Starting Over

I am starting on my Cal King Quilt since I wanted to make something for me today. I still don't have a table for my sewing room so I am back to sewing on the dining table.




I figured out the dimensions and the size of each block 19.5" so when I sew them all together they will be 19". I am following the blocks that look like Drunk Love by Denyse Schmidt. I don't have the pattern so I am just winging it myself. Basically making squares within squares.




This color pallet is just amazing and has always been my 2 favorite colors. I just love green and blue was always my favorite growing up. Well I have 3 down and 53 to go. I am not in a hurry since I will have to save some money to send this out to get quilted and right now all my money is going to fixing up the house but there is only so long I can go without having something on my bed.

My new bedroom set!

I am finally finished with my Lotus Squared quilt. It took some time as I sent it to get quilted (my first experience doing this and it was great!) then I had to bind the huge thing. I figured out how to make some shams (just really large pillows) and made a couple of throw pillows to make a complete set. My bed is a large bed with it being a California King Size.



This quilt threw a surprise at me once I washed it. It started out being 90"x 112" which was perfect with room to shrink alittle once I washed it. BUT I washed it and it ended up being 107" x 86" which was way to small on the sides. I cried for a couple of hours about it. All the time I spent making it and now it doesn't fit. I realized that this is only the second quilt that I have used cotton batting and cotton shrinks way more than polyester batting which had to be a part of it. I called my Mom (who I know I have mentioned is a sewing genius) and she mentioned that she has had to turn quilts the other way many times and that I should try that. She said it would not go all the way to the top but who cared when the shams and pillows would cover it. So my friends that is what I did and it is now perfect and there are no more tears.

I really really love it. The colors are amazing. For those that are wondering I used Amy Butler's fabric line Lotus, in the blue and red color way along with Kona Cotton in Ash.



I quilted the shams and pillows since I really prefer quilted pillows more than non quilted.



It is a pleasure to sleep under this quilt and I caress it everyday multiple times a day as I just love having a quilt of mine out all the time. Plus this was the largest quilt undertaking for me.

Working hard for the Man

Everytime my husband goes to work my daughter and him have this conversation:

"Daddy where are you going today? "

"I am going to work."

"Why can't you stay home and play Daddy?"

"Because Gwenie I have to go and work hard for the Man."

So lately she has been asking me each time I am sewing, "Mommy are you working hard for the Man?"

I laugh everytime. Kids are so funny. Really my husband is the funny one.

So today this is what I am doing to work hard for the Man.

I got this quilt back from the long arm quilter and so I am working on the binding. It might take forever since the quilt is 90"x 112".



It might be alittle hard to cut the binding strips since I damaged my cutting mat.



I took it with me to my in laws last week since they have lots of space and I could lay out the quilt to trim it all nicely. Well apparently it was really hot in the car and it got warped! I am so mad I tried all kinds of heavy things on it for days and nothing worked. It has damaged on 3 sides and it is crazy. Who knew leaving it in the car for 10 minutes while I unloaded things would do this?



On another note I found out I get my braces off next month. WHOO HOO!!!! Did you know I had braces? You do now.

Finished Quilt Top

I finally finished the quilt top for my bed!



This thing is HUGE. A California King size. Since there is no way I can quilt this on my machine I have contacted someone to quilt it for me who has a long arm. I am just waiting for her to call me back as I am hoping to get this to her before I leave on vacation on Thursday.





I am going to be sewing alot since I am going to my parents house and I will sew some dresses for my girls with my Mom's help. Then we are going to my Bff's house, Erin for a week! We have all sorts of fun things planned and will sew together. It is so great to have a friend who loves to sew as much as I do. So sad that we don't live closer.

I also made this pillow for my niece Whitney since my Mom made her a quilt out of the Amy Butler Love line to take to college.



I again tried the layering and ragged look for the flower. It really is my new favorite.



I did piping again and a zipper. I just don't think I can go back to making pillows without them now.



I might not be blogging while I am gone for the next 2 weeks but we will see!