Another Finish - Christmas Presence

I took this BIG quilt on the plane with me.  My bags were packed last week with 4 quilts.  Someone asked me if I was back packing through Europe.  I stuffed my suitcase and laptop bag full of quilts to keep me busy.  I finished 3 on the flight out there - and this big one on my way back.  

This quilt was made using the presewn together squares Moda came out with a few years back.  This line was call Christmas Presence by April Cornell.  I LOVE this line.  There is the most beautiful black fabric with the holly berry on it.  I still can't believe they left it out of the presewn fabric, but I still love this line.  

The line had a great mix of plaids and prints along with the perfect tone of red and green.  The perfect Christmas addition.  I have had this quilt hanging in my closet for probably 5 years now.  So I was thrilled to get it done!

I used the Holly Panto design to quilt it.  I love the big holly berry leaves.   Not sure if you can see below - but this was the 2nd quilt I did on my new machine and the 1st quilt using a real edge to edge pattern.  No idea what happened, but about 3 inches was skipped.  I was in the stage of watching the quilt machine - like you do your new born baby.  I kept thinking if I walked away a mistake would be made.  This pattern is very dense and was taking a long time - the quilt is so big towards the end I decided to start sewing and I walked away while it started on the next row.  And when I went back I gasped at the GAP in between the two rows!  The row was almost done, so I thought screwed it and will just have to deal with it.  

When I got to the bottom row the pattern was about 4 inches too short - I didn't know how to stretch a pattern back then so I freehanded it - HORRIBLE!  Looks nothing like the panto graph does.  Made me appreciate this magical quilting machine so much more!

Even with the few mistakes - I'm so happy with how it turned out.  I love these fabrics and the quilting pattern and am so glad to have another quilt marked off my to do list!

Linking up to WIP Wednesdays!

Menu Mondays

Last week I tried this recipe that I found on Pinterest and I have to say it was a great success.  The chicken was crunchy the honey mustard was perfect.  It will be one we make again.

Hopefully we can find another go to recipe this week!

Sunday - Spaghetti and Meatballs
Monday - Chicken and Stuffing Crockpot w/ grapes
Tuesday - Pesto Stuffed Shells w/ salad
Wednesday - Maple Soy Salmon w/ noodles
Thursday - Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese
Friday - Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
Saturday - Meatball Hero Subs on rolls

My goal - as always is to get to all the meals, but we have a little less going on this week so it actually might happen.  Here's to hoping!

Heart Quilt

I've been out of town on business all week and my bags were packed full of quilts!

 

 

I got a few quilts done - and my first one was this heart quilt!  I wanted to make sure it got done before Valentines Day. 

 

I love the bright reds and bright white in this quilt - I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

 

I used this flannel plaid for the back - its much prettier in person and I've been saving it for a few years for the perfect quilt.  Had just enough for this wall hanging so it must be meant to be.

 

Details about the quilt

Pattern found here

Quilting by me

Fabric - Moda (not sure the name of the line)

 

 

Blogger Girls Block of the Month

I decided to join in on this Block of the Month.  In the past when I have done BOM - well, lets just say I have never finished one.  

So my goal was to stick with this one and get the blocks completed in the month they were posted.  

I am happy to report I have block #2 done - which means I have completed my goal for January!  Off to a good start!!!

I am loving everything about this block.  The pattern is great and easy to follow.  I love the colors and the bundle I'm using (Independence Trail by Minick and Simpson) - The quilt will be something more complicated then I have done maybe ever - and so different from other quilts I currently have.  I am so excited about this project!  The blocks take maybe an hour to complete - I did these 2 separately this month.  I think if you sewed them at the same time and chain stitched you could get them both done in an hours time. 

Here they are together - same block but with different placement so it looks a little bit different.  Which I love!  I am so excited about this quilt right now - I can't wait for February's block.  I think this will be easy to keep up with now that I've got 2 blocks down.  

Linking up to Finish up Fridays and Whoop Whoop

Client Quilts

 A couple of client quilts I've done recently.  Thought I would share as I've done some new quilting patterns!

First one up is Flowers and Hearts -

I love the yellow mink on the backing - the quilting stands out so good on minky!

This was a fun quilt - the yellow an black remind me of sunshine and bumble bees.  It was a fun quilt to do!

