Crochet Fish

About a year ago I finally learned how to crochet. My friend Eve, had a pattern for a fish washcloth and she taught me how to make it. It involves increasing and decreasing and is good practice for some basic skills. At the time we were living in a condo, waiting for our home to be built and I was driving the kids to school and picking them up and waiting in the car a lot. So I would bring the fish pattern and ball of sugar and cream yarn with me and make fish while I waited. Now I have more fish wash clothes than a person could use.

These aren't even all of them, some have disappeared around the house.  By then end I was making small fish with the leftover yarn. The fish vary in size depending on how tight I held things, I got better with gauge as time went on. It kept my hands busy and was a lifesaver during those waits, I also read a few books while waiting as well. One ball of the sugar and cream yarn made two fish. I like the orange the best.

Valentine Hearts

I made this heart wristlets for the girls for Valentine's Day. They came from a tutorial on Sew Mam Sew that has disappeared-or I would link to it. I used scraps (yay!) for the whole project. They are pretty small, the zippers are just four inches across, so just coins or small treasures fit inside them. The girls loved them though and Tessa totes her 'purse' around regularly.

Salt Air Quilt

This quilt is made from a layer cake of Salt Air by Cosmo Cricket. I bought it last year the Home Machine Quilting Show and am so glad I made something out of it before the show rolls around again. The pattern is a Moda Bake Shop Pattern called You Zig I'll Zag.  It went together really quickly and the instructions were clear.  I used the blue splash print for the setting triangles and the outer border.  In each setting triangle I quilted a sea creature or scene.

 

It was fun coming up with sea creatures to fill each square.  I haven't done any free hand quilting like this in a while. 

I decided to find something different to back the quilt with and used a print from the Indie Chic line. 

I bound the quilt with a solid blue. I finished this quilt almost two weeks ago, I just hadn't had a moment to sit down and blog it. It reminds me of the beach and summer and warm weather-which we are more than ready for. It had been more wintry this year than in years past. I like the snow-except for driving, just ready for some sunshine. If the sun isn't in the sky, put it in a quilt.

Scrappy Monogram

At the December Modern Quilt Group meeting I got a big pile of grey scraps. Kristin had used then in a Polaroid quilt so there were a lot of triangle shapes. I am a really really slow decorator, we have been here for seven months and I have put nothing on the walls. I decided I wanted something with a monogram that would look framed and hang on the wall at the top of the stairs.  I looked for fonts that I liked and decided to use the 'M' from my signature in the end, just so it would be more personalized.

Then I just put the quilt together using the basic triangle shapes of the scraps.  The project went together really fast and I am pleased with the final result.

I used a Kaffe Fasset print that I have had forever on the back, I still have quite a bit left, it's been in my stash so long I don't remember where I even bought it. Yay for using stuff I have on hand and using scraps. I still need to put a sleeve on the back and decide what I am going to hang it with (any suggestion welcome!) I think when I put up one thing I will want to start on others, the first is always the most difficult.  

Purple polka dot love

This quilt is for my nine year old daughter.  She requested a room filled with purple and we are almost ready to put it all together.  We have paint for the walls and a few decorations.  I knew I wanted to make her a new quilt, something a little more grown up.  I found the backing first and went from there.  It's a Ty Pennington print.  If you look closely you can tell where it is pieced.

 Let me tell you up front, this looks way different in person, the dots and flowers and such just aren't photographing well.

 I got this pattern from a Quilt's N' More magazine published in the fall.

 I did swirls on the polka dots and daisies on the flowers for quilting.  And a straight line across the squares.  I didn't want the quilting to really overwhelm the business that is already inherent in the fabric.  On the green I did some horizontal lines. 

 It fulfilled my need to put something together quickly and have something that will look good on her bed.  I have a plan to make some pillows or shams to go with the quilt.  I just haven't done it yet ;). 

HST quilt

I go each month to a Modern Quilt Group Meeting at Broadbents.  Each six months we have a main challenge.  So far we've done bricks, strips, and now half-square triangles.  Everyone comes up with such amazing things, I love show and tell!  This time we got a packet of 75 six inch squares of fabric.  I added another 55 to the mix to get a quilt that is just under twin sized.

  I used a very light grey for my solid, I know it looks white in photos, it's not.  I backed this quilt with a Amy Butler print that I have had for quite some time.  It was just the right size, I love using stuff I already have.  I bound it with a navy blue print by Alexander Henry, I used it in these dresses a few years ago.

  I love how it turned out.  I like to call it the maze quilt.

This has been quite a year with lots of change and movement of our family.  I was surprised to see I have only managed to blog 8 times!  I feel like I have sewn, so I must have let blogging be the thing to slip.  We have moved twice and are now settled in our home.  That alone should improve my blogging.  I have been reflecting on my sewing goals for 2013 and am excited for the year ahead!

Finish-Irish Flag Quilt

 I love how this quilt turned out.  I loved that it used up a lot of scraps and that I actually made something with scraps!  I backed it with a super soft fabric that gave me terrible fits.  It was plush and soft on both sides and made for a lot of broken needles.  I wanted to give up at one point, but I am glad I didn't.