Shop Hop, Quilts and Process Update!

Today was the first day of our LQS (Local Quilt Shops) Shop Hop!!

This is the first one that Lisa and I have gone on together!! Yeah!

This is us at the Leesburg Store!!

We bought these great earing at the Leesburg Store!!

They are mini Rotary cutters that say "Quilter" on the handle!!

This is Me and Lisa in the Apopka Store!! One of our FAVORITE QUILT SHOPS!!

The kids like this store too!! They bring their books and play in the corner while Lisa and I shop!!

Stephen didn't want to come with us to this shop... Hmmmm I wonder why??

Alyssa and Kyle were pretending they were secret agents and this was their serious faces!! They were Crackin' me and the Employee's UP!! I was LOVIN' it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ More Updates ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is Jasmine trying to help me pin this Downy Quilts for Kids Quilt! I set it out so that I HAD to finish it!

I did pin it today. This is the one that Alyssa's Star's group was working on. I am just finishing it and quilting it for them. 

Last night I went over to Lisa's House to Sew for awhile...

We decided to cut blocks for our next QAL

I dont know why it took me SOOOOOO long, but I only got 7 1/2 out of 13 blocks cut!!

This is going to be a really cute quilt! We are using - Crazy Mom Quilts Star Quilt A Long! I cant wait to get started.... but first I have to finish Cutting my blocks!!

Here is my UPDATE on my Postage Stamp Quilt!! I cant believe how big it is!! It takes up Most of my design wall! I only need 4 more Big Blocks and I can start adding the borders! I spent over an hour at my LQS trying to figure out what kind of border I should do with this quilt! I think I might stick with something Light like a Tone on Tone, or Maybe a Solid Red, Or maybe a 1 1/4" Black Border and then a 3 1/2" Blue border, or maybe a 1" Cream & a 3" Blue Border. I need something to set this Busyness off. These are ALL 1 1/2 Inch finished pieces!! I LOVE THE WAY IT LOOKS UP CLOSE!!

Scrap Quilt!!

I think quilters around the world have caught the "Scrap Quilt Fever"! Some of this may be new or some of us may have been secret scrap collectors and are just now coming clean!!

I have been working on my postage stamp quilt for over a year!! I have been cutting my scraps into 2" squares and sewing them together! I use them as leaders and enders of all of my other projects so it has been a slow, but steady project. For you non-quilters: leaders and enders means.... when I finish sewing two pieces of fabric together I stick some of my two inch squares under the needle instead of pulling all that thread out and cutting it = waisting thread!! I only waste aprox 1/4 in. of thread between blocks!! Yeah!!

I went ahead and laid out all of my blocks to see how far I was getting... I was shocked at how many I had!! I stopped laying them out when I ran out of room in my sewing room!! I think this quilt is going to turn out so good!!

I have been working on LOTS of Swaps!! Here are some of the blocks that I am working on!

I have signed up for a few more swaps!! I love getting squishy's in the mail!! aka... packages with fabric in them... get it they are squishy!! I have been working ALOT on applique'! Who knew it was so easy?

My next project is this!! A RAG RUG!! I have enlisted my kids! We are going to braid one rug and then I am going to try and crochet a rug!! We will see how they turn out! I need rugs for the garage anyways so even if they turn out horrible I will still be able to use them in the garage!! If they turn out GREAT (which I hope they do) I will be making some "extra's"!! I cant wait to get started!! I have all of these clothes that dont fit me anymore and some of them arent "pass on" worthy!! So I will Re-Purpose them!! Yeah!!

These are some of my inspirations!!

Postage Stamp Quilt

I know, I know.... I must have lost my mind, But...

I have decided to start a "Postage Stamp Quilt"!!

For those of you who are scratching your head, let me help you. A postage stamp quilt is a quilt made up of thousands of little pieces of fabric.

These are what inspired me:

http://www.fratkin.com/teri/vintage-quilts/IMG_5821_1024.jpg

http://www.fratkin.com/teri/vintage-quilts/IMG_8893_1024.jpg

http://www.fratkin.com/teri/vintage-quilts/IMG_8936_1024.jpg

Yesterday & late into the night, I spent time cutting up my scrap fabric into pieces and strips.

I have decided to make mine 2" X 2" squares. I know that is small, but it will be sooooo pretty!!

I cant wait to start. The only problem is I cant start this project until I work on some of my UFO's!! I am going to use these as leaders and enders to make both projects move along faster!!

I am starting another quilt a long next week with my quilting buddy Lisa!! Yeah I cant wait. It will be a 12 week project!! Here is a quick pick of what the blocks will look like:

http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2008/02/finishing-your-quilt-top-part-2.html

I am going to be using different fabric and colors, so mine will be a little different. I am so excited!

This is my fabric for the quilt!!

I have finished two more baby quilts this week for prego ladies in my life. It seems like everyone around me is pregnant!! Wow! I am also going to try and organize my sewing area...soon!

I know that making this postage stamp quilt will help with my scraps! I had 4 walmart bags full of scraps and now with all my cutting and prep for this stamp quilt I am only down to one and a bit!! Yeah!!

I have been reading alot about scrap busters lately. I am thinking of joining a scrap busters group!! Their whole purpose is to not buy new material, but to make quilts out of all of your left over fabric / scraps from other quilts that you have made. I have made over 15 quilts and so I have tons of scraps.

Alyssa started her first quilt yesterday and was thrilled. She is using the princess fabric that I bought while I was in Nevada earlier this year. She is going to make a mini quilt. It will be 15.5" X 15.5"!! It will be the perfect size for a beginner. Her accent colors are pale green and of course PINK!!

She helped measure and then she said "Mom, you cut please. I don't want to cut off my finger!" I had to laugh! She is very wise for only being 8 years old!! (For those of you who don't know this. I cut off part of my left hand pointer finger last year while cutting fabric!! It grew back some and all of my nail grew back. You cant tell unless I hold up my hand!)

Well, off we go into the world of quilting. Once you step in, you will never get out! I am going to work on a little each week with her and we will probably finish it within 3-4 weeks!! I am going to let her do all of the sewing! She practiced sewing straight lines yesterday. She also learned how to thread the machine and put in the bobbin!! She is an amazing girl!

I will be posting her progress and of course mine! See ya soon!