Chemistry Lab Bench: A Finished Quilt

Howdy y'all! I'm back with a finish that took a little while to make. That's right, the girl who keeps saying 'I won't make big quilts' has made another big quilt. I just can't say no. LOL

This queen-sized quilt was commissioned by a coworker for her daughter. She finished her undergraduate degree this spring and will be starting grad school in the fall. The girl loves chemistry! And though I don't understand that (I HATED chemistry in college), I understand wanting a quilt to showcase something you're passionate about! She showed me a picture on Pinterest that linked to this interview on Craftsy. I looked high and low for a pattern or something similar, but turned up empty handed.

I just want to point out that I LOVE the background fabric, so fun! Also, I want to point out that I actually remembered to keep the print going in the right direction for all the piecing! :)

So I took this inspiration and drew up my own design based off the awesomness --- that makes it derivative, right? (I'm still trying to keep all the definitions straight when it comes to inspired work!). I had to simplify some elements, such as the shapes of the flasks and beakers, but I made things a little different by making each container have a different amount of 'liquid' in each. Everything is traditionally pieced because I don't know how to design a paper piecing pattern and it never dawned on me to learn how. Lol.

I had so much fun picking out of my stash for the rainbow of colors. It's amazing what gems I found when I started digging! :) The backing is a flannel with this awesome varying blue color scheme going on. This was the first time I bought an entire bolt of fabric, it was awesome! Hahaha!

Once again, I'm saying no more big quilts, but let's be honest. We know it'll happen again! ;)

The Last Commission of 2017: Queen-Sized Diamonds

Hey y'all! I've got another 2017 finish to share and this one is a big one! As you guessed, this was a commission for a queen sized quilt. I know I said I wasn't making anymore big commissions, but this was a family friend and I promised her a quilt before the ban was made, so I didn't break any rules! Lol.

She loved the diamond baby quilt I had made back in the summer and requested colors to match her bedroom: rusty red, earthy greens and browns, golds, and just a smattering of turquoise. This palette was WAY out of my usual tastes, but I thought it came together to be lovely. :) The sashing is an off-white/cream. I quilted it with Aurifil in Dove color, which blended well I feel like. It has become a fast favorite of mine, I can see why everybody raves about it!

As you can see, this monster was nearly impossible to snap a picture of indoors! I wish I could have got better pictures of this one, but like the pixelated heart quilt I shared last time, time was of the essence. Also, it was frigid outside and there was no way I was venturing out and dragging quilt holders (aka - my parents) with me. The woman I made this quilt for sent me a picture of it on their bed not long after delivery, which made my heart sing! She absolutely adored it and it made me so happy!

To make up for the crummy pictures, I had to include outtakes of Elvis being...well, Elvis. Lol. He loves being nosey and checking out my projects!

A Finished Commission: Herringbone Baby Quilt

Hey y'all! I'm back with another finished baby quilt! Like the previous one I shared, this was finished a little while back, I just had to wait for my client to gift it so it could stay a surprise.

For this one, my client wanted the same feel as the previous quilt, but with a slightly different color palette --- bright blue, pink, coral. So off I went to shop for fabric and what a bear of a trip it was! I circled and circled the fabric stacks for more than an hour before I finally found what I wanted. I was nervous I was settling until I put the binding on, talk about anxiety! Lol.

Doggy toes! :)

My client wanted a herringbone look, so I used this tutorial from Rachel over at Stitched in Color. I made some adjustments to make it work for the picture in my head and it went together really quick and easy!

Simple echo quilting rounded things out nicely. :)

I'm just going to point out that the new flooring in my parents' sunroom is to die for and made the absolute perfect backdrop for this quilt!

Hope your Sunday goes well, y'all!

Approved by my quilt inspector!

Living Life and Sewing Quilts: A Finished Commission to Share!

Shew, y'all, it has been crazy since I was last here! I've been working harder than ever, slowly working towards goals I set for myself and, a week ago, I got to check off one of those goals.

Stingray City, Grand Caymen!

Kayaking through the mangroves in Grand Caymen!

