Orca Bay done, and look who's here!!

I'd like to welcome the sweet little Mr Smiles (Miles) who arrived on Friday morning, just in time for the weekend.  Isn't he adorable????  Goodness, he's just filled with all sorts of sweetness!  He's been here such a short amount of time and already he has so many people that love him! The quilt in my header, it's his :) Welcome Smiles!  Now that's something to Whoop about!!

I didn't get to go see him today cuz I have a fever, dang it!  But I did get to sew and I was able to finish my Orca Bay quilt. Ok so am I terrible?  I want to keep it and not give it to someone for a house warming gift.  Instead I want to give them Modern Mirrors, which I thought was really more appropriate for a young modern family.  I'm just trying to justify it aren't I??  Ok, here's the last look at Orca Bay.  I even tried a picture out in the snow.   I did an overall feather in the center and feathers in the small border all the way around.  Feather and swirls in the last border.  No marking anywhere!  Although  I should have marked the small border.

the back

And the Labyrinth top is together, now to plan the quilting for that one....

Linking up with Sarah, there's always something going on over there, lots of whoopin.

Linking up with Bonnie.   You REALLY have to stop there and see all the finished Orca Bay quilts, goodness they are gorgeous!!

Orca Bay Top together!!

I'm doing a happy dance, Orca Bay is together and I do love it :)  Ok, the new sewing room for April is not quite wide enough to get full view, but hey you get the picture right?  This one will go to a dear friend of my daughters who just purchased their first house. This wll be nice for a house warming gift I think.

I drew a design that I would like to quilt, just not sure if I can do it!  It's a free form all over feather design and will give the quilt a really nice texutre.  I love curved quilting on angular quilts.  I'm going to make a baby blanket and give it a try.  I think I'll try one of the 1600 quilts, I saw a really cute one Life Scraps   Here's  what I want to quilt, we'll see how this goes.  Well I can draw it, that's one step :)

While there may not be a lot of depth to the room, there is a bit of length in the room and the design wall goes the entire length.  I've got two full quilts up there just waiting for me to get the courage to get started on them.

Design Wall Monday - Orca Bay progress Step 8

First of all Happy New Year Everyone!!  My 2012 has gotten off to a great start. I sewed all day yesterday and will have some time today to sew as well.  Ah, but then tomorrow comes and back to the real world.  But I'll enjoy the sewing today while I can.  Have you seen the reveal of Bonnie's Orca Bay - Oh my it is drop dead gorgeous!!!  I think this is one of my favorite patterns of hers.  Oh wait I say that with every Bonnie quilt I make - but no this I REALLY mean it (until the next one :)  Here's my progress so far.  I have a few rows together, not sure I'll be able to finish.  I counted all my pieces so carefully and came up 17 triangles short on the green strings.  Not sure why I thought 110 was a good number, but that's how many I had.  But I love string blocks so I'm getting those done today.  I'm even going to make some extra for the back.  What a great mystery, Bonnie did it again.

I've also got a Bonnie quilt on April, Smith Mountain Morning (now my second favorite Bonnie patter).  I'm quilting pebbles in the white spaces which looks really good given that it's an Army quilt.  I think I'll do a fern like feather in the other blocks.  I want to keep it natural with the camouflage going on, all I can think of is leaves - anyone else have any ideas?   See around the stars how the blocks create a ring?  That's where I"m thinking I'll do the fern feathers.  But really I'd love to hear any ideas that you have.

Linking up with Judy to see everyone's design wall and Bonnie's Monday morning link up.  Fabric Tuesday is back, don't forget to stop by and see the other beautiful creations.

Happy New Year and Welcome 2012!!

Wow 2012 arleady?  Seems like just yesterday we were getting use to the sound of 2000.  Time just goes by so fast.  I hope everyone is enjoying the new year!

Bonnie revealed Orca Bay today, and it is a stunner!!  I was able to put a few blocks together before everyone woke up.  Oh I just LOVE this quilt.   

Back to the sewing room, as long as know one is asking where I am, I'm gonna sew :)

Happy New Year!!!

Design Wall Monday

All the kids are gone and husband has a full honey-do list so that means I get to sew and sew and sew today!!

Here's my progress on Orca Bay, I just LOVE LOVE LOVE these blocks!!  I haven't finished step 5 yet, I do a little every day on those, they'll get done.

I need some practice quilts for April so I made these blocks on Friday - this is Apple Crate  from the Moda bake shop.  This went together in an afternoon, very easy and quick.  This may be the first real quilt that I use for April.  I just need to sew them all together.  But I have to work at least for an hour on Orca bay.

Linking up with Bonnie to see how others are doing on Orca Bay and all the wonderful design walls at Judy's 

Orca Bay progress Step 6 and Holiday Greetings!

