Friday finish -- Bags!

For Gina's birthday:

For Karen's birthday:



For Diahne's Florida vacation:



For Alexis's honeymoon:



For Sasha's birthday:



I forgot to photograph Valerie's bag and Jacqueline's bag. And many other bags, too! Oops!

Sunday Stash Report -- and Marla's quilt is finished!

Last week I had the honor of attending the wedding of my dear friend, Marla. She was a beautiful bride and has a handsome husband. I gave them a quilt and hope they think it is beautiful, too.

I pieced the top in my hotel room in Virginia last week, in between the tornado warnings. I quilted it when I got home and finished the binding with hours to spare. (Yay me!)

Close up of the block quilting:

I found the perfect back at Patchwork Plus in Dayton, Virginia:

The quilting may show better from the back:

My Sunday Stash Report:

fabric purchased this week: 5.25
fabric purchased this year: 32 yards
fabric used this week: 12.75 yards
fabric used this year: 177.75 yards

Stash reduced by: 145.75 yards

Head on over to Judy's blog to see how everyone else is doing.

Be sure to check my blog later this week. I am hosting a quilt along for Old Red Barn Co. and will be posting a free pattern and tutorial as well as videos on free-motion quilting on your home machine. I hope you join in the fun!

Friday Finish -- Quilt of Valor

When I fall in love with a pattern, I make it again and again and again. Obviously, I fell in love with Splash because I just finished another one:

I used a bunch of my blue 2 1/2" scraps, but there are still more! The backing was from a pile of fabric a friend "donated" to me. She shoved over 50 yards of fabric in a bag and made me take it home. Fortunately, that was last year and it doesn't count against my stash reducing efforts this year!

I am teaching a class on feathers and am using this as a sample today. Feathers in a block:

Feathers in a border:

I am going to get back at my fabric-donating friend. She doesn't know this yet, but I am going to shove this quilt in a bag and drop it off at her house so she can label it and make a pillowcase and then we can donate it to Quilts of Valor. And since she's a really good friend, I know that she honestly won't mind.

Check out what others have Finished for Friday!

Friday Finish -- sweet baby quilt

Having finished a few boy baby quilts in recent weeks, I needed to give equal time to the girls!

I used scraps from Christine's wedding quilt to make (yet) another Splash quilt. I had enough leftovers to make nine blocks. I always have a few bolts of white and off-white fabric in my studio, so this quilt was made with fabric I had on hand. I love that!



Sometimes my scrap quilts turn out ok, and sometimes I absolutely fall in love with them. This one is going to be hard to give away. I adore the look of feathers on plain white fabric!

A close-up of the block:

And a close-up of the border:

Check out what others have Finished for Friday!

and check out my quilt videos:

Lucky Charms part 1

Lucky Charms part 2

Lucky Charms part 3

Lucky Charms part 4

Lucky Charms part 5

Lucky Charms part 6

Lucky Charms part 7

Lucky Charms part 8

Lucky Charms part 9

Friday Finish -- Isaac's quilt

So about those baby quilts...

I finished another boy baby quilt this week. The recipient of last week's quilt and the recipient of this week's quilt were both born on the same day last November. NOVEMBER!!! That's how far behind I am on baby quilts!

I pulled out my Dream a Little Dream pattern for Isaac's quilt. The quilt is written for Layer Cakes, fat quarters or yardage. I used yardage for this quilt:

And a close-up of the quilting:

I adore this quilt and hope Isaac has many happy snuggles with it!

Friday Finish* -- Colin's quilt

Some things we just know are true.

April showers bring May flowers.

Mayflowers bring Pilgrims.

Last year's weddings bring this year's babies.

I am as behind on baby quilts as I am on wedding quilts, and that is not good!

I am almost finished with Colin's baby quilt (as noted by the *). I am showing it here with the pinky-swear promise that I will finish the binding tonight. No, really I will.

A close-up view of the quilting. I was apparently digging straight lines while I quilted this.



The pattern is Splash by Fourth and Sixth Designs. I've probably made 15 of these quilts by now and see no reason to stop. They are easy and fun and always look great!

