Coming Along

The fabrics aren't my usual, but I'm liking it as a whole.  The fabric is a little less jarring when they are together.  There's another half still to be assembled, but this gives the idea.  Owen loves it.  It's gonna be a hit.
Not sure whether to use my stars fabric (just like the planet fabric but without the planets) as sashing around the whole thing or not.  We'll see what I think and if I want a couple more inches for sizing.  I may just use the stars for binding.  Owen's backing is going to be blue and Luke's will be green; so we can all tell them apart readily.

Really, Every Time

Every quilt has a point where I really don't particularly like it.  Even Secret Quilt #1, which is a favorite.  Right now I am so there with Owen's quilt.  I'm about half way done with Step Three and I'm not feeling it.  I'm hoping that this is just my standard antiquilt phase and I'll like it better soon, but I really think it's the fabric.  Owen loves it and that's really the important part.  It's just not my color scheme.  I'm having another sewing day today while Gma plays with the kiddos, we'll see if I end up with pics and you can see what I mean.  Start thinking up reassuring comments in the meantime.


update: No worries.  I laid it out to determine block placement and discovered that I do like it.  It really happens every time.  I should just go with it by now.  I am afraid though, that one of these days I'll make a quilt that I end up hating.

Coming Soon

Grandma Cindy is with us for awhile and she's key in my goal.  I want to have Owen's quilt ready for him this winter.  I hand quilt, which takes some time, so I need to get his quilt top ready.  My goal is to have his quilt top finished before Gma leaves us for California.  I got a little done on it already while Luke napped and Gma played with the others.  I got step one blue and green done.  The quilt pattern is pretty simple, but it's a multi step process.  See?

Step Four isn't really a step, it's pretty much just the result of Step Three, but about seventy or so Step Fours sewn together make the quilt top.
My square in step one is the planet fabric that matches the drapes I made in the boys' room.  The rectangles and small square (step two's square) are solids in colors from the planet print. 
The little I've done is looking good.  I don't think I've ever sewn anything with so much dark fabric, but it's for a boy and I it totally goes with the planet scheme of the room.  (The planet scheme being the glow in the dark planets hanging from the ceiling.  The pic's old, but the planets are still there.  Luke has since moved in and they have a new big dresser.)

As I know a certain youngest is concerned for my youngest, don't worry, Luke's quilt has not been forgotten, it's just lower priority as he is over a year away from sleeping on the bunk bed.  He will have his own planet quilt, it's fabric is even already mostly cut.
So here's hoping I have a quilt top to show you soon.

For Mary

Aunt Mary is off to the MTC. Tomorrow she starts her 18 month mission for our church.  Curious?  We wanted to send Aunt Mary away with something from us that wouldn't be a pain to have to carry along with her necessities. Here's what we came up with: PILLOWCASES!
Awesome, right?  How functional.  We brainstormed various Aunt Mary facts and then got to work.
First up, i heart cats.  Because man, Aunt Mary and cats.  (I have now confessed to Aunt Mary my feelings toward cats and she's not holding it against me.)

Aren't the creases great?  Aunt Mary had to unpack this one for the picture and I so didn't bother to iron.
It's more applique, I've become a little applicrazy.  I blame the Scrabble quilt and the left over fusible web.  I did a simple blanket stitch around it all.

The heart is made with the over the top " I love my kitty cat" fabric that I used when I made Mary some flannel slippers a few years ago.

Next up, Godzilla attacking Atlanta Bread Company.  Mary used to work there.  On our end it was a great deal; she brought over the stuff that was getting less than fresh.  The peanut butter cookies dipped in chocolate are really good.  (and yeah, the lighing's crummy)

 Anyway, Godzilla.  He's applique and blanket stitch with backstitching on the details.  And my very first successful french knot for his eye. 

 Doesn't he look angry?  He must not have tried the chocolate filled croissants yet.  They taste way better than that car will.
The only potential flaw in the whole pillowcase scheme is that they could be wildly uncomfortable to sleep on.  Guess she can always just turn it over.  Although having Godzilla imprinted on her cheek would be pretty funny.
In other Aunt Mary sewing, I adjusted the sizing on the temple slippers I made her for her birthday.  I had forgotten to factor in the nylon slippery factor, they shouldn't slip off anymore.

Growing

Secret Quilt #2 was feeling like it needed a little more, so I added a little more.  I'm thinking about diagonal quilting in the middle, but that's waiting on a few pieces of information. 

One of the plants we're plant sitting is flowering for the first time ever.  It gets more direct sunlight here than its usual spot, I was told. 

 The most blooming ones are in the middle of the plant jungle.  These are the best shots I could get. 

That's the latest in my sewing room; quilts and plants alike are growing.

Someday

I'm intrigued by the idea of making a doll house quilt.  I had a blanket dollhouse that is now Lily's.  It's a panel with the dollhouse printed on it.  I really want to make a quilt with a house.  I figure the walls, floors, and baseboards can be pieced and the furniture and whatnot appliqued on.  I like the idea of being able to put lots of little details in each room.  I think it would be fun to make it match the actual decor in someone's house.
Right now this is on my board with my other quilt ideas.  Someday I will make one of these.  Maybe all the pregnant people I know will have girls and I'll get to make one soon...

The "Fake Pleats"

I think they look pretty impressive, I mean come on, pleats are hard core.  These were crazy easy.  Well, okay there was some math involved, but as far as the physical making of them, easy. 
I made a bunch of equidistant button holes on the back of the rod pocket.  I did this before I sewed the pocket, so essentially giant buttonholes near the unfinished edge then I folded it over to make the rod pocket.  (The equidistant part was where the math came in.)
Once the sewing was all done I just wove the rod in and out through the buttonholes.  That way, the "out" part of the curtain pulls away from the rod when I open the curtains and creates a fake pleat.  Easy.