Block #3

Here is block #3:

 

 

I had some trouble making this block...I had to rip out the stiches THREE TIMES and start over!!  I'm thinking it had to do with me watching 19 Kids and Counting on TLC at the same time...it was hard to concentrate on what I was working on!  Needless to say I finally finished the block and it turned out great.  Here are the three completed blocks together:

 

(Sorry, the lighting isn't very good here.) 

 

Until tomorrow and block #4...

goodnight!

Vintage Holiday Quilt Along

I wanted to join the Vintage Holiday Quilt Along that started at the beginning of August.  However, with the trip to Cape Cod happening at the same time, I knew I wouldn't be able to start until the end of the month.  I still went ahead and ordered the pattern and fabric for the project.  I ended up ordering "Cherry Christmas" by Aneela Hoey.  I started ironing and cutting fabric on Saturday, and then began sewing block # 1 on Sunday. 

Here is block #1:

Tonight I finished block # 2:

 

I'm going to try to make one block each night until I finish all twelve.

 

Wish me luck! (I'm not sure how much I will be able to do next week when school starts!)

Doll Quilts

Using some left over fabric from other quilts, I made Abby and Olivia each a doll quilt.  I got the idea from a great book by Cathy Gaubert that I picked up at the book store:

I decided to create quilts using the quick and easy nine patch design.  I had lots of strips of fabric to do the blocks and some borders.  The first quilt is for Olivia:

I tried the meandering stippling style for the very first time on this quilt.  It was not easy to just "wing it" and move around with no lines to follow.  Although, the more I worked at it the better it looked.  I did a lot of practice on extra fabric sandwiches before trying this one.  Thank goodness after it was washed and dried, you couldn't see my quilting very well because of all that crinkly fabric!!

Here is the backside of her quilt.  I used the extra fabric from Olivia's birthday quilt so that they would match.

The next quilt is for Abby. 

Once again, I tried another style of quilting here.  I sewed straight lines very close to each other across the entire quilt.  This took much longer to complete than the meandering stich.  I think it turned out great! Here are some closer looks of the quilting before I washed and dried it.

 

Here they are straight from a warm dryer with all that crinkly goodness!

I love you Olivia! XOXOXO

Happy Birthday Abby! XOXOXO

August Again

The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot. It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color. Often at night there is lightning, but it quivers all alone.   ~Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting

Enjoy the final month of summer!

Reminds me of summer!