Pink and Navy

They were my wedding colors- before they were the rage :)  Love them too---

1. Kona Bubble Gum-215x215, 2. kona coal-215x215, 3. Kona ash-215x215, 4. Kona hibiscus-215x215, 5. Not available, 6. Kona Navy K001-1243-215x215, 7. Kona Snow K001-1339-215x215, 8. CHARCOAL-215x215, 9. Kona bright pink-215x215

My soon to be Quilt...

I made a Farmer's Wife block out of these colors quite a while ago and just cannot stop looking at it.  I have just totally and completely fallen for this combo: aqua, orange, red, and yellow.  It will be my next quilt for sure- after I finish all the others that are already in progress :)  LOVE-

1. BAHAMA BLUE-215x215, 2. Kona Tomato-215x215, 3. Kona School Bus K001-1482-215x215, 4. Kona Papaya-215x215, 5. Not available, 6. BANANA-215x215, 7. Kona Canary-215x215, 8. Kona Red K001-1308-215x215, 9. AZURE-215x215

My favorite time of Day...

I can't explain how much I love the sunset!  No matter where I am in the world, I can always find something amazing about the sunset.  Another Kona challenge, over at Fluffy Sheep Quilting gave me a chance to celebrate that!  Just looking at it makes me go "AHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhh..."    Have a great sunset tonight, wherever you are...

1. Kona Magenta-215x215, 2. TEAL BLUE-215x215, 3. Kona Purple-215x215, 4. Kona School Bus K001-1482-215x215, 5. Not available, 6. Kona Orange-215x215, 7. Kona Tomato-215x215, 8. Kona Corn Yellow-215x215, 9. Kona bright pink-215x215

Color Palettes

Miss Lynne over at Lily's Quilts (http://lilysquilt.blogspot.com/) has been making me drool lately with her color palette talk! She's doing a Dead Simple Quilt Along which I would love to join and am having a hard time restraining myself! I love colors and the feelings/memories that go along with them. But I must get some of these other quilt tops completed first- and I have a few other projects in the works too :)!! I have, however, been following along with all the wonderful tips and hints for color palette picking. I really like looking at ideas and picking colors that are out of my "comfort zone"- i.e. pink and red, cutesie! I have yet to make a pink and red cutesie quilt though, funny, huh?! Anyway, I have looked at the palette sites and saw a couple that I liked but nothing really struck me.
Then I was getting in bed and noticed the pile of Kona fabric that needed folding on my comic book board folding system, and the palette HIT me!! I had gotten the fabrics a few days before just to refill my stock and add a few more colors- I loved the Pear and Sour Apple! And another new favorite is Papaya! Yum! Sound as good as they look :)! Then the Aqua and Turqouise threw me for a loop, they are so close in color, just a shade different! (Orange and Tangerine are in there too). So, after glancing over at them randomly placed, I sighed and knew I was on to something! I don't know when I'll be making a quilt from this- wonder if there is another Kona Solid Challenge coming up in the future?? But I love the feel of these colors together- gotta find some prints with these bold colors too- ouuu, yummy! What do you think??

Teachers Give Us Wings Quilt

I don't think I ever posted this finished quilt. The summer got wild and it slipped my mind, so I wanted to make sure I got it on the record :).

This quilt was made for a special teacher. She loves aqua and red with some black and white thrown in. I was thrilled that there were so many wonderful fabric options to use. I went with a simple block layout to highlight the bird. There area also a few pieced blocks added in for personality! I "enlarged" a bird on the black and white print for the focal point of the quilt. The bird is 18" square to give you an idea of size. The quilt itself is 72" square. The binding is Kona turqouise. I quilted it with a turquoise thread in a loopy pattern, at a 45 degree angle across the quilt, to match the "flight" of the birdie :). It made me smile.

The simplicity of the quilt really makes the bird pop- which is what I was hoping for! Teachers are incredible people and have a special place in my heart. This teacher made all the difference in the life of a precious little boy I know, and she needed an appropriate thank you. When I was having the fabric cut, the LQS said they wished they were his teacher- hehe! This was the least I could do! And a quilt is like a big hug, so everytime she wraps up in it, she will know she's loved! What better gift!

Without further ado... Teachers Give Us Wings...

Warm Cool quilt along and Zig Zag updates...