I went on vacation! But not just any vacation, oh no. I went on a cruise and visited places outside of the U.S. It's been a dream of mine to travel and see what is outside of my one-stoplight town and I've finally begun that journey! This post was supposed to be about a commission finish, but I can't help but slide in a few pictures of my absolutely amazing trip. :) Note: these pics are unedited but GOOD LORD, LOOK HOW PRETTY! I'm amazed my phone took such good photos! :)

Our first morning in the Gulf of Mexico! Pictures can't do these views justice!

Ziplining in Cozumel, Mexico!

Back to the quilting though! I've had this little baby quilt finished for a while, but had to wait until the momma-to-be received it at the baby shower. She and grandma-to-be commissioned it, letting momma pick out the pattern and fabrics, but the catch was she didn't get to see the actual quilt until her shower!

Such dainty, feminine fabrics. :)

The colors washed out on these sadly, the pinks and yellows nearly disappeared in the light! :(

She picked out most of the fabrics, I just picked out some fillers and whatnot to balance things out. The template is from the book Modern Designs for Classic Quilts by Kelly Biscopink and Andrea Johnson, just modified the pattern to the size I wanted and to include the border that momma-to-be wanted. :)

Momma-to-be loved this yellow floral but was terrified for it to be on the back. I told her to have a little faith because EVERYBODY loved this yellow print, including myself! :)

That little sprig to the left of the rocks is a fully bloomed out Elephant Ear plant now, it's amazing how time flies! :)

I'm happy to report she loved it! It's always so nerve-wracking to make a commission, you would think I'd be used to it by now. Lol. I have one more commissioned baby quilt in the vault, just waiting to be shared, hopefully you will get to see it soon! :)

A Finished Commission: Spring has Sprung Laptop Bag!

Howdy y'all! Once again, time slipped away and I went a while without blogging again. But man, I've been sewing up a storm and having fun as the weather turns spring-like. And what better way to celebrate spring than with a bright, happy laptop bag?!


A work friend's mom saw some of my creations on Facebook and asked if I could make a bag for her laptop. Of course!

I was given free reign with design and fabric choices, which was surprisingly scary. I like having project guidelines when I'm creating for somebody else! But I persevered and I used this tutorial as a guideline to get started.

Rather than buy pre-quilted fabric, which is expensive and my Jo Ann's didn't have much variety, I simply quilted regular fabric with a layer of batting. I get serious heart eyes when looking at that gridwork of quilting. If you follow me on Instagram, you got a peek of my happiness as I discovered a seam guide (or at least I think it is, I still haven't checked the manual for sure) and used it to make a darn-near perfect grid of quilting without the hassle of taping or marking a bunch.

This was my first time buying hardware, but I only had eyes for that adorable zipper. Isn't it cute?! It added a bit of a hitch sewing it in; I had to make sure that cute little design didn't get sewn into the seam allowance, but it was worth the extra brain power! :)

I absolutely love the print for the lining. I used the yellow colorway of it in the Crown Royal Quilt and I'm pretty sure I would buy it in every color of the rainbow if I could. I just wrote on the lining with a fabric pen rather than sew in a label.

I've got some secret sewing in the works right now, but I've got some shareable sewing as well! I'm hoping to get to a point where I can share soon!

A Quilt to Crown a Royal: A Finished Commission!

Guess which side my 5'4" mom was on and which side my 6'3" dad was on. Poor mom was stretching as tall as she could and still couldn't get it straight! LOL

Howdy y'all! I can't tell you how excited I am to finally be able to say 'Look at this finish!'. I've been working on this commission for what feels like forever, but the end has finally arrived! This quilt was a commission for a coworker's boyfriend. He gave me a bag full of Crown Royal bags and said to have fun. The only guideline was that is needed to be king sized.

My parents' poor bed was dwarfed by this king-sized monster!

I didn't reinvent the wheel with this design, but I did draw it up on paper and audition different layouts before settling on this one. It really made me feel like a designer when I was coloring in my little notebook! :)

I learned a lot with this quilt. For example: No more king size quilts! Lol. To the ladies and gents that make quilts this large on a regular basis, you are super heroes! I was exhausted after lugging this monster around. I also got my fill of log cabin blocks to last me for a long while, I'm sure.