This next quilt is a cute kit and design my friend bought at Pine Needles.    I think this is such a cute quilt for the little guys in your life.  Its kind of a strip quilt with a few added rows to it -  adding some cute character without being overwhelmingly hard or time consuming.

I had a new pattern called Skulls I wanted to use - so that is what we chose.

Such a cute pattern!  I love this line - I think its a Riley Blake fabrics.  

Not a great pictures of the back, she used minky - and it was late and dark so the lighting wasn't great.

I will be buying myself this kit in the near future.

This last quilt was from a client who found me on Pinterest and shipped me her quilt!  She has been so much fun to work with and I was so excited to see her quilt in person after going back and forth in email for a week!  

It was late - and dark so pictures aren't great.  This is what her quilt looked like - 9 big stars - the quilt measured 81 x 81 so it was fairly large.

She chose Christmas Paisley  for the pattern.  The fabric is a Sandy Gervais Christmas line and she used a grey background.  It was so cute.

I was excited to use this pattern as its a newer one that I hadn't had the chance to use yet.  I love how it turned out.  Might be my new "go to" pattern!

*** We are working to get our website up and going - in the meantime all Edge to Edge patterns are $.01 and inch - ALL PATTERNS! Check them out here - I'm updating the board with additional patterns over the next few days. Email me at abby@latimerlane.com if you're interested.

Valentine Heart - WIP Wednesdays

I've been working on this quilt for a week or two now.  I think this one is my new favorite of the few I've made.  I love the bright reds and white whites.  

I finally got it quilted this last weekend.  I had bought a heart texture pattern.  I haven't used many textures and didn't know exactly what to expect.  To get the texture teeny tiny - this quilt took awhile to quilt up.  But I really am happy with the results.

The white background is filled with a baby heart texture and all the blocks have a little box inside them.

I used a little heart border in the stop border.  I'm really pleased with how it turned out and I'm excited to get this one bound quickly!  Hopefully before the end of the week.

Linking up to WIP Wednesdays!

The Little Things

Source: quotesandimages.com via Abby on Pinterest

Menu Mondays - Pinterest and Goals

That is a long title! 

At the beginning of the year Mike started looking at our finances and has decided we spend way to much on eating out (I totally agree).  Although I try to plan meals for us each week - throw in Little Gym, soccer, later then expected nights at work, and just plan too tired - the meals don't always get made and we head out for a quick bite.  I thought we had been doing good so far this year - but he showed me the stats - and we weren't doing as good as my mind thought we were.  I am happy to report that usually we eat out a lot over the weekends - this last weekend 1 meal - breakfast.  Although not perfect, that is pretty good for us.  We lunched on my Grandma DeSpain's goulash for a few days which made lunch nice and warm - with a little memory of Grandma thrown in for good measure. 

Enter this week - I have to go out of of town for work - but - I'm not going to leave them completely empty handed.

The other goal I made for myself this year - I love Pinterest.  I often lay in bed at night not being able to sleep on my phone with pinterest.  We have a wonderful relationship.  But I decided I need to put her to better use.  My goal is to do one thing a week I've pinned.  So that means new recipes, new games for the kids, maybe a few household projects?  So this week we're starting with a new recipe, and my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Sunday - Pioneer Woman's meatloaf, mash potatoes and salad - I didn't get to this a few weeks ago and have been dying to try it. 

Monday - Honey Mustard Chicken w/noodles
Tuesday - Grilled Ham and Cheese sandwiches
Wednesday - Scrambled Eggs and Bacon
Thursday - leftovers or something quick before the game
Friday - Fish Sticks and grapes
Saturday - Coconut Shrimp and Pineapple

I'll let you know how the chicken turns out! 

FYI - if you haven't made Pioneer Woman's meatloaf - do it - so good!

My First 2013 Finish

This quilt top was completed in 2011.  I had thought I would have it ready for Christmas 2011, but it never happened.  So when we got the new quilting machine it was one of the first ones I wanted to get done.

Using a layer cake of Winter by Minick and Simpson and the disappearing nine patch pattern I whip up this top in now time!  The disappearing nine patch is a great pattern for a quick quilt.

I used a quilting pattern called Jingle Bells.  You can kind of see it in these pictures.  Its a simple loop and bell design - you can see in more detail here

.

 

This was one of the first quilts I completed - and the first that was flawless.  No issues - no heartache.  Got it on and off quickly without any issues. 

