camo lunch bag

For Father's Day, I made my husband a lunch bag using Pink Penguin's tutorial (but made it a little bigger).  After seeing the bag I made for our daughter last year, he mentioned that I should make one for him to use as a lunch bag.  I didn't really take him seriously but he mentioned it again a few days before Father's Day so I decided to get busy.

I find it hard to choose fabric for a guy project.  While walking around in Joann's, I came across this camo shirting fabric and decided to go with it.  I paired it with some stone-colored quilter's linen I had on hand.  The lining inside is a green quilter's cotton.  I also lined it with Insul-Bright to help keep his lunch cool.

He was quite pleased with his new lunch bag and has proudly carried it to work the past couple days!  :)

flea market fancy quilt

I started this quilt near the end of last year.  I was making one for my Mom at the same time.

Mom's quilt got finished in time to give it to her for Christmas but this one got tucked in the closet for a few months.  It was pulled out at some point, spray basted, then rolled up and tucked behind the door until just recently (during our cool, cloudy, rainy stretch of weather) when it was pulled back out, quilted and bound.

I used my new machine to quilt this one...what a dream!

I love all the features that making quilting so much easier (throat space, dual-feed device...).

This quilt is backed with a flannel sheet and is oh so cozy!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great weekend! 

linking to Crazy Mom Quilts and show and tell Tuesday

WIP - using my new Janome MC8200

I started this Flea Market Fancy quilt before Christmas.  I am 

finally finishing it up and enjoying doing so using my new sewing machine!

I have been thinking and dreaming about a new machine for the past while.

I was thinking about getting the Janome MC6300 but then did more

research and discovered the Janome MC8200 and fell in love.  However, I 

decided that I couldn't spend that much money on a sewing machine and I would 

make do with my Brother and maybe look for a new machine with a lower price tag.

My husband had a different idea though.  A few days before Mother's Day, he

surprised me with a new machine...the Janome MC8200!  (He's just the best!) 

I've been sewing on it for a little over a month now and am really loving it. 

I first used it to make the dresses for my daughters and really appreciated that

it had a free arm.  Then, while working on the quilt shown above, I enjoyed

all the throat space. It is so nice!  No more wrestling matches like this one.

I'm still learning all the features of this machine and am looking forward to

piecing a quilt top on it!

linking to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

fair and square dresses

My sister is getting married this summer, which means I had a great excuse to buy another dress pattern to make three dresses!  I used Tie Dye Diva's Fair & Square dress pattern.  I love this pattern and am sure I'll get much use out of it.

The little flower detail just adds to the cuteness!  I didn't sew these to the dress like the pattern says but rather pinned them on using safety pins, that way they can be removed if needed.

With my new sewing machine (more on that later), I created little size tags.  I have never before put sizes on the clothes I have made but have sometimes wished I had.  It can be hard to remember what size something is when passing clothes down from girl to girl. 

All three dresses...waiting for that day in August when little girls will wear them!

Fabrics used - Quilter's Linen Grey and Lavender, Petal Pushers Stripes Grey, Riley Blake Willow Dot Grey, Riley Blake Chevron Small Tonal Lavender.

linking to Quilt Story  and Crazy Mom Quilts 

more bonnets + bibs

There was a bit of a baby boom the first few months of this year in my husband's family, which means I got to do some baby sewing for three darling little nieces.  Using my bonnet pattern and fabric from my stash, I sewed up a bonnet for each little girl.  These are reversible bonnets.  I hope they get much use this summer.

I also made some bibs but these weren't gifts.  They are now in the shop so if you are looking for a bib for your little one or to give as a gift, go check them out!  I used my Keep Clean Bib pattern, which is also available in the shop.  I had fun coming up with fabric combos for these - there are so many cute children/novelty prints to choose from!

linking to Quilt Story

blogger's quilt festival - Bella quilt

I recently posted about this quilt but an writing about it again for the Blogger's Quilt Festival.

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I made this quilt while I was pregnant with my little boy.

I didn't know if I was having a boy or girl so I made one boy quilt and one girl quilt.

I made the Bizzy Kid quilt by Cluck Cluck Sew using Bella fabric by Lotta Jansdotter.  It is backed with turquoise minky fabric (oh, so cozy!) and bound with black and white striped fabric.

I made the twin size but then decided to make it into two smaller baby size quilts and am so glad I did!  Once I finished this quilt, I had pretty much decided that even if I didn't have a boy I would keep the quilt anyway but am so happy that I now have a baby boy to cuddle under it with!

baby blanket from gramma

I'm sure I have mentioned on here before that I wish I could crochet.

I have tried before but, alas, I just seem to be all thumbs!

So, therefore, I am very thankful that my Mom crochets and keeps us stocked on lovely handmade items...the most recent being this adorable blanket for our baby boy!

Thank you Gramma!

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The winner of the four pattern giveaway is #44 - Brooke.  Please check your email!