I did loop-dee-do quilting in the yellow areas and did some minimal straight line quilting around some seams in the purple areas. In the borders, I alternated some purple and white straight lines around the seam lines.

Now that this one has been delivered, I can finally take a breath it feels like! It's so good to have this one off my shoulders, I'm proud I finished it! :)

Linking up with Finish it Up Friday and Needle and Thread Thursday!

New Beginnings

I've been silent in this space for a quite a while, but I assure you my life has been anything but quiet. A little more than a week before Thanksgiving, my life was completely flipped upside down. I'm not sure I could put it all into words if I tried.






My husband and I split up. Although it was my choice, I still mourn the loss of something I had so much faith in and put so much of myself into. I gave every ounce of myself in hopes of fixing things, but in the end, I was going to lose myself trying to keep a sinking ship afloat.


 I got to keep Elvis, but my husband took LBC with him when he left. I cried harder saying goodbye to that silly, wonderful cat than I did any other time. My sewing machine, The First Born, also went with him since it had belonged to his great grandmother. The two things that defined and drove my blog and creativity were gone in the span of a single night.
  

As silly as it sounds, this dog is my world. My ray of sunshine. My partner in crime. :) 

My life is in boxes right now, taking up way too much space in my parents' garage. They have been an absolute lifesaver during this entire ordeal and let Elvis and I come back home without a moment of hesitation. When it comes to parents, I really won the lottery with how good they are to me.

I've been making my way through those boxes, pulling out my sewing staples (scissors, rotary mat, pin cushion, etc.). I've managed to wrangle most things and get them in one bag together for easy access. I've been sewing more and more, finally getting used to setting up and breaking down my sewing area every night to leave the dining room table clear and uncluttered.


But this story isn't just a sad one. Despite the divorce, life gets better, things keep moving forward. Old friends that I had lost touch with are right by my side again. Family is keeping me busy and laughing more than I have in a long time. My pastor is helping me work through the things I am struggling with. And you, dear quilty friends, have been posting beautiful projects and WIP's and sharing your stash additions, all of which keep a quilty heart aflutter when times are hard. I may not comment as much as I want to at the moment, but I wholeheartedly appreciate this community I am so lucky to be a part of.  So in the wake of Thanksgiving, I am reassured that I have so much to be thankful for, even when life gets messy.

Hound dog cuddles are my absolute favorite! :)

I have several things to share and I'm hoping to get back on track with photographing and writing blog posts again! I've included a couple of pictures to show things I've made but likely won't write about.

Baby bibs! I sewed some as a commission, so those won't be shared until after they are gifted!

Memory wall hangings - the colored hearts are made from the clothes of my client's passed mother and father. I made one for each child. They're different, but at the same time, cohesive enough to be a matching set. :)

I'm planning to write a post on my new sewing machine as well, but I couldn't resist sharing a picture of the big, beautiful thing now! :)

We've been getting acquainted and I think it will be a long and happy friendship. More on her later though! :)

If you've made it this far, thank you for bearing with me! As many people say, When it rains, it pours. But I am determined to start dancing in the rain, friends, and I hope you'll join me. :)

The Deacon Quilt: A Finish

Howdy y'all! And Happy Saturday! I have a finish to share, so let's get to it. This quilt was commissioned not to long ago by one of my best friends from college. She's becoming an auntie again and asked if I could make a quilt to celebrate! Of course I accepted, I want to wrap up as many babies in quilty love as I can! :)

I'm standing in KY, but across the bridge is Ohio!

She sent me a picture of a quilt she liked, asking if I could add the baby's name somewhere on the front. It seems names on quilts is becoming my specialty! I found a font on Pinterest that she liked and hopped right to it!

Those loo-dee-doo's really give a lot of texture! :)

I quilted it in loop-dee-doo's in a medium gray thread, tossing in a few hearts for good measure. I bound it in Kona Navy and for kicks, I used a red thread for a little extra pop around the edges. :)

I took this one out for a special photoshoot, but I'm not overly pleased with the photos. I was charged with holding the quilt, so I feel like you can tell the pictures weren't taken by me.  No matter though, there's always next time! The riverfront area I went to is gorgeous and I'm sure more quilts will go there for pictures.

