Modern Wonky Log Cabin Quilt

This quilt was an exercise in trying something new and different--mainly, using more negative space than I have before.  And I didn't want it to be white space.  I have plenty of white sashed quilts.  So I actually bought some Kona light grey solid for this quilt.

I wasn't quite sure how it was going to turn out, but now that it is all completed I think that it might be one of my favorites.  I love the wonky blocks, I love the wonky layout, and I love the backing fabric.









Details:

• Inspiration from Block Party--The Modern Quilting Bee, Wonky Log Cabin quilt
• Finished size: 68 inches by 84 1/2 inches.
• First quilt top using this same quilt inspiration.
• Quilted by Lynn.

Merry Christmas 2014

From our house to yours

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

Quilt for #1 Son

I made this quilt for my oldest son (for his new bed in the non-existent new house).
He picked this pattern because it looked like Ninja throwing stars.
Now that's a teenage boy for you.

I tried to get him to help me sew it, but he wasn't all that thrilled.
Once I got my sewing system down with these blocks they went rather quickly.

I finished this back in September and sent it out to Lynn for quilting because my parents were going to be in Utah in October.  They brought this quilt and 2 others back for me and then I just got them over Thanksgiving when my parents came to visit.  I hadn't planned on giving this to my son for Christmas, but at this point, with it being so close, it is going to get wrapped up.  He does know what it looks like--at least in theory.  He hasn't seen it all quilted and bound.

Lynn's quilting really did add to the quilt.  Now I have to get busy on boy #2's quilt.








Details:

• Pattern called "Shuriken" from 25 Ways to Sew Jelly Rolls, Layer Cakes, & Charm Packs by Brioni Greenberg, pg. 58-61.
• Original pattern called for 80 blocks.  I did 99 and assembled them 9 across and 11 down.  My son is 13 and already 6 foot so I wanted to make sure it would fit him for a long time.
• Kona Charcoal for the background and then assorted Kona colors for the stars.
• Quilted by Lynn
• Finished size 78 inches by 95 inches.

Speedo Fridays

This post scares me ever so slightly.
I've made Speedos before....as a joke....for a baby shower gift.
I never thought I would actually be making them for real....for my teenage son.
Yikes!

Let's just start this by saying that swim team boys are C.R.A.Z.Y.
Maybe it is from holding their breath so much or breathing chlorine fumes, not sure.
But one of the team traditions is "Speedo Friday".
And it is exactly what it says: anyone who wants to wears a Speedo to Friday's practice.
My son wanted to participate so badly last year, because that is the "cool" thing to do, but I never got around to making any for him.
I didn't want to buy one, because let's face it, I knew I could make one.
Hello! I've been making tankini bottoms for girls for years.
The only real difference here is adding a drawstring.

So this year will be different.
He can participate in style on Speedo Fridays.



Wow, that is not much fabric.
He modeled for us and his older sisters about DIED of embarrassment.  Let's just say that gold piece looks an awful lot like your skin color.





Here's a hint for drawstrings--when you thread it through, pull the right side drawstring through the left side hole and vice versa.  The drawstring will be crossed underneath inside the casing.  This will help eliminate your kid pulling too hard and ripping the buttonholes.  Just saying....from very recent experience.

Details:

• Kwik Sew pattern 2881 (which is out of print).  I can't remember where I found the pattern, but it was brand new unopened.  Score!!  

• Swim fabric from the stash--gold was bought at Jo-Ann's I know for sure, the rest were thrift store finds.

• Drawstring from 3/8 inch polyester ribbon.  We tried 100% cotton, but once it is wet it is dang near impossible to untie.

4 Pack of Snowballs for Fall

I started these blocks a year ago last September (2013) and found them this past summer (2014) as I was going through some of the things in my sewing room.  I had sort of forgotten that I had them.  I decided that I just needed buckle down and put them together in a quilt top and so this Fall I did it.

I didn't have the "correct" amount of blocks once I was done to do a traditional 4 by 6 block layout.  I was just ONE block shy.  Arghhh!!  But in the end I like this layout better.  I put 3 rows of 5 blocks interspersed with 2 rows of 4 blocks.  I actually think it gives it more interest.