I have all my hst's finally sewed, trimmed, ironed, and ready to lay out for the official "design" of the quilt. Just to find time when there is floor space and time enough to do it now :) I am going with a centered diamond pattern, so it should go together very quickly. I am nervous about making sure they all get sewed the right way once I put them in rows- I will have to be very precise in my stacking :).

Then my zigs and zags are getting sewn and pieced together with the solid Kona basil. It is looking pretty schnazzy! When I get the first row done, I promise a photo :) Lots going and lots in the works!

Binding!!

I worked all day today free motion quilting squares- more and more huge squares on my Bottled Rainbow quilt! And I LOVE it- oh, so much better than the loops ever dreamed of being :)! Yipee! It was worth unpicking for over 8 hours to be able to quilt it in lines. And it was my first line project too. I really like the look. I got the binding cut, sewn and stitched on the front. Now to pin the back and hand sew away :)!! hehe! I'll be busy tomorrow!
I can hardly wait to put in the the wash and watch it come out crinkly :)!! Oh, I have a hard time being patient! It will be worth the work- the colors just make me smile, and the Kona Ash with the lines on it look great! So excited!

Then I'll be on to my next project- or several at one time, probably :) Here's how my first block of 36, it was 3 a month, not 1, HA!, turned out. I love the Pink-ness! Going to be so much fun seeing all the pink in this one :)

That's my progress at the moment- wait a day or two and I'll have FINISHED Bottled Rainbow pictures- woot, woot!! :)

Ou la la and a big Oops!

Missing in action again- we wound up having a surprise weekend long vacation for a great- grandma's birthday. It was so nice to get away and just be together- hotels are magical places for kiddos :). So it was good, but now I'm back, ready to get going, big time, on these projects!

I finally have so pretty fabric to show :) Yipee! Here's the home decor weight fabric for the first bag I'm making with help from http://sweetbeebuzzings.blogspot.com/- keep your fingers crossed that it turns out alright- I'm a little nervous to try this :) But with such pretty colors, it will have to be cute!

Then here is the green fabric for the quilt along over with Angela at http://cuttopieces.blogspot.com/! I'm doing a boy version of the zig zag quilt and had a request for shades of green, so here they are! Now the tough part is deciding if I dare put it on a white background or a soft green Kona shade. Hmmmm, any opinions???

Then for the Pickles quilt I am making from the lovely tutorial from http://fiestyeily.blogspot.com/, I had a request for wild, fun colors! I asked the lovely ladies at http://www.etsy.com/sewfreshfabrics to make me an "unafriad of color" bundle, but with less flowers. They were so wonderful to create this group, just perfect and so happy too :)!!
For the We can do it Sampler quilt at http://sewnbyleila.blogspot.com/, I am going to make an all-pink version- so excited about this! One block a month is completely do-able! Nice steady pace :) So here are my pinks- all ready to go -- yummy!

Then, for the quilt along with Jeni at http://incolororder.blogspot.com/, we are doing a warm/cool value quilt. On my list of "To make" quilts is an orange/aqua quilt, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity! I love some pictures I've seen on Flickr of orange and aqua value blocks, so this will be fun to see a whole quilt like that :)

These two fabrics are both favorites- the trains becuase trains have always been big at my house, and the campers are just perfect! We love camping and these cuties fit right in! I could buy a bolt of these :)
So now, cutting will keep me busy for a year! :) hehe! I have to seriously get busy on cutting to keep up with all my groups- off to Joanns to get a new rotary blade :) And lastly, I was so excited last Wednesday to quilt my Bottled Rainbows quilt. I had thought and thought about it and decided that loops would be a fatastic contrast to the "square-ness" of the blocks. Well, I got about a tenth of the way through and looked at it- it did NOT look good to me- I didn't like the contrast and it made me feel yucky inside. Oh dear! So I turned off the machine and grabbed my lovely seam ripper. I have picked for over 6 hours and have about 1/3 to go- oh dear!! I do not like it when I oops, especially on such a beloved quilt. But it will be the way that looks best by the time it's done- at least it's fixable, right?! :) Oh well, I'll get some more blisters and hopefully have it done by THIS weekend! HA!

Have a great start to the week! And enjoy the sunshine!