It was like Christmas here today.  Look at what I got in the mail from QUTI (Quilting Under the Influence).  A wonderful bag with logo, an adorable hat with logo, 4 gorgeous fat quarters and some yummy tea.  Thanks so much to Linda for a great give away!!  I LOVE the hat!!

And there was more for goodness sakes.  I got this incredible fabric pack from Jennifer at Gable House Sewing  I love Kate Spain fabrics, the Fa La La La fabric is way too cute. 

Thanks so much to both Jennifer and Linda.  Getting those wonderful gifts in the mail energized me and I actually got a little sewing done (I mean really little) but it's something :)

If you are working on Orca Bay, you got an early surprise on Thursday, clue 6 was up!!  Dang, I was planning on spending Thursday getting clue 5 done.  But when I saw those adorable blocks I skipped right over poor neglected step 5 and raced on over to step 6.  I have 5 of each block together, but percentage wise, it's more than what I have done for step 5.  Well there's always next Monday.  I love purple and green together. I hope we are done with purple (Bonnie's black) cuz I'm fresh out of purple. 

We have a new resident at our house :)  I'd like to introduce April, she's a pretty big girl and I just love her.  I've been trying to get to know her over the past few days and my stitches are starting to resemble quilting, but I think I have a couple more weeks ahead of me before I try a real quilt. 

Here she is with a shot of my practice stitching.  When I"m sewing closer to my body it's a lot better, the further away from my body I go the boxier the shapes get.  It all takes time.  I'm having fun passing the time with April.

Linking up with Sarah to see what everyone is Whooping about the Friday before Christmas.

I'd like to wish you all a peaceful, joy filled holiday season in what ever way you celebrate.  Happy Holidays!!

Design Wall Monday - Orca Bay progress - Step 4

Finally we get to use the main color.  I'm about halfway done with step 4 and I must say I am completely and utterly in love with string blocks!  I never really cared for strings and hadn't even tried until Roll Roll Cotton Bowl.  And I was bitten by the string bug then.  I loved the neutral strings.  I did another string quilt after that in black and white and really like that as well.  I've used strings (again mostly in neutrals) when I don't have a large enough piece of fabric for my project - I make one out of strings.  But this is the first time I'm doing strings in color and my goodness I'm totally smitten this time.  First the blue ones were so cute, and then the green ones - oh my I'm in heaven!!  Green is my favorite color and I just love how these look.

Now let me say that I have no idea how these are going to turn out, and actually I am 100% wrong so far at guess what Bonnie is going to do. So you can pretty much say it WON"T look like either of these :)  I just wanted to see how the colors all look together and I like it!!

Don't forget to check out the Give Away here, I'm giving away a copy of  "Fat Quarter Quilts" and 4 fat quarter.  You don't have to be a follower to enter.  The winner will be drawn on 12/17 so you still have time.  There are over 230 quilters participating in the give aways all week long at Quilting Gallery   Stop if you're feeling lucky :)

Linking up with Bonnie's to see the progress everyone is making on Orca Bay.  And there's always fun stuff going on the design walls at Judys  And check out Quilt Story on Fabric Tuesday, there's  also something creative going on there

Occupy your sewing room

And that is just what I did this weekend.  Cat Patches is hosting Occupy your sewing room.  Occupy your Sewing Room will run from December 3 - 10, 2011. During that week, plan to occupy your sewing room for a full day. If you can't spend a whole day, then divide it up into whatever increments you like.  If you haven't joined, it's not too late.  And there's a giveaway at the end!  Some great prized 

So what did I do while I was occupying me sewing room this weekend?  I can't believe how much I got done.  I stayed off the computer and in the sewing room.  After this post, I'm doing some blog hopping to get my internet fix :) Ah, back to sewing and what I got done.

1.  I finished the reusable-washable shopping bags and made my first ever tutorial which you can find right here

Here are the last two bags, one is made of the left over army uniforms from my niece. Uh oh, I"m using her uniforms that she sent me for her Christmas gift....may I ought to get a little something extra in there for her. So that takes care of the 7 nieces and nephews, just need to get some goodies for the bags.

2.  I made a 6 great niece and nephews a gift card wallet.  I used a free pattern that I found, super cool wallet All I have to do is add a gift card and done.  These were so easy to do.   I can never finish anything in an hour, but really one of these can be done in less than an hour. And that's even taking 15 minutes to figure just the right fabric.  I think they'll like them, maybe not as much as the gift card !

3.  I finished the last two thank you gifts for the shower next weekend. I was cutting that pretty darn close.  The first one is a tutorial from Janssen Designs, I knew as soon as I saw this I had to make it.  All from scraps, binding, batting everything but the backing.  You just can't beat that.  The tutorial is here

The second one is a pattern from Dec/Jan issue of Quilters Newsletter.  I used the left overs from the tree skirt.  Crazy bright colors!

