I Spy....and a Bug Jar

I have been cutting up fabrics and making "quilt kits" to sew on. Cutting a quilt seems to take me forever and when I am ready to start sewing on a project, I want to dig in and sew.  I don't want to spend time cutting. Those times when I have 15 minutes and could be stitching on something, these projects will be ready. It's gratifying to knock out a few simple blocks in short order. 

So, the other day, when I was in the mood to cut-I did!! I cut...and cut...and cut. 

First I cut over 250  3 1/2" squares and have them ready to stitch for an I Spy Quilt! (I have been collecting and swapping for many years.)

Some of my squares are cut on point and I'm going to sew triangles in the corners to square them up.

I cut others into squares and I'm going to put borders around them so they are the same size as the other blocks.

I've started collecting solids to use for the corners and borders. 

My grandkids aren't getting any younger, so it's now or never, if I'm going to make an I Spy quilt!

I decided while I was in the mood to cut that it was a good time to dig into the bug fabric collection too. My grandson, Oliver, is 2 1/2 now and I'm thinking he is just the right age for a bug jar quilt. I bought this pattern about 12 years ago-just knowing some day I would have a grandson. After SIX girls, we finally had a boy and I am thrilled to finally be able to make this quilt!

I have 30 "jars" cut, and even made my lid units. I already have my backing fabric, too. This should make up pretty darn quick.

Now, when I have just a few minutes to sit and stitch, I'm ready.

Back To School Time

It's that time of year again-back to school. This summer has been extremely hot, with highs in the 90's for weeks on end and heat index readings of 105-115*-pure misery. We have had some pool time, but some days it was like swimming in a bath tub and not refreshing at all. 

I think all of the kids have looked forward to going back to school to see their friends. Sofia and Chloe were the first two to start school-on August 3. Sofia is in 2nd grade and Chloe was so excited to be in kindergarten this year. Their mom made them each special new dresses for the first day. 

On Saturday, August 8, we had our 6th annual back to school tea. This year my daughter, Melissa, was the hostess. We had such a good time eating finger sandwiches, scones, and fruit and sipping peach tea. 

Our family is getting bigger (and older) every year! At almost 10 months, this was Gabby's first tea and this year we have seven who are going to school! Our back to school tea is a family tradition that we all enjoy so much! 

Melissa got out the china that was her great grandmother's to set a special table-isn't it perfect for a tea party? This is the kid's table-

Yesterday Ella and Ollie headed off to preschool. Ella is in the 3K program this year, though she turns 4 in September. Ollie is starting school for the first time ever this year. At 2 1/2, he has been going to preschool to drop his sisters off his whole life and he was very excited about staying to play. Melissa made Ella's dress and Ollie's shorts and shirt, too.

The last ones to start back to school were the three oldest. This morning Katelyn, Emily and Madison headed out the door to 7th, 5th and 4th grade. It seems like just yesterday they were in preschool. 

Now it's time for field trips, soccer games, and homework. It will be Christmas before you know it!

Have a great school year! I love you all, 

Grammy

Gabby's Fish Quilt

When my son and daughter-in-law announced they were having a baby the whole family was thrilled! It's their first and that always brings lots of added excitement for the new parents.

I started thinking about a baby quilt, but wanted to wait until we knew if the baby was going to be a girl or a boy before I picked a pattern or fabric. 

They announced a little girl and that her room was going to have a fish theme. This is because they have a GIANT aquarium in that room and it wasn't going anywhere! So, they decided to work with it. What a great idea. They painted cute fish on the wall and found adorable bedding. I have always thought that the sight and sounds of an aquarium are very relaxing and soothing and that it would be wonderful to have one in a baby's room.

I started looking at quilt patterns and found this one on Craftsy. It was a free download and perfect for the nursery. It's called Kissing Fish.

I picked a cute backing fabric that looked like bubbles and 11 fabrics that would coordinate with the nursery and bedding they had picked out. 

I cut lots of little squares to make all of the fish.

And then I broke my arm. And had surgery on it. And was in a cast for seven weeks. And I couldn't sew at all. Even after I got my cast off I couldn't use a rotary cutter. Even scissors were challenging. Then it was Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. I made a quick quilt for my sister in law for Christmas and a quilt for another granddaughter for her birthday in January. I needed to get Gabby's made.

So, I started sewing fish. But this was a little more complicated than I thought it would be. I have only made one other quilt on point and it was hard for me too. I guess my brain prefers my squares to be in a traditional setting! But this one has the blocks turned going in two different directions. I was trying to keep my prints and colors spread out evenly. Then, to make matters worse, I decided to add one more fish all the way around the outside to make the quilt just a little bigger! So now I needed to figure out how to finish the outside edges of the quilt so they weren't on the bias! What had I gotten myself into? This is supposed to be a simple baby quilt!!!!

This "puzzle" sat on my design wall for over a month while I contemplated how to finish it. I cut triangles, but that was going to end up cutting the noses off my outside fish, and that just would not do! And what to do with the corners? 