 

For the back I used this bright red polka dot - the red is a little different from the front, but I love the fun dot so it won me over.  And how cute does this look on the reverse side for Valentines? 

So happy to have one of the 10 quilts bound and done!  Hopefully I can get a few more done this month. 

 

Linking up to Finish up Fridays and Whoop Whoop

Jiggs

This is Jiggs - my grandpa.  He's been gone for years, but I think about him often.  In December his sister passed away - his living brother and sister came into town - and it was so nice to reconnect with his family.  His brother and he were close and have such similar personalities.  I was a little sad to think of how with it his siblings are still - and how Jiggs left us way too soon. 

He was a bundle of life.  He was fun and lived his life to the fullest.  I wish so much he could have met Mike, and how much my kids would have loved him. 

There is a hole in my heart that belongs to Jiggs and I miss him.  Today more than others as its his birthday.

Happy Birthday Jiggs - sure do miss you....

Menu Mondays

Last week, we had a few leftovers and my sister brought us the best Honey Lime Enchiladas and we ate those for 2 days!  Needless to say, we may be carrying over a few meals to this week.

Monday - Cafe Rio
Tuesday - My Grandma DeSpain's Goulash (recipe to come)
Wednesday - Chicken Tacos
Thursday - Spaghetti and Meatballs (before Jakes first soccer game!)
Friday - Coconut Shrimp and pineapple
Saturday - Leftovers

Weekend Update

This last week has been a LONG work week.  It started Monday morning and continued right up until 5pm on Friday night.  So much work to do...too many calls, not enough time in the day.  Long days and few long nights made for an extra long week.

I came home from work on Friday spent - had more work to finish, but decided I was going to sew.  Isn't sewing always the perfect therapy for all things in life?

I turned on my month's worth of General Hospitals and I began to sew.  Happy to report I'm almost caught up - and I competed a few things on my to do list.

First up - Blogger Girls Block of the Month

Block 1 

I have been wanting to join in and was debating on what fabrics to use.  Thelma is using Sweetwater - I have a bundle of Reunion that I was considering.  Monica from Open Gate Quilts (and the pattern designer) did her step by step instructions out of Double Chocolate which I'm totally in love with.  But I have a fat eighth bundle of Independence Trail by Minick and Simpson that I have been wanting to use, so it won the internal battle I was having.

I love this line and love that its still out in stores, so I can grab the pieces I need to complete the quilt top.  I will keep up with these blocks each month.  Its the 14th - and I have one more block 1 to do - I think I can manage.  The instructions were great and this went together smoothly.  Took about an hour.

Secondly - I decided to work on something Valentine related.  I'm not big into hearts, but I saw this quilt last year and loved it.  I used her great tutorial on  her blog and made one of my own last year.

Source: etsy.com via Abby on Pinterest

I put it in my etsy store and it sold quickly - so I decided this year I needed to make another one.  I cut up a charm pack and went to work.  Before I turned out the lights on Friday I had a good start.

Just need to add a little stop border and the final border on top and we are good to go.  I have a fun heart filler that I've been wanting to try, so this might get that pattern.  I'll keep you posted.

Its Sunday now - I've been working all morning - decided to take a minute for a quick post before starting on my MESSING HOUSE!  It has gone on way too long.  The piles of clothes haven't folded themselves yet.  I thought if I waited long enough it would happen - it has not.

At least I can watch the last few episodes of GH while I get them folded.  Maybe later tonight I can get this quilt done!  I'll keep ya posted.

Linking up to Can I get a WHOOP WHOOP!

The Chevron Quilt

I am having a love affair with the chevron.  Whether its fabric, a quilt pattern, or  quilting pattern - I'm all over anything and everything chevron related.

I have made a few chevron quilts - seen here, here, here, and maybe my favorite here.

I am also loving all the chevron print fabrics.  I'm currently making a cute valentine runner - and have a reversible runner in the works with the lime green chevron being a side.

When I got this quilt to be quilted I was so excited.  I love these fabrics!  The grey and yellow is amazing and so in right now.  I love the polka dot and the flower print.  Thrown in a chevron print and this may be my favorite quilt I've had on the machine in a while!

I hadn't used the chevron quilting pattern I have yet - so I was so excited to use it with this quilt.  A perfect fit!

This pattern is great - as this would take me hours to do by hand - so having the machine go for it was a dream come true.  I have a feeling this pattern will be a favorite.  I may have to use it on my swoon quilt once I get that one completed.

