Thursday, June 26, 2014

So Curvy WIP

I don't know about you, but sewing curves - that seems terrifying.  Well it did. 

I LOVE curves in quilts.  I just never understood how to cut them, or sew them, or contemplate them.  lol.  But I decided I wanted to learn and my first step was getting some templates.


I got the 6in (finished) templates from Jen over at BettyCrockerAss.  She has an etsy shop and had some templates made.  They weren't expensive and I really wanted to learn how to use them...
Then I got them and I was so excited.  She even sent cute charm squares with them. 
Of course I had to experiment with cutting and sewing curves right away.


They are not perfect, but as perfect as they can be for a newbie.  ;)
I used am elmers glue stick to hold my fabric in place and that was WAY better than pinning for me.  

Originally I just pulled out scraps, but now it is going to be something.  I just have to get the right background fabric. 

Have a lovely weekend! 

 - Katelyn


Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Jacob's Ladder

My sister and I love quilts.  We didn't always.  We recently had a conversation about how we just thought they were old weird blankets- I know...  we were crazy.  
But right about the same time (in different countries) we discovered a love for quilts, old and new.
My sister received a wedding ring quilt from her mother when she got married.  She never used it... until the summer of 2011.  She decided it would look nice on the guest bed in her daughter's room.  This was the same summer that I decided I wanted to learn to quilt and the same summer that I went to Germany and stayed with her for 5wks. 
I have spent at least 5 minutes staring at it every time I have visited her ever since.  It's gorgeous.  Of course I can't find any of my photos of it...but I promise to post some next week sometime. 

But on to the point of this post (So sorry has taken this long if you have kept reading).  I was just at my sister's house visiting a few weeks ago.  And on my first evening there she and I went to the guest room to make up the bed...when we were finished she went to the closet and pulled out a big bag and said, "Merry Christmas!"  I opened it up and there was a vintage quilt.




 I was SHOCKED. 
That might even be an understatement.  I cried.

Wendy explained that she and her mom decided that I should have one of their heirloom quilts.  Since I loved them so much - that way it was going to a loving home.  Mary (my sister's amazing mom) sent Wendy pictures of all of the options and Wendy picked this one.  And then forgot it when she came for Christmas.


It is amazing.  I didn't know what the pattern was called (Jacob's Ladder) until I saw a friend make one on Instagram. 


This was made around the 30's.  They folded over the binding (I have never done that, but apparently it is common). 


This block is my favorite.
Two of the pieces are wrong side. It is just neat.  Wendy and I loved looking through all of the fabrics and trying to figure out what they were used for originally.



She told me that she picked this quilt for me because it has a lot of Gray and Blue in it.  Go Tigers!   ;)

I am still in awe of this quilt.  And in my amazing family.  How cool is this as a gift? 

- Katelyn


Wednesday, June 18, 2014

WIP : The one where I played with triangles

It all started with me wanting a reason to practice triangles...And when I needed to make a new baby quilt, the reason was there.  

I cut up some pink from my scraps and decided on 5.5 triangles due to scrap size. 

I tried to lay them out on my design wall (I made it!! love having it)
in a random manner.  

I used Kona Berry for my background.  I felt that the Berry would make the pinks pop!


Of course when I first made it, I didn't calculate how many triangles I actually needed.  So I had to add some more.


I love how it looks all together.  To me the randomness is so pretty and fun.  My mom doesn't agree...but that's ok.  Hopefully the future momma I'm giving it to will like it.  If not she can give it back.  lol

Now to quilt it.

- Katelyn


Thursday, June 12, 2014

Practice Block: Caesar's Crown

I did a practice block for my swoon - Sorry I haven't posted anything about the non-practice, it is a gift and I haven't gifted it yet...I am not so patiently waiting.

But in the meantime, I made another practice block.  This time a paper pieced block by Sew What, Sherlock? called Caeser's Crown.