Hubby doesn't ever comment much on my projects unless I flat out ask him, but he told me he really likes this quilt.  So that means it will probably stay at our house once it is all completed.



Just need to get it sent off to Lynn for some quilting.





The 2 fabrics I used for the backing.

"Reindeer" Pillows

While rummaging around at SR Harris a few weeks ago looking for something else, which at the moment I can't remember what, I found this fun deer fabric.

It was a total impulse buy, I admit it.  However, I knew I could have fun with it.

I wanted to change it up and make some pillows for Fall.
Hubby and kids hunt quite a bit, so why not have some deer pillows.



They didn't get done in time for that season, so instead they are now "reindeer" pillows.
Technically they are Mule deer--per hubby--and he would know.
But for my purposes it will work for the season.

I added a red button on one "reindeer" and voila! we have Rudolph and the gang.

Swim Jammers

Boys swim team season started this week.
What our boys swim team members usually wear for practice and competition are what they call "jammers".
They look like bicycle shorts.
I'm sure they are super comfortable to swim in.

I "had" to make a couple pairs for my son this year since he outgrew last years.
I say "had" only because I have tons of fabric and it is just sitting there.  So why spend the money on new suits when I can make a couple pairs for much less.
Last year he was 5'7" or so and wore a size 9 shoe.
This year he is 5'11" pushing 6' as a 13 yr. old and wears an 11.
He eats a ton and takes up a lot of space in our house and his voice it getting deeper and he can lean down on the shoulder of one of his older sisters and he loves it.
She does not.

But back to the jammers.
I had lots of fun swim fabrics to choose from and he did.




Here's how I lined these.

Details:

• Kwik Sew pattern 2881 (out of print).
• Swim fabric from the stash.
• Bought polyester 3/8" black ribbon for the drawstrings.  

Celtic Cable Scarf

This beautiful scarf is only the second cable project that my oldest daughter has tackled.
The SECOND!
And usually she prefers crochet over knitting.
She may just have a gift for yarn arts.



I LOVE the braided side edge.

I was having problems getting the color right because this is what you would think of as traditional kelly green.  It sure doesn't appear that way in any of these photos.





She really did a great job.
There were a couple times she and I had to unravel and fix a couple spots.
Fortunately that only happened about 3 times, which is pretty good considering how complicated this cable scarf was.

Details:

• Pattern here.
• 2 skeins of Loops & Threads Impeccable in Kelly Green
• Finished dimensions 7 inches by 72 inches.

Side note: She happily wore this to the Celtic Thunder concert last Friday in keeping with the theme of the night.

Zebra Beanbag

I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving break here this past week.  Ours was eventful starting out with a slight concussion (daughter #2), snow delay for my parents coming to visit, chocolate birthday cupcakes on Thanksgiving along with vegan and gluten-free pumpkin pie which was actually quite good.  Can't vouch for the cupcakes because I didn't get one.  We also saw the Celtic Thunder Christmas concert, took our house off the market and went and looked at the house we still want to buy and inexplicably it is still empty and still for sale.  That pains me a lot.  We'll take a break for a couple months and then put our house back on the market and hope to high heaven it sells this next round.  Because really I'm not sure that we can take much more in that department.

Anyway, enough of all of that business.
There are times as a mother I feel I am constantly telling my children "no".
This is not one of them.

My youngest son wanted a zebra beanbag for his birthday (Thanksgiving Day last week) or Christmas.
Kinda random, but O.K.

I found 2 pieces of zebra print fleece (about a yard each for less than $2 apiece) at the thrift store along with a beat up beanbag ($3) that I cut up and used for a pattern as well as the inside "beans".

Here is the end result.


He was super happy with it and won't really let anyone else use it.
That's fine.
As the youngest he should be able to tell his siblings all "no" at times.

Here he is enjoying a treat and a good movie.




This was probably one of my better thrift store/recycle projects to date, if only for the mere fact that this boy is happy.

Notes:

• I first made a muslin beanbag and filled it with the beans and sewed it shut.
• The outer fleece panels are lined with a thrifted sheet so that it wouldn't stretch out too much.  I made this so I could pull it off and wash it if need be and not have the beans going every where.
• Zipper opening on the side panels.