My first two quilt patterns - where to find them!

I have been working on these two patterns and the samples for almost a year.  I'm sure it's not supposed to take that long, but I am so very happy to finally have them to show you!

The first pattern is made using vintage or re-purposed sheets.  It's named Jane Dandy, and comes with directions for two sizes, baby and twin.  It also comes with fabric requirements in case you want to make it with new fabric.

The second pattern is very close to my heart.  It's made from old jeans, and I am just so thrilled with the way it came out.  I used at least 15 pairs of jeans, so that I could incorporate lots of different colors, and lots of friends contributed their old jeans to the cause!  The directions are for having a quilt that comes out just like the cover, but you can, of course, use the directions as a guide and make your own, one of a kind quilt.

You must be thinking to yourself, "Where can I get these great patterns?"  There are currently two places

• My Etsy Shop, and 
• PatternSpot.com

If I get a good response, or requests for it, I will have them printed.  Right now they are in the form of PDF downloads.  While I love PDFs, and have purchased many patterns that way, I know some people still prefer printed patterns.

I am so happy to share this exciting news with you!

Apple Cobbler Pattern Review - another baby quilt

I'm getting them done as fast as I can...these babies...they just keep coming.  And coming EARLY.

This is Apple Cobbler, by Carlene Westberg Designs.  I got the pattern as a PDF download, from Fat Quarter Shop.  The fabric I used was a fat quarter bundle of Safari Sweet by Alysssa Thomas (Penquin & Fish).  This is from Clothworks' Organic Elements line.  

One side note...I do find the organic fabrics a bit stiffer to sew with, but they wash just beautifully and come out very soft.  Funny, it seems if I wash it first, then sew on it, it's still pretty stiff...but the end result is always soft, and I'm pleased with it.

The pattern was super simple.  You cut three size rectangles from fat quarters.  My only beef was that it said "works well with large and small scale prints".  I didn't really think about the fact that I had stripes, and that they may need to get cut in two different directions out of the fat quarter.  It would have been nice if that was noted, but that having been said, I think the mix and match of the stripe directions actually looks really cute.

I also quilted and bound my second Square Dance quilt.  I used a cotton from the same line, and an orange houndstooth (Denyse Schmidt) for the binding.  I am over the moon with the results.  This may become my go-to baby quilt pattern.

I love the brightness of the blue for the back, and blue and orange are one of my favorite color combinations.

Look at all those critters!  Dragonflies, ladybugs, turtles, salamanders...just perfect for little eyes to focus on.

Next up is a big reveal for me...I have been working on these two projects for over a year.  It will be a big exciting day for me, and I can't wait to share it with you all.

Fat Quarter Shop Mystery Designer BOM #5 - Quilting Crack

I have decided that these Mystery Designer BOM's from Fat Quarter Shop are worse than any sweets that I might be drawn to.  And I LIKE sweets.  When these arrive in my mailbox, I literally think about them obsessively until I finish them.  This month was no exception.

It arrived on Saturday, late afternoon, and I finished it first thing this morning.

What I like the most about this block, is that while I was making it, I didn't even SEE the lighter shaded square in the center.  I was so focused on the flying geese that I didn't notice the subtler "internal" shapes.  It really shows up nicely in the picture.

I'm going to have to ask Santa for the finishing kit and the backing.  I should have finished block 8 by then!

I am working on two other projects now that both got pushed aside for this block.  I'm finishing up the quilting and binding on the second Square Dance quilt, and I'm piecing the top for ANOTHER baby quilt.  An additional challenge is that BOTH babies arrived early, and are now here on Earth, live and in person, and neither of their quilts are finished yet!  

Indygo Junction Girly Gored Skirt - Review

Right out of the box, I'm going to say I LOVED this pattern.  The directions were fairly basic, but that's all they needed to be.  The whole thing, start to finish, took me around an hour.

The number of panels you cut is determined by the size skirt you're making.  There are three length and gore size variations.  I made this skirt for the big sister of the baby I made the Seven Seas Quilt for.  When the new baby comes, I wanted her to have something new, too.

The skirt is very simple.  I made the smallest size, which called for 9 panels, so I chose three fabrics so there would be an even number of each one.  I also turned up the bottom and hemmed it...the pattern showed a simple serged bottom, but my cutting wasn't neat enough for that.

This will make a fantastic twirly skirt.  My daughter's already picking out fabric for hers.

Overall I would give the pattern and "A".  Simple directions, lots of sizes to choose from, options on how to finish it, and a spectacular finished product!

Flannel Meadow Friends Square Dance Baby Quilt

I've never made the same quilt pattern twice.  But I was so very happy with the Seven Seas Square Dance quilt that I decided to make another one.  The whole process was much quicker this time, and I think my total sewing time for the whole top was maybe 2 1/2 hours.

I used flannel Meadow Friends by Deb Strain.  When I bought this I really felt like it was gender neutral.  I decided to leave the pinks out, because the baby this is for is arriving in November, and I thought it would look fall-ish.  Now I'm wondering...is it to masculine?  I love the orange and white.  What do you think??

There are all of these adorable frogs and dragonflies, that you can only see up close.  There were some prints in the cotton line that I didn't get in my flannel bundle, but I'm using one of the cottons with a lot of the creatures for the backing.

I have to say that it is SO encouraging to be able to put together a quilt top so quickly now.  Our side fence is my favorite picture location for quilts.

Warrior Dash 2012 - More Fun Than People Should be Allowed to Have

So if you follow my blog, you know that I started running last December. I've been slowly progressing, and have run a number of 5ks. I try to sign up for races that will motivate me and be fun, not just grueling. I don't know who suggested it originally, but I signed up for the Warrior Dash early this summer.

For those of you who may not know, the Warrior Dash is a 5k, with an obstacle course built into the middle of it. It is known for mud, and racers getting completely covered and filthy. It is a huge national race that is held in many cities, all over the country, with the proceeds benefitting the St. Jude foundation. Good cause to get dirty for, right??

The race was this Saturday, and my cousin Amy drove from New York to join us. Here we are at the beginning of the race...clean. (I'm on the far right).

The waves of runners started every 1/2 hour. The race started out easy enough...3/4 mile of normal running...but then...the first obstacle.

It was a sea of old tires on the ground, leading up to a row of junked cars. You had to maneuver through the tires, and up over the cars. Tricky, but fun.

Then came the climbing. The walls were high...some as high as 20 feet. With just a rope, a few foot holds and your friends cheering behind you. We army crawled under barbed wire. We clambered up sand hills, and through mucky, smelly water in the woods. We jumped over rows of fire. And then...came the mud.

The last obstacle was a 15 yard crawl through soupy, thick mud. But there was that darn barbed wire again above you, so you had to get on your hands and knees, and wade through it.

Here we are at the end. Not looking quite the same are we??

It really was a lot of fun. Fantastic ego boost. Wonderful way to support and encourage friends to push through things they think they can't do. I loved it.

Fat Quarter Shop Mystery Designer BOM #4 - LOVE

I don't know what it is about these...but I cannot WAIT to put them together when they arrive in the mail. I got mine on Thursday, so this is probably the longest I've taken to finish my block.

This month's Fat Quarter Shop Mystery Designer BOM is designed by the wonderfully talented Aneela Hoey.

This is my favorite block so far. I know it's a little thing, but I love that the red pattern is cut both ways so that it's always facing the same way when the block is finished.

Besides doing this block this weekend, I ran in the Warrior Dash. I can't wait to share about that next!