Sunday Stash #1

Boy Baby Stash
Originally uploaded by Confessions of a Quiltaholic

Okay, so I'm a little late posting but here is some adorable fabric I bought this weekend. Well, I think it's pretty darn sweet.

I am in love with the David Walker "Oh Boy!" print! I'm going to make a baby quilt from this using the Cowboy baby pattern in Material Obsession. I love the cowboy prints used in the book but I'm going to a baby shower at the end of the month and I suspect my friend will like the zoo theme better (cowboy might be too edgy for her), plus ... this is what they had in stock at my LQS.




And here it is up close... Aren't those animals cute?! I could stare at the print for hours. I know. I have a problem. I wish I could get paid for staring at fabric and admiring it.

In any case... usually I get scared about cutting into my fabric as if somehow the act of slicing it up takes away some of its magic. But in this instance, I'm looking forward to it! Cannot wait to get cracking on this baby quilt.

- k

Queen of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland Costume Set GIVEAWAY!!!!

Queen of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland Costume Set GIVEAWAY!!!!

Go here to see the MOST amazing Halloween costume. EVER!!

I don't know if Kathleen of Grosgrain Fabulous makes and sells a pattern for it, but it is the most delightful costume I've ever seen. I've never "hearted" a design so much.

It makes my ovaries flip faster than the Queen Of Hearts loses her temper.

- km

Christmas Gifts A Go-Go...

Work has been crazy busy, but I'm carving out time to get on with making gifts for Christmas. I'm determined to make this a handmade holiday. It's so easy to buy something, usually made in China, and while that's fine and goodness knows, I've done that a lot in the past... This year I want to walk my talk of buying local or handmade, and better still - make it myself.

I can't describe how rewarding it is to have an idea then bring it to life. If you're a fellow quilter, crafter, baker, or anyone creative, then you know what I mean! And I'm not going to lie, I DO love the wonderful exclamation "You made that?!! WOW!!"

So... onwards. Here are some photos from my latest adventure in sewing. Jacquie from Tall Grass Prairie Studio has some wonderful tutorials, and I loved her kitchen set tutorial. I thought this would make a great gift set for a few of my friends. Since not all of my friends go made with decorating for the holidays, I thought I'd make the set in fabrics that can be in the kitchen year 'round. I made a trip to The Workroom to pick up "just one fat quarter" to round out my stash. Ahem.

I walked out of the shop with these:




There's something about the mix of brown, aqua, grey and linen that just calls to me right now. But then I realized I didn't really have a focal fabric. Not like the adorable Michael Miller "Holiday Hostess" print Jacquie used in her tutorial.

I decided to improvise and broke out my embroidery floss, grabbed some white Kona cotton scraps, Jenny Hart embroidery iron-on designs and le voila...





I made a couple of wonky log cabin blocks using the embroidered squares as my focal point, and cut a 10x10" square of the Robert Kaufman beater print for the back...



Then I sandwiched using warm and natural cotton batting and insulate -- a special batting for oven mitts and that type of thing.

My quilting... it needs work! I don't know how the fabric went wonky in that one place, but I am getting better with practice.





Here is the complete set -- two potholders and a coordinating tea towel.



I just need to put a grommet in each pot holder and this set is done.

-k

Another Swap!!

The blocks from my teammates in the Scrappy Christmas Hedgerow Block swap are starting to arrive and they are just GORGEOUS! I have to post photos because they are so wonderful. I love them! Fingers crossed they are having the same reaction to the blocks I sent out.

And while I'm on a roll, I signed up for Fancy Peacock's Christmas Gift Tutorial Swap!




Check it out and sign up too!

There are a lot of crafty ideas I've seen perusing my (VERY long) list of favorite quilty blogs, but I think I'm going to do this Cottage Chic apron tutorial from Grosgrain Fabulous. I've been itching to sew an apron for a long time now and this is the perfect jump start!

-k

Love by Amy Butler

Gasp!

Just when I vow to get control over my fabric addiction, I find out from True Up that this is coming soon!




I, well, just LOVE Amy Butler's new line! Check it out and tell me what you think.

- k

1930s Reproduction Stash

1930s Reproduction Stash
Originally uploaded by Confessions of a Quiltaholic

I love looking at this fabric! There are so many possibilities for it, I just can't decide where to start.

Cathedral quilt in the making

Cathedral quilt in the making
Originally uploaded by Confessions of a Quiltaholic

Now that I'm done my Scrappy Christmas Hedgerow blocks, I can get back to work on this.

-k

Scrappy Hedgerow Christmas Quilt

I had so much fun making my blocks for the Scrappy Hedgerow Christmas Block Swap, that I made a few (ahem) extra for me to make a second quilt.

This week, I took advantage of having an extra day off and finished the candy cane blocks. Then, as you know, one thing lead to another and I started - and finished - sashing the blocks too.



This is one of my favourite blocks:



It brings back memories of playing with Barbies and colouring in "Gibson Girls" colouring books on family trips to Florida. I so love this quilt top and can't wait to get on with the next steps! Now the *only* thing I need to do is the backing, quilting and binding.

I certainly don't want to hurry winter along, but I am going to enjoy cuddling under this quilt come Christmas time.

- k