The Wedding Quilt - Things Got a Little Fishy

My sister's son married a sweet girl this summer. We couldn't be there, so we decided to make them a quilt, hoping they'd know how much we love them in spite of not being able to make it. They are fishermen (people?) and artists. We tried to encompass both of those things with the quilt we made. 

Oh, and by we.... I mean I did the background and Jess did all the epic stuff. I do like my background but I LOVE what Jess did.

The lure was taken from a painting that my new niece, Shelby, did of a lure Tayler made. The fish is from one of his photos. Jess did an amazing job translating them into the quilt. I believe she may post some details of her process.

We chose batiks to help give it a water feel. I had some anxious moments trying to figure out how to get what was in my head to work with the fabric. I'm sure I could have found a tutorial somewhere but apparently I need to torment myself sometimes..... When it finally clicked with me, it was a lot of fun and I want to do it again.

The fish and lure are both raw edge appliqué. The trout also has painted details.

We backed it in a lovely plaid flannel, perfect for cold winter nights. 

Quilt details:

Approx 60 x 70

Fish and lure - Kona Cottons 

Background - Batiks from JoAnn Fabrics

Backing - Flannel from JoAnn Fabrics

Thread - Aurifil 50w

Batting - Pellon's Nature Touch 100% cotton

I've added our quilt to the Blogger's Quilt Festival in the Art quilt catagory.

Goin' Round in Circles Quilt

So last year I lost the beginnings of a quilt. It wasn't a tragedy because I ended up making this quilt instead. 

It was a mystery.

Maybe meant to be.

 About three months ago it was found. 

Seriously, I don't understand this. Jessica and I both must have looked over it a dozen times.

It turned into a collaboration.

It became a gift.

 A Joel Dewberry charm pack, some Kona solids and a yummy Michael Miller Dumb Dot in aqua. Machine applique, plus lots of hand stitching with different colored pearl cottons.

Two tags because it amused us and we knew it would amuse the recipient. 

She says she loves it.....

P is for pillow

This is for a little someone ... though it will be a while before she receives it because I am working on something else that needs to be sent with it.... There is really nothing better then initials and favorite animals! 

Butterfly Quilt

I may have to join a support group this baby size quilt is just so much fun to make. 

This one is 27"x27"

More Recess fabric but this time the back is Kona Cotton

Maybe I am done... maybe I'm not... 

Giraffe Quilt

Wait there's two?! Yes I am on a role... Another crib quilt size 35"x 28" 

I LOVE this one (the elephant one is everyone else's favorite) The elephant and giraffe are actually graphics from the fabric that I made that I still haven't ordered...

The front is linen and Recess by American Jane for Moda and the back is some of the new Denyse Schmidt line. 

It's also in the shop

elephant baby quilt and OCD-ness towards bobbins...

I have been having the urge to make a quilt so I finally gave in ---

It's baby quilt size 35"x24" 

And it's now in my shop.

Here's Micah modeling 

When Heather posted about needing bobbin storage it reminded me how unhappy I am with the mess of thread currently in my sewing box so I did some goggling and found this idea and decided to try it out

It's fantastic!

 I actually bought 3/8 tubing because they were out of 1/2 and to me the 5/8 looked too large. It was only $.38 per foot and out of the 1 foot I cut about 40 rings... super cheap and awesome... it's sad how happy this makes me!

Somethings Fishy...

Another pillow completed! I actually finished this at the beginning of the week but the sun hasn't been cooperating with my schedule so today I just made due with the flash... sorry!

I am really stoked with him. I used different colors of felt on him than the last time and made him more red and blue... I am not sure which one I like more, they both strike me for different reasons. But the other one is already at it's new home so I guess it doesn't matter!

This one is done on a light blue linen and is 18x18" (I stuffed a 20" insert into him) the felt is 100% wool

I am not sure what I am going to do with him... probably keep him... but I may get a wild hair and list him in the shop to see if he sells.... and then be more then happy to keep him if he doesn't... lol.

I have been trying to wipe out old projects that have been collecting dust around the house... which means a little lack of enthusiasm around here and in turn less things completed to show you!

My older brother is flying in tonight so fair warning I might disappear for a little while...again.

Pillows

I bought standard pillowcases a few months ago with the intention of doing some fun designs on them and never got around to it. I finally completed two over the holiday.

This first one is for Amanda who stayed with us over the holiday we brainstormed up things that reflect her and I drew up the design... of course I embellished a lot on the ideas so who knows how much it reflects her now-but it looks cool and she says she like it ...so... It started with the sparrow and then wanting to incorporate an "A" which turned into a mountain which then need a castle which then needed a forest and an ocean...

and every ocean needs a pirate ship.

Oh and the stars were a request... because stars are awesome

and Forests need fox's and mushrooms!

This second pillow is a gift for a much smaller friend. It's the same owl design I used on my other pillows with the branch switched up to be an initial. Hopefully I get the gift for her new little brother done soon so I can get this all in the mail...

I am loving that the quilt behind the pillow is the lovely one my mom sent me recently and it is made from bird themed fabrics... perfect for the pillow case!

I think the owl eyes are my favorite.

Tomorrow I will be back with shirts-- yes more crafting!

Something New

I actually managed to not show this project before I finished it (can you believe that?) so this is going to be a picture heavy post.
I have been wanting to do a growth chart in the same style as my pillows for quite a while and I finally got around to marking it off my list.

The animals are a mix of embroidery and felt. I wanted them to be more on the realistic side I think it turned out pretty well.

The fox. I was a little worried about the fact that he is supposed to be a fox getting across because the felt is a little more brown then I wanted but a friend saw the chart at the shower and knew what he was right away so whew! Hopefully people won't think it's a dog or something.

I second guessed myself a LOT on doing the birds in full embroidery but I think they turned out.

Bees. I love them, but not in real life!

I am digging hives to. The Black Apple had a sketch a while back that had a girls skirt as a bee hive and I have been even more jazzed about them since... it would be a really cool costume or just to make a skirtthat looked like that... too bad I dont make clothes... or maybe it is a good thing because I think I would try it! Mum? What do you think?

Totally digging the nest. The twigs making it up were a lot of fun to do.

I used Song bird in Teal by Holly Anderson for the back and gave myself two ways to hang it since I couldn't decide what I would like more.

Well I am off to get another project started. It's totally going to be copying someone else (Jennifer) so I hope she doesn't mind! I will be back later with pictures!