New Iron Board Cover!

Why do I put things this easy off for so long?  I don't know.  I was not looking forward to making this ironing board cover.  Bad memories from the last one made too tight and I couldn't get it off without cutting it I suppose.  Well this beauty only too an hour or so plus a quick trip to get some elastic.  I've had this thick fabric picked out for probably a year!  While the baby was sleeping and my daughter was wrapping the last 2 presents I whipped up this cover.

I used this tutorial from Angela Osborn.  I had 4 different directions pinned but this one seemed the best.

I even used some "I love you" fabric that ended up in my stash somehow.  That kind of fabric doesn't seem appropriate to give to a stranger...

You should update yours too, it really makes the room look more cheery now!  No more burnt spots!

Rail Fence Three Ways

Rail Fence 3 Ways - Okay it's really only 2 ways and one scrappy, but we'll get to that in a minute. I was getting ready to teach a few ladies how to quilt and I thought this pattern would be perfect for that, but that plan fell through, especially with Emma home!  But I had started getting ready back in October for this.  So might as well make them anyway right?  I plan on giving them to a local nursing home, so they are a smaller lap size quilt.  

The first one is a traditional layout with 3 fabrics creating 2 running strips.  Love these colors, so bright and cheerful!

The second one is three fabrics too but with the blocks laid out to form pinwheels.  This one didn't look good in the original layout.  I guess I picked the wrong color to be in the middle.  But it looks good this way.

The final one is a traditional layout with the black on the outside to make a runner.  But I cut up all my brown and green scraps to do the other to sets.  I alternated the browns and greens on each block.  Half the blocks have green on the bottom and half have brown.  I meandered on the scraps and straight line quilted on the black.  

 Making these small quilts was so rewarding for me because they quilted up so fast.  The binding was super fast also.   It's amazing how good finishing some quilts feels!  I haven't gotten to finish anything since Emma came home.  Glad to be getting something done!  Christmas quilt will be done next - the last one of the year for me!

Emma's Home and Her Quilt!

Emma came home tuesday from her 11 week stay in the NICU!!!  She weighs 4 lb 15 oz about triple from when she was born.  Her first night home was rough, but her second was great.  We are getting into hang of things now.  It's a little different having a premie because she has to have her milk fortified and I can only nurse her 2 times a day.  Lots of extra work to get that accomplished.  But I have some helpers who love to feed and hold the baby!

Here's the quilt I made for her play pen. And 2 of her lovely sisters!

The plus quilt pattern seems to be a current favorite.  Soft teal and orange high light the pretty flower fabric not really shown well in the photos.

I stippled for a quick and easy finish

Not much sewing to be done for a while!

All Ready for Baby

Yep, I'm finally ready for baby Emma to come home from the hospital. And it will hopefully be this week!  She now has proper bedding to sleep beneath both upstairs and down.  This one is for her bed, I have another I will show later for her playpen.  I put pink minky on the back to keep her extra warm and it's so soft.  

 The top picture shows the right color.  The lighting in her room is terrible!  And I think I put her bumper on backwards.  It's made of minky too (but not by me) just a slightly lighter shade.  Her sister likes it since pink is her favorite color, so I think Emma will too.

7 Things I Learned Making a King Size Quilt

Finally got this one finished!  Yeah!  This is a king size quilt 108 x 108.  Possibly a little to long, but nice and wide.  I loaded this on the quilting machine before I finished the bumpers for the crib...agh!  Now I had to finish it because Emma should be coming home soon and she needs her bed.  Do you know how long it takes to quilt a king size quilt?  Especially when you are not doing an all over pattern?  Way Too Long!

Things I learned making this quilt (and don't want to forget...)

1.  This thing is huge.  Think twice before making another one.  (The bad thing is I have one more planned and fabric bought.)

2.  The last and only time I have ever made a king size quilt was 3 and a half years ago when I was pregnant with my 7th child.  This time I was pregnant with #8.  Didn't finish either quilt until after the baby was born. And last time I took the top to the local shop to have it quilted.  Nice but expensive.

3.  Patterns designed for a bed look different on paper than they do on the bed.  See here. Once the top was finished, I changed the bottom of it because I didn't like it on the bed.  I guess I forgot that it hangs down on the three sides and isn't flat.  duh.

4.  I almost cut the quilt top into 4 square lap quilts because I wan't sure I was going to like it.  I would have too but the back was already cut into strips and not big enough for separate quilts.  Pick a pattern that you know you will be happy with for a long time.  Don't try something experimental on your bed!  What are you going to do with a king size quilt you aren't in love with?

3. I love the look of straight line quilting, but hate doing it on my longarm despite the fact that it has horizontal locks.  Getting the quilt to roll even is tricky.  Especially when the quilt is so big.

4. Meandering is my all time favorite go to pattern.  Why?  Because it goes so quickly.  I quilted all the colors in less time than I quilted the white.  One note - don't try to meander when you're tired.  It doesn't look so pretty.

5.  Solid quilts need lots of texture.  I had planned on quilting each color a different way.  Once I quilted the white straight and meandered the blue I was so tired of this quilt and opted for the easy way out.

6.  You can't custom quilt a top in different colors and expect the back of the quilt to look just as good.  I was planning on a 2 sided quilt, but the quilting on the back has ruined, in my opinion, the look of the stripes.  I didn't even bother taking a picture because it is so bad.  If you're going to make a 2 sided quilt, pick one color of thread and an all over quilting pattern!!!

7.  Once you finish the quilt, you now need to make pillow cases and pillows to go with the bed!