Quilting, Sewing and More!

Things have been so busy with the move, lots of birthdays, projects due and more! On February 13th, Madisyn will be baptized and I have had her fabrics for her special quilt picked out for months...and a plan of what I wanted to do. I wanted to do a fun quilt with lots of circles cut out of her fun fabrics on a neutral pattern and with me just trying to come up with the pattern on my own...I kept getting stressed out. So, I found a simple pattern that I liked and spent the entire day yesterday...cutting and sewing!

I have loved the look of the Coin Quilts for awhile and I've heard that it is really easy and quick to do...so I thought it was perfect. A few quick links:


Coin Quilt Pattern via Moda Bake Shop
Inspiration on Flickr
Information on Squaring up your Fabrics via the Purl Bee (I needed a good tutorial on this)

I used fabrics from Heather Bailey's Freshcut Line (which I always loved but never used), some Amy Butler favs, some corduroy and some other fun pieces thrown in.

The cutting took me all morning and then I started to lay out the 5 patchwork lines for the quilt. Then, the sewing began. I finished up all the 'lines' this morning at 9:30 a.m. Super fast for me! So, now I am cutting the sashing for the middle and the border and will get it all sewn together.

I hope that she will love this quilt. I was going to do something much more simpler and 'rougher', but in the end, I want it to be something she can really have forever...possibly pass on to her own little girl someday.
 
On a side note, my projects are up at Studio Calico using the February Kit. You can check them out here. There is also a fun challenge on their blog this week using one of my layouts as the sketch - check it out and play along!

I'm off to watch LOST! So excited that it is back...so sad that it's the last season. Bachelor...anyone watching? I always call it from the first night (or at least to the last 2 standing) and I totally think Tenley is awesome! We'll see! :) Have a great night!

How to choose fabrics for a quilt?

Everytime I go to start a new project, whether it be a scrapbook page, a card, or a quilt...it seems that it always stems from me being inspired by a certain product that I just can't wait to use any longer. Obviously, time doesn't permit me to work on everything at once (I wish it would) so things sit and wait to be used up...and these beautiful fabrics are some of those lovely things.

I just love everything that Heather Bailey comes out with and when I saw this first line, Freshcut, I think I bought nearly all of it. Products always seem to age quickly for me...scrapbooking patterned papers and fabrics...I know when they came out, what is currently hot and new...I just love to keep up on all of that stuff. So, sometimes it's hard for me to go back and use something that is "older" when there are so many "newer" things that I'm so anxious to use.

However, as I went to dig through my stash to see if there was something in my collection that would be fun to use for the quilt I'm making for Madisyn, I found the fabrics from Freshcut and I was instantly inspired. How can you go wrong with these fresh colors, polka dots and florals?

When working on a big project like a quilt, I usually like to stick to one fabric line because I like it to look coordinated and the colors to match well together. I've been trying to break out of that though and be okay with some differences and variety. So I pulled all the Freshcut fabrics I wanted to use and then I tried to see what else 'matched' with the colors...a mustard polka-dot, a mustard yellow corduroy, a rose fabric, a dot from an older Amy Butler line and some more. I love how it all came together!

Now, the cutting begins! I plan to die-cut the fabrics into 4-5" circles and sew them on top of a solid'ish fabric...any recommendations on a background fabric for this color combo? I was thinking of maybe the light brown from one of the Freshcut fabrics - or just a neutral cream? Decisions!

Speaking of fabric, I was excited when I read on the blog of Paula Prass that she was giving away 3 fat quarters of her new fabric collection, Woodland Delight. Imagine the excitement I had when I found out I won the 'brown' colorway of fat quarters - so thrilled! I think they are beautiful fabrics...I debated about using them for Madisyn's quilt instead...but I've already gotten this far on the other set! :) So, now I need to come up with a new plan - check out the fabrics, they are beautiful and I think I read that they will be available the beginning of November! :)

New fabrics from Quilt Market Fall 2009

I always look forward to seeing the unvieling of new fabric collections at Quilt Market. Although I have never been to Quilt Market in person...I search the internet for photos and info about what is hot and what is new. I always look forward to seeing new fabrics from Heather Bailey, Amy Butler and American Jane...and now it seems like I'm falling in love with so many other designers and companies.

Here are a few photos that I have found of new lines that I'm excited to check out when they are available:

Love by Amy Butler

Swell Nicey Jane and Cool Nicey Jane by Heather Bailey

(above photos taken from Fat Quarter Shop)

Woodland Delight from Paula Prass (this is one of the three great color combos)

Riley Blake - beautiful designs and lots of new lines coming out. I saw the All-Stars line last week at a fabric store and I'm thinking of making bedding for my boys room with it...it is beautiful! Love this cute umbrella design below:

I'm sure there are plenty more, but there are a few that I am excited to see. Any others that you  have seen and fell in love with?

For Madisyn's 8th Birthday and baptism in January, I am making her a special blanket for the big day. I finally think I have all the fabrics pulled and ready to go...I've got to get started soon or I won't get it done...especially with the holidays coming up. I really want to use all the yummy new fabrics that are out, but I'm trying to use up some of my stash...which there is plenty of. I'll take a picture of the yummy pile of fabrics and share here...as well as the next card in the ABC Inspiration Challenge. My hubby has been sick and things have been crazy...so I'm sorry about the lack of posts. I had high goals of posting every day to this blog and I hope that I can get there very soon! Hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!