My June Journey

I have a confession to make... When I first started following quilt blogs, I'd never heard of Kate Spain... I have always tended to be more of a traditional quilter with a color palette that tended toward darker fabrics.  As I have gotten more interested in modern quilting I realized that I need to branch out in my fabric choices.  My blogging research lead me to this honey bun of Kate Spain's Honey Honey.  I love the pinks, oranges, and light greens I found in it!

So, here is the baby quilt I made from some of that roll of beautiful Honey Honey.  I blogged about it here.

The best part is that I still have a lot more Kate Spain fabric to use for something else!

What a treat to link up to the Kate Spain Blog Hop at Blossom Heart Quilts!  Every day this month it has been fun to see and learn more about her designs and fabric.  A great summer journey for me.

A Stitch in Time

The June block for the And Sew On BoM is all about something I haven't ever done, and that is hand sewing hexagons.  There are some amazing examples of beautiful quilts you can make with them out there, though, so maybe I will try them someday.  At least I will have this block to make it look like I can do it!   Here is my version of this month's block:

This block went together pretty easily, so I thought, until I looked at the blocks that have been posted on flickr.  All of a sudden I realized I had sewn the piece with the three hexies on upside down!  Oops!  I guess it really didn't look quite right after all!  Out came the seam ripper, and I fixed it, and now it's much better.  I used three of my favorite fabrics for the hexagons, including a piece of Kate Spain Honey Honey, in honor of this month's Kate Spain Blog Hop over at Blossom Heart Quilts, which has been great fun to follow along.

It's fun to see all of the blocks together!  6 down, 3 to go!  I think I've taken every picture in a different light.  I have a lot to learn about that!

Linking up to Let's Get Acquainted Monday over at Plum and June and Quiet Play this week.

A Finish for Thursday

Something I had on my "Want" to do list was a zippered pouch.  Last winter I discovered this tutorial from Noodlehead for her Open Wide Zippered Pouch.  I've seen lots of them on other blogs out there and thought it would be fun to try!  Today was the day and here are the results:

I hadn't worked with a zipper since who knows when, and I wasn't sure how that would be.  Once I located the zipper foot for my sewing machine and figured out how to use it, things went pretty smoothly!  I have to admit that I am glad all of that sewing is inside and invisible to anyone looking at my pouch!  I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, for a first time.  I can see that this would be fun to make for people when I need a gift to give, so I'll keep it in mind for that purpose.

Today I'm linking up with Really Random Thursday at Live a Colorful Life and Needle and Thread Thursday over at My Quilt Infatuation.

Too Many WiPs?

Is it possible to have too many WiPs?  I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by my to-do list!  The problem is I can't decide what I want to work on next...  I've just started cutting into this beautiful pile of fabric from Connecting Threads.  It's called Hello Sunshine by Virginia Odien. 

I ordered this as a kit way back in September.  Right after that I got busy with other projects, and never got started on this one.  It seems like a perfect project to work on this summer.  I'd better get a move on!

But then there are my Scrappy Trip Around the World blocks!  I started working on these a block at a time to use up scraps from my stash after I discovered the Scrappy Trip-Along idea on so many other blogs.  It's  a great project for a busy person who just wants to make a block or two every now and then and doesn't have a deadline.

Of course, I also joined the And Sew On BoM over at Quiet Play and have loved making those blocks each month.  It's time for June's block.  I've got my paper patterns all cut out and ready to go, just have to start matching up the fabric for them. 

Here is May's block:



I'm sure you're wondering what the problem is!  That's only three WiPs...  But, actually, there are way more than that!  I have several UFOs that are either in block form or completed tops that need to be finished, too!  They've been hanging around for way longer than these three, but somehow the newer projects are calling more loudly to me.  Maybe I'll just do a little on each one.

I am loving the New Blogger's Blog Hop over at Plum and June.  Maybe that's part of my problem with WiPs...  I keep getting inspired to try something new!  Today I'm linking up with Lucy at Charm About You for the Let's Get Acquainted Monday Link Up.

Sweet Honey Honey

Yesterday, I finished this special quilt made from my Kate Spain Honey Honey stash.  I love how it turned out!  After throwing it in the washer and dryer, it feels soft and cuddly, and I hope my friend will enjoy having it when her little grandbaby comes to visit.  I can't wait to give it to her!

I'm working on my quilt photography this summer, so I took the quilt outside and had fun trying different ideas.  One of my favorite fabrics in this quilt reminds me of pink geraniums, so I put my pot of pink geraniums in the picture too!

I'm still not sure if the photos are better in the shade or sun, or is it just best to have natural light? 

 And I always love the photos people include where the quilt is rolled up and you can see the binding up close!



One more, just for fun!

I am loving the Let's Get Acquainted New Blogger Blog Hop over at Plum and June.  Since I am a new blogger, I spend lots of time reading other people's blogs to get ideas and to learn more about quilting and blogging.  Today, I'll be linking up to Laura from Little and Lots for the Let's Get Acquainted Monday Link-up.  Head over there and check out all of the other great bloggers and their projects! I'm also linking up to Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday.



A WIP for Thursday

This week I've been working on a gift for a friend who has just become a grandma for the first time. Her kids don't live close by, so it will be pretty special when they bring the grandbaby for her first visit.  I decided my friend will need a Grandma Quilt for the baby's visit!

I used some of my Kate Spain Honey Honey fabric to make this sweet quilt from a pattern called Charm Squares Baby Quilt by Elizabeth Hartman.  It can be made from pre-cut squares, but I had a honey bun, which is 5 inch x width of fabric strips, so it was quick and easy to cut.

I found the perfect backing at Hobby Lobby, this pink and white polka dot.

I'm working on quilting it this week with straight lines, 1/4 inch on either side of the long seams.  I'm not sure yet if I'll add more quilting in the other direction or not.  

I don't work with pastels very often, so this has been really fun!  I can't wait to give it to my friend next week at our quilt group meeting!

 

Linking up with Cindy at Live a Colorful Life for Really Random Thursday.