Quilting Like a Charm

I have been enjoying doing the quilting on my Charm Pack Cherry quilt this week.  I started by spray basting outside on the driveway.

I have always done this inside, down in my sewing room, in the past, but after reading a tutorial on Christa's blog where she says to spray baste outdoors, I decided I'd better try that.  The upside of doing it out on the driveway was having way more space, and getting Mr. LPQ to help me with the process!

I wanted to try a new stitch with my walking foot for quilting that I hadn't tried before.   I've seen several people doing a beautiful scallop sort of stitch that I've tried really hard to duplicate, but I don't think my machine has that stitch.  So, instead, I figured out a giant zigzag that I really like!  It's turning out like this:

Back in September, I got a big table from Ikea for my birthday to put my sewing machine on.  It has really been wonderful for quilting bigger quilts!

Another pic of my zigzag quilting!  The pink leaves are one of my favorite fabrics in this line.  I love the micro dots, too.

I am really happy with the navy and green polka dots I found for the backing.  I'm going to bind it in that, also.

I guess I'd better go get back to work!  Linking up to Sew Cute Tuesday and Needle and Thread Thursday.

Charm Pack Cherry Love

When I saw all the examples from other bloggers who were making this quilt, I knew I wanted to make one, too.  It definitely helped that Fat Quarter Shop was having a sale on their charm packs at the same time!  It wasn't long before my Moda Bella White and Color Me Happy charm packs came in the mail, and I got to work.  I  just love the result.  L.OV.E it!

I love the blues and greens with little touches of pink and gray that this fabric line has.  It gives the quilt such a fresh, clean look.  It's the first time I've worked with so much white, and I love that about this quilt, too.

I can't decide which fabric is my favorite.  There are many fun ones to look at up close:

 

 

For the backing and binding, I found a pretty navy blue with green polka dots at my local Hobby Lobby.  Can't wait to get back to work on it this coming weekend when it will be Spring Break!

 

Linking up with Blossom Heart Quilts for Sew Cute Tuesday and Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation.

 



 

 

Signs of Spring

Seen today in my garden:

 Crocuses!  Spring is on its way!

I've just been sewing in little bits and pieces recently.  A couple more Granny Square blocks...

 

 

This one might be my favorite:

 

 

 

I also started on a Charm Pack Cherry quilt.  I'm making it out of Moda's Bella White and Color Me Happy by V and Company, also for Moda.  And it is going to be a happy quilt, for sure!  So far, I just have the basic solid and print charms sewn together in groups of three.  Next step, make the nine patches and cut them up again!

 





There are lots of happy fabrics in this line:

 

 

I love those polka dots!  Looking forward to some more time to work on all my WiPs this weekend!

 

Today I'm linking up with Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts, and tomorrow with Needle and Thread Thursday.

My First Pillow Cover!

Like most quilters, I have lots of WIPs to work on, but sometimes I just need a quick weekend project to fill my need to sew and create.  I have been wanting to try a pillow because there are so many out there on other people's blogs that I have loved looking at. Thanks to Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts, who was in a pillow-making frenzy a couple weeks ago, I decided it was time! We have had two really boring gray pillows sitting on our living room furniture for years.  They seemed like the perfect candidates for a makeover!  So I took some leftover charm squares that I had from this project, and made a simple patchwork front for my pillow.  I quilted it with straight(ish!) lines about 1/2 inch apart.  Then I made an envelope back for it from Amanda Jean's tutorial.  And voila!

So much prettier than those old gray pillows!  I wish I had saved the info that told what fabric this is, but unfortunately, I didn't.  Here is a close-up of my favorite one, though.

 

 

 

Guess I'd better get to work on a cover for the other pillow!

 

I am linking up to Sew Cute Tuesday with Blossom Heart Quilts and later in the week to Needle and Thread Thursday!

 

Hope!

I think a good part of the country has been dealing with yucky winter weather the last few weeks, and if you're in one of those locations, you've probably been seeing the same thing out your windows as I have out mine - mostly white, with a little brown thrown in here and there.  Is anyone else looking forward to Spring?  I sure am.  The below zero temperatures and lots of snow have given more than a few of us cabin fever!

So, inside my house I've decorated my dining room table with something a little bit Spring-y.  My String of Pearls table runner is done, and I'm enjoying its flowers, spring green sashing, and whimsical polka dots.  It is also fun to dress it up with a few tulips and some positive thinking!

 

 

The first day of Spring is only 5 weeks away, folks!  Of course in Colorado, that doesn't necessarily mean winter weather will go away.  We had a snow day from school on May 1st last year!  I'm still looking forward to Spring anyway!

 

Linking up with Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation!

Playing!

Even though I haven't had much in the way of finishes in the last couple of weeks, I have definitely been having fun playing with my fabric.  My "String of Pearls" table runner top is put together, and I'm working on quilting it.

 

 

In the meantime, I've added another granny square block to my collection

Plus, I made a mug rug for this fun mug while I was practicing square spiral quilting for my String of Pearls quilt.  A little bit festive for February, don't you think?

 

Do you see the adorable heart pincushion in that photo?  It's the pincushion I got in my quilt group's December pincushion swap.  I just love it!  I wanted to quilt a square spiral in the middle of each of my pearl blocks, so I used this mug rug to practice how it might go.

 

 

It's good to have time to play with fabric and ideas.  I've been enjoying every minute!

 

Linking up with Needle and Thread Thursday this week.

 

Sunday Stash

I haven't linked up to Sunday Stash in a long time, but I always enjoy window shopping through others' posts.  I definitely am not on a fabric fast!  I enjoyed making a quilt out of a layer cake so much over the holidays, that I decided I wanted a jelly roll quilt next.

I ended up with a jelly roll of Road 15 by Sweetwater for Moda.  And is it ever fun to look at!

Every time I look through the stack of fabrics I see something new!  Look at these great houses:

And this:

Can't wait to have fun sewing it up!  I'm linking up with Molli Sparkles for Sunday Stash.