Quilt for 2

For my boy's 2nd birthday, I made him this quilt. I had a hard time picking out the right fabric and quilt pattern because most quilting stuff looks girly. But I finally decided on this sort of random looking pattern.
Things I learned making this quilt:

• Sheets make great quilt backs- especially when you buy them at Goodwill for $6! Cheapest quilt back I ever hear of and there are no seems!
• When you have extra backing fabric, fold it over to look like edging-- so much easier. I actually sewed it over once on the back and once on the front and you really can't tell that it is just the backing.
• Quilting with 2 colors (yellow and orange) is fun.
• piecing together the batting is really easy and make it cheaper!

kimono

Excuse the fact that I put a girl shirt on my boy but he was the best model I could find. :) And he wouldn't hold still for me to take a decent picture. I got the idea for this shirt from my friend Emily B. and I am giving it to my friend Emily G. not to be confused with my friend Emily S. from previous posts.

On one of my recent snow days, my friend Em B. came over to learn to sew. She brought a pillow case from Target that she wanted to make into this kimono shirt. It turned out so cute that I had to make one too. We got the pillow cases new at Goodwill (from target) and used nothing extra except thread. What a deal!

Em B's kimono turned out better because she used a contrasting color for the binding around the neck. It was the perfect touch to make it more like a kimono and less like scrubs.

cabin quilt

I started this quilt when I was in college in 2002. I lived in Sierra Condos and shared a room with my best friend Allison. Somewhere in between all of my activities I fit in time to start this quilt--keyword: START. Long ago I gave the quilt top to my mom thinking that she could finish it. But she didn't. Then she gave it back to me with fabric for the back. So, I finally finished it this January and gave it to my parents for a late Christmas present. It turned out pretty good. I think they are going to put it at the cabin.

Some things that I learned with this quilt:

• quilting on the diagonal is so much easier than vertical and horizontal (I quilt with my feeder still intact- I should invest in a quilting foot or whatever they use to do free hand quilting).
• When quilting vertically and horizontally one way is easier than the other because the fabric has some stretch in one direction but not the other. When stitching on the not stretchy direction it helped me to pull my fabric to the sides as I pulled it through my sewing machine (it also helped to pin a lot so that it doesn't bunch at the end). When stitching in the stretchy direction, it helped me to pull the fabric towards me and towards the back. (hmmm... maybe I should demonstrate that someday... not today)
• Using scraps for the binding worked pretty well and it was easier on my checkbook than buying binding or buying fabric just for the binding.
• I also pieces together a strip on the back of the quilt because I did not have enough fabric for the back. It looks artsy and it was also cheap!

Welcome to my crafty side

I have finally decided to make a blog for the things that I make. I think it will be fun to see and to remember them all. This blog is mostly for my own benefit, however, you are free to look around and if you have questions feel free to comment.

I found this awesome fabric at goodwill for $0.50/yard. I bought it not knowing what I was going to make with it but within the same day I found a good home for it in my kitchen. I really didn't like the fact that my backyard neighbors could see right through our house at night. Now, I have curtains that I can pull. I still don't have ties for the daytime but that will come in time.