While I bind this quilt, check out what others have Finished for Friday!

And while I am still binding this quilt, check out my quilting videos:

Lucky Charms part 1

Lucky Charms part 2

Lucky Charms part 3

Lucky Charms part 4

Lucky Charms part 5

Lucky Charms part 6

Lucky Charms part 7

Friday Finish -- wedding quilt

On the Chinese calendar, I believe that this is the year of the rabbit. I am trying to figure which calendar decided that this is the year of the wedding. I am taking part in fourteen wedding celebrations this year. It is only April and that number could always increase.

I bought the kit for this quilt several years ago. I matched the quilt to the proper bride (this is absolutely perfect for the recipient!). I pieced it in my hotel room while working at NJ Quilt Fest in March and finished a binding it this week. Several of the brides and brides families read my blog, so I will not disclose which bride shall receive this quilt.

Check out what others have Finished for Friday!

Check out my quilt videos:

Lucky Charms part 1

Lucky Charms part 2

Lucky Charms part 3

Lucky Charms part 4

Lucky Charms part 5

Lucky Charms part 6

Friday Finish -- Happy Quilt

I finally did it... I cut into my Happy Fabric Collection.

Every week, I work at a different quilt shop or quilt show. As you can imagine, the shopping can get out of control. I try to keep it in check, but sometimes fabric just follows me home. It might be a fat quarter or it might be a yard (or three!). I have a lot of Kaffe Fassett fabrics, as well as fabrics from Mark Lipinski and Joel Dewberry. The fabrics are not made to go together, but since they all make me happy, they have become my Happy Fabric Collection.

A year ago or so, I saw the New Wave patter on the Oh, Fransson! blog and knew this was the perfect quilt for my fabric collection. I started the quilt, and as usual, did not finish it.

Late yesterday afternoon, I realized that I had no finished quilt to show this Friday. New Wave was quilted, but the binding needed to be hand-stitched. I messaged my husband that it would be a great night to watch a movie or something. I stayed up past my bedtime, but this quilt is Finished by Friday:

A close-up of some of the quilting:

I have no idea what I am going to do with this quilt, but it is on display in my living room until I decide.

Check out what others have Finished for Friday!

And remember to spend some time checking out my quilt videos:

Lucky Charms part 1

Lucky Charms part 2

Lucky Charms part 3

Lucky Charms part 4

Lucky Charms part 5

Friday Finish -- Another Grandbaby Quilt

A couple of years ago, my friend and I took a quilt quilt class. I finally finished the quilt. I'm quick like that.

My son's girlfriend (who is now his wife) really wanted this as a baby quilt for the future. Well, it's the future. I'll put this in the pile with the other baby quilts. I'm ready whenever they are.

Check out what others have Finished for Friday!

And remember to spend some time checking out my quilt videos:

Lucky Charms part 1

Lucky Charms part 2

Lucky Charms part 3

Lucky Charms part 4

Friday Finish -- Adam's Quilt

My friend's son Adam graduated from high school last June and I only recently finished his quilt. Oops!

I added the extra blocks to the back of the quilt:

The pattern is Strip Cocktail and the fabric is all scrap! This is at least the third quilt that I've made from that pattern and I am sure I will make more

I added borders to the quilt since Adam is one rather tall young man.

The border and backing fabric were purchased during my trip to The Patchwork Company last fall with my friend John. I felt guilty purchasing so much fabric that day, but I had this quilt in mind. I had a few other quilts in mind as well, but they remain unfinished for now.

Check out what others have Finished for Friday!

Friday finish -- Grandbaby Quilt

I have no grandchildren and I need to stress that my son and his wife ARE NOT EXPECTING. I repeat: there are no babies on the way!

Having said that, I can find no reason not to make quilts for my non-existent grandbabies.

I made a new sample of my Too Hip to Be Square pattern using Bear Essentials from P & B Textiles.

Won't this quilt be a perfect floor quilt for when my future grandbabies come to play at my house?

I thought so, too.

Some close-ups of the quilting:

I chose bright orange thread for the entire quilt because, hey, why not?

