At long last, the photoshoot...

I made this quilt top at least two years ago and it has been sitting waiting patiently until I got up the nerve to quilt something so large on my tiny machine. Well that day never came, but instead I caved and decided a completed quilt was more important to me than my previous feelings about having to quilt everything myself. I took this quilt to a longarmer. I am still working with my feelings on this topic, but honestly, it was so nice to send it out and have it come back completed all but the binding.

I worked about 2 hours in the quilt shop trying to pick out fabrics that all went together and that I liked, as this is not made from all one collection as most of my newer quilts are. Now I just save myself the 2 hours and pick a favorite collection and go with it! I like things that match perfectly, I can't help it. But now that the whole thing is together, I think I like it, though I had some doubts during the process.

I picked the windiest day ever to photograph it on my neighbor's clothesline, so here is an action shot! Gotta get me one of those clotheslines.

I could never have done anything like this with my machine!

One of Four

Part One of Four: the quilts made from the fat quarter bundles I bought compulsively and then had to find patterns to use the fabric

This quilt pattern is called Coming Soon... by Camille Roskelley. I love her fabric and her patterns, she has a lovely sense of style. I also am so excited for her new line called Ruby which has a soft grey colorway that is making me drool. 

The fabric is Botany. I have lots more fat quarters. So I made the backing scrappy like this:

I also added little tabs when sewing on the binding strips so I could hang it on a curtain rod above the bed in my guest room which I painted BRIGHT yellow in a moment of insanity when I first moved into this all-white house in a neighborhood of beige. Surrounded by a desert of essentially more beige. It's hard to sleep in there because the yellow has burned your retinas. 

I also must say that this project completes an item on my to-make list, my first wall hanging quilt!

I love the idea of decorating with modern quilts on my walls!

I am thinking with the rest of this fabric I will make one of those end of the bed runners, like they put on your bed at a hotel. I still have about 10 quilts in line to be made though!! Sheesh!

Hopscotch Shirt

Pattern: Hopscotch Skirt and Shirt by Oliver + S

Fabric: City Weekend by Oliver +S in Turquoise Park Ramble in Interlock Knits

This shirt goes with this skirt from my previous post, it just took me quite a while to get the second half completed! Part of this was because I was intimidated by working with knits, the other part was because I needed non-woven interfacing for knits and I had to order that from somewhere else and let's face it, I just lost momentum after that adorable skirt was done! But here they are together at last!

I have to say the pattern for the top is so easy, but working with knits is not for beginners, I found it to be a little bit difficult. But I am proud of myself for making the attempt and I would certainly do it again, especially working with interlock knits as high quality as these are. This shirt is super cute and it looks like something your kid would actually want to wear... which is always good. :)
The best part is how great this came out:

Love it.