Marked and Basted

Who needs a light box when I have HUGE windows and painter's tape!!  It takes a while, I have to do it during the day and it helps if it is a sunshiny day (yep I was expecting a lot for the beginning of December in Ohio!)

I did wash it between embroidery and marking.  And for those that saw the color catchers that came out with the Crown quilt this is what came out with this one.

All marked and ready for basting.  I have been quilting for a few days.  It will take a while, I really do not expect to have it done before her arrival date -January 11th.  Plus who knows when she will decide to arrive anyway!  

This is the back.  It is mostly a Cabbage Patch Kid sheet that came from my mother's house a couple of months ago.  My younger sister (not the one who is expecting though) and I had these sheets as kids.  It is coming along, so much gets in the way though.  I wish I could just spend like 3 weeks doing only quilting in front of the TV for like 10-12 hours a day...not going to happen ever!  HAve a great night all!

peeks out...

....the shutters and sometimes he speaks and tells ho(w)

This is what I had embroidered on Vega's quilt....more to come tonight.  I have been focused elsewhere the last few days, soon my house will be back in order and I can focus on my projects again!

For now enjoy a few pictures of a quilt I made for one of my best friend's.  It took almost 4 years to complete, but it is pretty amazing.  These are not great shots, but the others had my daughter in them and well you know my rules of public blogging.  Enjoy and I'll be back to pictures of current projects soon. 

May be not....

I may be putting a new back onto the Crown quilt.  We'll see what Mary decided when she sees it, I am very nervous about the whole thing.  It became sort of like making something out of paper towels, actually what the Crown fabric felt like by the end was exactly what Color Catchers feel like after the wash.  I have always wanted to do something with those but never knew what, but I digress.

It was not victory when I posted it was done....I knew that.  It is what happens when you jump in with 2 feet blind to use a fabric you are not familiar with when you are spoiled with snotty quilt store fabric (I mean that in the most loving way, as I often refer to myself as a snob about several alright many things in my life and fabric is one of them).....but I learned things as I went that I can use later if I ever want to do anything like this again.

I am back to working on Vega's quilt right now.  Today on top of much cleaning that I accomplished I have embroidered ....he peek...ad part of the s today.  Tomorrow will be another cleaning day, Sunday too.  We will see what I accomplish then.  More pictures tomorrow, come back and check them out!

Declaring concession!

Not victory, not defeat just conceding that it is done!  

I have learned many things with this quilt...and for the first time where I think it will need it...I am also giving it a replacement guarantee....when it wears out (and it will) I will make a second one for just the cost of parts.  

This the back, I ran out of the purple and had bought all that Jo Anns had....oops, plus I had more squares then I thought and wanted to make it bigger.  So I used more of the (originally) off white flannel, and this is how it ended up being pieced.

What I learned about using Crown flannel bags for a quilt, and what will go into any future one that I do....

1) prewash, probably more then once with many color catchers and nothing else.

2) use a fusible interfacing at least, may be even a fusible web and felt to stabilize the flannel.

This part was actually more of an issue then the color bleeding. It seemed that every time I finished one step I had to go back and redo something that had pulled loose on the step before.  I realize that I may not have perfect seam allowances but I gave them plenty of extra space to avoid this!

As I said I learned as I went...this is what happens when you jump in head first without a pattern or instructions and just do!  

Anyone ever done something like this?  Thoughts? ideas? Comments?!

Vega's Quilt

This is where I am on Vega's quilt.  It is nearly to the corner, and then only one side left.  ANother reason I really want to get the Crown quilt done.  After this one I have a slight quandary, I have 2 cousin's who are expecting their first babies.  Ok so far I have not made quilts for my cousins' babies, that said I have quilts to finish for my 4 children.  So which do I do?  I am trying to figure out a way to get both done.  It is part of why I am doing such tiny steps toward getting big projects done.  Like weaving a little a day, or the yoyos I do while waiting.  

I have big plans for somedays...someday I want to be able to do craft shows and have an Etsy shop.  Just enough to feed my own fabric stuff and may be get to buy some presents for my husband....and ok maybe some things for me too, you know big dreams....books, Vera Bradley, Doc Martins.

Have a great night, and stop back again.

Trimming

That is it for today...trimming of the crown quilt.  I'll post a new picture when it is completed.  I am going to work on Vega's quilt for a while before bed.  

The quilt is my niece Lilia's.  It was not quite done in this picture, but you sort of get the idea.  This was the first quilt that I used Crayola washable markers to mark the quilting lines.  Trust me I prayed hard that it would come out and you know what...they did and have every single time I have used them.  This was a really cool quilt pattern, but ever single piece was a bias seam so seriously I had to quilt it flat!  The back has lilies of the valley on it.  Hope you have a great weekend!

Crown Quilt

This is a quilt that I am making as a commission for my sister in law's brother in law....got that.  My husband's sister's husband's brother, commissioned by his fiance for Christmas.  It is made with Crown Royal bags and some other flannel.  

Oh and by the way that is a Monster High rag doll (the werewolf one) on the quilt.  

I am making it in the rag quilt style, this is my first attempt and I am learning as I go.

These are the color catchers that I used in the wash, but it was not enough....I should have prewashed.  It is done.  Color Catchers work quite well, as you can see they just only hold so much!  I always use them when ever I wash a quilt for the first time.  They are one of my cheater quilt bits of nonquilt stuff I use.

It needs much trimming and I am going to get some more thread and stitch down the gold parts.  As I said I am learning.  It will be done no later then Wednesday so that my In Laws can drive it to Indy instead of me having to ship it.  But notice that it is sort of lavender not so much off white anymore.  My husband says he likes it better, I hope Mary and Brandon do!

Have a great night and I hope to post some more soon.