And in case you weren't paying attention at the beginning of this post, I'll say one more time: I am not expecting to become a grandmother any time soon. No babies. Got it? I don't want to start getting phone calls about this.

Check out what others have Finished for Friday!

Friday Finish -- Quilt for the Unknown Recipient

If you haven't been to Bonnie Hunter's website, go there immediately!

I just finished her Scrappy Trip Around the World pattern:

In keeping with the scrappy theme, I used a bunch of scraps for the back:

Since the piecing is so busy, I played with the quilting and was quite pleased with how it turned out:

Can you believe that is freehand? And it was easy, too!

Check out what others have Finished for Friday!

Friday Finish -- Kevin's Quilt

After about 15 years, it's finally happened: my son has claimed a quilt.

Don't get me wrong, he has quilts.

The first quilt I ever made was for him:

And when it wore out, I replaced it with the same quilt made in his college colors:

And when he got married, I made him this:

Technically, I finished it thirteen months after he got married, but in a long marriage, what difference do thirteen short months make?

But this week, he actually claimed a quilt. He saw me binding (by hand!) a new sample of my Dream a Little Dream quilt pattern.

"Mom," he asked, "how long does this quilt have to be a sample before it goes to it's rightful owner?"

"Rightful owner? Like me?" I teased.

"No. You made this for me. Isn't this Dream a Little Dream?" he asked with a huge smile.

It's always the smiles that get me. And the fact that he knows my quilt patterns by name doesn't hurt either.

So, here's the quilt that will belong to my son once it has done it's duty as a sample:

I pieced the back to give it character:

It's warm and yummy and made from very masculine homespun fabrics.

How long should I make him wait for it?

Check out what others have Finished for Friday!

Friday Finish -- Matthew's Quilt

For once, I am actually ahead of schedule.


Matthew is graduating from high school in 2012. Yes, over a year away. His quilt top has been done for over a year, so I just decided to quilt it up on a recent snowy day. Which snowy day? I cannot remember -- there have been too many!




In case you are experiencing deja vu, I have made several quilts like this.

A close-up of the quilting reveals "Elements":




Let's hope Matthew finishes the 11th and 12th grades, and that I can find the quilt by the time he graduates!

Check out what others have Finished for Friday!

Friday finish -- Aaron & Kristin's quilt

My husband is one of five cousins, all male. There are about fifteen years between the oldest and the youngest. My husband (and I) got married twenty-some years ago, and another cousin got married about ten years ago. The other three? They all got married in the last eight months.

Aaron and Kristin were the last to marry and I finished their quilt in time for the wedding. I am as shocked as you are.



A close-up of the quilting:



There are five cousins in the next generation (so far). My son is already married. My daughter has the rest of college, grad-school and possibly a PhD before she'll think of marriage (she says). The other three cousins are all under seven years old. I think I have some time before this side of the family requires more wedding quilts. Maybe I can sneak a nap in somewhere?

Check out what others have Finished for Friday!

Friday finish -- Mom's bedspread

You probably remember that I've made my mother a lot of tablerunners. What I haven't made for her are a lot of bed quilts. Over the past 25 years I've only made her three and I think she should throw one of them away -- I scissor-cut the squares from my leftover clothing fabric, sewed it with 5/8" seams, backed it with a cheap bed sheet, and tied it with embroidery floss. It's the first quilt-type-thing I ever made. It's falling apart and I'm embarrassed by it. Shouldn't she throw it away? Leave your vote in the comments.

So last fall Mom sent out some serious hints that she wants a new bedspread. She likes bright colors. My solution to Mom's shocking lack of bed quilts:



I used my Dream a Little Dream pattern. It can be made from layer cakes, fat quarters or yardage, but I made it from bright fabric scraps that I had on hand. It is 99x98 inches, very easy to piece and slightly time-consuming to bind (it's a huge quilt!).

(If you look at the background of the photo you will see patched drywall. Yes, that's my bedroom. It's seriously under construction.)

I entered this quilt at Gen X Quilters. Check out the other entries:



Check out some other great finishes at