Finished - Tablet Travel Pouch

My husband has a new technology toy (read that:  "keep your hands off my ipad'), a Kindle Fire DX.  Actually, a pretty cool little gadget.   We are doing some traveling soon and he requested a cover for the Kindle.  I stopped everything else I was working on for this little "emergency" project.

The design needed to include:

• Fit easily into his carry-on bag.
• Ensure the device would not fall out with all the jostling of travel.
• Include a place for reading glasses and the charger
• Selection of fabrics that would be recipient-appropriate!

And this is what I came up with:

 The pocket in the front is expandable and perfectly mustached!

 For his required accessories....

Mission accomplished!  My husband is really happy with this and I had fun!  Another win-win!  What do you think...should I make this my first tutorial?

Linking up with Amanda Jean's finish it up Friday and Lindsey's Fabric Frenzy Friday and TGIFF at mila+cuatro .
Kathy

A Little of This and That

I have taken a detour from sewing on quilting cotton to make a dress for a Roaring 20's party this weekend.  This is slippery, silky polyester that sheds worse than cotton and was a pain to work with!  I am quite sure that this dress would not make the costume cut for Downton Abbey (side bar:   not really happy with how the season ended, but thankfully not the drama of last year's season end!).   I will try to get pictures of my husband and I in our 20's attire!

 I am sure you have heard of Little Island Quilting's project to make quilts for former street children in Mexico City.  She is taking 12.5" quilted blocks of any kind and sewing them together into quilts for the children.  So with all my scraps I thought I should be able to put together a few blocks quickly.   These blocks are off in the mail to a little island.

 This block was how I learned about how to set up your printer correctly for printing paper piecing patterns.  Oops.

 I have started a quilt that will be a contribution to a silent auction for an organization that is very special to me.   I am hoping my choice of neutral colors will increase its value in the auction.

And then everything had to stop for an "emergency" project for my husband.  I will have a little finish to show you soon on this.

And finally, just because...

Linking up with Lorna's  Let's Bee Social and Lee's WIP Wednesday parties!
Kathy

Finished - Penny Patch Quilt

This quilt started from the need to work on something bright and happy during a particularly dreary winter period.  I found myself staring at a FQ bundle of Kate Spain's Good Fortune for the solution and focusing on the color purple (or radiant orchid).  I blogged about starting this quilt here.

 The pattern is from Rachel at Stitched in Color's Penny Patch Quilt-Along.   Her instructions are excellent and the quilt top was quite straightforward to sew together.

 A few pictures outside in the bright snow seemed appropriate.

I was initially uncertain about the pops of bright orange in this collection, but I think it works nicely as a contrast.

 With all the color on the quilt top, I went with Kona Ash for the binding.

 I even followed Rachel's suggestion and tutorial for the quilting.  After 480 dogwood flowers, I think I might be getting the idea.

 I love the texture from this quilting pattern.

I hadn't planned on making this quilt.  I still don't have a plan for it.  Other than the fact that I absolutely love it.  Isn't it nice when things work out so well?

Quilt Facts:
Fabrics in the quilt top: Good Fortune by Kate Spain, Kona White, Ash and Pansy
Backing fabric: Phoebe by Another Point of View (Windham Fabrics)
Binding fabric:  Kona Ash
Finished size:  Throw size  60" by 72"
Threads used:  Aurifil 2021 for piecing and quilting.

Linking up with Amanda Jean's finish it up Friday  and Lindsey's Friday Fabric Frenzy and Amy's TGIFF.

Update:  I have entered this quilt in the 2014 Pantone Color Challenge hosted by Adrianne On the Windy Side and the team at Play Crafts.  I highly recommend taking a few minutes and viewing all the lovely purple entries!

Kathy

Snowy Sewing - More Tula Blocks

When it looks like this outside...

 this is what happens inside

 14 more blocks!

 25 blocks completed, 75 more to go.

At the 25% completion mark, these are my observations about Tula's City Sampler blocks:

• I find the challenge of making each block strangely addictive.  I cannot make just one at a time.
• Precise cutting and piecing are extremely important, particularly for those 6.5" blocks with 20 plus pieces in them!
• Fabric selection and cutting have been taking longer than actually sewing each block (except of course when I have to re-sew the block!).
• I think there is a good chance I will still have a respectable pile of Tula Pink fabric remaining after the next 75 blocks are completed.  First class problem, I know.
• I continue to be impressed with how beautifully her fabrics from across collections work well together.  
• And I am getting distracted with how others are quilting and finishing these quilts!

Fortunately, we love a little outside play in the snow.  Here is Nola (who we are dog-sitting for this week) checking out the bob houses on the lake.  She was having too much fun to actually catch any fish!

See the snow blowing across her face?  She loved it!

I hope your week is going well!  Linking up with Lee's WIP Wednesday and Lorna's Let's Bee Social parties.
Kathy

Finished - Dancing Elephant Baby Quilt

Thanks to the Olympics, I was able to finish the binding last night on this cute little quilt.