4.  Yes there still more!  It's been a while since I've made any baby things, what at least 2 weeks right? !
And really this one shouldn't count cuz there was no sewing at all.  Just some cutting, some spray adhesive and some glue.  But Little Baby Miles now has a lamp to go with his nursery ensemble.  All you do is make a pattern for the lamp shade.  I used large news print sketch paper, a news paper would work fine.  Lay the shade on the paper, roll it from start to finish and trace on paper as you roll and there you have a perfect shape pattern. I cut mine about an 1/8 in smaller than the pattern. Spray some permanent adhesive on the shade, and attach your fabric.  I made some 1/4 bias tape and finished it off with that, I just glued it with permanent fabric glue.  Adorable and so easy, no sewing!

5.  The last thing did not get finished but it got started and that's 350 little HSTs for Orca Bay.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE HSTs.  I've made an entire quilt out of HSTs, so fun.   But I just didn't have enough time this weekend for all that fun, there's only so much fun you can cram into a weekend.  I've got about 120 done, and hopefully will get the rest finished by the next clue.  Oh and goodness did you see all the people that joined in the linky party for Orca bay, that is so cool to be able to see everyone's progress.

And that's it for this week.   Be sure to stop by Bonnie's to see the progress everyone is making on Orca Bay.  And there's always fun stuff going on the design walls at Judys  And check out Quilt Story on Fabric Tuesday, there's  also something creative going on there.

Ahhh, Orca Bay all caught up and Design Wall Monday

Ahhhh, I'm all caught up with Orca Bay.  Work got me a little behind on the QSTs.  But nothing that a 4 day weekend won't take care of!  Went to Fort Wayne, IN over the holidays to visit daughter #1 and her three boys.  It was fun watching the Packer's Game with the youngest grand son, he's a Packer's fan so I'm no longer the only one! I took the QST's for trimming to her house and got them all done just before clue 2 came out and we got home.   The really are more purple in real life, but also on the dark side.  I just can't seem to get the camera to do purple very well at all.  But they are done and so cute.

But then came clue 2, and honestly you can't get any cuter than 3.5 in string blocks.  I've only done larger ones (8.5 inches) so these were a lot smaller.  Oh but they are just darling.  I wish I would have more of variety in the blues.  I think I have more blues than anything, but really not a lot of blues sprinkled with color.  Go figure.  I did dig through the scraps and pulled out some lighter ones and some with color.  There was one scrap that a whales tail, not the head only the tail.  There's a few of those in there, I used it all up!  I can't wait to use the greens.  I love green, it's my favorite color.

It's great to see all the other colors stop by and see at  the Mystery Monday Link Up  to see the others.

And I did get a couple of finishes in.  The tree skirt is done. This is a thank you gift for daughter #1 for helping with the baby shower for daughter #2.  She loves things that out of the ordinary and I think this one fits the bill.  She's approved the fabrics but hasn't seen the finished skirt.  I still have to finish the table runner and start one more to complete the thank you gifts, still have a little time so not that worried yet.

I also got a couple more bags completed.  I think I've had the camping fabric in my stash for over 10 years.  Yep that's right, over 10 years.  And I finally got to use it. Not all of it, there's still more but really what can you use a moose on???  My brother and sister in law have a  house up by the NP of MI and they have a cabin theme going on.  I thought this would be great for them.  The other one I think I'm gonna keep myself.  I love the green fabric and there isn't much better than green and blue together :)  We'll see, I still have a few more to finish for Christmas gifts.  I used interfacing with these as the scraps of batting are all used up.  I have to say, I really like the look and feel of the interfacing.  


Well that's it for this week.  Not a bad week after all!!  Linking up with  Mystery Monday Link Up,  Quilt Story  and Judy at Patchwork Times

Orca Bay started!!!

Orca Bay started.  I have one done.  Now only 223 to go!!  Getting closer. I do have 140 ready to make 70 of these little beauties.  Oh I love the plum color with the off white.

And what has stopped me from making further progress? Well, not making baby things, I've broken that habit (for now).  But making thank you gifts for the helpers of the shower.  Need to have these done by 12/10.  The tree skirt for my oldest daughter.  It's been about 6 years since she asked for a tree skirt.  She wants something outrageous.  It took me six years to find it but I think this fits the bill!!   I used some of the left overs for a table runner.  Say the pattern in a quilt magazine.  Not really sure I like that one, so that may be on the chopping block, we'll see how I feel as I get closer to 12/10 and a little more desperate. Then I have 2 more to make as well.  Just no idea what.  All I want to do is make some cute little QSTs (223 of them to be exact).

Linking up with  Mystery Monday Link Up,  Quilt Story  and Judy at Patchwork Times

Orca Bay Fabrics - all picked out!!

I got home early from work today and no one was here.  I took advantage of the time and picked out the fabrics for Orca Bay.  Now I just need to get all the baby Miles sewing done by the 18th.  How exciting, baby sewing and a new Bonnie Mystery. What do you think, is there enough different between the purples and the blue?  I tried to get darker purples and more medium blues.