And the back.....oh how I love backs.  My client sent me a picture of the completed quilt - she bound it with a scrappy binding using all the prints in the quilt - turned out so cute.  I wanted to keep this quilt for myself!  I will be on the look out for these fabrics to make one for myself sometime soon.

WIP Wednesdays

This weekend I made a goal that I wanted to get my North Star quilt done. I'm happy to report I turned this quilt of blocks into this completed quilt top!

I put the kids to be on Saturday night and decided I was going to finish the blocks and the quilt top no matter how late it got.  Around 1:30am - I had it all done.  I knew I had lots to accomplish on Sunday so I wanted a completed top to show for my weekend work at least.  

Sunday morning I woke up to 16 loads of wash that needed to get done, a messy house, sick kids - I was so happy I had completed the top the night before.  Again, at least I could feel like I got something accomplished over the weekend.  

After about 2 hours of cleaning, I took a little break on Sunday to sew the backing fabric together so I could work on getting it quilted this week.  

One thing lead to another and....

and I got the whole quilt quilted on Sunday.  (Yet still have a messy house and 15 loads of laundry)

I really love how it turned out.  I got a new pattern in the quilting club my parents gave me for Christmas and it came just in time for me to try a new design out.  It is an Anne Bright design called Floral Wave.  I felt like it was the perfect design for a quilt out of flowers and paisley fabric.  

The backing fabric was my favorite print in the line.  I love this print in every color!  Now I just need to get the binding on and sewn down before the end of the month.

Quilts Stats:

Quilt Pattern: Lucky Stars by Atkinson Designs

Fabric line: Grace by 3 Sisters for Moda

Quilting Pattern: Floral Wave by Anne Bright

Thread: Baguette by Signature Threads

Linking up to WIP Wednesdays

Menu Mondays

I have a few days worth of leftovers last week so I didn't get to all my meals - may be some repeats.  We also signed Jake up for indoor soccer - so our whole weeks schedule was changed and I'm trying to figure out how to fit in cooking when we will be gone 3 nights a week for awhile!  It will be crazy, but we went to his first practice and he loved it.  You'll be seeing some easy and crockpot meals and those days for the next few weeks.

Sunday - Enchilada Casserole
Monday - Chicken over Toast (cook chicken and sauce in the crockpot)
Tuesday - Leftovers
Wednesday - Maple Salmon and mashed potatoes
Thursday - Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs and pineapple (buy the meatballs at Costco - they are so good and easy - Sam is on a meatball kick)
Friday - Tacos
Saturday - Spaghetti and Meatballs (due to the above mentioned meatball kick)

A Lovely Year of Finishes

As the new year was approaching I was trying to decide what I wanted to accomplish in 2013.  An organized house, to take baths, mask and scrub my face more came to mind.  But what was burning most in my head were all the works in progress I have going on in my sewing room downstairs.  I got caught up with my quilting in 2012 - I need to actually sew now in 2013.

Having several projects I really want to get done - I told myself, 1 project a month - I can start a new project, but I have to complete one in progress project each month.  I also wanted to try to do 1 Christmas item each month so I don't feel overwhelmed come November.

Then I came across this in blogland.




What a great way to motivate me - and so much fun to see what others have going on with their WIP.

This quilt is nearly 2 years in the making - I saw the kit for this quilt as a pre order on the Fat Quarter Shop.  I couldn't stop thinking about the quilt - so I ordered all the supplies without having to wait for the kit to be ready.

About 6 months later - I started on the project at our first Sewing Retreat .  I got 9 blocks done and when I came home, thought I'd get it completed for Christmas 2011- which obviously never happened. Sadly the quilt got put away and forgotten about for the first part of 2012.

I finally pulled it out in September or so of this year to get it completed for Christmas 2012.  I got to 21 out of 30 blocks done - and finally threw in the towel in yearly December knowing it wasn't going to happen for Christmas.

But I love this quilt - and I wanted it done - so I decided it would be my first finish for 2013.  I wasn't going to work on ANYTHING else until I got this done.  And when I say ANYTHING I mean, quilt projects, house cleaning, laundry - I haven't touched anything in my house and we're a week into the year - so this quilt better come together quickly!

Happy to say - over the weekend - I got all my blocks completed and the quilt laid out and ready for the rows to be sewn together.  This not so great picture was taken with my iphone, with bad light, at 2am - so please know these blocks look much better in person.