  I blogged about the quilt top here.

I considered straight line quilting but decided my go-to meandering loop would add even more softness to this cutie.

The elephant backing fabric is an organic cotton and is SO lovely!

Notice the plastic chicken in this last picture....a contribution from this cutie who we are dog-sitting this week!  Nola is a sweetheart!

I think the soon-to-be-new parents will be pleased with this quilt!

Quilt Stats:
Pattern:  Amy Smart's Baby Lattice Quilt
Elephant applique:  Happy Dance Quilting's Happy Pachyderms
Fabrics:  Dan Morris' Where the Toys Are, Kona White, various Zen Chic's Comma prints, stash various, Ed Emberley's Happy Drawing (backing) and Jenn Ski's Ten Little Things (binding and elephant applique).
Threads used:  Pieced with Aurifil 2021 Natural White, quilted with Aurifil  2130 Med. Butter and Bottomline off-white in the bobbin.
Size:  36" x 48"

Oh by the way, Happy Valentine's Day!  This is  not such a big day in my house.  My husband's historical logic for downplaying this day is something along the lines of "I shouldn't need a special day to show you how much I love you."  Instead, for many years he gave me an ice scraper for Valentine's Day.  How romantic.   But I guess after 37 years of marriage, he may be right.

Linking up with Amanda Jean's finish it up Friday party.

Happy Friday!
Kathy

PS Speaking of cuties, did you see my post yesterday about why we quilt?  I know you all have a story or two like this one!

This is Why We Quilt

Sometimes we don't know how much our little hobby/obsession can mean to others.  This is my buddy M.  Here he is with his lovely mom waiting to have surgery this morning.  Can you see what he brought with him to the hospital from home?  Remember these quilts?

M told all the nurses that it did not come from a store  "my Ms.Kathy made it."  Isn't that the best?!

This made my day.  I hope it makes yours.

Kathy

PS  Everything went well with his procedure.  M is home recovering...with his quilt.

WIP Wednesday - Lots of Quilting Going On

It's been a wonderful week so far for quilting.  The purple (orchid) penny patch quilt is quilted...
 and the dancing elephants are quilted.

Lots of binding going on!  It has also been a good week for fabric acquisition.  We found ourselves on the Maine Turnpike taking the exit for Sanford, Maine the other day.  Oh look, Mardens...what a coincidence.

Anna Maria Horner, Lizzy House, Denyse Schmidt, among other gems with an average price of $4.50 per yard.  So much fun.

I hope you are having a wonderful week as well!  Linking up with Lorna's Let's Bee Social and Lee's WIP Wednesday parties!
Kathy

Non-sewing Quilting Update

It's been a very busy week with not a lot of sewing.  As an early birthday gift for my husband, we took a little mini-vacation to the Mt. Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, NH.  This is a spectacularly lovely historic hotel set in a breathtaking venue.  We had a fabulous winter day cross country skiing and snowshoeing.  (And then a day or two after of sore muscles to remind us of all we did!)

A few years ago we purchased a house on a lake in NH, a long time dream fulfilled.  For the last two years (when I rediscovered sewing through quilting) I have been lugging my sewing machine up north every time to ensure that any down time can be filled with sewing (you see, I really am a fidget...sitting around would drive me nuts).  Recently, we decided that I should just have a machine at the lake house, one less thing to carry back and forth.

My primary sewing machine is a Viking Sapphire 875Q (see picture below) that I have been very happy with.  So, I went back to the dealer where I purchased it and took advantage of a current promotion.  This is a limited edition Viking Eden Rose.  It does not have all the quilting features of the Sapphire (notably missing scissors) but has the same large harp space (BONUS!) and can use all the same feet and accessories, including the extension table.  I think we're going to get along very well.

During our recent drive back from NH, I mentioned to my husband that now that my Sapphire was not going to have to be uprooted from its beautiful custom table to be hauled to NH regularly, I should finish up some of the details of the sewing room.  For example, a thread catcher would be a nice addition and began searching tutorials to make one.  My husband provided me his solution.

Got to love this guy.

Last, but definitely not least in my non-sewing quilting news, is that last night I attended my first Boston Modern Quild Quild meeting!  A success at so many levels!  Honestly, I had a little trepidation about walking into this meeting alone.  But I was warmly received and met several people who were also attending their first or second guild meeting.  It didn't hurt that the format of this meeting included a celebration of the publication of this book, Quilting with a Modern Slant by Rachel May, a member of this guild.

 Oh, I have to tell you, I am so excited about sitting down and reading this book.  It is beautifully photographed and rich with content.  This book is dense with stories, inspirations, and advice from a wide range of modern quilters.   Just a bonus that I had the chance to meet the author, who is charming and graciously signed books all evening.

The icing on the cake was the meeting venue, Gather Here, in Cambridge, MA.  Eye candy (fabric, yarn, supplies) everywhere you look, I will definitely be back.  Just to be polite (cough, cough) I did make a little purchase.

I hope to get back to sewing soon!  Linking up with Amanda Jean's Friday party.