I finally consulted with my local quilting partner-in-crime, Judy, and we came up with a solution to sew large rectangles onto the outside edges, trim them, leaving about 1" of white fabric beyond the noses and then sew a white border on. Once it is quilted the seams will not be noticeable. (I hope.)

Still this quilt occupied my design wall. I just couldn't get myself to finish it. I had hit a wall. And I haven't been quilting because I know that this is WAY OVERDUE!!! (Like my granddaughter was born in October and turned 6 months old this month!!!!!) If I was going to be working on anything at all, it was going to be this quilt. And this wasn't something I could work on for 10 minutes or even 30 minutes a day. I needed to get in there with several days in a row devoted to this quilt and this quilt alone.

Last week I spent a day with Gabby and her mommy and I was so embarrassed that Gabby was playing on the floor, sitting on the quilt I made for her mom. Shame on me for not finishing her quilt! 

So, I cleared my calendar for this week and have decided that this is THE WEEK Gabby's quilt will be finished!! Today I worked for hours on it. I now have all the the rows sewn together. That is a HUGE major accomplishment. Tomorrow I will be trimming the outside edges, sewing triangles on the four corners and adding the borders. I hope to get that all done in the morning so that I can make the backing tomorrow afternoon. I'm so optimistic that I have already taken my batting out of the package so it can relax before I start to sandwich it. 

This little sweetheart is getting her quilt very soon. I sure hope it will be worth the wait!

Emily's Owl Quilt

My grandkids are growing up so fast! It's hard to believe that just a short 11 years ago I had one grandbaby and that she was only 6 months old. Now I have eight grandchildren and the oldest is in middle school! Where does the time go?

When my oldest granddaughter, Katelyn, turned 10 we decided it was time for her to have a "big girl" quilt and so I made her this one. 

Now my #2 grand, Emily, has turned 10. It seems like just yesterday since she was a baby...

But the years fly by and before you know it she walking and talking and then is a preschooler.

Whenever I think of Emily, it is her blonde hair, great big blue eyes and her sweet smile that spring to mind. You can see her spirit shining thru.

Then you turn around again and she's in school. Emily has such a zest for life! Always ready to join in any activity.

This has been Emily's year at school! She was selected for the accelerated program, the Odyssey of the Mind team, state honor choir and got the lead in the school play! What more could a girl ask for? 

 Alice in Wonderland

Emily has been eagerly awaiting her grown up quilt. She talked about it for months before her birthday. She even had a special quilt request. She wanted an owl quilt. We discussed whether it was to be a scrappy quilt made with owl fabrics or a quilt with an owl on it. She picked the latter. 

I found some really cute fabric on Etsy that had owls on it and I couldn't resist it for the backing. It became the inspiration for the whole quilt. I loved the colors, too. It was perfect!!

I wanted this owl as my applique on the front of the quilt....

I had my husband draw it really big for me. This little guy is now 20" tall.

My idea was to have him sitting on the branch of a tree....

so I stuck my owl drawing on my background fabric and put my tree fabric up to see if it was going to work. I think it just might. :)

I took my tree fabric to my cutting table, turned it over and started drawing a tree trunk and two limbs. This was very gutsy of me because I am not an artsy person and I don't do anything without a pattern!! I took the scissors to it and cut it out-there was no turning back now! I glued the tree to the background fabric using little tiny drops of Roxanne's glue. 

I had picked out fabrics for the owl at the quilt shop, so I knew what I was going to use. I was getting excited about this quilt!!

Next came leaves. I free form cut those too.  Where was this inner artist coming from???

All of the applique has been done and the borders added. Next was quilting.

The background was a simple stipple with a few stars and a moon quilted into it. 

The tree trunk intimidated me until my friend Judy told me how to do it. I was really pleased with how it turned out!

Here is detail of the quilting on the owl. I quilted "feathers" on his wings, crosshatched his belly and quilted circles in the whites of his eyes.

Emily did not want a label. She wanted me to write on the back of her quilt. So I did just what she wanted.

The quilt is finished!! I am so happy with the results and Emily was absolutely ecstatic! I have 15 months until Madison turns 10. I better start thinking about her quilt now. In the meantime-I still have Gabby's baby quilt on my design wall!!

Happy quilting, 

Grammy

Valentine's Day Postcards

I went shopping last week for Valentine cards for my friends and grandkids. I didn't find anything that really rocked my world--and wow!-they were expensive! It used to be (back in the dark ages when I was younger) that you would buy someone a gift and get them a nice card to attach to the present, but now the card costs so much that it could BE the gift! I'm not sure when all of this happened, but I decided that this year I was going to forgo the purchase of Valentine cards and opt to make them myself. 

I have a closet and many drawers full of scrapbooking and card making supplies, but I am never happy with what I make. The original ideas do not just flow from me when I'm using paper. Soooooooooooo..........I decided to make fabric post cards for Valentine's Day. 

