trying to go on a fabric diet. I really need to not buy fabric for a long while.

the morgan quilt

(inspired by this quilt)
i thought i was going to put this away for a while, but i changed my mind and decided to just finish it!i found an 'error' in this quilt. a very minor error, that i don't really mind at all. can you see it? on the right side of the quilt, the mustardy yellow is butted right next to the aqua just above it. there should be some white in between. i can't believe i didn't notice until it was completely finished! i kind of like these kind of accidents. i like to think they give the quilt character and make it look handmade.

stacked coins doll quilt

I used leftover scraps from this quilt to make another doll quilt.

here's why I LOVE doll quilts:
For me, doll quilts are meant to be imperfect. I don't usually measure, iron, or plan ahead on doll quilts. I actually start working on it, and add to it as needed. I also like to try different quilting designs, in this one I tried circles...it was fun and I realized I need to work on circles.

I used whatever size scraps of white I had lying around, the white borders are all different sizes, which I discovered I really like. After attaching all my white borders, I wanted the quilt to be a little bigger, so I added the pink to one side, and voila...perfect. The pink strip has become my favorite part about this quilt. If I had planned and measured, the pink never would've happened. I wish I took this approach with larger quilts, I love how it turned out.

half-square triangle doll quilt and a giveaway

this is not very exciting, but I finally put the binding on this doll quilt. I like it much better now, and my daughter has even agreed to let me hang it on her wall!

I do have something exciting to share...I'm giving away some goodies (quilt kit!) from my etsy shop over at a room somewhere. Hurry go check it out and enter to win.

square by square

(inspired by this quilt)

after completing the first 10 squares of this quilt I was very nervous (again). I wasn't sure it was going to look right. I contemplated scratching it and starting completely over, but my husband (and voice of reason) told me it was just because I don't work with purples very often.

I kept at it, afterall, I don't often redo things, and I am glad I did. These plums and pinks and golds are so pretty! The design is simple, but striking. I have become pretty attached to this quilt.

The backing is mostly yellow, but I pieced one side...I always love a pieced back. I used to do fabulous pieced backs, it was my thing...lately I have been lazy and haven't been piecing. I need to un-lazy myself, because I really love the surprise a pieced back gives a quilt.
Available in my etsy shop, I'll be sad to see this one go...

i really like maps...

I can study a map all day. It's just so interesting to look at places I've been, places family live, places I'd like to visit...

I started this quilt years ago, and finally got it all put together. I almost ripped it apart and started over. I don't love it, but as I've said before I don't redo anything--too frustrating. I had planned to keep it for us--to get my kids interested in maps too, but after looking at it for years, I am okay with letting it go. Plus, we've got lots of new babies coming up (friends and family), I think this will make one of them happy.

The highlight of this quilt (for me) is the backing, perfect! We like to look for Texas in our family.

mendocino zigzag

I had a great quilting weekend...my husband was gone all day Saturday and it rained the entire day. The kids and I holed up in the playroom where they played and I quilted. I don't usually do housework on Saturday, so it was guilt-free quilt time!

I finished my zigzag quilt, I love the sharpness of it. Zigzags always remind me of ric-rac, and I absolutely love ric-rac.
If you've never felt Heather Ross' fabric, you must. It's the softest fabric ever, perfect for a baby quilt.
I used some of my lightning bugs fabric for the backing...I really love polka dots too! I used stripes for the binding, I debated between this stripe and the orange octopus. I wish I would've used the orange, but the stripes will have to do. available in my etsy shop.

doll quilts

I know I am really late on this one, but I have finally fallen in love with doll quilts. It took me a long time to "get" them. I didn't understand why anyone would want to spend so much time on a mini quilt that had no function. Then I saw this and then my daughter started asking for a blankie for her baby, so I decided to give them a try.

I think this was my first, I don't really like this one...I did a horrible job on the quilting. This happens to be my daughter's favorite (it's pink), so I guess I won't throw it out.

this is my favorite, lots of white

this isn't quite finished, I need to finish the binding. I don't really like this one either...I guess that's why it's not finished.

What is about a stack of folded quilts? I just love them.
Originally I wanted to hang them on my little girl's wall, but she likes to use them as she plays. She'd probably tear every one off the wall because one of her best friends (that's what she calls her dolls/stuffed animals) needed it.
I guess a stack of doll quilts is just as great as a wall of them...

double hourglasses (scappy quilt #3)

This turned out to be a very sweet quilt. I think I need to try something new, it seems lately that all my quilts have A LOT of white in them.

I really do love the contrast of the white with the colors.
I used yellow on the back, I really wanted it to be gender non-specific--I'm not sure I accomplished that though...available in my etsy shop

dick and jane

This was one of those quilts that I had very LOW expectations for, but have ended up LOVING it!

I cut the dick and jane blocks out about a year ago, and finally put them to use in a quilt. It's the perfect baby blankie.

available in my etsy shop.

colorful coins

Finally finished this one, and really LOVE it!
Backing is large colorful polka dots. I let my daughter pick out the binding, and she did a great job...I love the mustardy yellow! Available in my etsy shop.