 I wanted to practice it, because  (1) it was paper piecing, (2) I needed to know how much fabric it would take, and (3) I have it in mind for something special. 
So I called my mom up and had her pick out some fabrics from my stash.  I knew that I would print the pattern a wee bit smaller to have a smaller block (they regularly finish at 24 in), so I planned on turning it into a pillow for my mom (hence her picking the fabrics). 
She chose oranges - Two from Happy Go Lucky and one Timeless Treasures print.

Then I set to work making the block...

Cute, right?  But once I made it, I wasn't sure that I wanted to use it (the pattern, not this specific block) for my original purpose anymore.
Then I quilted it and everything changed.

I am in LOVE.  I am super proud.  Apparently quilting small is easier for me.  I wondered...quilting my sister's quilt was easier, more fun, and turned out better than anything else I had ever tried. 



Now I feel a need to make and quilt more small things.  I think my mom's new office may need a mini...


And perhaps a few pillows.

- Katelyn



Saturday, June 7, 2014

Suprises are the best... sometimes

I feel as though it has been months since my last post.  Over the last two weeks I have been in the hospital several times - not for me.  My grandfather began bleeding internally and he was rushed to the hospital.  We were told that there was not much chance he would be ok.  They put him in the ICU (as they no longer perform surgery for his type of bleed) and tried to stop the bleeding with medicines, blood, and plasma.  Let me tell you, those chairs in the ICU waiting room are rough.  Through many prayers and loving thoughts - He got to go home!!!  They stopped the bleeding and he is doing well.  He is still a bit weak, but he is also still here.  So, WIN!

Then 5 days later - my mom had surgery.  This was scheduled and she is fine and at home now as well, but I feel as though I have been living in a hospital for weeks. 

But I did complete something...Hard to believe, I know.


I finished my granny square quilt!!!  
(you can read previous posts here and here)

I have wanted to make one for awhile...but other than that want, I never had a reason to do so.  Then my mother told me that my next quilt had to be for my grandmother.  At first I just sighed.  I knew she was right, but I had been looking around for fabric and patterns that I thought my grandmother would like...but I never found anything. 



I decided on the granny square because it wasn't too modern for my grandmother and it was something I wanted to try. So with a "deadline" I set out to find the right fabric.  Of course I found out fairly quick that I didn't know what that was.  My mother told me that her favorite color was green.  What??!  Her house is FULL of purple and that is all that I had been looking at.  But before I even started looking for greens, I found myself at JoAnn's staring at Denyse Schmidt prints - in purple and blue.  No green, lol.  (Specifically Blossom Reel, Croquet, and a few others I'm not sure the name of.) And then...I searched for green.  I only found one print and settled for it.
I was worried.  I knew that I loved the prints and colors, but I just wasn't sure it would be loved by others. 
But I got started anyway.  I LOVED the way it started to come together.  Once I pieced the top together I went searching for a border and backing.  I found the fabulous green (moda - flats diamond rings) and It was perfect and fell in love with botanica sketch earth for the back.





The binding was hand stitched on (perfect for those nights in the hospital with my mother).  It is a moda bella color that I got from my local quilt shop.
And I quilted it with a free motion meander stitch and Aurifil!  First timer - its amazing.  But I did have plenty of trouble quilting at the beginning.  Perhaps I had to get used to the Aurifil and perhaps it was just a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.  But i finished it up and love the crinkle.
I wanted to give this to my grandmother for her birthday - her birthday is in September.  She will be 83 years old.  I could not wait till then - So I gave it to her on Tuesday!


She said she was shocked.  She never would have guessed I was going to give her a quilt.  She was thrilled that I used white (apparently I never used white, huh).  And that she thinks it is the most beautiful thing I have ever made.  (So I am pretty sure she likes it, lol).  Then we sat there for 30 minutes while she looked at each and every block, picked out a favorite, and smiled the whole time.
I couldn't have guessed (or wanted) a better reaction.  I love her!

*I have decided to call this quilt Spring Breeze.  It makes me think of those spring days when you walk outside and the wind is blowing scents of honeysuckle and flowers your way (you know the 2-3 times it's not blowing pollen your way.  lol). 

- Katelyn