DQS 12 Arrives!

Sign ups have officially opened for Round 12 of the Doll Quilt Swap!

I can't wait to see the quilts for this round, there is just so much talent in this group.  I hope you quilters all get in there and sign up.  This round I get to be a swap mama and I can tell you we have lots of fun planned for all the swap bebes.  Maybe even some giveaways.  Sign ups only last for a few days and then we mamas have to choose participants and match them with secret partners.  So excited!

Here's a link to the group so you can join the fun whether you choose to sign up for the swap or just follow along with all the fun and giggles we have--either way, we'd love to have you join us!

POLKA DOT PIGGIES!!

DQS 12 The Countdown Begins...

That's right it's almost time for the 12th round of Doll Quilt Swap to begin!  I can't wait! I'm dying to know who I'll get as a swap partner and plan their quilt and package.  (And I can't tell you more than that right now, but stay tuned...)

As some of you know, I had to drop out of round 10 due to extreme illness, and that was a huge disappointment for me.  I love DQS--lots of talent, both old and new, and great camaraderie.  The women (and a few men) are so funny and positive and creative.  It really is unlike any other swap out there.

So, keep an eye out for notice of sign-ups and then join us in the fun--and yes, there will be beginners who are accepted too, so don't be afraid to sign-up and see if you get in.  DQS is not about being perfect or an expert--it's about sharing a love of quilting and pushing your abilities higher!

Mooshy Belly Bunny

Or, as I like to call it...the It's-so-squishy-I'm-going-to-die bunny!  Seriously, you hold this little guy and think "squish, squish".  You...just...can't...help...it.

This little bunny is a pattern from the Chez Beeper Bebe blog.  I used a scrap of oh-so-soft striped jersey knit from my scrap pile and a clean old white t-shirt for the inner ears and tail.  Speaking of tail--check out this softie's cute one!

 How fast is this bunny to make?  Well, I found the pattern, dug for scraps and cut and sewed him all in one part of an evening.  That's pretty quick.  The tutorial is easy to follow too.  Here's a look at his little hand embroidered face.  My mom saw him and claimed him right away.  This was almost a year ago.  It took me a bit to get him back long enough for a few photos and she stood right there the whole time--guess she really likes this little guy.

What a great way to use up scraps and old t-shirts!  Now, I just need to make me one.  But first, I need to go play in the snow that finally arrived--yeah!

Finishing My UFO's

Well, that's the goal for this year anyway.  I know I'll get distracted by new patterns, sew alongs and swaps, but I'm determined to get some of these been-sitting-in-the-to-do-pile-forever projects out of my sewing area. 

First up is this scrap quilt.  It's not quite a twin, but larger than a lap-size.  I just think a quilt should be able to go around you when you're cuddled up reading.  This one finally was handed over to my younger sister (I'm pretty sure she thought I'd never get the binding on.) at the beginning of 2012.  I used denim upcycled from old jeans and homespun plaid scraps with the brushed side out so it feels like flannel.  The batting is Warm and Natural.  I used some Kona (sorry, can't remember which yellow) for the binding.  I knew I'd be quilting this monster myself so I used a lovely lavendar colored sheet (I'm sure there's a long-arm quilter out there cringing right now) for the backing.  This is one very durable quilt. 

I admit, I put it back in the "pile" because I was not happy with the quilting.  Probably my second free-motion attempt ever and I really should have had a bigger space to work because the quilt is heavier from the use of denim and it just kept sliding off the small table and pulling while I was trying to quilt.  VERY frustrating.  Anywho, I was going for something that looked like water on the beach as a wave pulls out because the colors of the homespun reminded me of some of the soft colors on shells.  Probably missed that mark by a mile, but, hey, there it is, right?

So what does a quilt like this cost.  Well, the denim was free as I used old jeans I already had, the homespun I got at a garage sale for $2 a pound from a lady who used to be a quilt shop owner, bought the Kona at 40% off and the sheet was on sale for around $6.  Add that to the batting and thread (both bought on sale) and I think this total quilt cost me around $30.

Another little UFO I found sitting around was this small quilt.  I'd say it's a small lap quilt or maybe a large crib size.  (I've got to start measuring these before I hand them over, because it is kind of tough to get them to hand the quilt back!) 

Made entirely of leftover scraps of minky (which I count as free seems I had to buy them already for another project) and some flannel scraps bought at the $2/pound garage sale.  Originally, I'd planned to using batting and flannel, but the quilt sandwich just didn't have the snuggly drapey-ness I wanted, so...I found one of those 60x60 cuddle blankets you can find in stores like Fred Meyer in orange.  Perfect!  I just cut the edging off and then attached it to my quilt top pillowcase style.  It's so thick I didn't need any sort of batting layer and the weight of both the backing and quilt top combined with the fabric textures keeps the layers together on a quilt this small so I didn't need any quilting or tying to hold it together.  Topstitching around the edge completed this very bright beauty.  It is totally cuddle-ready.  My older sister claimed this one.  Drat.

So there's two down, woohoo!  I've got some more small lap/kid-sized quilts I'm still attaching rows for, but the pile has gone down....a little.