The pattern is Lucky Stars by Terry Atkinson and the fabric line is Grace by 3 Sisters for Moda.  I am making the twin size quilt - and hope to have it completed this week!  Stay tuned.

Head on over and check out the other projects in process at Sew Bitter Sweet Designs.  I'm so glad I found this Year of Finishes to help me stay on task this year.  I'm already thinking about my February finish - I think its gotta be my Swoon quilt.....

Skiing Surprise

*** I was going through my drafts and found this post I had written last year in February.  With skiing season upon us I thought I need to post this.  I read through it with a smile on my face remembering this fun day.

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Last Thursday I took off the afternoon and hit the slopes with Jake.  It was so much fun!  I can't believe I have never skied before....so peaceful and beautiful. 

It happened to be a blizzard by the time we ended our lessons, but during the lesson there was just a light flurry falling all around us. 

I can't explain in words the pride I felt in watching my little guy learning the ropes.  Funny thing is, the 4 year olds and the adults all start their lessons in the same area.  So Jake and I spent lots of time watching each other race down the little teeny tiny hill.  My class consist of me and one other student plus the instructor and we cheered for Jake so loud.  It was as if he had a fan club. 

There is a little hill that has a jump at the bottom which I SCREAMED as I went off the jump.  So when they sent my little Jake off the jump I was so nervous for him.  As I should have been because he face planted it!  But he got right back up and wanted to go down it again. 


I love watching Jake go down the mountain and up the magic carpet.  He would do it over and over again and didn't want to wait for the instructor, he just kept it right up.  So fun to watch him stick out his tongue to catch the snowflakes.  He loved every minute of it - except the carrying his skis back inside - he just won't do it!  "They are too heavy mom" he says - even the instructors were carrying them in for him as the two other little girls lugged their's up the mountain....we'll have to talk to him about that! 

Ever since Jake started up his lessons as we drive around town he looks up at the mountain - "mom look at all that snow - it would sure be a good day to be skiing" .  I love that he is so into it and love that this is something we can do together for years to come.  He keeps asking when he can go up a lift.  I love his energy and excitment to learn something new!

I hope as I hit more lifts I'll still love it as much as I did last Thursday.  Watching my baby catch snowflakes, and screaming as I go down a bunny hill (if you can even call it that).  I want to stay in the beginner stages for awhile I think! 

The biggest surprise I found about skiing - I never thought I would like it.  I am a warm weather person, don't like to be cold.  I never realized how beautiful it would be and how peaceful it feels to be staring up at those beautiful mountains.  What a wonderful surprise!

Finish Up Fridays

This quilt has been in the making for 5 years - Yes FIVE years!  I started this quilt when I was pregnant with Jake.  It was going to be his baby quilt.  I finshed it when he was almost 2.  (He turned 5 in October)  I finally got around to quilting it in December. 

I got a call from a client asking if I could do a custom job.  I hadn't done one yet on my new machine and was a little nervous - but decided to give it a try on one of my own quilts before moving on to someone elses.  I eventually moved onto this quilt and loved every minute of it.

I loved quilting this star quilt - the pattern I used was My 3 Stars by Buggy Barn Quilts.  This pattern is one of my all time favorite patterns.  I baby sized the pattern to give me a good sized baby quilt.  The fabric I used was Shangri La by 3 Sisters for Moda.  I used only the plaids and stripes in this line I.LOVE.THIS.LINE

I practiced some echoing of the stars - both outside the star and inside the star. 

I used a couple of fills - one called plaid (above in the brown star) and a double line fill (used below in the green star)

In the rectangles a swirl border design, in the baby stars I did some stitch in the ditch and the plain squares I stitched a star shape. 

I have a small 2 inch border around the quilt and did a simple border - still need to quilt the border onto the side borders - but had to get it off the frame to start the custom quilt for my client.

And the back - love the backs!

Quilting this gave me some confidence to work on a customers custom job.  It was so much fun - and I love how this quilt looks.  Goal is to get the borders done this week and to get the binding on it. 

Linking up to
Finish it Up Friday with Crazy Mom Quilts
Confessions of a Fabric Addiction

*** We are working to get our website up and going - in the meantime all Edge to Edge patterns are $.01 and inch - ALL PATTERNS! Check them out here - I'm updating the board with additional patterns over the next few days. Email me at abby@latimerlane.com if you're interested.