If you have never made fabric postcards, they are so easy and really fun. There are NO RULES, so you can do whatever you want to!! I had some pink and red fabrics and also three pieces of non-traditional fabric. I started by cutting out 4X6" pieces of iron-on interfacing. To each piece I sewed fabric and embellishments in a sew-and-flip crazy quilt fashion. 

 

They were so much fun that I just kept making them! It was like eating potato chips-I couldn't make just one! 

With this fabric I did do a little fussy cutting to I could get the words or hearts on the postcard. I loved the ribbons and embellished with a little applique heart too.

I had the red fabric with pink envelopes and added other pink and red fabrics for these postcards. The XO ribbon was from my very abundant ribbon stash and was perfect for Valentines.

I use a little bit of tulle and sewed some red heart confetti under it for this postcard. Rickrack and an applique heart completed another card.

I had a tiny scrap of Valentine Snoopy fabric left over from Madison's quilt and had to use it on a postcard for her. The ribbon on her card reads "hugs and kisses". It's fun to add a very personal touch to a postcard.

After I finished the fronts of my postcards, I trimmed the extra fabric away so that they measured 4X6". Then I cut cardboard the same size, layered the two and zigzagged around the outside edge. On the cardboard, I drew a line down the center and 4 lines on the right side for the address. Make sure you leave room for a stamp at the top. I bought heart stamps at the post office and mailed my 12 fabric postcards yesterday. I know my grandkids and friends are going to enjoy their Valentine surprises. 

Happy Quilting, 

Grammy

Christmas Sewing

Once I got my cast off, I had a lot of catching up to do! It had been months since I had been able to do anything in my quilt room. Now the holidays were approaching and I had things to do!! I didn't go to physical therapy after I got my cast off-the dr. said that I needed to just jump back in and use my hand. The problem was pain and swelling. It lasted for weeks and was really getting me down. I was able to eat with my right hand, but I still couldn't hold a pen, much alone a rotary cutter. I was so frustrated. So I decided to start off slowly.

My daughter, Melissa, wanted to make matching pajamas for her kids and all their cousins to wear for Christmas. I thought it sounded like a fun idea and I volunteered to help her. I bought yards and yards of flannel fabric and matching red T-shirts. I packed my serger and off I went to spend the day with her. 

We had the best time! She was cutting out all the pants and I was sewing them up almost as quickly as she could cut. Then she threaded the elastic through the waistbands and presto-pronto--we had made eight pairs of pajama pants in under five hours!! I left the shirts with Melissa-she had decided to applique their initials on them. 

A few days later all the grandkids came to our house to decorate their Christmas tree. We also baked Christmas cookies, ate pizza and had a quick photo session. I knew that Christmas day would be a chaos of toys, wrapping paper and ribbon and that I would never get them all together for a picture....

All the girls gathered in front of the Christmas tree and lots and lots of pictures were taken, but Ollie was having nothing to do with it. You see, he's two. Enough said.

So, we moved to the stairs and plopped Ollie into the picture. Even a Christmas cookie bribe didn't make him any happier. But I still love the picture and I sent it out in my Christmas cards. 

I think their pajamas came out really cute--we may have to make this an annual tradition. 

I hope your holidays were happy too! 

Grammy

A New School Year

Summer vacation came and went in a hurry! We were busy with all the usual activities. And it is hard to believe that school time has rolled around again. 

We held our 5th annual back to school tea on Sunday, August 3. Our family has grown so much that we now fill two tables! The food was delicious-finger sandwiches, fruit salad, mini cupcakes, brownies, teas, and lemonade. And my daughter outdid herself with all of her cute decorations.

The girls loved being at their own table this year-lots of talking and giggling came from this side of the room.

Those of us at the "big girl table" had just as much fun. My sister-in-law, Claudia (on the left) is the registrar at a middle school. Her daughter, Elizabeth (next to her) is an elementary school teacher and both of them were already back to work for this school year. This back to school tradition started out as an "all girl" party years ago-but now we have our cute little Ollie with us too-this is his second tea.

The very next day was Sofia's first day of school. Yes, her school started back on August 4th! She's growing up so fast and is in the first grade this year. Her mom made her this  precious new dress for her first day. 

Three days later, on Thursday, these three sisters went back to school. Madison (left) is in 3rd grade. Katelyn (center) started middle school this year as a 6th grader. And Emily (right) is in the 4th grade. 

Then we had to wait a few weeks for our preschoolers to head off to school. Chloe is a 4K student this year. I just love her new back to school haircut-those curls are just bouncing!

The next day Ella started 2 year old preschool. This is her first time to attend school, but her sisters have been going here for years, so she isn't new to the classrooms or the teachers. She was so precious-giggling and smiling all the way into her class. She's officially a "big girl" now.

Now all six have gotten into the school routine......and life is as busy as ever for their moms! 

Ollie is our youngest (until October) and the only one not in school. He is growing up fast, but right now, he is just too cool for school. 

Happy school year! 

Grammy