Matt's Cuddly Flannel Quilt

This was my brother's Christmas gift. He's the kind of guy that really has everything he wants and if he doesn't have it he can buy it. I struggled with what to give him for Christmas but then I realized that he can't buy a home made quilt and he would appreciate something cozy for his apartment in Boston. 

Finding the fabric was tricky. First, I needed flannel, which already limited the selection. Second, I wanted something that wasn't girly or for babies. (There is a lot of girly and baby flannel out there!) I also didn't want flannel that was plaid with deer or moose that belonged in a hunting lodge. That's not his style at all. I really lucked out at SR Harris Fabric Outlet and found this great fabric at a fantastic price. I love the green pallet and thought it was manly enough for a bachelor pad without saying "I want to go hunt some deer and eat them!" 

Anywho, putting the quilt together was pretty simple as far as quilts go. It's just a bunch of 12 inch squares made into a sandwich. The print on bottom, with white flannel in the center, and print on top. I quilted an "X" on each sandwich. Then I sewed the sandwiches together with the seams all facing the same side. After they were sewn together I cut into the seams every inch or so. Then I washed it a couple times. Washing it makes the seams so soft and fluffy! It's the best. This quilt is a throw size for Matt's couch. Hopefully someday soon we'll make it out to Boston to visit him and I'll see it in it's new home.

This is a great way to make cute and easy baby quilts too. And as I mentioned above, there is no shortage of cute baby flannel at a great price. Jo-Ann Fabrics has two rows of it. 

"The Luckiest" Quilt

Can I tell you how excited I was about this project?! I think it was the highlight of my crafting/sewing year in 2011. The hardest part is I couldn't talk about it because it was for a dear friend! But now Christmas has passed so I can share. So here it is:

My friend is a HUGE Ben Folds fan. I thought I was a fan, until I met her. My fan level pales in comparison. So when when I saw several quilts like this, I had to do one for her with Ben Folds lyrics. And what better lyric to use then "I Am The Luckiest." Because let me tell you, I am the luckiest to have a friend like her.

First I used wonder under on fabric for the letters. I typed the letters I needed on my computer. (In a font I liked.) Then I just ran the fabric with wonder under on it through my printer, just like paper. It worked like a charm. All I had to do was cut out the letters. Someday I will own a Silhouette CAMEO, but until then this methods works great. Next I just ironed the letters on my pennants and appliqued around each letter.

After that, I appliqued the pennants on my white fabric so they draped like bunting. I chose a white on white print instead of plain white. It gave it a little character without being too bold. I really wanted the pennants to stand out.

Next, I added the rick rack along the top of the pennants. I love the green. It's fun!

Last, I quilted it. I choose to echo quilt and I love how it turned out. I did it without marking it ahead of time. I could have done that to make it more exact, but that would not fit the quilt. It is more of a "freestyle" quilt. I used purple thread for the quilting.

It was such a fun project for a friend who I love dearly.

The Finished Soccer Quilt

Well here it is! I believe it's the first full size quilt that I got done on time. Heck, it was done several weeks early! Sarah must be one special girl. (We'll she is... but really her mom, Heidi, is one special friend and co-worker.) I did a nine patch toss with Sarah's soccer jerseys from over the years. Sarah has been playing soccer for many years, so there were a ton. Luckily she's had the same team colors the entire time. The jerseys were a wee bit of a bear to sew because they wanted to stretch differently then the cotton, but once I got a system down it worked pretty well. It was quilted by Nancy Miller, of Concord, NC and she did a super job! I really like the pattern. It's enough to hold it together but not too detailed to cause distractions. I am in love with the red binding. That was Nancy's idea and I think it really pulls it together. So Sarah enjoy your quilt and I wish you many grand adventures as you head off to college! To quote Story People, "[it]feels like some kind of ride but it's turning out just to be life going absolutely perfectly." Enjoy the ride! It only gets better! :)

Remember the Soccer Quilt?

Well it's almost done! Here is a quick picture before I sent it off to the quilter to get quilted. I wanted to do it myself, but there is no time at this point in my life. The quilter did an amazing job! I can't wait to show ya'll the final quilt when I get the binding on. I am working on it now. It has to be done by June 4th.

Quilting Time...

I have not had time to work on a ton of quilts, but I am carving out time to work on one for my co-workers daughter, Sarah. She is graduating from high school this year. I am making a quilt with soccer fabric and her soccer jerseys. It's been a fun diversion now that Philip is gone. It's a reward to get the house cleaned quickly at night so that I can quilt!