More projects

Lilia needed some new clothes for school last fall and I really do not like so many of the options to buy now. So I decided to make a couple of skirts. Then she needed something to keep her legs warm so I decided to go with some leggings since I had some leftover knit from other projects. I used a pair she already had for a pattern and I think they turned out quite well. 

Anne modeling the finished product. 

Don't worry. We have since gotten rid of the shoes. They were so-very-well-loved. 

Kindy 500

Our kindergarten had a big race this year and the kids were asked to make a car out of a box for the race (they kept calling it the “Kindergarten 500” or the “Kinder 500.” Don't ask me why it wasn't the “Kindy 500.” Seems obvious to me.). It took us a while to get started on Lilia's, but when we got started, boy, did we! We were going to glue felt pieces for the color (I have TONS of felt), but as we were getting into it, I started to realize that without much effort, I could sew a slipcover “shell” for the cardboard skeleton. Lilia designed the cardboard with me and picked out colors for the car. She also cut out all the racing stripes. It came together quite quickly. She chose 615 for her number to represent her coming age (had her birthday just last week!) and birthday. It was very well thought-out. 

After starting on the car, I started thinking that it would be a shame to just throw all that felt away after. It really wasn't a lot of work, but it seemed like a waste. Spencer had the grand idea to stuff the car and close up the top and bottom after the race! I mentioned that to Lilia and she seemed really reluctant. I asked why and it turns out she wants to be a race car  driver for Halloween.  We agreed to save the car for Halloween and we will stuff it after and keep it as long as it lasts! It will be a nice keepsake of our time in Indiana (however long it ends up being!). 

It was so fun to be there and see all the different cars people had come up with. Really fun to see the “pit crew” (Mrs Dixon's son) running to help any kids who tripped. Lilia was so excited for this race and it was fun to see her. She ended up coming in last in her heat because she was turned around waving to us when they started. She did have a great time, though, and we loved watching her! And we are so grateful it did not get rained out! It was so fun. 

Quilting and other projects

The two years that we have lived in Indiana have been big crafting years for me. I have always loved making things and have always worked to fit that in to my time. Also, to the benefit of the whole family, I have gotten much better at managing my time for projects and step away much more easily than in the past. I have more pictures on the computer that I will put on later. Here is a smattering from the last several months (these start September 2014). 

Since I got into free-motion quilting I wanted to try feathers. I think they can be beautiful (if sometimes overdone)! I have tried some different versions with lots of practice. This was a practice feather. 

The start of quilting Lilia's quilt. I came up with a design that I started working on. I realized after not too far into the quilting that it was not going to work. I think it was not too bad for a beginner, but I am not sorry I picked it out. 

Here are the feathers and swirls I ended up doing.Were I to do this quilt again, I would pick a cream thread to complement the quilt better. I chalk that up to a beginner's choice. Not bad, necessarily, but not what it could have been. Still, so happy with how it turned out. I look forward to improving my feathers. 

The pattern is a bento box. It was a very fun find. 

With the border (more feathers and swirls, but organized). 

The back. 

With the binding. 

Here are the fabrics I picked up to make the decorative pumpkins I have wanted for years! It was awfully ambitious to pick up this much, but I have a lot of years to work on them. These were actually on my list to get done before Chris was born. I did get one finished and the second got done after. 

Here is the first one I made. I did a two-sided leaf using some fabric I had stashed away. I used brown felt just for a visual. This ended up with a real stick stem similar to the one below.

I don't remember when, exactly, but at some point after learning about free-motion quilting I realized I could embroider with it! That would make things much easier to put names on stockings in the future. This is practice for Chris' name. Spencer was, as he is so often, right when he suggested a toned-down lettering since the other stockings are not as fancy. I went with a middle-ground in order to portray my progression. 

Here is the detail of the quilting. snowflakes and snowballs. Also on my list to do before Chris was born, this was ready and waiting for a name by the time baby came!

The whole collection (for now!).

Already posted. More embroidery experimenting for Benny's elf hat. 

Then came Christmas time. We decided that for our sibling gift for Clark and Susy I would make an advent calendar. My plan was to make it just like the one we had growing up (and that Caitlin made for us a few years ago!). Then, the wheels started turning. I got to JoAnn's and called an audible. I changed the color scheme. Then, at home, when I really did not love the felt letters/numbers I had found, I decided on more embroidery and free-motion quilting. 

 

This was all done free-hand. I am really happy with how it turned out. 

The "lights" strung on the tree. 

Trunk detail. 

Tree skirt (one of my favorite parts) and December detail. 

Anne helping with the ornaments. 

Ornaments closer. 

My favorite ornament. These were all so simple in nature and obviously free-handed, but I love that it gives it a more simple feel. 