Flippo the Hippo

Introducing....Flippo the Hippo!

Flippo is the latest softie coming from my sewing room.  This cutie is made from McCall's pattern M6484 and is 7" high and 15" long.  I made Flippo using some light weight home decor fabric.  This softie got brown safety eyes and a winter white satin ribbon bow.  This hippo is also squeezable as I didn't stuff completely full--after all, who wants to hug a rock!

Here's Flippo's other side--don't you just love that fabric!  Flippo has a cute little fringe tail made from the coordinating fabric also found on the belly.  So what's the secret for getting such a smooth looking body--fusible fleece (ah, if only it was that easy for humans, lol) which was ironed to all pieces except the tail.

Flippo's belly is also a pink home decor fabric.  I like the smaller print contrasting with the larger motif of the upper body.  It also hides the closure seam very well!  Overall, I love how Flippo turned out and so does my sister, the recipient of this little Christmas gift.

Here's to a Happy New Year!

I hope each and every one of you had a wonderful Christmas season filled with loved ones and great times.  And, even more, I hope this coming year is better than the last.  Happy New Year!

All Finished!

Well, I finally caught up and finished off the last of the bee blocks--whew!  Then it was straight into Christmas presents and holiday celebrations.  So, the photos have piled up in the last few months.  Here are the last of the bee blocks (in no particular order) along with my mini quilt from the STUD (Swap Til You Drop) Disney themed swap.  I've tried to put links to any tutorials or patterns just in case you want to give one of these blocks a try.

First up is a modified bento block or quartered squares for Bee Scrappy member Meg_kay77.  We were asked to make the square in primary or bright colors and then we could cut it into quarters or ship it and then she would cut it.  The group followed this tutorial from Film in the Fridge.

This one was actually my last one finished for Sew Buzzy member Patchwork Queen.  She sent all these fun fabrics and a list of books for her "library" and we created the books and embroidered the authors and titles on.  I tried to match up fabrics with titles when possible--I just love the alligator fabric!  Here are her basic instructions for the block.

Moody Blues member Lindseykron asked for an asterick block using this tutorial from Lollyquiltz. 

Another Moody Blues member, Susanpiluk, also wanted an asterick block.  She sent patriotic fabrics to everyone.  These asterick blocks are very easy and have been quite popular this year.  If you haven't tried one yet, you should give it a go.

Bee White Black member Lollydo asked for blocks using curves or circles.  This one here is the Chubby Dresdan designed by Lily's Quilts.  This block went together quickly and is not a bad one for those just trying out circle blocks.  I will be making this one again.

Here's Lollydo's second block.  I used the Rubber Band Ball block pattern out of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 3.  It's a great block for using up those strips and scraps sitting in the pile.

This wonky star went to Moody Blues member SeaSteph.  I used the Silly Boodilly tutorial as usual.

Brakmack, another Moody Blues member, asked for wonky log cabins using these fabrics for a quilt for her father-in-law.  We could choose between curvy or straight wonky log cabins.  Here's a tutorial for sewing wavy seams and one for wonky log cabins.

JodiLynn85 had the same month for both my Bee Scrappy and Scrap Happy bee groups and asked for the Oh, Fransson! Mod Mosaic block for both.  That meant four blocks (two for each group) of mosaics.

Linda (November's member for Moody Blues) asked for the jewel box--also known as a square-in-square--block in these fabrics.  For those who've never seen a finished one, here's one to give you an idea of how they can look.

Sew Buzzy's member InnerPiece asked for house blocks of either our house or a place we'd like to live.  Obviously, the blocks are heavily stylized--I mean, who actually has a floral roof--but the first one is of one of my grandparents' house.  They had a big two story white house with columns, a balcony and tiered steps out front.

This one is my home, only I forgot to flip the design for paper piecing so it's backwards.  I'm thinkin' it might be cool to have a star studded roof with a polka dot chimney.

These last two are BOMs (block of the month) designed by Carol Doak.  She designs gorgeous paper pieced quilt blocks and offered these free to her yahoo group members.  However, using them for Bee White Black member Sew Vivid, they are done up in solid black and white.

And finally...a swap.  The last swap I participated in was for the STUD (Swap Til You Drop) group and the theme was Disney.  My partner LOVES the Disney parks.  She actually went to one for her honeymoon and she and her sweetheart like to visit the various parks (I hope she gets to go to the Shanghai one someday).  She also loves classic Mickey Mouse.  Well, when I think of Disneyland, I think of those images of the castle with fireworks shooting off, so I designed this quilt to imitate that scene.  I also included some little Mickey bandaids and a Pez ('cause who doesn't love Pez) along with some fabric.

This was my first time using those metallic mylar type threads which actually worked out pretty well in giving a sparkling firework effect.  I also echo quilted the fireworks and appliqued castle.  I used Kona for the solids and a marbled green for the bushes.  The bushes have an extra layer of batting to help them stick out from the castle and keep the whole image from looking flat.

I had this fun fabric in my stash which always made me think of fireworks, so, of course, I had to use it for the back with my Mickey Mouse label.

Here is the finished quilt complete with dimensional bushes, sparkling fireworks and of course, one magical castle!