It was a windy day, so I was standing just out of frame to save the quilt from blowing into the water! 

I'm pleased to say Auntie texted me this evening and said Momma-to-be absolutely loved the quilt and nearly cried when she opened it! I love when the quilts I make are so loved, it fills my heart to the brim. :)

Trying not to get blown over by the wind or trip over the driftwood! And of course, my ratty bun is peeking over the top. Hahahaha

The Commission That Made Me Laugh

Howdy y'all! Hope your week is looking a bit more bearable now that we've hit the hump! As promised, I have some progress to share with you.

A while back, a coworker of mine said her boyfriend wanted to pay me to make a quilt. Thing is, he didn't want a typical quilt. He wanted a Crown Royal quilt. I'm no connoisseur of alcohol, but I'm pretty sure Crown Royal is rum, right? Regardless, the bottles come wrapped in these nifty little purple and gold bags. And this guy didn't have a few of these bags. Oh no, he had an entire garbage bag full of them - I'm talking more than a hundred of them! Apparently he's been saving them for years just for a project like this! I was rolling with laughter when she told me about it, but I agreed to do it. Who doesn't love a good challenge?!

Purple and gold for dayyyyyssss!

Anywho, he gave me free reign to do whatever I please, he just wanted the bags involved. He ended up deciding he wanted a king sized quilt (YIKES!), but thankfully has no deadline set for finishing and simply said to ask whenever I needed money for supplies and whatnot.

I had hand cramps for days after cutting all the logos off the bags and squaring them up, though I know I've got a few more bags squirreled away somewhere if I need them. And I've been making slow progress piecing blocks. I didn't want anything too difficult, but I wasn't feeling anything overly simple either. In the end, one of my doodles of some log cabin blocks grabbed me and I ran with it!

My sewing table stays in organized chaos anymore, especially with this project in full swing! I'm hoping to get at least another round on the in progress blocks on top tonight! 

I laid all my blocks together a little while back and I'm absolutely loving how things are shaping up so far! I'm hoping to be finished piecing blocks soon-ish so I can get the top together and share the full effect with y'all. I'm absolutely dreading basting this bad boy and, being totally honest, the thought of quilting it on the First Born has me shivering in my boots! But I'm ready to tackle it and make something I'm proud of! :)

Happy Hump Day, y'all! I'll be back on Saturday to share a finish!

The Jayci Quilt: A Finish

Elvis is always up for a photobomb! And you can just see LBC's little paws on the upper right corner. :)

Hey y'all! I've been meaning to share this finished commission quilt for a while, but I have been so busy lately. I've been working like crazy, then I come home and work even more on commissions or other side jobs. Needless to say, I'm one exhausted girl! Even too tired for blogging! These pictures aren't the best either, I snapped them on my lunch break since I was delivering it to my Mom that evening, who delivered it to my client.

This quilt was commissioned after my Mom showed off the Isabella quilt at her work. A soon-to-be grandma wanted a quilt for her new grandbaby, a little baby girl! The mommy-to-be isn't a huge fan of pink, so it couldn't steal the show like it did for Isabella. Instead, her grandma and her friends picked out a cooler color palette. Their first choices weren't quite successful (not enough contrast and the colors were a bit 'meh') but after a few pointers, she went back and picked out some different fabrics and it was better!

I appliqued the name on the same way as I did before, using Heat n' Bond and stitching around the edges. I drew this font by hand also, which was fun!

I really should take the time to lay things out nicely, not just toss them on the couch and snap a pic. :P

For some reason, everybody loves this rainbow print. It's glittery and fun and makes for a neat backing, I think.

I really like this picture, but I can't figure out what my camera was focusing on. Lol.

The client also wanted to have the same quilting, so I got to make flowers again! I really like this quilting motif, it makes me so happy!

A bold binding and a simple label rounded things off nicely. I'm hoping my client and the future Momma are happy with this quilt like I am! :)

Pretty little label. :)

Linking up with Finish It Up Friday and Needle and Thread Thursday.

Also, this is another project to mark off my 2nd Quarter Finish-A-Long goal list!

Looks like Elvis is as tired as I am!