3 Quilts and a Scrappy Trip

Howdy everybody! Hope this summer is treating you well! I actually did some sewing this summer although not as much as I would like, but I got some things started and accomplished.....well sorta!

I made this awesome quilt inspired by Canoe Ridge Creations Chevron and On quilt that was featured in March/April edition of Quilty mag.

I used my Kate Spain Central Park charm packs that have been in the stash for a while. This was a "use what I have" challenge. I think it was pretty successful. I forgot how much I love this line. The colors are so wonderfully bright and exciting!

I also quilted this myself and was the first time I did a panto on the longarm. I am so happy with how it came out! I still need to attach the binding. I found the most amazing print in my stash, all the colors match perfectly! I don't remember what its called or who made it, but I love it.

And then this amazingness....

I recently quilted this beautiful Vintage Revival Quilt for one of the gals at the guild. It was such a delight to have this gorgeous thing on my frame. It was not all fun and games though as I quickly found out that my straight line quilting skills were lacking. I used the Morocco pantograph from Urban Elementz and it sure was tough. I wound up making a stencil and quilting from the front side with my ruler.

It really was awesome though, I learned a ton on this bad boy. I figured out how to load a pieced back, deal with bias edges, and beefed up on my ruler work. It was great! Sure took me long enough but the owner is super stoked and I'm proud of myself. It isn't perfect, but I'm not either ;)

Here is another quilt I quilted (I hate saying it like that. makes it sound weird...quilt I quilted...lol). Anyway...This one came from my neighbor. It is her first quilt, EVER! The pattern is a slightly modified version of Ring Toss by Allison Harris. She made it for her daughter and did such an amazing job! I was so impressed. Very good person to instruct. And she loved the quilt making process so much she is already starting to think of other things to piece together. **insert evil laughter** I just did an overall meander which was super fun and super quick. Love the bright fun colors in this. I might have to make one myself!

And lastly, I FINALLY started my scrappy trip quilt. I have been wanting to do this for forever! I pulled everything out of the stash for this one. 

I really want it to be super scrappy, but its actually proving to be pretty hard with my matchy-matchy-ness. I have decided to run a dark strip through every block to kind of tie it all together. 

I don't think I will make it too big though the more blocks I make the more I just want to keep going. We will see where it takes me.......

Its Been A Loooong While

Hey everyone! I'm surprised you are all still here. I'm not really keeping my resolution, but oh well. Its hard to make promises like that and I knew you'd all understand anyway! Right?!?!?! I didn't really go anywhere, life just sort of happened as life normally does. I don't want to admit that it was laziness so let's just call it a hiatus. ;)

There is a lot to share as its been, ooohhh, 5 months or so since my last post. But the anticipation only makes it that much better! I'll just pick up like I never left off.

I finally finished the baby quilt I was working on for our newest family member. She was born in April and her name is Giavanna. Such a cutie!

And since the last post I bought something.....something BIG.

I just couldn't pass it up! I love it! It makes the quilting process so much easier and faster. No more sore shoulders or days and days of quilting. I'm actually not using it as much as I like, but it probably just means I'm not sewing enough.

I finished my Spanish Tiles quilt on it though. Figured out how to do woodgrain FMQ!

I also made this...

this...

and working on this...

I am sure there are plenty of things I missed. And I PROMISE to share them when I come across them. I just bought the backing, a sheet, for the quilt top so I'll hopefully be quilting it soon! Yippie!!!! Thank you to everyone who has held in there with me. Your support is very much appreciated. To my family and friends I'm still alive. And to the blog-o-sphere you'll be hearing more from me!!!

SLMQG

Guys....last night was so wonderful!!!! I finally got to go to a Salt Lake Modern Quilt Guild meeting and I must say it was one of the best things I've done so far here in Utah! It was a little sketchy at first, but after the nervous jitters were gone and I started talking to all the wonderful people there its was just magic! There were so many amazing quilters and designers it kind of blew my mind. Not to mention I was a little star struck (and I'm gonna name drop) when I saw Katie from the blue chair sitting inches from me. My insides were all like sqeeeeeeeeee!!!!!! Justin even knew who she was LOL!!! And I don't mean to get all dorky but to finally meet someone who, to you, has been so influential and inspiring it kind of calls for a little jumping up and down!

