Nail Polish & Lipstick

My granddaughters love doing nothing better than painting each others nails.  They can spend hours amusing themselves.  And of course every nail is different.  They have ten tiny canvasses on which to work, and they treat each one as a masterpiece.

That's why when I saw this cute pattern for nail polish bottles I just knew I had to make it for them.  And the pattern is FREE from Fat Quarter Shop.  You can download a copy for yourself at  http://static.fatquartershop.com/media/wysiwyg/pdf/Nail%20Polish-Pattern.pdf

And of course a girl needs her lipstick!  I used graph paper to design a quick lipstick block that would fit on the border.  I purposely did not put them in the corners because I didn't want the binding to detract from the block. 

For the backing I found the perfect fabric for young ladies -- Mademoiselle by Alexander Henry.  I love this fabric!  It is full of images depicting teenage life (my favorite is the shoes).  It has a sort of vintage feel to it. I think the backing is as cute as the front. 

This was really a quick quilt to make, which is a good thing since I have to make two.  One down, one to go. 

Snapshots BOM 2

Block 2 of my Snapshots BOM is complete.  Loving these colors!  They look so retro. 

If you would like to join in this fun-to-do quilt along, visit http://fatquartershop.blogspot.com/p/snapshots-quilt-along.html for the details.  New blocks are available on the 15th of each month and a video is available for guidance on completing the blocks.  A donation of $5 is being requested from each participant per month for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.

Little Christmas Quilt Done

At last I finished this little quilt.  I added the buttons to my Gingerbread Man, sewed a zigzag stitch hook on top of the ornament, and sewed the bows on the wreaths.  It is so festive with its bright colors against the white.  This was really a fun quilt to do.  I enjoyed following Lori Holt of Bee in My Bonnet on Instagram for the how-to's and tips. She is so talented! 

Lori has a new book, Farm Girl Vintage, coming soon, and I have pre-ordered it from the Fat Quarter Shop.  It is supposed to be here some time in April.  Can't wait!  Lori has already started posting pictures on Instagram of projects she is making with the patterns in the book.  Make sure you check it out! 

Girly Girls

I had an idea I wanted to make life-size doll quilts for my granddaughters.  I taped several pieces of paper together and began to draw.  I painted their faces with acrylic paint onto fabric then used fusible web to put the body and skirt on the fabric.  The overall design was raw-edged appliqued. 

I had put so much effort into making these quilts for the girls that I went ahead and finished them completely even though I didn't like them once they were finished.  I think what bothers me most is the white background.  The doll figure would  look better, I believe, on a solid color other than white.

The girls loved their quilts, though, and since it was a cold and rainy day, they enjoyed snuggling under their girly quilts while we played games and watched movies. 












I think I will try this again, but instead of trying to make such a young girl, I will worry less about open eyes and lips and go for a more sleek and modern design. 

What do you think?

Snapshots Quilt Along

I am doing the Snapshots Quilt Along from The Fat Quarter Shop, are you?  This is a really cute quilt.  I bought a Jelly Roll of Daysail by Moda and I'll be able to use it for some of the blocks, but for the larger pieces I will have to improvise from my stash. As these are some of my favorite colors, that should be no problem.

There is a tutorial for for the block as well as clear instructions to follow.  I had no problem making this first block and look forward to making the next.  

Babies Babies Babies

Don't drink the water!  All around me are expectant mothers, and one of them is my own sweet daughter-in-law.  Yes, sometime in February I am going to be a grandmother!  Yippee! 

 I've been working on a baby quilt with adorable stitched designs by Bronwyn Hayes of Red Brolly.  With all the other projects I have going on, I'm afraid this one won't be completed until he's two!

They have chosen vintage airplanes as the theme for the baby's room, and I am working on a airplane block quilt against a background of a flight path. Their colors are khaki, red and hunter green.

This giraffe quilt top I made is for another young lady who is due in March. I love this fabric.  The giraffe fabric is a fuzzy flannel and his muzzle is Minkee.  I embroidered his face by hand and added black rick rack for his mane.  His "horns" are a cotton knit with knots tied in the ends and sewn to the quilt.

 
This little elephant quilt was made for a friend who was also becoming a first-time grandmother. With this quilt I learned a little bit of basting adhesive spray works great to tame Minkee.  It's really best to spray that stuff inside a box or outside, though.  My iron and scissors were sticky for hours!  For the elephant's tail I braided some gray yarn and stitched it behind the raw edge applique on the elephant.  This will be a fun textural quilt for the baby with the Minkee and chenille fabrics.

Tammy for All Seasons

Mdm. Samm from Sew We Quilt has come up with another fun project.  Surprise -- we're not quilting this time!  This time around we are showing off our embroidery and cross stitching skills.  (Unfortunately I discovered mine are lacking, but that didn't stop me from trying!)  For our projects, Brook Nolan of Brooke's Books created the cutest retro designs and Cori Blunt of Chitter Chatter Designs created darling Pinnies. 

Both ladies made up 4 seasonal designs -- Winter, Fall, Spring and Summer -- from which we could choose our favorite.  I chose Fall.   

For my Pinnie I used a charm pack of Autumn leaves and a bright orange batik print for the ruffle.  Just for fun I added some bright buttons at the bottom. 

This was my first time making a Tammy bag.  This is Mdm. Samm's design, which is available from Craftsy or Connecting Threads.  This little purse whips up quickly and is roomy enough to hold a myriad of things.  I had some difficulty finding the right size handles, but was pleased with its design.

 

 The best thing about this little purse is that it will make the perfect gift for several of my girl friends who are having birthdays soon.   I made this one for me.  Although it's a little purse, it is roomy enough inside to carry all your little essentials.  For me that's my tea bags and Splenda. 

I couldn't end this post without saying thank you to Mdm. Samm, Brooke Nolan, and Cori Blunt for their wonderful designs.  And a BIG thank you to Mary Winegar for hosting this hop. It's been great fun!

Thank you so much for stopping by.  Be sure and visit the other talented ladies listed below. 

January 13, 2015

Lovelli Quilts
Quilted Delights

It Seams To Be Sew ( changed date till 16th)

Just Because Quilts  (you are here)
Stitchen' My Life Away