The whole shebang! I backed it with a Christmas fabric I had stowed away so I didn't have the burlap shedding into my machine. I love the finished look it gives with the border. 

Jane posing with some of the fabrics for Anne's quilt. 

The wreath I had mulling around in my brain for some time. 

Another project that had been mulling around was a Family Home Evening rotation chart. There are so many of the wood boards with pegs or hooks and I thought about doing something like those. I wanted something more unique, though, that reflected me. This is what I came up with. 'N' is for Anne – or Nan as we sometimes call her now. 

T-shirt dresses! I have loved these since Jen made them for Iris years ago. She give is such a cute one for Lilia that all the girls have worn and I have been meaning to make more for a long time. I found the shirts at Target first and then found the perfect fabric! I still have a couple more to make. 

Even Lilia got one for school!

Most of the layout for Anne's quilt. I found this design online and figured out my own way to implement it without buying the pattern. I am curious to know if there was an easier way to do it. 

Only the smaller projects get done start to finish. This is from a Super Saturday Relief Society activity. I got there way late due to my long training run for the Mini Marathon (more on that later, maybe), but I got the supplies and looked up how to do it on youtube. I had some ribbon from way too long ago (think wedding gift) that I got to work pretty well. I think it turned out nicely, but it never seemed my style to me. 

I made it over for a dear friend. I love the new color combination. 

I am not sure when I started, but on Monday I got the last border added to Anne's quilt. I love how it turned out! Spencer is the mastermind behind the black fabric. He really does offer such useful feedback to me for my projects. I was originally going for a white, but this works much better. It has a stained-glass feel to it. Yesterday I picked up fabric for the back. It took me a while, but I finally decided on what I want for the back. 

 

And because the wheels are always turning, here are some other fabrics I picked up yesterday for some "big bibs" I am making for baby gifts. A super quick and (in my mind) very useful gift. 

And part of Lilia's birthday present that will be shown after we get it done! Lilia turns 6 on Monday! Where has the time gone?

My quilt

“My quilt” has been a long time coming. A total of ten years, to be exact. In 2004, on a trip to Las Vegas, my mom bought me a whole bunch of fabric to make a quilt for myself. I had done some for friends fairly recently (a wedding, a dear, dear friend), and it was time to do my own to make up for my first self-quilt that had gotten burned. Sad, sad day, that. It was beautiful, too. But I digress. 

I had the fabric for some time without doing anything with it. It was a busy time. What with Spencer coming home from his mission, school, work, a wedding, more school, more work, and then a baby! My quilt was patiently waiting for its turn.  

Benny's quilt won out first. I even used some of my fabrics (of which I had plenty!). Then it was my turn. I started it while I was pregnant with Andy. There is a picture of me right before leaving the hospital to give birth to Andy sitting at my “sewing table” that has my quilt fabrics around. 

While in Provo I finished the blocks. After moving to Tulsa (at some point) I added the border. I also got the back ready! And I assembled my quilt sandwich. Then after moving here I pulled it out and spray-glued the sandwich together so I could start quilting. For a while, not knowing what to quilt was holding me up the most. I think I was just dragging my feet, though, not wanting to commit to anything. Well, I finally commit. 

It might be a little hard to see, but I did a series of swirls, loops, and threw in a few stars. 

And I was quilting just like I have always quilted: my regular presser foot with the feed dogs up. It was working, but after a couple of hours I had a relatively small section done and my arms were already sore!

Then, by chance, I learned about free motion quilting. A friend posted a picture on facebook of a quilt she had done for her son. I asked about the quilting and had a whole new world open up before my very eyes. I am not kidding. It is amazing what people do on their own – regular – machines. 

It took me a few days to order the free motion quilting set for my machine because it was a bit of an investment for me. I wasn't entirely sure how it would go and I didn't want to waste the money. Spencer reminded me that I could use it for any future stockings in addition to any other quilts. I went for it and I was amazed! Free motion is definitely a skill to learn and I have a long way to go, but I worked it out. 

Some practice. Yes, I tried my name.

The rest of the quilt was very quick work! Definitely not perfect, but I really like how it turned out. I even decided to leave my first attempt in. Rather than take all the time to pick it out, I wanted to leave it as a kind of tribute to my progression. 

The free motion is much closer together than the first attempt. It is a much cleaner look and the curves are much crisper. 

The finished quilt!

Close-up of front. 

And back. 

I did decide to "sign" it. Glad I did. I think it will become tradition!

All this time, Andy on down were going quilt-less (from me – they each have beautiful quilts from their grandma!!). That is all beginning to change. Andy's quilt is sandwiched and all ready to quilt!