My list of projects just exponentially increased :)

I went from almost finishing up my last project to having a huge list pop up overnight! All these quilt alongs that will be so fun, and a few that are already finished- poo- that I want to do still!
I got my Bottled Rainbows all sewed together- now I just have to be patient for the mail lady to bring my fabric border (using Kona ash), backing (Ann Kelle Remix argyle and Henry Glass rainbow crayon stipe) to get those on. I think I'm gonna use my Kona solids as a binding :) So excited to see this one all put together!

So I was browsing the blogs I love, obviously a little too much lately, looking for my next project, and wound up with SIX, yes, SIX! Is that too many?? Oops! Oh well, I'm jumping in with both feet! These quilt alongs are all just starting (well, 4 of them are qal's) and I want to follow along! I figure it will be a great way to learn new techniques and broaden my horizons :) very quickly. hehe! So here's what I'm tackling- all at once---

http://incolororder.blogspot.com/search/label/Warm%20Cool%20Quilt%20Along This is Jeni's warm cool value quilt along- I've made my schnazzy mug rug like this and love it so much, that an entire quilt is definitley a must! I am thinking just orange and aqua for this one- that would mark 2 things off my want to make list at the same time :)

Next is http://sweetbeebuzzings.blogspot.com/ tote bag quilt along. I have never made a bag before and this one looks really cute and functional, so I'm going for it! Broaden those horizons, right?!

Then the Zig Zag quilt over at http://cuttopieces.blogspot.com/ . Miss Angela is wonderful and the pattern she created is just lovely- I'm thinking shade of green for this one!

The last "official" qal is over at http://sewnbyleila.blogspot.com/ . It's the We Can Do It Skill Builder Sampler quilt- I've never made a sampler quilt either, so it should be a lot of fun! Still trying to decide on colors for this!

Then a qal I just missed was the Supernova over at http://freshlypieced.blogspot.com/ . Another beautiful quilt that I will be making in colors of the Sunset- deep purple, red, orange, yellow, deep pink, and some deep aqua/teal thrown in. So excited about this one- getting fabric for it first. It will be my first half-flying gesse square quilt! Soooo fun!

And lastly, another dear blogger, Karen of http://feistyeily.blogspot.com/ , created a pattern that has just been calling my name- she named it Hello Pickles, and I am sooooo thrilled to be able to make this one too! I'm going to be making it in pink, orange, aqua, and green- thinking the new line from Lecien called Happy Mochi Yum Yum- gotta wait a month for it to come out! Ugh- patience, I know!

So there's my list- my fabric budget just got shot! :) hehe! But I am making one of these for each of the kiddos so it gives me a really good reason to spend it :)! So fun! Now, what are you all working on??

Red and School Bus Orange/Yellow Blocks

Ok, first off, why in the world is this Kona color called "School Bus"?? Huh?? It's orange people- and NOT the color of a school bus! Too funny- it makes me giggle every time I see it! I call it by it's offical name when I look at it- yes, I talk to my fabric, don't all "normal" people do that?! ha! So, on to the blocks, off with the tangent :)...

This Bottled Rainbows quilt is too fun! I love looking at all the beautiful blocks. They make me smile to see how many people can make so many different styles using the same idea. Sometimes I think I'm weird because mine are so different, but as I stated previously, I think outside the box and like to give things some flair. So here's my flair- a picture in every block :) And that's how I like them, so weird or not, it's me and what will mean a lot to me years down the road, when the kiddos are all grown and with their own families :).

The rich red block was easy- My littlest is obsessed with purses, so there had to be a purse somewhere, and red spoke to me! I love how this one worked out, with so many little fussy cut animals, and forest things. Another favorite!

The School Bus orange/yellow, whichever it is :), was fun too. I have a different little who loves rainbows. The quilt is right up his alley, as far as colors go, but I knew I had to throw a rainbow in for good measure, so here it is :). It was crazy cutting all these curved pieces, but oh so worth it! I love it too!

Now I have 6 done, and only 10 to go- faster, faster, faster! I wish my machine would sew double time! :) Dreaming...

All fabric is not created equal!

