Kids, Summer, and Quilts

Well I can't believe I haven't posted since the Spring... Wow, anyhow Summer was a blur.  I remember when the kids were small and I was sooooo busy, well I think as they grow you just get busier.  Maybe it's just me, but I feel as though I can push the kids harder, do more exciting stuff.  I like babies but kids are way funner.

Speaking of babies, I wasn't entirely idle in my studio all summer long (close but not quite).  I was able to crank out a couple of baby quilts.

Here we have a cute little lattice quilt.  And I'll tell you I had one hell of a time figuring this out.  I have been quilting long enough to know better!

You know when you see a simple looking pattern and your like 'Oh yeah I could do that in... like an hour!'



Yeah it took me longer than an hour.  But painful memories aside I moved onto a simpler window box type quilt.  Mmmmm, made out of the soft stuff.  Nothing too complicated here but more or less effective.

May favorite summer quilting accomplishment is actually the Eat, Play Sleep, Repeat. quilt.  I just love the concept and the 'simplicity'.  Seriously what is wrong with me why do I think everything is so easy, only to find it really hard.  I'm like an addict or a masochist.  Anyhow if you wanted to give it a try I found the idea/.pdf here.

I really love this quilt.  I didn't really follow the pattern because I just didn't want to (there is that little problem again, stupid brain).  I used 5" squares around the outside of the quilt because I wanted more colour.  But I think it's the quilting that really worked well here. I quilted around every letter before I cross hatched the middle.  So the cross hatching does't cross the letters.  I really loved making this quilt.  Stitching down the letters was a bit of a chore but a little more practice can't hurt especially for what I have planned for this winter.

 Here is my project due for completion by.... dun dun duuunnnnn.... Christmas.  This quilt is for my mother-in-law.

 I have colour issues. I hate to admit it but I really do.  I try so hard and that is probably my problem.  So here is the full size pieces cut out and labeled ready for cutting out and edge turning.  I'm not entirely happy with the bird, it seems so awesome at first but I really don't like the tail.  So I have gone out and bought (or scavenged) some more colours, to make some drop shadows/highlights.  I can't get too carried away here because the quilt is so big (queen) and I want it to still be soft and usable.  The bird is about 30" x 40"

The background of the bird is going to be a very subtile bargello in creams and browns, a nightmare all in itself, hahaha. 

I'm hoping to hook up with my long lost blogging peeps over at The Needle and Thread Network, sorry for the summer absence, I'm sure you all understand.

Oh and I turned 30.