I was thrilled and honored when Kristen & Beth from Sew Mama Sew contacted me asking if I'd like to be on their editorial board for the next couple of months... Yes, please! They did an amazingly nice intro post about me today. I'll be doing a sew along for them next month so I hope you'll be sewing along with me then!
-Alissa
I'm part of another quilting bee and Katy sent along some really beautiful Liberty fabrics. I had never worked with them before and they really were so lovely. After making a more traditional styled block, I couldn't stop myself from using scraps to give them the wonky log cabin treatment. A mini quilt just appeared out of nowhere!
I'm in love with that central fabric and I thought it needed loads of solids around it to show it off. I'm not sure about these colors, it's a bit too bright and pastel-y but it's what I had in my stash. It was fun to finish a project in a matter of a couple of hours!
Almost done here... just the binding left.
What will I do when I run out of Heather Ross dogs?? I love them so. Good thing I just bought more in dark yellow & orange because you can't find the blue anymore...
My mother requested a quilt and sent me loads of fabric to make it with. I love the challenge of working with the fabrics you're given, while keeping your personal style in the quilt.
Here's the fabrics I'm going to be using... I love the colors but wouldn't have picked them myself so I'm excited for this one. Also a lot more solids than I usually work with so that will be really fun too.
I'm thinking more improv pieced blocks with off white sashing. Kinda like these, but not as loud because I won't be using nearly as many patterned fabrics... I'm going to get started soon! Maybe even today!
I finished a new baby quilt for some friends whose last name is Sparks. It's such a good last name, that I'm using it for the name of the quilt! This is another gender neutral one 'cause they are waiting to find out.
I love how this quilt came out. It's sort of a mini version of my Land & Sea Quilt. I actually kept track of the measurements as I made this one, so I'm thinking I'll post the pattern soon.
A fussy cut center of each block will be fun for the baby as he or she grows up!
One of my usual pieced backs:
Welcome to my revamped blog! If you have a minute please do take the time to adjust your readers or blogrolls to have my new address: http://www.handmadebyalissa.com/
Thank you!
Kristen and I started a virtual quilting bee called Block Party and I was lucky enough to "get" the first month. This is the fabric that I sent:
I'm starting to get some blocks back and I'm LOVING seeing them all together!!! Can't wait to see what all the other ones will be like!
I've decided that the winter-y blocks I started a bit ago will make up the quilt that will be my project for Project Improv. Progress is being made!
All of the blocks were improvisationally pieced and I love the process. I'm pretty sure I'm going to make this into a king sized quilt so there's still a bunch of blocks to go... Anyone ever quilted a king in their sewing machine?? I'm sure it's going to be an adventure. I've managed a queen, so but this one will be even bigger...
After framing all the blocks in white, the resulting pile of scraps
got me thinking about this quilt. Perhaps a way to use them up?
I'm also all done with a pretty quilt top for a commissioned baby quilt.
I do enjoy the challenge of working with a requested color scheme. My "go to" colors are always orange and pink so it's fun stretch myself when I have to stay away from them.
What colors do you find yourself always turning to?
I started this very simple baby quilt a while back in 2008, but I just finished it, so I'm counting it as #1 for 2009!
The little baby girl who this was made for, was born a couple of weeks ago at only 29 weeks due to risk to the mother's health. Luckily the doctors say that all will be ok for both Mom & daughter. The planned shower is still happening this coming weekend so I hope that the mother likes the quilt.
They are doing their nursery in a ladybug theme so I picked up this cute Flutterby fabric that has little ladybugs all over it and I'm calling it the Ladybug Baby Quilt. I know, not so creative. I have a hard time coming up with names for my quilts...
I also did a simple pieced back with the same fabric:
And one of my usual embroidered labels.
I do so enjoy sitting and stitching these while I watch a tv show or two. My husband and I are on a binge of The Wire these days. I had never seen even one episode before and oh it is so good!
Otherwise, I'm feeling like I've been getting tons of sewing done so far this year. I'm motivated these days... it's great and I hope it lasts!
I hope you're all feeling the same way! Back to the sewing room I go...
I mentioned Project Improv previously. One of the only required things you have to do to be involved is to make one "log cabin-ish" quilt block. All the blocks made are going to be assembled into quilts that will be donated to charity. We were supposed to pick one colors scheme and I went with pink & orange. But I found, as I was digging through my scraps, that I have scraps for all three options, so why not make three blocks?
The scraps all ready to be tuned into something pretty!
And what they became!
I realized a few things while making these blocks. 1) I love me some fussy cutting. 2) I don't have nearly as many cool colored fabrics as I do warm. And 3) making blocks on the fly like this, with no pattern or measuring, is where I'm most at ease. I simply love to make wonky log cabins like this and it's 100% in my comfort zone. That means that I'm not pushing myself to grow at all with these blocks. I need to figure out what that next step in improv piecing means for me... Hmm...
Been putting the many Christmas gift cards to very good use!! Oh how my family knows me and treats me well! Some stash building:
Bought up a bunch of Katie Jump Rope with a focus on the fabrics that work so well for man & boy quilts. I can find florals I love anywhere, but non-girly modern polka dots and plaids? Much harder! Otherwise everything in here was 50% off or simply a fabric that I have found I use all the time and I figured I'd snag another yard. Gift cards! Why NOT spend every penny of them THIS SECOND??
And some new fabrics!
I love these robots like crazy for baby quilts so I got a lot of it with plans to make some baby quilts for an inventory. This lady is determined to sell a few more quilts in 2009. Only way to do that is to make some and build an inventory. This fabric will work perfectly for boy or girl quilts! I'm progressive - girls like robots too!
Edit: I should have mentioned, the rockets are by David Walker!