Can you believe that I didn't know this when I started sewing?!!? I wondered why the "designer" fabrics cost so much, when you could get cute things at Joann's for much less? Don't get me wrong- I love Joanns, and spend plenty of my budget there, and have actually gotten some really cute fabrics there too. But the designer fabrics- oh, you can just touch them and feel the difference. The thickness and tightness of the weave, the depth of color, and the prints themselves! I have gone head over heels for Kona cotton lately- solids- something I never thought I would want in my stash. And now, there are 17 colors, nicely stacked, in rainbow order, ready to be cut into (well 16 will be cut into, 1 is extra :) ) beside my sewing table. I love the cost of the non-designer fabric, but I oh so love the designer everything else :)!

I got in trouble in my local quilt shop today! Well, not too bad, and it's for an excellent cause. I just can't stay too long, or I get too much- hehe! I love being the first person there- you can get 30% off one cut, and for a quilt back, that's a pretty good deal on "designer"! Today I got aqua, red, white, and blacks- oh such eye candy!! I am so excited to pin down a pattern and get busy for a special someone my family knows :)

Beginnings of a Rainbow and Kaelin's Rockin' Giveaway!!

I'll start with a fabulous giveaway that my friend, Kaelin, is having over on her blog... The girl is incredibly talented- I've told her I wanna be like her when I "grow up"! I better hurry up cause I'm older than she is already ;)! She has had the best giveaways this month, part of her Blogiversary celebrations, and this week leaves nothing to be desired. Fabric, doll quilt, happiness, and fun- you will not be disappointed! Head on over and see what a sweetheart she is! http://theplaidscottie.blogspot.com/

Dut, dut, dut, da!!!! I FINALLY have my Kona solids for my Bottled Rainbow quilt! I'd been flustered at how much it was gonna cost to order them all, since I only have "flesh" kona in my stash. So I was absolutely thrilled when Joann's decided to put them on sale AND have a 25% off your entire purchase coupon, both at the same time. Problem was that they do not carry all the colors. That was ok with me- I like being creative! So I went to 3 different Joann's to get colors that were close enough to me, and still made me smile happy inside like a rainbow would do! The blue-green in the stack is not Kona- just an off brand because, stinker, they didn't carry the color I needed ;). I love how the colors turned out and am so excited to start! I know some very kind friends who are sharing some scraps with me to help my variety not be pitiful ;) You know who you are- thank you more than I can say!!!!!! So here is my pile- I got enough of each color to be able to bind it in strips too- I thought a rainbow binding would also be fun! Have a wonderful day, and look for rainbows!

Bottled Rainbows- a start to my blog :)

I have been making things as long as I can remember. I never thought I would know (or be learning) how to quilt. My Grandma made me clothes as I grew up, and my mom taught me how to sew a receiving blanket (aka- a STRAIGHT line!). But I didn't sew for years, and years! Then I saw some adorable stuffed animal patterns I wanted to make, but it took sewing. So I pulled out the machine and got to work! I was mortified of CURVED lines- oh my!! However, I quickly learned that it is really a straight line that you turn! So my rationale was, not really a "curved" line, afterall; I could do this! It went from there- making Waldorf dolls, and then the big jump- I decided to try a Queen size quilt- yes, I am crazy (but that's a good thing)! I saw I Dance in Cirlces from Tracey Jay and knew I had to make one. I did- stippled it on my little Bernina and all (oh how I dream of an 820!) ;). It turned perfectly, to me, so the obsession began... My aunt warned me to never start quilting or I'd never be the same again. I'm glad I didn't listen- I like the "new" me :)! hehe! I had seen tons of quilts and patterns I love since Cirlces, but none that I had to do right then. Well, that changed when I saw a post by Angela about the Bottled Rainbows Quilt along. I didn't know how I'd get enough scraps, but I knew I HAD to make one :)!

Rachel, at her lovely blog (here: http://www.stitchedincolor.com/2011/02/bottled-rainbows-ticker-tape-quilt.html) brilliantly began this quilt along, and it is wonderful! I am still waiting on my Kona solids, but I am giddy to begin! I dream about what this quilt will look like- do you ever do that? Dream about stuff you are making? Happens to me ALL.THE.TIME. :) If not, I guess consider yourself normal! It's cool though- so dreaming I go, and quilting I will be soon!

I am loving learning about quilting and all things sewing! It is quite a challenge with no one close by that I can learn "hands-on" from (that's how I like to learn- if you can show me, I know it forever). But it gives me good practice, and I am a perfectionist through and through, so I make it til it's perfect! This road is just beginning for me, and I am so excited to hold on and enjoy the RIDE!!!! WEEEEEEE!