A quilt for a special teacher

My son has an AMAZING preschool teacher! We just love her to bits! I am on the Board of Directors for our little preschool and just felt I wanted to give her something special! So I came up with this little idea. Our classroom theme this year was Owls and what a great way to capture memories in her first year of teaching at our preschool than make a quilt and get the kids involved...

Here we go... 

I traced the kids' hands and then used heat n bond on the back of fat quarters and cut them out, along with little owl bodies I traced and feet etc...

 They became too big for my 12x12 blocks they had to be placed on each block like so... but it worked out good!

This looked a little... blah so I added colored sashing which made it POP!

 And a border that says "A teacher takes a hand opens a mind and touches a heart"

 Then I had each child write their name (some with help) on their owl.

 and here is the finished project!

We all cried a little at the preschool grad when it was presented! Such an amazing teacher deserved a heartfelt gift with a little love from the kids in it! 

A quilt for a special teacher

Read more ...

Catching up on the blog...

Its been a while since I have posted on my blog... I have finally gotten back to quilting. My husband was not working for a while and when he is home I don't usually get any quilting done because I much rather spend my time with him. But when he is away my evenings are free once the little ones are asleep and that's when I get most of my work done. I have finished three quilts since January. Two of them are on my Etsy Store right now as I have far too many quilts in my home right now I thought I would give selling them a shot. 

My first quilt I finished in 2014 is one my mom purchased a quilt kit from a local quilt store. I was so frustrated as the "homemade" pattern was wrong and they gave me the wrong sizes of fabrics... but I was able to piece the back and make it work and figure out the other errors before I messed the whole thing up! It turned out great and we just found out we are having a little girl in June and this will be perfect for her! Thanks Grandma ;) 

My second quilt I finished in 2014 is one that is for sale in my Etsy Store. It was done with the pattern "Fun with Fats" it was extremely easy and could easily be done with a jelly roll as it was all 2.5" strips. I purchased the pattern and fabric back in 2006 and it was the last of the fabric I had purchased for a specific project. I am trying to de-stash my stash by getting busy! Space is limited and my fabric storage closet is soon going to be a nursery closet. Gotta get busy! 

Why did I put this quilt off for almost 8 years? I have no clue... there were a few fat quarters I did not care for when I looked at the fabric but now that its all together I a really happy with the outcome. And what an easy throw quilt! Only took 12 fats! 

I also had fun free motion quilting this one... I love this part of quilting! 

My third and final quilt I have finished thus far in 2014 is another Jelly Roll Race. I made one back last summer for a Relay for Life auction but this one I added two boarders and it made a really nice size quilt. This was made using Moda Tapestry. 

 Hard to see in this photo but that's the backing fabric, if you look close you can see the free motion quilting in the brown thread.

 This one is also in my Etsy Store! 

 Quilting on the boarders

 My next goal is my New Years Resolution which is my double wedding ring quilt. I have been busy sewing Cloth Diapers and Cloth Pull-Ups for my little toddler and his baby sister due June 11th. So a little break from quilting but not sewing :) Thanks for stopping by :)

 

Catching up on the blog

Read more ...

2013 New Years Resolution COMPLETED!

Last January I set my goals high on a Sewing Resolution

I Started and Finished 6 Quilts

Finished all my UFO's

** Side Note **

My last UFO completed

A rag time quilt I started in high school for my grandparents. They got it this fall before they left for Mesa, AZ and quite liked it! 

Used some stash, not all but some

Finished a project before I would buy for a new one

Cut some of my favorite fabrics I had been saving and used them in projects

Educated myself in free motion quilting, paper piecing, hexagons and using my serger

Free motion quilted 7 quilts! A new hobby! 

Start and Finish - 6/6 quilts finished

Finish the Unfinished - 4/4 unfinished project finished

Use my stash - Doing this!!

Finish before you buy - been sticking to this one! :)

Swallow and Snip - Made a few projects!

Educate myself - learned free motion quilting, learned paper piecing, Sewing Hexagons

Free Motion - free motioned 7 quilts

I am very excited to choose a new resolution this year! Its not as ambitious because baby # 4 is on the way. 

My 2014 Sewing Resolution is to start and complete a queen sized Double Wedding Ring Quilt. 

I have always admired this pattern and I am looking forward to this adventure of a old pattern in a modern world. The Double Wedding Ring Quilt pattern I have chosen is a paper piecing pattern which I am excited about. I really enjoy paper piecing :) 

2013 New Years Resolution COMPLETED!

Read more ...