Baby Quilt: Tumbler and Stars!

I decided to make a quilt from the scraps that I had from the first quilt and the curtains I am working on. I am still working on the curtains, I made a mess, so now I have to think it over and decide a better way to do them or just make a topper and buy solid curtains to match;)

This one I used the baby tumbler die to cut, makes it easier to cut them out, but it does waste a bit of fabric. Great though for scraps since you just need sizes that fit the dies.

This is the fabric that I won from Henry Glass Fabrics, they really sent me a lot. I still have the green shades that I can use for another quilt, plus a yard of print and one with rows of animals that I will use for the curtain tops.

I wanted to add a little touch and saw a quilt that had stars with circles in them, so I made my own starts and fussy cut the circles to add a little fun to the quilt. I used fusible on them, then a blanket stitch by machine. I also used a variegated blue thread, so on some spots it looks like there is no stitching, not a good idea to use lights on light if you want it to show;)

Then I decided I wanted stitches that were larger and fun, so I am hand stitching the tumbler blocks. It is taking me longer, but I am on the second half, so I should have that finished tomorrow. I would like to do star stitching on the borders, and I also think embroidery would be cute, but would take longer. I am hoping to have it done by sunday, we shall see.

Here is a sneak peak, not the best piecing or stitching, but I am sure he won't mind that Grandma isn't perfect.

Baby Quilt Top Done!

I finally finished the top. Lots of piecing and fixing and stitch ripping and machine acting up, but it all worked out and I finished the top. It is not perfect, I cannot keep my blocks straight, no matter how hard I try, lol. The original pattern came from Connecting Threads in their free patterns. They had the nine patch in the corners, but I decided to add a fussy cut kangaroo, too cute not to use.

Now I need to figure out how to quilt it, suggestions are welcome. I want to keep it simple so wondering if I should just stitch in the ditch and maybe X's across the large blocks and maybe a interwoven design for the border?

I am going to mix the solid blue with some of the solid yellow or all yellow for the binding? The pieces are not long enough to go in one straight line, so I would have to sew pieces together and think it would look nicer with mixed, than solids that are sewn.

I was thinking of using blue thread for the quilting? I still have material to make curtains, so that is next and then enough to make another quilt, so I might use the green shades and do a chisel or tumbler with the dots and then the animal print for the borders.

Here is a close up to show the colors better. This is such a cute print and I do have larger animal prints that I can use in a second quilt, can never have too many.

So Many Blessings!

This month has been filled with wonderful giveaways and I have been the lucky recipient of a few. I wanted to share my wonderful prizes with you and the wonderful people who have made the giveaways possible. Winning such great prizes allows me to enjoy quilting and eventually make charity quilts with the money I save, I have been stocking up on batting.

One book I have always loved was Jacquelynne Steve's book, Fruitful Hands. I fell in love with the pineapple quilt, a simple but fun piece and something that would look great as a wall quilt for my dining room. The book also has recipes and patterns for quilts and smaller items that would make wonderful gifts. You can visit her blog, The Noble Wife for inspiration and she also has some wonderful freebies.

This is on my to do list. The giveaway was sponsored by Henry Glass Fabrics. If you love quality fabrics and giveaways, be sure to sign up for their blog.

Another giveaway was hosted by See How We Sew. I won the book "Quilting 101", by Sue Rasmussen. It is a wonderful reference guide for quilting and it is definitely something I need lol. I am always forgetting the basics and what types of needles to use for projects, so now I have a reference that I can refer to, as I quilt and things I can learn to do better.

And today I received another fun prize, something I can make for myself and as gifts for my friends. I was able to choose any pattern from Cath's Pennies. I have always loved her designs and not only does she make wonderful patterns, but she gives directions with photos on her blog to help  you in creating your own pieces. 

It was a tough decision, I love all of her designs, but this one is perfect as a gift too and I have gingerbread buttons, so they will be perfect for this design. You can see this and many more at her website, Cath's Pennies Designs.

I Win You Win Giveaway!

Last week I was the lucky winner of a fabric giveaway hosted by Henry Glass Fabrics. It was a surprise giveaway so I had no idea what they would send me. I loved the fun Down Under fabric and I really was surprised when, that is what I got, but also the whole bundle of the fabric line, wow!

There is at least a yard on each and more on others, so I will be able to make quite a few charity quilts with this and it will be so fun for the kids that receive it. I have some ideas for quilts, but I would love your ideas or maybe links to patterns that I could use. I many design some around the fabric. Leave a comment on this posting and I will pick a winner on Friday night. The winner will get their choice of one of my epatterns or booklets.