And lastly a bit of fabric that's just for me and that I have no plans for yet.
Pretty right?? Those oranges are from one of Jay Carroll's new lines and I need to see them in person before I buy more. I like all of the crazy animals, but I'm not certain about his colors until I see them in person...
And a quick thought about Lush... I love this fabric line. Especially this one deer fabric. And after reading on True Up about the fact that the the different fabrics in the line were cut down and very little was printed (have you noticed how already it is hard to find it?? I'm hording these two yards!) I was disappointed. Uptown, Erin Michael's wonderful previous line, had SO MANY different fabrics in it and was so hugely varied. I'll be working away on a quilt and I'll suddenly realize that I've paired two Uptown fabrics, having forgotten that they were from the same line. (I like to challenge myself by not using two fabrics from the same line in a block.) So I know that Erin Michael has it in her to come up with so many different beautiful fabrics. I think that it's a cryin' shame that she wasn't able to do this for Lush. Or rather, she was able but then it wasn't printed... Seriously. Moda, what were you thinkin'??
Ok enough about that. Time to get back to my sewing machine! Happy Thursday everyone!
I've always thought of that word relating to a bunch of people running around on a stage trying to be funny, but now it is ALSO about quilting for me!! Jacquie started Project Improv and I'm so excited about it. I have thought tons and tons about taking quilting classes and I read loads about quilting, but I find that there's not a lot out there about the style of quilting I'm drawn to. There's some, but not nearly enough to satisfy me. This project that Jacquie is starting will definitely help with that. Sign up if you're interested!
Here in LA it almost never feels like winter, but a bit of cooler weather (a low of 45 degrees! gasp!) has inspired me to make some blocks in what I think of as winter-ish colors. Orange probably isn't but oh well. I can't help it. I'm continually obsessed with orange. I have been leisurely making the blocks my favorite way. One at a time, with no concern for straight lines or what size they end up...I'll frame them all in white in the end. I just eyeball it the whole time and I do so enjoy it. It's so much fun to just look at all of the fabrics and mix and match and enjoy the process.
But am I making blocks for one quilt?
Or two quilts?
I'm thinking one, but I'm going to have to make some more blocks before I'm completely sure. And maybe some changes...
Last night I finished up the breast cancer charity quilt. Shannon contacted me a while back about making a quilt to donate to help them raise money for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and I jumped at the chance. She even sent me pink ribbon fabric which I was thrilled to include in the quilt. Otherwise I pulled from my stash (other than a bit of solid brown & the batting). It's a lap quilt and I hope that people like it so that it raises them a bit of money!
I still need to toss it in the washer and dryer so I'm excited to see this back all crinkly!
2008 and has been an amazing year for me. This was my year in a nutshell:
Quilting? Quilting! I love quilting! Quilting, quilting, quilting. Yikes, I could use a paycheck. Quilting, quilting, Obama!, quilting.
When I think about the role that quilting has come to play in my life I can't believe that it's only been one year that I've been at it. And this blog? I just started it in August and I never imagined that it would be as wonderful as it has been. Becoming a part of this crafty bloggy community, getting to know some of you, knowing that there are so many more of you to get to know, and the excitement of that all being in the year ahead has brought me, and will continue to bring me, so much happiness. You are all so nice and generous and fun and it's a thrill to be involved!! Thank you to each and every one of you who has been so warm and welcoming.
I made 19 quilts this year.
I have all but the binding on a 20th. Does that count as this year? Nah. I'll make it quilt number 1 of 2009!
Happy New Year everyone! May 2009 be a great one for you.
I wanted to get those two quilts finished before 2009, but binding is a drag for me. Instead I had some fun!! I made the mini quilt that Katie won in my giveaway! Here it is:
And the back:
I hope you like it Katie! I'll be putting it in the mail to you in the next couple of days.
And as for those other two quilts, I'm mere stitches on the binding away from at least one being complete!
Made these pillows for my sister - I'm thinking there are going to be loads of pillows in my future...
And the table runner & place mats for my mother in law. They were incredibly tough for me to get through as the fabrics aren't my taste, but if you saw her dark green & red chicken themed kitchen you'd understand. It's as though the fabric designer had been in her kitchen before coming up with this line.
Anyhow - now I'm driven to finish the charity quilt and this baby quilt before the new year so that my numbers for 2008 quilts will be two higher!
And then... who knows?!? My quilting future for 2009 is wide open! How exciting!
Just a quick post to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you and yours!! Hope that you all have a wonderful time and enjoy all that this season means. Family, friends, food, and good times! I've been sewing like crazy and will show you some gifts after tomorrow, but for the time being, just a some Christmas Birdies that I found very tough to photograph as I have no tree this year to hang them on... They are already hanging on my sister's tree!
From this pattern, adjusted slightly so that I could add the ribbon to make them ornaments.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!!
I've already ordered mine so I'm thought I'd let you know that you can find some of the discontinued Katie Jump Rope for freakin' FIFTY PERCENT off at EQuilter right now. I'm not one for plugs, but that's a deal I'm so pleased with that I thought I'd share it for those of you who didn't see it in other places! KJR is THE line I've been trying to stock up on before it's all gone, so to see it somewhere for $4.47 a yard made my day.
Amanda Jean made a version of the Land & Sea Quilt I made and also was nice enough to post the pattern!
And let me know if you make it! I'd love to see the results!
Clearly I haven't been able to motivate on making my mother in law's table runner and place mats. Cute girly monsters for some friends' daughters instead!
It's HARD to make presents for people with different tastes from your own. At least I think it is! Two table runners (for my grandmother-in-law and stepmother-in-law) down:
And one more (for my mother-in-law), with a matching set of place mats, to go. I had to interrupt and make a couple of blocks that are more "me" before I dive back in...