Its official!!!!!!!

But seriously, the inspiration was everywhere. I left feeling so excited and delighted to jump in front of my sewing machine and get down to business. I feel like this is the first set. And hopefully if my work schedule cooperates, I can make it to as many meetings/events as I can so I get hang out with all of these amazingly talented and wonderful people!!!! I don't know too many names yet, but I'm sure in time I'll get to know each and everyone them!

The Riley Blake Challenge

 

Thank you to everyone that participated in Show and Tell it was awesome. I hope you all feel as inspired as I do!

What I'm Working On

Well not much going on around here. Lots of working and unfortunately closing a lot so I don't have much time to do the things I'd like. I get home around 10:30pm, gorge on whatever I can find in the fridge and then go to bed to do it all over again the next day. My sleep schedule is also very screwy, but at least I have a job, right?!

 

Anyway....enough of me complaining..... I'm still binding my Swoon quilt. Its so big. I'm hoping I can finish it by Thursday. Its the first Salt Lake Modern Quilt Guild meeting I will attend since being in Utah. I'm sooooo excited!!! Hopefully all the people I had been admiring while in Jersey will be there! Kind of the greats of the quilt world. I might have to get autographs LOL! I won't. Well maybe :D . I just hope its going to be a great time. Justin will be going with me since I have no one to go with and he's worried about me driving into the city by myself. I hope he can stay entertained for a while. Quilty meetings are not the best place for uninterested boys.

I let you know how it goes. As for now, off to more binding before work while watching King of the Hill. :) What are you guys working on this week???

An Update and a Resolution

Happy 2014 everyone!!! I hope 2013 was a good one for all of you! For me it was full of ups and downs, but mostly ups which is a good thing. Many of you may or may not know, I moved in 2013 all the way across the country to Utah! As a result I took a bit of a hiatus from blogging to focus on my life and to get everything back to normal. Well 2 months later we're back to semi-normal and with the New Year I thought I would make a resolution and sort of promise to get back to blogging. Not only for all of you out there still interested in my crafty shenanigans, but for me. I enjoy blogging and hopefully will be doing more of it soon!

So where to begin.....Well we made it! Home sweet home. Moving is definitely not fun, but when its to your first house its kind of super exciting. I finally have a place I can call my own and I don't need to be rich to enjoy the amazing views! Its funny though. If you would have asked me a year ago if I thought I would be in Utah now I would have thought you were crazy. Utah was definitely not on the radar, but after visiting a few times we kind of fell in love. Such a change from New Jersey.

The house is slowly coming together. The first week we were here there was a lot of spending :/ New couch, new mattress, a washer and dryer, etc. We still don't have a dining room table, but its fine because the space is great for quilty projects! :D

Don't judge.

 Speaking of crafty spaces I finally have one!!! My very own sewing room!!! Its super messy and disorganized right now, but hopefully I can get it together soon and make it my own little sanctuary. For now I make due with the rest of the house though. And I kind of find it more enjoyable as I can sew and hang out with my honey while he watches TV.

Guess its just as messy!

 During Christmas I was very busy! I actually found time to make a tree skirt, finish a WIP from 2013, make family and friends little ornaments and gifts, and even start another project. I'm still working on binding my monstrous Swoon quilt and dreading quilting my Spanish Tiles quilt. But I cant wait to add more to the pile! I love that I can finally have the quilts out and in use! Makes it even more homey!

 

Ignore the laundry basket.

I'll leave you with my latest finish, its a quilt for the newest soon to be member of my boyfriend's family. His niece is having a baby in April so I figure I would get a jump on it! So here's to a productive and bloggy New Year!!! May you all have a happy, healthy and productive 2014!!!!